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Jason Pitzl-Waters on Aug 13th 2006 at 7:32 pm Uncategorized

Wiccan Therapy

Salon.com’s Heather Havrilesky – writing in her “I Like To Watch” column – takes a look at summer reality programs. The most redeeming of the bunch (in her opinion) is the show “30 Days” hosted by “Super Size Me” star Morgan Spurlock. The show takes people (including the host) and puts them in new situations that are often diametrically opposed to their present lives or ways of thinking (in hopes that they will learn something). One upcoming episode seems to be of great interest to modern Pagan viewers.

“One of my favorite episodes, though, (airing 10 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 16) introduces Tom, a former football player with stress- and anger-management issues, to some New Age methods for relaxing and expressing his emotions. At first, the producers thrust Tom into some seriously alienating situations, including an awkward ritual featuring middle-aged women chanting, “We all come from the goddess, and to her we shall return!” while Tom looks ready to crawl out of his skin. Tom’s girlfriend, Misti, is less than pleased with the whole thing, clearly equating the word “spiritual” with some kind of voodoo that will steal Tom’s soul and bring God’s wrath down upon them. Misti also seems a little bit jealous of Tom’s female life coach, who spends all this time talking to Tom about his emotions and giving him advice about letting go of his anger — the same advice Misti has been trying to give him for years, only now, suddenly, Tom is listening.”

On the web site for the show, it says that Tom attends a “Spring Equinox ritual” (where no doubt the goddess chant referenced is heard) as part of his immersion into “New Age” stress releasing techniques. Is the “life coach” assigned to Tom a Pagan? Will Wicca morph from the “freaky” element of reality programming into a new curative therapy? Instead of Yoga over-stressed Americans will perform the 8 Sabbats towards greater peace and harmony with nature?

If you have the FX Network I do hope you’ll drop me a line about the content of the episode after it airs.

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3 responses so far

  • Mama Kelly

    We record 30 days on our DVR and I’ll be looking out for this one!!Thank you for the heads up.BBmama kellyhttp://purplemoongarden.wordpress.com

  • shimmer

    Actually, I thought the show was surprisingly fair. I was on defensive mode, I admit… but Tom finds that some fo the practices suit him and really help him be a happier person, and even his freaked-out girlfriend climbs onboard after meeting–and liking–Tom’s personal lifecoach. The practices he tries are an amalgam of different things… ecstatic movement, acupuncture/Chinese medicine, the Spring Equinox ritual…it’s like a sampler pack! So some of it is not what I would think of as “new age,” and much of it was not necessarily “witchy,” but I know that this stuff all falls under the same umbrella for most mainstream, non-Pagan folks.At the end, they both talk about this being a good and helpful experience; Misti talks about how much happier Tom is, and how she didn’t really need to be so freaked out; Tom talks about how he intends to keep some of the practices in his life, and how much happier and healthier he feels.

  • Anonymous

    The ritual with the Wiccan chanting was the first event in the program, and it was by no means a true Wiccan circle, but one of those Goddess-themed New Age things that are more and more common these days. Tom, the participant, did look very uncomfortable at that. But about a third of the way along, when he started taking accupuncture and doing yoga, he got more on board. It did seem to effect a change in him; he really did look happier and more relaxed. His problems had been with anger mnagement, and he learned a variety of meditation and relaxation techniques.It was a real grab-bag: tarot, Reiki, yoga, drinking green tea, firewalking. Not a disciplined path at all. But Tom did find value in some of the practices. We left him doing Downward Dog on his own in his bedroom before going to work.Kirsten