UNIQUE FAMILY - Duxbury Wiccans open their lives to realityTV: Family stars in episode of new TLC series
By KAREN GOULART The Patriot Ledger
DUXBURY - Television viewers, prepare to be shocked when you see what one Wiccan family on the South Shore does virtually undetected.
They go out for ice cream.
Among the reasons people willingly partake in reality TV shows, promoting religious tolerance isn’t high on the list. But for the Rev. Kendra Vaughan Hovey, elder high priestess of Duxbury’s First Church of Wicca, and her husband, Tim, it’s the sole reason they agreed to star in an episode of a new series on The Learning Channel called ‘‘My Unique Family.’’
For the entire month of October, the Hoveys and their children Alec, 11, and Alana, 8, were filmed, followed and interviewed - at home, at church, going to work and, yes, even going out for ice cream.
More than 200 hours of footage was compressed into the one-hour program scheduled to air at 10 p.m. Monday, Feb. 19.
The cameras captured aspects of the family’s faith - Alana meditating at her altar, the congregation celebrating Samhain (Halloween) rituals - but fellow Wiccans didn’t warm to the idea of being on TV right away.
‘‘At first some of them were so scared,’’ Kendra Vaughan Hovey said. ‘‘But I said, ‘We’re trying to spread religious tolerance, don’t stand behind me, stand next to me.’’’
Wicca, also known as The Craft, is a neo-pagan religion that practitioners call ‘‘earth-based.’’ Wiccans believe the divine exists in everyone and everything, and pray to the god and goddess, the masculine and feminine aspects of the divine.
Since many Wiccans prefer to be referred to as witches, there are a lot of misconceptions about the religion. The most persistent is that Wiccans are devil-worshippers. They aren’t, Hovey said, and don’t even believe in the devil’s existence.
The Hoveys were hesitant about trying to bust some of those myths by allowing cameras into their lives. Concerned about the children and the light their religion might be cast in, they tried to call things off the day before the TV crew arrived.
While somewhat surreal and slightly disheartening at times - on a few outings with the crew they were met with scorn - they agreed the experience proved to be quite fun.
They haven’t yet decided if they’ll do anything special when the show airs. One member of the congregation suggested watching together on a big-screen TV, but, the Hoveys said they’re still a little worried about whether they’ll be left smiling or doing damage control that night.
Either way, they’ll get through it as a family.
‘‘This was put in our lap for a reason, the god and goddess have a plan,’’ Hovey said. ‘‘If this is part of the plan, so be it.’’
A 'Unique' opportunity
The Rev. Kendra Vaughan Hovey, elder high priestess of Duxbury’s First Church of Wicca, and her family will be featured on The Learning Channel’s reality show “My Unique Family” on Feb. 19 at 10 p.m.
Karen Goulart may be reached at kgoulart@ledger.com .
Copyright 2007 The Patriot Ledger
Transmitted Thursday, January 25, 2007
