The Mount Franklin Annual Pagan Gathering would like to assure everyone that the division in the ranks that is referred to in the following article is non-existant. The organizers remain committed to holding the usual Beltane ceremonies again this year.
Life's a witch when trolls gatecrash Halloween John Elder
October 26, 2008
Life's a witch when trolls gatecrash Halloween John Elder
October 26, 2008
THERE'S always someone who goes "berko" at the end of the night, having partaken too heavily in a magic potion of an alcoholic variety. But in 28 years there had never been a punch-up at the Mount Franklin Beltane gathering of witches - an event that has drawn up to 700 spell-casting Victorians.
Beltane is the pagan festival that heralds the birth of summer and celebrates life in full bloom. It's meant to be a happy time. But last year, a small group known as "the trolls" caused an upset by hanging headless dolls from trees and otherwise carrying on in a dark-hearted fashion.
"There was a nasty element we'd never seen before, and it ended in a violent altercation, and has essentially ruined what was once a beautiful event," a high-profile witch, speaking anonymously, told The Sunday Age.
"I mean, you're meant to embrace the darkness in witchcraft, but you're also meant to keep it in balance with the light. These guys were all about the darkness. It's not like there were a lot of them but they've done a lot of damage."
The Mount Franklin event - Australia's longest-running pagan festival, organised by the Castlemaine-based Celtic Heritage Society - traditionally would have gone ahead this weekend in time for Halloween. Instead, The Sunday Age has learnt there was a secret invitation-only gathering staged last week.
"I received an invitation but I didn't go," said Caroline Tully, a pagan academic who was surprised that The Sunday Age knew of the split in the witching community. "In recent years, Mount Franklin's just got too big. This is the first time it had to be divided off."
Ms Tully said the "trolls" were organising their own Mount Franklin gathering for this weekend via a Facebook posting.
The Sunday Age was told by a number of Melbourne witches they were avoiding Mount Franklin altogether this year, and opting for private gatherings instead. Pagan marriage celebrant Nicole Good is heading to the north-east of the state with 40 other people. "We'll have a Beltane fire, a circle … there'll be singing and dancing and a ritual is planned," she said. "It's all about the coming out of the quietness of winter."
Some of her chums will pack a wand, others take a blunt knife called an athame. "They do the same job … concentrate the energy coming out of your body. The easiest energy to work with is love," she said.
On Friday night, an uncounted number of Melbourne kids will put on sheets and goblin masks and go knocking on doors for Halloween bounty - as will millions of American littlies. The US witchcraft scene also will be having a Halloween (or Samhain, as the pagans prefer to call it) knees-up via fertility rites and communing with the dead spirits.
Strictly speaking, Halloween in Australia is celebrated on the last day of April.
"That's because it marks the beginning of winter," said Drew Sinton, former grotto master of the Church of Satan, owner of the Haunted Bookshop and a recipient of a small business award from the Lord Mayor.
While Mr Sinton doesn't condone violence, he has some sympathy for the dark-lighters of the witchcraft scene.
"I grew up with witchcraft in the '70s, when witchcraft and Satanism were one and the same. This was a time when the black arts were truly forbidden. Now it's all about white light," he said forlornly. "The practitioners of today almost go out of their way to remove the mystery and darker aspects of their craft."
Danae Thorpe, a witch who owns Spellbox in the Royal Arcade, promotes Halloween to children "because that's what they understand. If I talked about Halloween to my son in April, he wouldn't get it. Kids like to be part of what their friends are doing and … it's important not to take things too seriously.
"There's a street in Abbotsford that celebrates Halloween, where all the kids go trick-or-treating. That's where we'll be on October 31. It's great the wider community is embracing a magic festival."
For another perspective on these events:
http://ankhafnakhonsu.wordpress.com/2010/10/02/quashing-the-perpetual-rumors-of-a-schism-at-mt-franklin/
Beltane is the pagan festival that heralds the birth of summer and celebrates life in full bloom. It's meant to be a happy time. But last year, a small group known as "the trolls" caused an upset by hanging headless dolls from trees and otherwise carrying on in a dark-hearted fashion.
