Welcome to the new army of Babylon, where soldiers are all well trained in hand-to-hand combat, long-distance sniper fire, and of course, the black arts.
by Marvin Hurst / KENS 5
SAN ANTONIO -- Atreiyuh Cammen is more than 4,000 miles away from his home in Alaska. He's a basic military trainee at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland. His faith, however, is just a heartbeat away.
Cammen is a witch.
"There's nothing wrong with Wicca," he said.
The 19-year-old became a witch five years ago after being a religious wanderer. He said fantasy books and the Harry Potter phenomenon fueled his interest in the Wiccan faith.
"I thought I'd be able to fly around and things like," he said of his pre-witch days.
But Cammen went deeper. He found a faith fulfilling to him.
"People need to understand that Wicca is not about cackling and casting curses upon people," Cammen said. "And, certainly, not wishing ill."
Cammen is among a curious multiplication of Wiccans at Lackland. Hundreds of basic military trainees have chosen to study witchcraft at the base.
"When we come over here on a Sunday, often times, there are 300 to 400 (trainees)," Tony Gatlin said.
Gatlin is the coven's high priest. His wife is the high priestess. He's the grandson of a southern baptist preacher who became dissatisfied with his denomination and converted to Wicca. He's been a witch for more than 12 years.
"I knew I had a spiritual side that needed to be nurtured," he said. "Just by chance, I met a witch, and it was transformational for me from then on."
He spent 25 years actively serving in the military as an enlisted U.S. Marine and Air Force officer. Gatlin also worked at the Pentagon. He was even there on Sept. 11.
Gatlin now guides military trainees who are interested in witchcraft at Lackland.
"This is the largest weekly Wiccan service in the entire world," he said. "I mean, nowhere else do you have 400 people sitting in a room listening to a Wiccan service."
Read more at - http://www.kens5.com/news/no-hocus-pocus-Military-trainees-spellbound-by-Wiccan-faith-176600791.html
Cammen is a witch.
"There's nothing wrong with Wicca," he said.
The 19-year-old became a witch five years ago after being a religious wanderer. He said fantasy books and the Harry Potter phenomenon fueled his interest in the Wiccan faith.
"I thought I'd be able to fly around and things like," he said of his pre-witch days.
But Cammen went deeper. He found a faith fulfilling to him.
"People need to understand that Wicca is not about cackling and casting curses upon people," Cammen said. "And, certainly, not wishing ill."
Cammen is among a curious multiplication of Wiccans at Lackland. Hundreds of basic military trainees have chosen to study witchcraft at the base.
"When we come over here on a Sunday, often times, there are 300 to 400 (trainees)," Tony Gatlin said.
Gatlin is the coven's high priest. His wife is the high priestess. He's the grandson of a southern baptist preacher who became dissatisfied with his denomination and converted to Wicca. He's been a witch for more than 12 years.
"I knew I had a spiritual side that needed to be nurtured," he said. "Just by chance, I met a witch, and it was transformational for me from then on."
He spent 25 years actively serving in the military as an enlisted U.S. Marine and Air Force officer. Gatlin also worked at the Pentagon. He was even there on Sept. 11.
Gatlin now guides military trainees who are interested in witchcraft at Lackland.
"This is the largest weekly Wiccan service in the entire world," he said. "I mean, nowhere else do you have 400 people sitting in a room listening to a Wiccan service."
Read more at - http://www.kens5.com/news/no-hocus-pocus-Military-trainees-spellbound-by-Wiccan-faith-176600791.html
