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Pagan Priestex Prepares for Arrest Rather Than Surrender First Amendment Rights

Posted by Christopher Blackwell on December 2, 2025, 5:32 pm

https://wildhunt.org/2025/12/pagan-priestex-prepares-for-arrest-rather-than-surrender-first-amendment-rights.html

Pagan Priestex Prepares for Arrest Rather Than Surrender First Amendment Rights

This article comes to us from High Priestex Mortellus.

Note: This article is written from a first-person perspective. I am a clergy member and community organizer in Rutherford County, and am also an individual directly affected by the Town of Rutherfordton’s actions described here. All accounts are based on my firsthand experience, documented correspondence, and public records. This piece reflects my perspective as a Pagan clergy member navigating a situation with significant First Amendment and religious-freedom implications.

RUTHERFORDTON, North Carolina – On December 6, 2025, a small group of volunteers from Indivisible Rutherford NC—many of us Pagan, LGBTQIA+, immigrants, or otherwise marginalized—planned to gather on the Rutherford County Courthouse Lawn for a peaceful action called The Season of Enough. The intention was simple. To be present during the Town’s Christmas parade and offer a visible reminder that every family deserves enough, not just at Yuletide, but every day. Enough food. Shelter. Dignity. All those pesky necessities we rely on.

And the location, the Rutherford County Courthouse Lawn, is not just any patch of grass; it’s the center of civic expression in Rutherfordton, North Carolina. It is where, for decades, vigils, community remembrances, and demonstrations have taken place—a public forum in the truest constitutional sense.

But when a member of Pagan clergy attempts to be visible there during a government-sponsored Christmas parade? The rules suddenly seem to change.

“Reserved” and Documented Nowhere

On November 24th—the same day we requested a permit—we received notice that “the requested date” was “not available” and that the Town was “unable to accommodate additional permitted activities on December 6th”, going on to insist that the Courthouse Lawn is “reserved,” “in active use,” and “unavailable.” As both a community organizer and a clergy member, I know to ask for documentation. So I did.

The Town’s response? There is no documentation.

In fact, the only thing the Town was able to produce was a November 5 ordinance (ordinance No. 09-26), which does not mention the Courthouse Lawn at all. In fact, it doesn’t mention the parade staging areas, or the tree lighting, or any activities on county property— simply a two-hour road closure—and for First Amendment purposes, this matters. Government, even of the small town variety, cannot close a traditional public forum based on nothing more than discretionary statements, feelings, or a desire to maintain any particular optics—it must show operational necessity, and Rutherfordton has shown nothing.
When a Pagan Clergy Becomes a Problem

Many Wild Hunt readers will not be surprised by this next part. I had already, for some time in fact, been dealing with pushback from the Town regarding the use of my clergy name and title, despite it being federally protected under Title VII and established First Amendment doctrine. Town officials had repeatedly insisted I use my legal/dead name instead.

This is not a minor clerical inconvenience, but the kind of microaggression minority-faith clergy are used to navigating in the South. Our identities are treated as optional, our religious roles are treated as imaginary, and our traditions are treated as unserious unless filtered through a Christian frame. So when the Town later insisted that the only “alternative” channel for expression on December 6th was for me—and our group—to join the government-run Christmas parade, the irony was not lost on me. Nor were the constitutional stakes.

Compelled Expression, Religious Coercion, and the Christmas Parade Problem

To participate in the parade as suggested, we would be required to adopt Christmas-themed religious symbolism, decorate a float to “contribute to the festive spirit of the parade,” submit to approval by parade marshals empowered to remove entries based on subjective moral judgments of appropriateness, and line up at a church before the parade (and disembark at yet another church). For a Pagan priestex, being told that the only acceptable way to exercise free speech is by joining a Christian parade—staged at a Christian church, with Christian theming—is not merely insulting. It’s unconstitutional religious coercion.

The Supreme Court has repeatedly held that the government cannot require people to adopt majority-faith symbolism (Lee v. Weisman), favor certain religions (Larson v. Valente), or burden minority faiths through facially neutral rules that disproportionately impact them (Lukumi Babalu Aye v. Hialeah). This is not a theoretical problem; it is a lived one.

High Priestex Mortellus

Posted by Mondo Fuego™ on December 6, 2025, 6:50 pm, in reply to "Pagan Priestex Prepares for Arrest Rather Than Surrender First Amendment Rights"

Hocus-Pocus!

LOL

Get a new town.

Posted by Mondo Fuego™ on December 4, 2025, 12:28 am, in reply to "Pagan Priestex Prepares for Arrest Rather Than Surrender First Amendment Rights"

"On December 6, 2025, a small group of volunteers from Indivisible Rutherford NC—many of us Pagan"

Posted by DFM on December 3, 2025, 6:43 pm, in reply to "Pagan Priestex Prepares for Arrest Rather Than Surrender First Amendment Rights"

What kind of CRAP is this. It is now Dec 3, 2025.

Do you know the FUTURE?

Reread the article, you missed what they said.

Posted by Christopher Blackwell on December 4, 2025, 8:43 am, in reply to ""On December 6, 2025, a small group of volunteers from Indivisible Rutherford NC—many of us Pagan""

DFM Dec. 6th is their planned free speech demonstration on the courthouse lawn.

ever heard of a typo?

Posted by trish on December 4, 2025, 4:29 am, in reply to ""On December 6, 2025, a small group of volunteers from Indivisible Rutherford NC—many of us Pagan""

Ever heard a sob story?

Posted by Mondo Fuego™ on December 4, 2025, 7:32 am, in reply to "ever heard of a typo?"

Your lack of understanding this topic is substantial. HUSH

Posted by trish on December 4, 2025, 10:53 am, in reply to "Ever heard a sob story?"

