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Page: Profile: Wren's Nest News Local
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Article: 17413
[Offbeat]
Date Posted:
3/5/2007
3:40:46 pm EST
Wvox Stats
Views: 8,705
RSS: 20,646
Comments: 23
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Skull, Bones Found In Conowingo Cauldron
Author: Danée Attebury Source: Cecil Whig (MD)
Title: SKULL, BONES FOUND IN CONOWINGO CAULDRON
A human skull in a black cauldron as well as other unusual items that may have been part of a religious ritual were uncovered by police Thursday in Conowingo.
Several local residents discovered the site while walking through a wooded area near the 500 block of Belle Manor Road at about 2 p.m. They called Maryland State Police, said Detective Sgt. Steve Seipp.
Although police described the finding as a possible “pagan ritual,” Iris Dickerson, an Elkton resident and practicing pagan, said the finding does not sound like a pagan ritual.
She said real pagans do not use human bones or hurt animals in their religious practices.
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Community Thoughts: There are 23 comments posted | Reverse Sort |
| No Bone Picking Here. | Mar 6th. at 10:25:39 pm EST
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bigcat (peoria, Illinois) - Email Me
Sorry for the blanket comment I made,
But the article does incense me some.
While I am finding that many Pagans do use bones in their rituals, they also use them ethically and that is not what I find disquieting.
It is the equal assumption that -all pagans use them by those who stumble upon yet another ritual site, and automatically, "occult" and "Satanism" arise and we have to explain ourselves yet again.
Personally, (and that's just me) I don't use either human bones or ashes in my ritual work as I consider such things unwillingly given. I mean, the owners-being dead- have no real say in what happens to their remains and they cannot object to any purpose for which they are used. I know that I would not like my own bones or ashes dug up to be used in any purpose I would find objectionable in life, magical or otherwise.
I hope again, the bones do find a quiet resting place.
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| Bones Can Be Legal | Mar 6th. at 2:33:50 pm EST
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alkhemy (Sunland, California) - Email Me
Speaking as a Pagan who does use bones - some even human - in my rites, I would like to point out that such items can be obtained legally, safely and honorably. They don't need to be stolen from graves.
I would also like to point out that to those like myself who do use these things, they are cherished possessions that are cared for and would certainly never be left behind at the site of a rite.
It is difficult to decide which is more annoying - those who automatically assume that the presence of such things means a Pagan/Satanic rite took place, or those who insist that "real Pagans would never use this stuff".
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| Magical, Not Spiritual | Mar 6th. at 11:02:53 am EST
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Copper Asetemhat Stewart (Morgantown, West Virginia) - Email Me
Sure, there are worthless "Pagans" who are more interested in money, sex and power than in the power of religion to transform the individual. Magic is a neutral tool--not inherently religious, spiritual or "good".
Mastery over transitory phenomena is unimpressive from a spiritual perspective--indeed, this kind of magic is how the Gods siphon off the foolish and ill-prepared. It plays on those who are too dim-witted to recognize distinctions between guiding spirits; these operators think they command, but they are actually bound and enslaved by inferior spirits. They are deluded by their own smoke and mirrors, satisfied with ultimately cheap results.
This isn't relgion--it's business and cosa nostra and ritualized psychosis, and it's full of quacks and opportunists as well as powerful sorcerors.
The most powerful sorceror, however, is weaker than the weakest devotee. Those who take refuge in the Divine have nothing to fear from these sorts of workings nor the people who do them. Those who do them--and fancy themselves awesomely powerful--are little more than the slaves of ghosts. A true devotee can break any curse with a single word--without any need for expense or hard to obtain items and without any money changing hands. The name of Isis (for one among many) is far more powerful than any magician's spellwork, and what She offers richer and more rewarding than any spell's mundane returns.
I'm all for outing "Pagans" who engage in these forms of magic, and for the prosecution of those who possess ill-gotten human remains or the body parts of endangered species. When body-parts are stolen, the intrinsic sacrilege merits life-imprisonment.
More important, however, may be spiritual work to directly challenge these sorcerors in the mundane and spiritual worlds. There is truly nothing to fear.
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| Either Somebody Is Playing Games Here | Mar 6th. at 8:44:31 am EST
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AutumnWind (Bushnell, Florida) - Email Me
or seriously misguided.
