Hold your cauldrons. Muggles had a chance to mingle with witches and pagans at the annual Witchsfest USA on Astor Place in the West Village on July 8 to explore their spiritual side and learn more about witchcraft and paganism.
The magickal marketplace offered altar kits, money and love spell potions, herbs, spiritual salts and baths, and books about the supernatural.
Tarot readers were at hand to give some insight into the past, present, and future, and workshops taught about communicating with spirits or creating a crystal flower Mandala.
The entertainment portion of the festival included a performance by primal shock rock band Wolfspeak, El Igualito Unity, and Tandave Arts Whimsical Hips NY.
Carol Tandave has been teaching belly dancing since 2015. She got into belly dancing in 2004 after an invasive abdominal surgery left the former “gym rat” with weak abdominal and back muscles.
“The belly is the center of power that is really shamed in our culture,” Tandave said. “I find that belly dancing is a way to reanimate the soul, the feminine sensibility that nurtures and supports back into the larger body.”
Contrary to what established religious institutions want people to believe, witches and wiccans don’t worship the devil, nor do they believe in the devil or demons.
Starr RavenHawk, the co-founder of WitchsFest USA, explained that the pagan faire, which is in its 12th year, was a fundraiser for the NYC Wiccan Family Temple, St. Jude Children’s Hospital, Feeding America, and City Harvest.
RavenHawk said the festival donated to Catholic-based food pantries the first few years, but the church never acknowledged the contributions.
“So now, City Harvest, Feeding America, and St. Jude [acknowledge us], saying from ‘Witches Giving Back,'” RavenHawk said.
Vonnie Kissner, aka Lady VeilKyrie Crone, was one of the “magickal” vendors.
Kissner is an elder with the Milwaukee Pagan Unity Community, and she knew she was a witch at ten when she saw her deceased grandfather and had a conversation with him. Kissner shared her experience with her mother, an Italian Strega. Kissner considers herself fortunate because her mother nurtured her gift.
“So many young people have these gifts, and they think they’re touched. And it is a gift,” Kissner said. “They just have to find the right responsible individuals to help nurture that in a safe and sacred space.”
Isabella and Frank are practicing pagans. Both grew up Catholic and said paganism felt more comfortable energy-wise and empowering. Frank described the pagan community as “their kind of people.”
Isabella shared that she grew up with religious abuse.
“You know, I have little ones. I’m not forcing any religion on my kid,” Isabella said. “I’m letting them, you know, decide on their own.”
Celine has been coming to the festival for a few years because it supports charities and also to meet other pagans. She’s been practicing paganism for 20 years.
Her recommendation for newcomers was to “feel the vibe.”
“Find people who sell books. It’s usually a great way to start,” Celine said. “Simply talking to other people, being able to get another perspective is really a great way to kind of learn because there is different ways of practice. So it’s always nice to be able to talk to people who are experienced people who know what they’re doing.”
Hector and his husband, a drag tarot reader currently receiving cancer treatment, loved the positive energy.
“When you come to this faire, it’s like all positivity,” Hector’s husband said. “So I was telling [Hector], I said, ‘Just walking through it, it’s healing, you know. This is a lot of good feeling energy.'”