Not much to understand.

Posted by Mondo Fuego™ on December 4, 2025, 9:17 pm, in reply to "Your lack of understanding this topic is substantial. HUSH"

The city must have not wanted a bunch of crackpots hanging around.

Who knows?

Not my problem.

HUSH

Posted by trish on December 5, 2025, 7:12 am, in reply to "Not much to understand."

LOL @ U

Posted by Mondo Fuego™ on December 5, 2025, 8:15 am, in reply to "HUSH"

Bad hair day?

There was another instance elsewhere

Posted by trish on December 3, 2025, 10:50 am, in reply to "Pagan Priestex Prepares for Arrest Rather Than Surrender First Amendment Rights"

where so-called Christians decided to take it upon themselves to toss "anointing oil", put hands on people without permission, pray loudly, etc. If we had done anything like that at a church... well here's the link

https://drive.google.com/file/d/19K0WfrCvjwMOFaulK2hnNBsW_q7XbE7k/view?fbclid=IwY2xjawN2gm1leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETFwMld6Z1JIZlN0VXpOeUdMAR5wMNbQJdD1aO_aQx-vAF9vS31yF9cNNSKkuvgIeQnEYxhsyR8HR4XrLP_oLA_aem_2q3LLuU1EpDZbilIsxjxxw

Re: There was another instance elsewhere

Posted by Christopher Blackwell on December 3, 2025, 4:50 pm, in reply to "There was another instance elsewhere"

It is an old problem from Christians for nearly 2000 years and much the same in the Muslin World today.

Can a pagan adherent be a “clergy”.

Posted by GOG on December 2, 2025, 5:56 pm, in reply to "Pagan Priestex Prepares for Arrest Rather Than Surrender First Amendment Rights"

Clergy is associated with Christian ministers and priests. Do Jews refer to rabbis as clergy? Another attempt to piggy back on God’s holy sanctum. How about pagans create their own special leadership category. How about pagagy?

they are called Priests and Priestesses

Posted by trish on December 3, 2025, 10:36 am, in reply to "Can a pagan adherent be a “clergy”."

and they are LEGALLY considered clergy

Well, sort of.

Posted by Mondo Fuego™ on December 4, 2025, 12:38 am, in reply to "they are called Priests and Priestesses"

Snicker doodle and a big black poodle.

My minister has a Doctorate.

Anyone can be a pweeth or pweetheth. All you need is some henna and joss sticks.

Shall I start insulting your so-called Christian leaders?

Posted by trish on December 4, 2025, 4:28 am, in reply to "Well, sort of."

There are plenty I could point to who hardly walk the talk.

I am a Priestess, a minister, and I am about to perform my son's wedding. This makes about 20 so far, only one crossing. That one was difficult, but when someone asks you to see them through, you do.

Believe it or not, Pagans have callings too.

PS HATE henna and joss sticks.

You already have, many times.

Posted by Mondo Fuego™ on December 4, 2025, 7:33 am, in reply to "Shall I start insulting your so-called Christian leaders?"

I only call out those who are money grubbing

Posted by trish on December 4, 2025, 10:52 am, in reply to "You already have, many times."

and crave power, not really shepherding at all.

I am surprised you have a problem with that.

Lets talk Olstein, Copeland, Houston, Macedo..

by all means justify them

I don't even know them. I don't watch TV crackpots.

Posted by Mondo Fuego™ on December 4, 2025, 9:15 pm, in reply to "I only call out those who are money grubbing "

They must be your friends since you seem to know so much about them.

Enough BS mondo. Go pee on someone else's wheaties

Posted by trish on December 5, 2025, 7:11 am, in reply to "I don't even know them. I don't watch TV crackpots."

You brought the up ... must have spent some time with 'em. But, here's the bottom line:

Posted by Mondo Fuego™ on December 5, 2025, 8:14 am, in reply to "Enough BS mondo. Go pee on someone else's wheaties"

Everyone worldwide knows about Christianity, whether they accept it or not.

Paganism is not generally well known, and outside the adherents, it is commonly viewed as a mystical belief of crackpots.

It is not "commonly" just because that's your opinion

Posted by trish on December 6, 2025, 4:41 am, in reply to "You brought the up ... must have spent some time with 'em. But, here's the bottom line:"

Did I touch the truth nerve?

Posted by Mondo Fuego™ on December 6, 2025, 9:02 am, in reply to "It is not "commonly" just because that's your opinion"

Yup

Get over yourself

Posted by trish on December 6, 2025, 9:40 am, in reply to "Did I touch the truth nerve?"

I used to like you at least a bit. You've changed and not for the better.

Please do me the favor of not replying to my posts and I will return the favor likewise.

I never ...

Posted by Mondo Fuego™ on December 10, 2025, 8:06 am, in reply to "Get over yourself"

... thought your weird songbird puppy was an instrumentalist.

Why do you bother with it (him?)?

Posted by Mugwump on December 9, 2025, 6:56 am, in reply to "Get over yourself"

Noting his abysmally ignorant post below, he apparently (and with no reason whatsoever) thinks I am an instrumentalist. He refuses to recognize himself as the trust fund/family connection dilettante that he is.
When I was a newbie here, before I'd had any real interaction with him I saw what he was and immediately went to a DNR. The only that that seems to outweigh his ignorance is his arrogance. Quiate an amalgam!

You have gone off the deep end with hostility and ankle-biting.

Posted by Mondo Fuego™ on December 6, 2025, 5:50 pm, in reply to "Get over yourself"

I'm fine with you ceasing to troll me for conflict.

But...but...but

Posted by Mugwump on December 6, 2025, 11:18 am, in reply to "Get over yourself"

Some people think the universe is ABOUT them (along with the brands they claim to favor and patronize)

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