04/23/2026
Rise up good people. RISE UP. Because you know, what you know, and how you know it has been gaslit too long into believing that you donât know it at all. Letâs change that.
âOne of you must know the CORRECT answer,â isnât just an insulting phrase for an Educator to use, but one of the most destructive to have been uttered. This phrase presumes none of the learners have answer, let alone the right one. I say itâs intended to sow doubt into the self-esteem of the listener, and I say âlistenerâ bc this is certainly not a healthy environment to encourage âlearningâ. This is a patriarchal teaching position that demeans learners and weakens belief in themselves, and introduces and builds up the idea that there exists an authority figure to whom the empty vessels must submit. Empty? Why? I bestow the answers. You learn my answers. Whatâs wrong with that? An authority figureâs control of what constitutes knowledge, ie: the most desirable conclusions to praise and spotlight, then obviously those that prop up the idea that facts are needed from the dominant regime. The regime will determine favorable language. The regime will attack attitudes and language that spark doubt, reflect poorly upon, or point to a definitive inaccuracy, you can bet there will be censorship, to the severest degree, in some cases. Let me say this differently, if Nature is your connection to the Divine, or water is your element, or if spirits sit and speak with you directly, and a maybe you know that a fistful of plantain leaves in your lunch are beneficial, if you know all this to be living, breathing magic, what need have you of a Priest Class? A state sponsored Priest Class.
I have exchanged information with other studied enthusiasts, I have also debated principles of âKnowingâ with other philosophers, and I have also sat in the chair of the Critic, of structure and sources of âfacts,â and I have required that Primary sources, uncolored by anotherâs residual connection-making, be present for the choice making of the learner. What I describe, respected reader, is a learning space that reflects the rights of a learner to put upon their mind-table, all and any of the subject areas they find provocative and therefore set upon a path of joyful satisfaction. Especially when, and I know you see where Iâm going with this, an Authority figure shows up, clears off the Buffet Table of choices, that would no doubt lead to the fullest expression of your mind, voice and spirit, to instead slap a tray down on your lap, throw a polystyrene box down on it, and inside, a state determined nothing-burger, bereft of any intellectual nutritional value with the expectation that you will get that down your throat, and like it.
I am a Witch, an educated Educator, an action based Activist, a radical proponent of no preferences/no punishments organization of the societal living space based on identity, and an enthusiastic DE-CON-STRUC-TION-IST of patriarchal scaffolding, such that NOTHING of its hierarchical power disparities survive. I Virgo, therefore I mustâ evaluate, make change, reevaluate, innovate, and if that requires an unprecedented overhaul of previous, Jurassicly outdated, cancerous threats to joyful models of learning, THEN BY THE TITAN OF WITCHCRAFT, SO BE IT. Curiosity, and the provision of high-quality opportunities to know our own and othersâ power, must be priority! Fulfillment must be the prize we chase.
Four hundred and seven years ago, education in America was seeded directly from the English tradition of the Patriarchy. Equality has outgrown its confines. As the Founder of Temple Hekate Altar of the Moon, I ask you to entertain the idea of a new tradition of spirituality, scholarship and service that calls out authoritarianism, establishes an alternative model for community building, and finds foothold in this Chaos. The new world will require wholesale departure from the Old. What purchase we can find in the reenvisioning of Western civilization can be found in the simplest of action. Let us not underestimate the importance and power of collective actionâ I offer the No Kings March as evidence of the power of the people. Creating participation in a new model of gathering can be as easy as pooling strategies for circumstances we have in common, and edifying it as practice. Pooling tried and true strategies together invariably leads to âpopcorn,â my term for creative generation of innovation, and I am honored to be a part and enabler of this process. Community creativity reinforces collaborative problem solving, engenders fulfillment and joy, which I mentioned earlier, and breaches the waters of mediocrity to sn**ch comets right out of the sky!
Temple Hekate Altar of the Moon in Huntersville NC, is a seed of this vision, belief and action. We are goal minded. We are witches and pagans with an appetite for an actual damn difference to be made. We have talent and commitment on our side. What we build, we build for a world where accumulated wisdom is consulted with, and explored, for its value in the present, and banked for the future. Weâre moving ahead, putting desire voices and wisdom from all experiences, previously disqualified and silenced, to so that a deep and long breath can be taken in the damn world! Violence, exclusion, fear have no place in the world, and the members of Temple Hekate want that difference. Our Charter is much more than a a list of bylaws. It is a call for community builders, a plan to live differently. Iâd like to offer our Charter for transparency, for group examination, troubleshooting and suggestions. I want to be mindful and inclusive of the Witches and Pagans called to this work, creatures of our own minds, who tho suppressed, STILL dream forward.
Please, take a look at our Charter, help us think expanded thoughts about this by sharing yours. If you canât but still wish to support us, please CashApp a $5 or more donation to $TempleHekateAoM to help sustain our endeavor. Our Charter is pinned to the top of this page. Now is the time. Thank you.
Gabriella Laughingbrook, M.Ed., Founder,
Temple Hekate Altar of the Moon, Huntersville NC