I would personally never use bones in rituals simply because of the mental images that I associate with skulls and such but that is me.
For some it is a way of connecting to a person or animal that has passed on. However, that does not mean that it is wrong. Just as some people hold on to personal items, some hold on to ashes, some hold on to bones.
Anyways, the person that engaged in this ritual was not trying to connect with a past loved one. If, this was a witchcraft based ritual the colors of the cloth represent blood and hate. And, I do pity the person who attempt this, hate is the strongs of negative engery and has a way of backfiring.
But as the man says that just my opinion.
AutumnWind
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| Wizard | Mar 6th. at 5:08:01 am EST
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Shadow Dragon (nashville, Tennessee) - Email Me
I had a Wiccan friend who hunt Satanist who abused children and animals. He was a victim when he was a child. He broke up the cults by telling them what he was going to do, and then cast a powerful curse causing the event. Also, He owns a real hand of glory. I don’t know how he got it.
I’m pagan but not Wicca .I’m not evil. I have not taken a oath to never use baneful magic and never will. I may want to use the big guns in the future. I’m training in evocation. I will summon spirits to teach me magic and the real rules of karma.I feel the laws of karma I hear about are made up, only the spirits know the truth. In the future, I want to learn how to K.O. someone with just a look for self defense. I just want to be a arch-type wizard that can throw lighting bolts. Is that evil?
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| Here's A Article I Found (a Copy) , Not My Words | Mar 6th. at 4:28:29 am EST
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Shadow Dragon (nashville, Tennessee) - Email Me
Palo Mayombe - Dark Path of Santeria
"Palo Mayombe" is the dark path of Santerian magic, which has its roots in the Congo region of Africa. Its initiated practitioners are called "paleros" or "tata n'kisi" (meaning "father of the spirits") .
In Cuba, aspiring sorcerers perform a gruesome initiation ceremony. It involves digging up a corpse from a graveyard, taking the skull and other bones to a ritual chamber, and then conjuring up the spirit of the dead person.
If the spirit consents to serve the sorcerer during his lifetime, a cauldron - called a "nganga" or "prenda" - is prepared with graveyard dust and other ingredients to serve as a "home" for the spirit and its bones.
Many paleros work as professional black magicians, putting hexes on people for a fee, or using their magic to provide spiritual "luck" for cocaine traffickers. But not all paleros follow the dark path; some concentrate on working more benevolent magic, such as healing the sick.
Find More info -- HERE
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| I Have To Agree | Mar 5th. at 11:03:45 pm EST
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Heather Lynn Fairfield (Canton, Massachusetts) - Email Me
*sigh*
I have to agree with the folks here who have pointed out that there are indeed Pagans who use bones in ritual. I am part Native American as well as being Pagan, and have done rituals using animal bones in the past. In fact, I have three animal skulls sitting on my altar as we speak (read?) . Now mind you, these were either bones I found or ones I purchased from vendors at Pow-Wows, but the fact remains that I do use them. HOWEVER, that fact should not indicate or even imply that I ever have or ever would sacrifice any living being (animal or human) during ritual.
That being said, I can see why Ms. Dickerson felt compelled to phrase her statements to the media the way she did. Depending on who you are dealing with in a delicate situation like this, the ability to assimilate and truly grasp the nuances between the different kinds of "pagan" faiths out there may be beyond the capabilities of the person you're talking to. We've probably all been guilty of over-simplifying our faith at one time or another, simply because we know that the person we're speaking with isn't going to "get it" no matter how long we sit there patiently explaining ourselves.
Anyhoo ...
Although the scene was certainly a tad lurid and suggestive, there is no evidence of anyone being hurt and no evidence of wrongdoing. (At least not based on what was reported in that article.) Skulls and bones are easy enough for anyone to purchase legally on many medical-supply websites, not just on eBay. The other stuff found can be bought at almost any costume supply store.
That being said, I do hope that the bones can be identified and given a proper burial. Whatever the ritual's intent may have been (assuming that there WAS a ritual and that this isn't all some weird prank dreamed up by some local kids looking to "shake up the establishment") , the person whose bones are in that cauldron deserves to have his/her remains laid to rest more properly than that.
