Duxbury Wiccans open their lives to realityTV: Family stars in episode of new TLC series
Posted in Lifestyles, SocietyJanuary 26, 2007 at 4:10 pm (UTC)
Television viewers, prepare to be shocked when you see what one Wiccan family on the South Shore does virtually undetected.
They go out for ice cream.
Among the reasons people willingly partake in reality TV shows, promoting religious tolerance isn’t high on the list. But for the Rev. Kendra Vaughan Hovey, elder high priestess of Duxbury’s First Church of Wicca, and her husband, Tim, it’s the sole reason they agreed to star in an episode of a new series on The Learning Channel called ‘‘My Unique Family.’’
For the entire month of October, the Hoveys and their children Alec, 11, and Alana, 8, were filmed, followed and interviewed - at home, at church, going to work and, yes, even going out for ice cream.
More than 200 hours of footage was compressed into the one-hour program scheduled to air at 10 p.m. Monday, Feb. 19.
The cameras captured aspects of the family’s faith - Alana meditating at her altar, the congregation celebrating Samhain (Halloween) rituals - but fellow Wiccans didn’t warm to the idea of being on TV right away.
‘‘At first some of them were so scared,’’ Kendra Vaughan Hovey said. ‘‘But I said, ‘We’re trying to spread religious tolerance, don’t stand behind me, stand next to me.’’’
Wicca, also known as The Craft, is a neo-pagan religion that practitioners call ‘‘earth-based.’’ Wiccans believe the divine exists in everyone and everything, and pray to the god and goddess, the masculine and feminine aspects of the divine.
Since many Wiccans prefer to be referred to as witches, there are a lot of misconceptions about the religion. The most persistent is that Wiccans are devil-worshippers. They aren’t, Hovey said, and don’t even believe in the devil’s existence.
The Hoveys were hesitant about trying to bust some of those myths by allowing cameras into their lives. Concerned about the children and the light their religion might be cast in, they tried to call things off the day before the TV crew arrived.
While somewhat surreal and slightly disheartening at times - on a few outings with the crew they were met with scorn - they agreed the experience proved to be quite fun.
They haven’t yet decided if they’ll do anything special when the show airs. One member of the congregation suggested watching together on a big-screen TV, but, the Hoveys said they’re still a little worried about whether they’ll be left smiling or doing damage control that night.
Either way, they’ll get through it as a family.
‘‘This was put in our lap for a reason, the god and goddess have a plan,’’ Hovey said. ‘‘If this is part of the plan, so be it.’’
A ‘Unique’ opportunity
The Rev. Kendra Vaughan Hovey, elder high priestess of Duxbury’s First Church of Wicca, and her family will be featured on The Learning Channel’s reality show “My Unique Family” on Feb. 19 at 10 p.m.
Source: The Patriot Ledger
January 26th, 2007 at 7:35 pm
I’m not sure if I should be delighted that there is such an interest as to have two possible shows based on the lives of Pagans… or deeply concerned that both or either will only continue to perpetuate the “fluffy” atmosphere that continues to be propitiated from pop-pagan culture.
January 26th, 2007 at 8:19 pm
I agree. I’m very suspicious. My friend Aurora in Salem, OR (now Portland) was suppose to be the family for this show. She worked with the Producers for months on this then at the last minute they backed out & told here they had decided to go with a Circus family. Hmm. She said her family wasn’t crazy enough. And the Duxburys are?
I can’t help but foresee a Jerry Springer like portrayal of this family. Never never never I say trust Hollywood.
January 27th, 2007 at 8:44 pm
I, as always, am nervous about Wiccans being in the light, but it’s a knee-jerk reaction to being constantly worried people will take the Wiccan religion in a negative (or rather, joking) way. Still, it’s a good thing, I suppose… I don’t trust the media to portray the family in a way that is seen as mature or, hell, even sane, but any publicity is good publicity… at least it will get people thinking, I suppose.
January 30th, 2007 at 2:41 am
IMHO, the Wiccan faith has got to make at least some effort to counter the effects of centuries of willful ignorance on the part of the Christians, now that burning at the stake is no longer a legally-accepted ‘punishment’ for disagreeing with the powers that be. It seems to be a fact of human nature to ignore verifiable truths about ‘unfamiliar’ cultures, make up more-entertaining lies, and then use those lies as the basis for altogether too-real action. Since we are living in the One-And-Twenty, with the Internet poised to link people to truth on every corner of the globe, it does behoove the Wiccans to bring genuine truth to those who need to hear it, before the lines of communication are too clogged with anti-”witchcraft” spin and other distortions for the truth to be heard by anyone.
January 31st, 2007 at 9:06 pm
While you raise some good points, Threnodist, the question still remains: Is the entertainment industry, let alone “(Un)Reality TV,” a reasonable venue the goal of education or “setting the record straight”? Personally, I have some serious doubts.