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Yale divinity students forced to read from witch’s ‘spell’ at orientation
The College Fix ^ | September 3, 2024 | Raleigh Adams

Posted on 09/13/2024 10:40:42 PM PDT by Morgana

OPINION: Yale’s orientation coerced students to participate in ‘spell’

Yale’s Divinity School coerced students to read from a “spell” written by a “witch” as part of its Before the Fall Orientation.

The three-day orientation between Aug. 21 to 23 saw a series of talks and activities preparing incoming students for the year ahead, interspersed with small group discussions.

One of these small group periods was the first activity of orientation. Participating as an incoming student in one of these circles, I saw how the discussion opened with a set of “Restorative Circle Rules.” These rules boiled down to a warning to be open minded: all viewpoints were expected to be heard, that you only have to take what you want from the circle and participate as wanted – at least nominally.

After this show of inclusion, we as students were led to read aloud, line by line and one by one, from Adrienne Brown’s “Radical Gratitude Spell.”

Brown (pictured) has been described by Meeting of Minds as a “mixed-race Black queer American writer, community organizer, facilitator, witch and- may I say- goddess.”

Brown herself ascribes to witchcraft, and it informs her public work. Her website describes her as someone who “grows healing ideas in public” through “her writing, which includes short- and long-form fiction, nonfiction, spells, tarot” and “her music, which includes songwriting, singing and immersive musical rituals.”

This context of Brown, her work, and her particular spiritual inclinations was not given to students before participating in the reading. As such, the group reading of the spell took on an undeniable coven-like feeling, with students unable to fully consent to the pseudo-ritual knowingly, despite the Circle Rules.

A second-year student, who requested to remain anonymous, expressed to me a deep concern over this act by the orientation staff. The student called the provided spell “bizarre,” and “gross,” especially for students to not be told of the author or intentions behind the spell before being led to participate.

Another student participant told The Fix he felt he would have been punished for not participating.

Other recent Yale College graduates and members of the campus Catholic community commented to me in conversation, in a simultaneously tongue in cheek, yet serious manner, that “the very campus of the Divinity School needed prayer.”

They were unsurprised at the inclusion of the spell into orientation. Apparently, it is a popularly known fact amongst more conservative and religious circles in the Yale community that there is little still “divine” about the Divinity School.

As a student who experienced the “Radical Gratitude Spell” first hand, it was a deeply concerning experience for the state of higher education.

Under the name of inclusion, acts of pagan spirituality are being blindly normalized in educational spaces, Yale Divinity School being a prime example of such.

Conversely, the preference for diversity comes at the expense of the sanctity of other students’ faith. While it was proclaimed that “you only have to take what you want from this circle,” personally I did not feel safe to opt out of the spell, being all too aware of the power imbalance and the risk of social stigma against me in this completely new environment. I cannot imagine myself being the only one to feel this way.

Diversity and nominal comfort come at a cost. Its inclusion in orientation raises deep concerns over the boundary that exists between said diversity and the religious rights of individual students.

This worry is especially poignant in the nearly blind way which the spell was integrated into our first moments as students at Yale.

Editor’s note: The article has been updated with additional comments.


TOPICS: General Discusssion; Other non-Christian
KEYWORDS: adriennebrown; blm; blmsatanism; defundyale; education; gregoryesterling; gregorysterling; satanism; wicca; witchcraft; yale; yaledivinityschool; yalesatanismschool
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What are these kids going to divinity school for?
1 posted on 09/13/2024 10:40:42 PM PDT by Morgana
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To: Morgana

Might as well change the name to Hogwarts.


2 posted on 09/13/2024 10:48:50 PM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: Morgana

I kinda suspect that the Puritan offshoots who founded that venerable institution would not approve.


3 posted on 09/13/2024 10:52:40 PM PDT by irishjuggler
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To: Morgana

So, a “before their fall from Grace” orientation?


4 posted on 09/13/2024 11:14:33 PM PDT by EasySt (Say not this is the truth, but so it seems to me to be, as I see this thing I think I see. #MAGA-A)
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To: Morgana
Brown (pictured) has been described by Meeting of Minds as a “mixed-race Black queer American writer, community organizer, facilitator, witch and- may I say- goddess.” [...] As such, the group reading of the spell took on an undeniable coven-like feeling, with students unable to fully consent to the pseudo-ritual knowingly, despite the Circle Rules.

