ShadowFest '95 was a convention hosted by the Tempio Della Stregheria in northern New Jersey. It featured several speakers from Llewellyn Publications, as well as one or two independent lecturers. The most noted attendees were Patricia Telesco (The Urban Pagan, Llewellyn), Ed Fitch (The Rites of Odin, Llewellyn), John Reynolds, Ted Andrews (Enchantments of the Faerie Realm, Llewellyn), and Chic and Tabitha Cicero.
The event cost attendees roughly $300 in registration fees and about $80 per lecture, seminar or ritual. The non-Llewellyn speakers seemed to disagree with the pricing but made little show of it due to the hospitality of their hosts. As a result of both the pricing and the lack of advance advertising, there was a turnout of under 75 people. More accurate numbers can probably be obtained from the event staff; however, several independent head counts came up with the number 62.
Mr. Reynolds hosted a rather interesting and enlightening series of talks and rituals within the Buddhist framework. The Ciceros were, as usual, witty, urbane and all those other delightful things we expect from authors of some renown.
For the most part, the talks and workshops were fairly basic in their content, Paganism 101 so to speak, catered to the mass-market pagan consumer but at "New Age prices," in the words of many a conventioneer.
Ed Fitch was probably the most talked-about character at this event, largely due to his apparently overwhelming interest in women. He also appeared to be intoxicated beyond what one would consider appropriate in a public setting before the festivities even began.
When he wasn't trying to find a female friend or four, or nibbling a woman's toes, he used his charisma and ability at group suggestion to dazzle us with what Letterman would call "stupid pagan tricks." The highlight of the evening came when the conventioneers were all invited back to his room to party, as we would all eventually bear witness to his skill at shape changing. Several parties, myself included, chose not to become intoxicated before we witnessed his extraordinary feats of magic. (Later, I was told by an individual who was distraught by "faithlessness" in "such a learned man" as Fitch that intoxication is absolutely necessary in the context of metaphysical experience. Sorry, I must have missed something....)
After hearing much boasting from him as to his skill in shape shifting, several of the folks at the gathering asked him to show everyone what it was all about. Mr. Fitch then proceeded to encourage an intoxicated convention-goer to go skyclad so he could change her shape. He gave her a hooded open-front robe to wear while he retrieved his "sacred and mystical vetivert shape changing oil" from its secret hiding place under the hotel television set. At this point, he anointed her left breast with the "magickal rune of animal knowledge," which came from a Futhark or runic alphabet that only he seems to know. Needless to say, we sober folk were utterly and totally amazed by his skill as a performer
He then proceeded with the help of the inimitable Ms. Telesco to lead the room in a round of "I see (insert random word here) happening to his/her face." Some of the more intriguing "manifestations" we witnessed included transgender spirit forms, Cossacks, an extraterrestrial and a peacock. Talk about your transcendental experience. Mystical passes of the hands and impressive guttural noises were made on, over and around the victims, and this wonderfully funny farce went on for quite some time before all of the sober people started walking out in ones and twos. Most of them were shaking their heads.
It's interesting to point out here that one individual even looked at Ed Fitch and said "I see... Jim Jones!" I think that young man was probably more correct than he thought at that moment in time.
It appalls the author to see first-hand that the "founders" and "leaders" of the neo-pagan community (to quote the program) are so much like P.T. Barnum when they are out to make a first impression. What's even more frightening than that is the fact that almost all of the other people in the room wholeheartedly believed all of this and are probably going to view it as a major experience in their lives.
What makes it worse is that Mr. Fitch also went on to joke about the fact that some neo-Nazis "actually believed" what he wrote in The Rites of Odin and view it as a sort of bible or source of liturgy. I have a comment to make here - if it's all a joke to you, then let other people in on it before they base their lifestyles and beliefs on your comedy. This is not a funny thing, in fact, it's an example of how potentially damaging someone in this community can be to other people when they cease to exercise discretion. In all fairness, I also must point out that Ted Andrews took no part in these events, and as of the time I left he was not present. Likewise for the Ciceros. John Reynolds obviously quite enjoyed himself by participating in and poking good-hearted fun at the act in very subtle ways throughout the course of events.
The rest of the convention was not quite as ridiculous. The talks hosted by Ted Andrews were, in the least, entertaining. Patty Telesco proved once and for all that not only does she have a fine singing voice, but she also happens to be a very good dancer. There was an open mike session, during which we got to see and hear some very nice original work from various folks, and an excellent DJ/performer played and sang requests for the crowd.
There was dancing, and I was not particularly surprised when both the DJ and some of the staff members started to encourage the crowd to take off their clothes in the hotel ballroom. After all, peer pressure seems to make an excellent motivator at these sorts of things.
I am told that this event will be held again next year, and apparently its organizers have decided to make some modifications. In looking back on all of this, I think that, all in all, the folks behind it did a fairly good job. It was their first event, as I am told, and as such I think that they deserve a lot of credit. I know of quite a few large and popular gatherings that started out in much the same way, and so I expect to see bright things from these folks in the future. Now, if they would only start to screen their speakers....
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