I am a former student of the infamous Kenny Klein, and I have no doubt whatsoever that he is guilty of the charges he now faces in a New Orleans courtroom. I’ve long been circumspect in mentioning our association on this blog, because I’m horrified to have even been in affiliation with him. I’ve been waiting for the court case to convene, so that I could base my judgement on the actual evidence presented in court, and the official arguments made there.
That time is finally nigh; here are the newest headlines from April 5, 2017:
“Child porn trial opens for New Orleans Wiccan priest”
and this one:
“New Orleans jury visibly disturbed by videos in Wiccan priest’s child porn trial”
both are By
This all began back on March 25, 2014; that fateful day when the pagan blogosphere blew up, and every Tom, Dick and Raven, gave public voice to their long-held concerns about his behavior.
“Klein, 62, is charged in a 20-count bill of information with one count of pornography involving a juvenile under the age 13, and 19 counts of possession with intent to distribute pornography involving juveniles under the age 17. He faces 10 to 40 years in prison if convicted of the first count, and 5 to 20 years on each of the other 19 counts.” source at www.nola.com
Innocent until Proven Guilty
In America we are to be assumed innocent until proven guilty, and I wholeheartedly uphold this standard. He is “alleged” to be guilty of heinous, exploitative sexual crimes against children, and the distribution of pornographic video of the same. He’s been accused of many inappropriate, creepy, questionable and outright horrifying indiscretions with minors over many decades, by people who would actually know like his ex-wife, Dr. Tzipora Katz, and his step-children.
“Assistant district attorneys Zack Popovich and Arthur Mitchell also presented wrenching testimony from two Arizona adults, now in their 30s, who described being repeatedly molested as children while sometimes in Klein’s care, and being directed by the defendant to engage in sex acts with each other while he watched.” source
However, those accusers were defamed by Klein, and discounted by our community, just like the victims of Bill Cosby, and Donald Trump and so many other notorious sexual predators we know goddamned well are 10 shades of guilty, even if they couldn’t quite manage to make the court cases stick. Kenny is still blaming Tzipora as his defense strategy in this current case.
“Bradley Phillips suggested in his opening argument that the videos had been planted in Klein’s computer remotely by Klein’s ex-wife, whom Phillips described as a software expert and vindictive high priestess, who with Klein established the nature-worshipping Blue Star tradition of Wicca…Allegations that Klein had sexually molested children and shared child pornography began after their divorce, Phillips said.” source
Who is Kenny Klein?
This particular “dastardly bastard of the occult”(1) is the co-founder of Blue Star Tradition of Wicca, an author with three books in print through Llewellyn and Megalithica Books. Up until this scandal hit the news, he was a well-known “big name pagan,” touring to promote his new books, lecturing, and performing his original pagan folk-music. For decades he traveled the pagan and renaissance festival circuit. (Click here for his wikipedia page)
I met Kenny when he was hired to teach workshops and perform music at a local NC Beltane Festival in 2012. I was there vending for my shop, and camping out with my coven and students. It was around my campfire, that he befriended me, and offered to be my teacher, to show me the ways and secrets of “real initiatory Wicca that we can’t find in books.” He enticed myself and several other local witches to become seekers in his Blue Star coven. We spend the next few months hosting him here at my home and shop, as he offered us the seeker classes and rituals required before dedication.
Why am I so sure that he is deserving of this accusation?
Because of the very astute lessons that Kenny himself taught me. I took his class on ethics and the Wiccan Rede, that he claims to live by. He instilled within me the importance of “Keep pure your highest ideal, strive ever towards it.” He explained the very real importance of “With no fool a season spend, nor be counted as their friend” because if you are in affiliation with someone who is doing harm, and you don’t stand up and say or do something about it, then you are guilty by association.
HE TAUGHT ME that when you make your vows before the old gods to enter their service, to uphold the Rede and “harm none,” then you break that vow, that WOE BE UNTO YOU, because they will hold you to it…even if no one is looking, even if someday you try to change your mind. The vow was for that lifetime and the Old Gods don’t fuck around; you will get burned.
Kenny told me that if I ever wanted to know if a pagan leader was honest and true, and worth their salt as a priest/ess of the old gods, that I should look at their lives as proof, because we will receive what we deserve, thanks to the three-fold law of return. Are they happy, healthy, successful? Are they in good relationship with people, well-regarded and able to survive in the world? Would it appear that they are living a life of blessings? Then they must be doing something right. Are you savoring the delicious irony the way that I am? Hypocrite!
He was outspoken in his condemnation of pagan predators like Gavin and Yvonne Frost, who were a big deal in my region of NC back in the day. He often used their falling from grace, in increasing black-balling by the pagan community as evidence of their wrong-doing, and the gods taking care take of business.
I know that Kenny is a devoted priest of Herne, who took his position very seriously. I’ve stood in his circle, and heard the voice of the gods through his mouth…and that invocation message proved true. The Gods worked Their Highest Divine Will in my life, through the lessons (albeit difficult ones) presented to me during my time under his tutelage, and for that I am grateful–I am also well-informed from a front-row seat.
We traveled with him to Sirius Rising Festival in Sherman NY in 2012 and camped out with him and his coven for a week. I saw skeevy things first hand; red flags were flaring all over the place while he hung out with gaggles of 13 year old girls [EDIT: in broad daylight, in public, in the presence of their parents, who were life-long friends of Kenny’s, but I still got that “Pervy Uncle” vibe.] I had to stand in defense of a 21 year old woman refusing to be his nude photography subject, while several others (who were over 18) take him up on that offer, with star-struck adoration for him in their eyes. He lapped it up.
All of us from Greenville chose NOT to dedicate to further study with him, and I feel like we dodged a major bullet. He is now the example of WHAT NOT TO DO that I use for all my students.
Smote by the Old Gods
I believe that Kenny Klein is guilty of these accusations, and his life has been effectively destroyed already, removing him from any position of trust, and authority, his career is destroyed, his reputation is destroyed, his ability to make a life for himself in this middle world is destroyed, his books removed from print, and his newest book scrubbed before it ever came to publication, because he has broken his vows to his gods to harm none, they are smiting him where he stands.
I will watch the unfolding case very carefully, and I do hope that the fullest extents and protections of jurisprudence are followed to protect the rights of all involved, in fairness to Kenny and all his victims, so that justice may be served. But in my mind, Divine justice has already been made exceedingly clear, and radically effective. Magick is like that–principle of vibration, law of attraction, however you want to phrase it; Karma can be a bitch, but only if you’re a bitch first.
Just like Kenny taught me, I’ll spend no season with that fool, and I’ll speak out against wrong-doing, in protection of any who would be harmed by this rogue magickian. Beyond just his specific victims, he’s poisoned the well that feeds our whole community; All of Wicca and Witchcraft are being harmed thanks to his headlines in national media. I don’t appreciate it.
Consider this my Warlocking–he has clearly broken perfect love and trust, and I no longer consider him a true priest among the Wicca, for whatever my opinion is worth. Gods bless the prosecution team, and any witnesses brave enough to testify against him. May his beautiful coven-members and loved ones that I met during my time in Blue Star, find peace and understanding, as they are deserving of our compassion, and do not deserve any taint upon their own reputations.
May justice be served,
~Heron
References:
- The old wiccan priest that I describe in this blog was actually Kenny Klein. I could write many more about these misadventures and things I learned thanks to him. http://www.patheos.com/blogs/witchonfire/2016/08/digging-up-roots-garden-witchery/
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