Regards,

5 posted on 09/13/2024 11:16:40 PM PDT by alexander_busek (Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.)
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To: Morgana
Brown (pictured) has been described by Meeting of Minds as a “mixed-race Black queer American writer, community organizer, facilitator, witch and- may I say- goddess.”

A second-year student, who requested to remain anonymous, expressed to me a deep concern over this act by the orientation staff. The student called the provided spell “bizarre,” and “gross,” especially for students to not be told of the author or intentions behind the spell before being led to participate.

Two hallmarks of the sexual weirdo DEI 'intellectuals' are deception and bullying.

6 posted on 09/13/2024 11:18:56 PM PDT by GOPJ (Corrupt ABC referees/mods trying to throw the game to Kamala made Kamala look worse.)
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To: Morgana

Seventy plus years WFB cannot defeat Yale.

because the Prince of the power of the air

-fJRoberts-


7 posted on 09/14/2024 12:05:33 AM PDT by A strike ("Rise Peter, kill and eat.")
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To: dfwgator

I was trying to remember the name of that school as I posted this. Thank you.


8 posted on 09/14/2024 12:08:42 AM PDT by Morgana ( “Abortion is the ultimate exploitation of women.” — Alice Paul )
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To: A strike; irishjuggler

Well as Mr. Howell always said “Good Heavens, a Yale man!”


9 posted on 09/14/2024 12:10:23 AM PDT by Morgana ( “Abortion is the ultimate exploitation of women.” — Alice Paul )
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To: Morgana

Wingardium Leviosaaaa


10 posted on 09/14/2024 12:55:04 AM PDT by know.your.why
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To: Morgana

Even atheism has its gods... alot of atheists are too ignorant to realize that.

When I hear it, I often wonder why an atheist uses the Lords name in vain, maybe it’s the legion that dwells inside. I’ve called several on it, they don’t understand it either.


11 posted on 09/14/2024 1:41:06 AM PDT by Clutch Martin ("The dawn cracks hard like a bull whip and it ain't taking no lip from the night before" Tom Waits)
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To: Morgana

This is really not news. The leftist citadel have been lost for years!


12 posted on 09/14/2024 1:46:22 AM PDT by Chickensoup
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To: Morgana
A second-year student, who requested to remain anonymous

Such ambition at Yale these days, eh?

I've no doubt such a sheep can succeed, can positively excel at anonymity. The nation is secure.

13 posted on 09/14/2024 3:41:35 AM PDT by Buttons12 ( )
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To: Morgana
personally I did not feel safe to opt out of the spell, being all too aware of the power imbalance and the risk of social stigma against me in this completely new environment. I cannot imagine myself being the only one to feel this way.

Neither can I imagine it, though I'd like to.

If you haven't the guts to opt out of a neo-pagan incantation at divinity school...you may be part of the problem.

14 posted on 09/14/2024 3:45:47 AM PDT by Buttons12 ( )
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To: Morgana

Thisi no different that the elementary students being taken to a mosque and chanting something they were told to say and possibly being converted without their consent.

https://www.foxnews.com/us/school-apologizes-after-students-pray-to-allah-on-field-trip-to-mosque


15 posted on 09/14/2024 3:47:04 AM PDT by Cowgirl of Justice
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To: Morgana
From the article:

A second-year student, who requested to remain anonymous, expressed to me a deep concern over this act...
As a student who experienced the “Radical Gratitude Spell” first hand, it was a deeply concerning experience...
Its inclusion in orientation raises deep concerns...

I'm feeling some deep concern for your writing skills, Raleigh. Triggered, even.

16 posted on 09/14/2024 3:58:39 AM PDT by Buttons12 ( )
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To: Morgana

when american leaders gather in CA to participate in a ‘cremation of care’ ceremony, do not be surprised that satanic occultish garbage infests other parts of society.

We need our country back folks. While we were busy working to put food on the table, the globalist, one-world elites stole it from us.


17 posted on 09/14/2024 5:04:44 AM PDT by imabadboy99
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To: Chickensoup

That’s the first thing I thought. University divinity schools have been this way for decades. This is an article for people who’ve been living in a bubble.


18 posted on 09/14/2024 5:13:17 AM PDT by Varda
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To: Morgana

Go to divinity school and learn to serve Satan.

Welcome to the USA in 2024.


19 posted on 09/14/2024 5:26:18 AM PDT by cgbg ("Our democracy" = Their Kleptocracy)
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To: Morgana

Wrong kind of sheep


20 posted on 09/14/2024 5:35:08 AM PDT by AppyPappy (Biden told Al Roker "America is back". Unfortunately, he meant back to the 1970's)
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