Columbus, Ohio, USA

Brian Edwards, a Wiccan High Priest and paid contractor with the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, prepares to lead a ritual with prisoners at the Ohio Reformatory for Women (ORW) in Marysville, Ohio, on May 31, 2018. He used incense to cleanse the area and candles to balance different forces, then cast a sacred circle, within which the ritual took place. Edwards visits ORW twice monthly, both providing educational guidance for the women there and leading them in rituals. Approximately 300 prisoners at ORW identify as Pagan.
Kerry Vadasz, a Wiccan practitioner at the Ohio Reformatory for Women, centers herself in preparation to perform the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram, a practice used to rid a sacred space of impure or chaotic elements. Although the rituals Edwards leads are Wiccan and occult in feel, aspects of them are applicable across Pagan traditions, he said. The women he assists have a variety of different Pagan backgrounds and beliefs.
One woman anoints another with oil in preparation for the ritual, which focused on honoring earth and seeking balance with the natural elements. Although the rituals that Edwards leads are Wiccan and occult in feel, aspects of them are applicable across Pagan traditions, he said. About 40 prisoners of diverse Pagan backgrounds participated in the gathering, which was held in a room utilized by multiple religious groups.
Brian Edwards joins hands with prisoners at the Ohio Reformatory for Women as he guides them in the Cone of Power, a practice of raising and directing energy through chants and song.
Sigils, or symbols thought to have magical power, are incsribed in salt on the floor during the ritual at the Ohio Reformatory for Women.
A woman participates in the Cone of Power, a collective practice of raising and directing energy through chants and song.
Women cup their hands to receive blessings during the ritual on May 31, 2018.
Thomas Wheelock, an incarcerated follower of Asatru, lectures to fellow prisoners during a Yule ceremony at the California State Prison, Los Angeles County – a maximum-security men’s facility in Lancaster, California – on December 24, 2014. As gothi, or priest, of the Fara Af Tr’u (Journey of Faith) kindred, he helps lead a small group of men in studying and observing Asatru, a heathen religion thought to be rooted in the beliefs and practices of ancient northern Europe, especially Scandinavia. The tradition draws on literature such as the Icelandic Sagas and Eddas. During Yule, a celebration of the winter solstice, Norse gods including Odin, Thor, and Freyr are typically honored through feasting and ceremony.
Wheelock uses a Thor's hammer to hallow a sacred space for the Fara Af Tr’u kindred Yule ceremony at the prison. Asatru emphasizes living a noble life, honoring one's ancestors, and recognizing the far-reaching impact of one's actions – concepts that resonate with some prisoners. However, because of their association with northern Europe, heathen religions like Asatru and its counterpart, Odinism, are sometimes attractive to white supremacists – particularly in prisons, where racial divisions run especially deep. Knowing this, the kindred has striven to remain inclusive of racial minorities.
Wheelock uses an evergreen sprig to trace a rune – a type of ancient symbol – on the forehead of another Asatru practitioner, blessing him during the Yule ceremony on December 24, 2014. The day's festivities were facilitated by Lisa Morgenstern, a volunteer from an international heathen organization known as The Troth, and overseen by Chaplain Imam Abdul-Wahab Omeira, a Muslim prison chaplain also responsible for overseeing Pagan prisoners.
Men incarcerated at the California State Prison, Los Angeles County raise drinking horns during the Yule ritual on December 24, 2014.
A member of the Fara Af Tr’u kindred prepares an offering for gods and land spirits during the Yule ceremony. He used latex gloves for sanitary purposes.
Men incarcerated at the California State Prison, Los Angeles County examine evergreen sprigs provided for them for the Yule ceremony. Chaplain Imam Abdul-Wahab Omeira stands at the door behind them.
Members of the Fara Af Tr’u kindred and guests partake in a banquet following the Yule ceremony on December 24, 2014. Kindred members saved up about $200 to pay for all of the food, which included several hams, bread, vegetable trays, cupcakes, pie, and soda.

Pagan in Prison

Broadly speaking, Paganism encompasses an eclectic mix of nature-based, polytheistic traditions – many of which, adherents believe, are rooted in ancient, pre-Christian practices – that started gaining popularity in the mid-20th century. Unlike mainstream, monotheistic religions, Wicca, Asatru, Druidry, and others often avoid dogma and tend not to have central texts or authorities. Many offer freedom of interpretation and practice. Although exact numbers remain elusive, Harvard’s Pluralism Project suggests that the U.S. Pagan population could be upwards of one million.

That such belief systems would thrive in the highly regulated prison environment may seem counterintuitive, not to mention logistically difficult. And yet, according to a 2012 survey by the Pew Forum, more than a third of American prison chaplains reported that Pagan communities were growing in their facilities. In this survey, significantly, Pagan/earth-based religions were given an explicit category of their own instead of being lumped together with other minority religions, as they often are. The prison chaplains surveyed estimated that about 1.7 percent of prisoners adhered to such religions (a percentage that, if extrapolated to the U.S. prison population at the time, would suggest that there were about 40,000 incarcerated people in 2012 with this religious affiliation). Since then, prison officials and clergy have continued to note an uptick.

The reasons for Paganism’s popularity in carceral facilities are many. For some prisoners, Pagan religions offer a valuable source of introspection and unique rehabilitative possibilities; for others, they may provide a means of navigating entrenched racial divisions. The growth of Paganism inside prisons may also mirror its increasing popularity in the broader American religious landscape. Regardless, correctional facilities nationwide now find themselves pressed to understand and accommodate a thriving Pagan demographic within their walls. They rely heavily on volunteer Pagan clergy, and sometimes paid contractors, for assistance in serving these prisoners.

These photographs and an accompanying article were published in The Revealer, a publication of NYU’s Center for Religion and Media, in October 2018. View the piece here, and read an interview with prison chaplain Imam Abdul-Wahab Omeira here.

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