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| Sounds Like Voodoo To Me | Mar 5th. at 10:24:43 pm EST
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Ander s. Drake (hays, Kansas) - Email Me
Can't you buy these type of stuff at any voodoo or other related religion shop. the Article sounds like a cheap shot from those dam people who are trying to convince every body that we pagans are all santainists, eat babys,sacfice people, and use the horned god hand geasure as a sign of the devil. I beliveve they even accused spiderman of being a devil whorshiper just becasue he makes that hand geasure when spining a web, you'd think these people would have better things to do.
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| Not My Fluffy Faith | Mar 5th. at 8:44:36 pm EST
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Llunmere (Germantown Hills, Illinois) - Email Me
Speak for yourselves. The human component is still a valuable resource for ritual components. Human bones are not hard to come by in other countries at all. It could also be very likely that the person responsible for the placing of those bones might have discovered them in their own backyards. It is not uncommon for sections of graveyards to be moved to other areas for housing developments. Usually, all graves are reburied, but I imagine that up until recently, old gravesites with missing markers may have been overlooked.
I like that the newspaper took the opinion of the other person, but it's simply not true. Human components are used, but are not even remotely pagan-exclusive.
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| Sounds Very Similar . . . | Mar 5th. at 7:09:20 pm EST
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Prickle (North Houston Area, Texas) - Email Me
. . . to what they found in the Trinity River in Texas recently.
Info in the link.
Find More info -- HERE
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| "toy Handcuffs, Crosses" | Mar 5th. at 6:53:05 pm EST
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karrie9 (Kenosha, Wisconsin) - Email Me - Web
...
One could sit and think up at least a thousand possible scenarios for this, so what's up with the "possible pagan" stuff from the Police?
Not enough information means not enough information, not take a few light preliminary slams at minority race or religion, it doesn't matter -- prejudice is prejudice.
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| "Haunted" Area | Mar 5th. at 6:46:54 pm EST
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Jain (Baltimore, Maryland) - Email Me
I went to Girl Scout Camp at Conowingo many years ago. At that time the scouts had just purchased Belle Manor - an old farmstead - as additional land. The old house on the property was intended to be housing for a farm and equestrian unit. By the time my daughter was a camper there, the Haunted House story was in place. It's the logical place for kids to invent Spooky Stuff. (Although I do wonder where they got hold of a skull; desecration of burial is not a good idea.)
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| Tired Of Being Told What All Pagans Do | Mar 5th. at 6:06:02 pm EST
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Corvis (Greenbelt, Maryland) - Email Me
I wish All pagans would wake up to the fact that not All pagans are Wiccans, or follow a rede or some of the other things that are routinely said by some pagans about All Pagans. No one knows what All Pagans do. And what about the traditions, whether you consider them pagan or not, that do use bones and/or sacrifice. They exist. Also, I didn't really see anything in the article that said an actual sacrifice had taken place, just that bones were found. Hoodoo, Santeria, Voodoun and other traditions use bones in their rituals. This actually kinda sounds like it could have been a Hoodoo ritual.
However, I do know of a non pagan religion that eats the flesh and drinks the blood of it's diety every week.
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| Coke, It's The Real Thing | Mar 5th. at 5:52:03 pm EST
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Finn (San Marcos, Texas) - Email Me
Real Pagans do indeed use bones, blood, violence, animal sacrifice, curses, poppets, love spells, and so on ad nauseam. I can name several recognized, well-documented Pagan faiths that do these things, and so can anyone who regularly comes to Witchvox. To pretend otherwise is humerous to say the least. Of course, we could also go into great detail about the actual Old World Pagan practices against which such things pale by comparison. The Pagan faiths from which most Neo-Pagans claim descent were neither peaceful, nor antiseptic. They were visceral, bloody, and quite often violent.
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| "Real Pagans" Don't? | Mar 5th. at 5:39:39 pm EST
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NeoWayland (Flagstaff, Arizona) - Email Me
I don't use bones myself (unless you count a resin skull) but sheesh.
My favorite magikal tool is an iron skeleton key that belonged to my grandfather. He wasn't one of the Blessed, but he was pretty important in my life.
If I were going to use bones, I would certainly use his. Not because they are bones, but because they have a connection to me and I honor the man that were a part of.
Of course that means I wouldn't leave them around to be discovered.
On the surface, this certainly doesn't sound like a Pagan rite. But the bones aren't the reason.
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