COVID-19 PANDEMIC: THE VIEW OF A WICCAN PRIEST

Abstract

The publication features an interview with a high priest of Wiccan witchcraft, the founder of a Wiccan coven, Victor Aradia, about how the coronavirus pandemic in Russia has affected the religious and social life of Wiccans; how the pandemic has changed the way Sabbats and other religious events are held, and what Wiccans think about the causes of COVID-19. The idea of such an interview came about in the course of observing Wiccans – their statements on social networks and on thematic forums, discussions about the attitude to the pandemic, vaccination, self-isolation, the emergence of hypotheses about the origin of COVID-19, the news that appears in the media about various restrictions imposed by the authorities on practicing mass religious rites under quarantine. The interview was recorded on August 11, 2022, which made it possible to look at the events of the pandemic from a certain distance and draw a number of conclusions about its significance for the Wiccan community in Russia.