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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Hilary Jones may not fly around on a broom but that doesn't mean there isn't one around when the high priestess isn't leading rituals among the Wiccan faithful.

Hilary Jones is a practicing Wiccan. While not used for transportation, brooms still figure into the religion as symbols of female power and are used in rituals to sweep out negative energy. - Danielle Sachs/NNSL photo

By day Jones is general manager of the NWT Mine Training Society. She is also president of the Rotary Club of Yellowknife True North. None of that has stopped her from pursuing a calling she has been practising since age 16.

"It's a family thing," said Jones of her Wiccan faith, a religion based on ancient Druidic rituals from northern Europe.

And while a house has never fallen on Jones, the Wizard of Oz is one of her favourite all-time movies.

"I've watched it so much I could probably recite it," she said.

Other than enjoying the movie, there aren't a lot of similarities between how witches are portrayed on screen and the real life Wiccan community, said Jones.

There is no green face paint, flying monkeys or brooms, although brooms still play an important role.

"They're used in ritual to clean the space, to clear the circle," said Jones.

"They're not used to fly on unless you're using some great pharmaceuticals."

There are eight major celebrations during the year, each approximately 45 days apart, which coincide with equinoxes and solstices. The eight festivals are a time of celebration and a way to give thanks to Wiccan deities, such as Cernunnos, the Horned God of the Woods, and Diana, the Great Mother.

"We will remind each other that the god and the goddess brought us to the Earth, we are to respect the Earth, it's our mother and father and we give thanks for our gift of friends and the gift of our existence," said Jones.

Wiccans meet in groups called circles, which is a small gathering of witches. There are also covens and groves. She said there are approximately 200 practising Wiccans in Yellowknife.

The circle that Jones takes part in doesn't have any set meeting time outside of the eight festivals.

"Then we have where you might do workings, like health ceremonies or full moon ceremonies where you might have special 'asks,'" said Jones.

"That's where we'll do prayers for people's health to return or to help them through difficulties," said Jones.

"We also do funeral ceremonies at the dark of the moon. We also do baby namings, because a baby represents the growth of the community and the health of the community and when a baby is born and brought into a community the baby is named and the entire circle takes responsibility for that child because it takes a village to raise one."

Jones said there is a lot of overlap between Wicca and Dene spirituality. Dried sage, used in smudging and clearing negative energy, is used in rituals by both groups.

"It's very similar stuff. We would use it to clear the air. I use it sometimes with some of our (Mine Training Society) students when they're having difficulties," said Jones.

"In the Det'on Cho Centre, there had been a (death) there and when we were using it our participants in the program were getting nightmares. I went in there with a medicine women, we smudged and (painted symbols on) the place and the nightmares stopped," she said.

"There's a lot of negative energy that can hang around, that's where you get ghosts."

Wicca is about doing no harm and leaving the world a better place, according to Jones.

In Wicca, the presence of Satan is not acknowledged.

"We don't even recognize the existence of Satan," said Jones.

"We believe in reincarnation and what you need to learn, or continue to learn, you will be born into. Yes, there is evil because there is dark and light - the horned god himself has been re-enveloped as Satan," said Jones.

"He has these wonderful antlers and some people like to turn him into a scary being because he is wild, he's the force of wild and nature. There's a wonderful statue in the Vatican of Moses and he has horns, because horns equal wisdom."

There is a lot of overlapping between Wicca and Christianity. Eostre, celebrated March 21, is the rebirth festival and celebrates fertility. Rabbits and eggs are the prominent symbols.

"The early Christian church tried to adopt and absorb into it's own rights so they could bring the country folk into the church so they'd have comfort. We have to acknowledge that," said Jones.

"Some things got borrowed and some things were vilified to make things frightening."

Samhain, on Oct. 31, is one of the celebrations that has been turned into a scary occasion. But it is also the Wiccan new year.

"That's when the worlds (of the living and dead) are closest and that's when you can send greetings to the ones that have passed on and haven't been reborn, you say farewell," said Jones.

Not every Wiccan in Yellowknife belongs to a circle, said Jones. Some of them practise on their own. Wiccans also come from all walks of life, she said.

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