Back on January 11, Chris Orapello and Tara Maguire appeared on New World Witchery with Cory Hutcheson where they spoke a bit about their new tradition that they’re working on called BlackTree Coven. On their site, they call it a “non-Wiccan, initiatory tradition of sabbatic witchcraft.” As with any tradition, it seems to be a smattering of influences, pulled together from a variety of sources that work to reflect the worldview of those who create it. And rest assured, that’s not a criticism of their efforts, most good ideas are not born from within a vacuum but built upon the shoulders of the giants who have come before us. Our ancestors have gifted us with countless tools from their trials and experimentation. We must in our own way continue their tradition of using the tools that are available and working on our own solutions.
What they’ve come up with is a pretty cool idea. It spoke to my animist heart when they started talking about a practice that is deeply rooted to the environment that they live and breath in. The place that they live, New Jersey, and the pine barrens that are so integrally connected with the identity of the land. Utilizing a sense of place and tying it to some ceremonial magick and sabbatic witchcraft (among other influences), they’ve crafted a tradition that is uniquely their own.
One of the best ideas, I think, that they came up with was to bring local folklore into their tradition. The Jersey Devil, a flying cryptid that is equal parts bat, kangaroo, horse and more is the sort of animal spirit of the pine barrens. The creature has been consistently reported as far back as when the native people who originally lived in the region, prior to Europeans forcing them out. They referred to it as a dragon of some sort and the area was referred to as Popuessing, which meant ‘place of the dragon’.
As they mentioned in New World Witchery, In their tradition the Jersey Devil and the creature’s mother, Mother Leeds take on the role of God and Goddess figures. I’m not quite sure I understand this part, why not just work with or venerate these as local land spirits rather than putting them into what feels like a more traditional Wiccan worldview? Regardless, I applaud their efforts and support the development of their new system.
[EDIT: Tara reached out and helped clarify this point for me. Turns out my understanding of this part of BlackTree was waaay off and the place of the Jersey Devil and Mother Leeds was NOT in the traditional Wicca god/goddess structure at all. Thanks to Tara for correcting me! Here’s a link to her full comment, below.]
I was so impressed by their ideas, in fact, that it got me thinking more about a blog post from a couple of months ago that I had written about creating a local practice or tradition that more adequately addressed the concerns of my own environment.
This is basically bioregionalism with a spiritual component, just as our ancestors used to do. While I value my relationship with the gods, I have a much more primal and immediate connection to the spirits of the land and to my ancestors. The land spirits, who I still sometimes refer to as wights, really capture the presence of life, the spirit of it. In Florida the spirit of the black bear, the alligator, the panther, and the River of Grass itself are real personalities (to name just a few). They can be worked with, consulted and communicated with and are very available when I need some help. More legendary spirits or creatures exist here as well, though the stories aren’t nearly as fleshed out as that of the Jersey Devil. Long Ears, from Seminole folklore, was a wolf-like beast with, you guessed it, Long Ears. There’s also enough skunk ape lore to shake a stick at, some of it from here, some from the Southeast, generally.
But isn’t this just shamanism? I’d say yes and no. The term shamanism feels appropriated to me. I prefer not to use it out of respect for the peoples to whom the term belongs. Also, much like Christopher and Tara, I feel a connection with the term and concept of witchcraft. It’s the lost philosophical and spiritual heritage of many cultures and through it, the possibility for healing and restoration of wholeness. There’s a lot of power in those ideas, and I’m personally loathe to toss them aside. I’m looking forward to seeing how BlackTree Coven develops, and what can be applied to other regions. Good luck to Tara and Christopher!
Finally, I think I’m just happy to see some of the ideas that I’m into gaining more traction. The bioregional, animistic witchcraft has always been around to varying degrees, in recent years Sarah Anne Lawless has been a particularly noteworthy voice on the topic. But it feels now like it may be on the cusp of a renaissance within our community. As environmental issues become more and more pressing, people are looking to their bioregions with fresh eyes. Sadly, the attention may be too late, as things are on the cusp of irrevocably changing. Witchcraft will morph and change with the world as it changes though. How could it not? It’s intrinsically tied to its rhythms and motions.