Can someone explain what my son saw?

[WitchesInTheWoods]

My DS (14) and his friends went for a walk deep in the woods yesterday. They came across four people standing in a circle with candles and markings on the ground. Two were dressed in all black, very smart, like priests. The other two were in normal clothes and were bleeding from their arms. My son said he saw them cut themselves, they were mumbling something inaudible while the two in all black held their arms in the air and chanted. When they realised they were being watched one of the people in black told the boys they were going to cut their heads off if they don’t leave. I know it’s true because one of the kids filmed it and I’ve watched it. Wtf!?

[Lulu49]

🤣🤣🤣🤣

[Dervel]

If you require privacy for doing ritual work outside, I’d highly recommend raising a Druid mist it will make it tougher for others to disturb you.

[Giggorata]

@Fatredwitch

I can vouch for the fact that, when you go to the woods for a ritual in natural surroundings, some nosey bugger is guaranteed to come wandering by. Our most awkward time was when we had gone to an ancient outcrop of rocks, high on a hill, at twilight. We had set up the candles and cast the circle before we realised that the Territorial Army was in the same area, on manoeuvres. They kept thundering past us, and we kept singing Happy Birthday so that they didn't wonder about the candles. In the end, we decided to just sit down and enjoy the Cakes and Ale. A pagan ritual inevitably involves Cakes and Ale. We like our food.

I wouldn't be surprised if the people in the photo are making a goth video, though it's possible that they are pagans. Some people like dressing up. I am not familiar with people offering their blood but it's not impossible. Some Christian festivals featured people whipping themselves till they bled, in atonement for their sins, and a few still exist. Some Hindu sadhus mortify their flesh to raise their spiritual consciousness. Pagans tend to celebrate the physical body rather than despise it, but it's possible.

As for the threat... Is that on the video? Otherwise I would wonder, knowing how 14 year old boys are, if the lads had embellished their story a bit to make it more exciting. If it's on the video, I would guess that it's a stupid outburst by an exasperated actor or an equally exasperated pagan. The latter seems pretty unlikely, though. Pagans are fairly well accustomed to intrusions.

As for Satanists, they don't really belong in the pagan camp. They are His Majesty's Loyal Opposition for Christianity.

This makes a lot of sense to me.
I have had similar experiences doing rituals in woods and we do normally deal with intrusions, by pausing until they go away, or explaining, or just carrying on, depending on circumstances.
Being filmed is a modern day complication, and I find it a bit rude, especially since footage might end up anywhere online. I am glad you pointed that out to your son, OP.

If there was a bunch of pesky kids creeping up on us to film us, I might well have told them to fuck off/threatened to turn them into toads/other, especially if they were aggressive themselves (I’m not suggesting this of your son, OP)

I wouldn't have threatened decapitation, because it is illegal and a nasty threat, and also brings pagans/witches/whatever kind of ritualists this group may be, into disrepute.
We get enough bad press and disapprobation as it is 🙄

[Xyyxxx]

You can't summon Idris Elba. I've got him under lock and key.

[WalkingOnTheCracks]

@GrandDuchessRomanov

You'd think if they were trying to summon the devil and lord of all evil the one in white trainers would have made more of an effort with their shoes.

Indeed. The Devil wears Nike.

[Hawkins001]

@SmellyOldOwls

www.imdb.com/title/tt9358044/

[JudyGemstone]

I watched a documentary about satanism on Netflix called Hail Satan! and that is how they described it. I didn’t make it up from nowhere.
I know what secularism is.

[SmellyOldOwls]

@JudyGemstone

“Dancingonmoonlight
JudyGemstone
I’m not that well informed but isn’t satanism more about the separation of church and state when it comes to law making in society?

So more akin to a fancier type or atheism than devil worship? As most satanists don’t believe in God or the devil and don’t believe laws should be based upon the assumption that they exist (see abortion laws in the US/Republic or Ireland).

I think YOU need to read about the abortion laws in Republic of Ireland.”

Bit rude. I was saying that Satanists would be against abortion laws being based on religious beliefs as is the case in those countries. Not sure what you thought.

You've got mixed up between satanism and secularism, you're lucky that's the most curt reply you have to deal with!

[Dancingonmoonlight]

I was saying that Satanists would be against abortion laws being based on religious beliefs as is the case in those countries

Can you elaborate on the particular abortion laws you are referring to?
The abortion laws in ROI are not dissimilar to the UK.

[JudyGemstone]

“Dancingonmoonlight
JudyGemstone
I’m not that well informed but isn’t satanism more about the separation of church and state when it comes to law making in society?

So more akin to a fancier type or atheism than devil worship? As most satanists don’t believe in God or the devil and don’t believe laws should be based upon the assumption that they exist (see abortion laws in the US/Republic or Ireland).

I think YOU need to read about the abortion laws in Republic of Ireland.”

Bit rude. I was saying that Satanists would be against abortion laws being based on religious beliefs as is the case in those countries. Not sure what you thought.

[iklboo]

I like the sound of naked moon bathing!

Sod that for a game of soldiers. It's too bloody freezing to wander about sky clad at the minute.

[Hopeisallineed]

@MagpieMary it was a joke, hence the crying with laughing emoji! I don’t believe for a minute it’s Freemasons.

[MagpieMary]

@Hopeisallineed

Yep. Definitely Freemasons and their pesky blood-letting ceremonies. 😂

Surely they wouldn’t be threatening people though? I think that highly unlikely. I doubt too that their ceremonies would be conducted in a wood!

[evtheria]

@justasking111
I like the sound of naked moon bathing!

[Hopeisallineed]

Yep. Definitely Freemasons and their pesky blood-letting ceremonies. 😂

[HerRoyalWitchyness]

Freemasons

[Hoardersontour]

Are you serious 🤣🤣🤣

[Hawkins001]

@Hoardersontour

My guess would be freemasons.

What's your evidence to support this perspective please ?

[SatsumaPumpkinFace]

@Hoardersontour

My guess would be freemasons.

Freemasons?

[iklboo]

My guess would be freemasons.

My guess is you know nothing about Freemasons.

[Allergictoironing]

@Hoardersontour

My guess would be freemasons.

WTF made you think Freemasons of all things?

All male
Meet indoors
No blood letting rituals
Wear trousers with dinky little aprons.

[Hoardersontour]

My guess would be freemasons.

[DontBiteTheBoobThatFeedsYou]

Well you made The Argus OP.

[justasking111]

Which is WHY I didn't discuss the naked moon baths in our local woods you just know the media will hump on it

[CandyLeBonBon]

@OrangeJuiceAndNoodles

Sorry, what?

This thread's in the Daily Mail

And in the Brighton Argus! Oh the heady heights!