Brenna Raven Moonfire

"It's a marvelous night for a moondance."

Brenna Barney (AKA Brenna Raven Moonfire) feels her civil rights have been violated.

No, she's not the victim of a warrantless wiretap. No one put a Club on the basketball hoops at a nearby middle school.

She's an American trying to freely exercise her religious beliefs and she happens to be a Wiccan.

Calling the ACLU...

WAUKESHA -- A Waukesha woman was arrested early Tuesday morning for disturbing neighbors by yelling witch chants around a bonfire she built 10-feet from her home, police Capt. Mike Babe said.

Brenna K. Barney, 42, told police that they were infringing on her religious beliefs since she is a Wiccan and she was performing a ritual because of a new moon, Babe said. She said her name is Brenna Raven Moonfire.

Criminal charges of resisting arrest and disorderly conduct were filed against Barney in Waukesha County Circuit Court.

Police may also give Barney a ticket alleging negligent handling of burning materials, Babe said.

...When an officer arrived, he heard the woman yelling in the backyard and found her wearing headphones, a T-shirt and underwear, Babe said. The officer tried to get her attention by shining a flashlight on her but she continued yelling her chants.

At one point she poured lighter fluid on the fire, which was 10-feet from her residence, he said. She was burning rubber car mats and a cooler, Babe said.

When the officer was able to get the woman's attention she refused to cooperate telling the officer she was performing a religious ritual. She continued to be belligerent and the officer could smell alcohol on the woman's breath, Babe said.

Four officers responded to the scene and were able to take the woman into custody. She was first taken to Waukesha Memorial Hospital where she continued to yell and swear at officers and hospital staff, Babe said.

After she was medically cleared, she was taken to jail.

FOX 6's Jeremy Ross talked to Barney (or Moonfire).

She told him, "I have people in the community all over Wisconsin here that will stand behind me because my religious rights were violated."

I believe her. Wisconsin is very Wiccan-friendly.

Remember this, from December 2001?

The new chaplain at Waupun Correctional Institution is a Wiccan.

And a Witch.

The Rev. Jamyi Witch, who has voluntarily ministered to Wisconsin inmates for at least two years, began her new full-time position at the maximum security facility this week. She is believed to be the first Wiccan chaplain in Wisconsin and one of only a handful nationwide.

Department of Corrections officials on Wednesday defended the hire, saying Witch met the position's requirements and that it would be unfair and illegal to bar her from serving because of her faith. They also said that because the facility has another chaplain, and because inmates will have access to numerous volunteer ministers, that no one would feel uncomfortable with Witch.

...The Wisconsin corrections system has 36 chaplain positions, said spokesman Bill Clausius. "Times have changed," he said. "It's not just Catholic and Protestant anymore."

You can't say Wiccans get no respect in Wisconsin.

Her neighbors don't care about her religion. They just don't like being awakened after midnight by her noise. They shouldn't have to fear because of her careless use of fire.

"All of a sudden I'm seeing flashing lights, firecrackers and all sorts of stuff," said Vicki Denova, a neighbor.

"Literally, we saw her take a doll, do a chant and throw it in the fire," Barney's neighbor, Mike Thiel said.

Thiel said the fire was so close to the house he was worried.

"With the fire going on, you don't know if the house is going to burn down," Theil said.

Barney/Moonfire's case seems pretty cut and dried to me. Her civil rights haven't been violated.

No one's stopping her from exercising her religion.

She just can't disrupt her neighbors' sleep with her yelling because there happens to be a new moon. Religion can't be used as an excuse for resisting arrest and disorderly conduct.

According to Ross' report, Barney/Moonfire's lawyer claims that the police version of the matter is wrong on a number of counts.

Her attorney said Barney is a practicing witch and spiritualist. He says police perception isn’t reality. He claims Barney was not chanting, but singing while listening to music with headphones; and was in a bathing suit and not her underwear; further saying the bonfire was only a grill pit. And her witch reputation is blowing the incident out of proportion.

I'm afraid it's Barney/Moonfire who has blown the incident out of proportion.

Rather than toning it down, she chose to become belligerent with the police. Whether her noise was singing or chanting is irrelevant.

Barney/Moonfire wouldn't cooperate.

She refused to respect her neighbors. She refused to respect the officers. She refused to respect the law.

That's not religious persecution.
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Watch a Wiccan New Moon Esbat Ritual.



Watch the rituals of the Stonecutters.