"There was a nasty element we'd never seen before, and it ended in a violent altercation, and has essentially ruined what was once a beautiful event," a high-profile witch, speaking anonymously, told The Sunday Age.
"I mean, you're meant to embrace the darkness in witchcraft, but you're also meant to keep it in balance with the light. These guys were all about the darkness. It's not like there were a lot of them but they've done a lot of damage."
The Mount Franklin event - Australia's longest-running pagan festival, organised by the Castlemaine-based Celtic Heritage Society - traditionally would have gone ahead this weekend in time for Halloween. Instead, The Sunday Age has learnt there was a secret invitation-only gathering staged last week.
"I received an invitation but I didn't go," said Caroline Tully, a pagan academic who was surprised that The Sunday Age knew of the split in the witching community. "In recent years, Mount Franklin's just got too big. This is the first time it had to be divided off."
Ms Tully said the "trolls" were organising their own Mount Franklin gathering for this weekend via a Facebook posting.
The Sunday Age was told by a number of Melbourne witches they were avoiding Mount Franklin altogether this year, and opting for private gatherings instead. Pagan marriage celebrant Nicole Good is heading to the north-east of the state with 40 other people. "We'll have a Beltane fire, a circle … there'll be singing and dancing and a ritual is planned," she said. "It's all about the coming out of the quietness of winter."
Some of her chums will pack a wand, others take a blunt knife called an athame. "They do the same job … concentrate the energy coming out of your body. The easiest energy to work with is love," she said.
On Friday night, an uncounted number of Melbourne kids will put on sheets and goblin masks and go knocking on doors for Halloween bounty - as will millions of American littlies. The US witchcraft scene also will be having a Halloween (or Samhain, as the pagans prefer to call it) knees-up via fertility rites and communing with the dead spirits.
Strictly speaking, Halloween in Australia is celebrated on the last day of April.
"That's because it marks the beginning of winter," said Drew Sinton, former grotto master of the Church of Satan, owner of the Haunted Bookshop and a recipient of a small business award from the Lord Mayor.
While Mr Sinton doesn't condone violence, he has some sympathy for the dark-lighters of the witchcraft scene.
"I grew up with witchcraft in the '70s, when witchcraft and Satanism were one and the same. This was a time when the black arts were truly forbidden. Now it's all about white light," he said forlornly. "The practitioners of today almost go out of their way to remove the mystery and darker aspects of their craft."
Danae Thorpe, a witch who owns Spellbox in the Royal Arcade, promotes Halloween to children "because that's what they understand. If I talked about Halloween to my son in April, he wouldn't get it. Kids like to be part of what their friends are doing and … it's important not to take things too seriously.
"There's a street in Abbotsford that celebrates Halloween, where all the kids go trick-or-treating. That's where we'll be on October 31. It's great the wider community is embracing a magic festival."
For another perspective on these events:
http://ankhafnakhonsu.wordpress.com/2010/10/02/quashing-the-perpetual-rumors-of-a-schism-at-mt-franklin/
What I'd be interested to see is a history of the gathering, because it is so rich and varied.
ReplyDeleteEveryone has had their own experiences there - I remember quite vividly losing my way to the loos one night and ending up walking halfway down the road to the main highway before realising what was happening!
I'd love to see what memories the organisers would like to share with the rest of us.
Thank you for your ongoing support. At last report the Troll people's efforts have been thwarted- so far. The organizers are working hard to make sure that the unpleasantness of previous years isn't repeated and everyone can come together for a celebration in the true spirit of the Mount Franklin Annual Pagan Gathering.
ReplyDeleteThe history of Beltane at Mt Franklin is underway and we should have something online very soon. Watch this space!!!
For clarification:
ReplyDeleteThe Celtic Heritage Society have been granted a permit for this years Mount Franklin Annual PAgan Gathering. The permit stipulates a bonfire in the centre of the crater which shall be no more than approx 1m x 1m. The maximum amount of permitted persons for this event shall exceed no more than 80 persons. There are a few other components of the permit. We understand that Parks will issue another permit to another group of 30, however they will not be included in the CHS event and are not connected to the friends of Mount Franklin Annual Pagan Gathering 2010. After discussions between the organisers and Parks today all permit holders will become aware of individual permit requirements. All is well, we are all so looking forward to this years event!