A true loss in the world of witchcraft
I just found out that my beloved friend Shawn Poirier, High Priest of Salem Witches and one truly magical man, passed away this weekend (the official release by his best friend and business partner, Christian Day, is below Mark's painting of Shawn). I can not express what a loss this is to not only my Salem family, but to all those who blaze their own spiritual path in life and stand up to define their true selves to an often hostile world. His warmth and spirit guided so many into a world of both light and dark, magic and true and did so in such a wildly entertaining manner that it endeared him to even those who didn't share his beliefs. It was as if William Castle, Ed Wood and John Waters had a baby who grew up to be a Shaman Priest. I'll never forget my first day in Salem with he and Christian, eating Cornish Game Hens with our hands at an outdoor cafe while they plotted more and more outrageous schemes for the Festival of the Dead. I knew I was in the company of a master provocateur and deliciously shameless sensationalist and thus a friendship was forged. It was only after I came to know him better did I realize his true depth; that beneath the Grand Guignol antics there lay a deep, spiritual soul who welcomed and aided those looking to discover themselves. Just last month, we had begun to discuss belief and introducing me to some of his ritualism. Now, I'll never get that chance...though I will hold his memory to me whenever I take that journey.
I will forever be grateful to him for making me and Mark a part of his world and giving us a spiritual home and , as he put it to me , a "Halloween Family". For all of us who loved him, his spirit will permeate every last cobblestone of Salem and I'm sure the ripples and shockwaves of his short, dynamic life will be felt in Witch City for decades upon decades.
Shawn, I love you dearly and Halloween will not be the same without you. I just hope that is some small way I can do your memory justice.
"The Passing of a Dear Friend
Greetings,
It is with great sadness that I share the news that Shawn Poirier, my friend and business partner, passed away peacefully in his sleep in the early morning hours of Sunday, March 18th, 2007. We ask for energy, prayers, and well-wishes that he has a safe journey into the next world. I am here in New Orleans with Bloody Mary, where we went to the altars set out for Saint Joseph's Day. Saint Joseph is the patron saint of happy deaths, so we welcome those energies for Shawn's journey. In New Orleans, the magic of Catholicism, Voodoo, Witchcraft, Strega, and Native spirituality are all blended into a veritable Gumbo of power and we draw from that for strength.
Shawn is the most magical person I've ever known. For those whose lives he touched, I say blessings and Ashe, and know that his spirit will always be with you. The energy of a place becomes a composite of all the lives who have touched it and the powerful spirits become the Loa or spirit of that place. It is in this way that Shawn will always be part of the magic of Salem, ready to lend his power to those in need.
The Festival of the Dead, the October events that Shawn and I founded in 2003, take on a new meaning with his passing. We truly have confronted our own mortality and looked death in the face. The work that Shawn and I began will live on, not only in me but in all of the hosts, hostesses, psychics and workers of this cutting edge adventure into the spiritual unknown. It is in Shawn's memory that each of us who contribute to the work seek to live up to his legacy and create our own. Festival of the Dead is bigger than all of us who present it. It is the magic of all of you who participate and speak its name.
To all souls who are true to the magic of what we do, please join us this October, where we will hold a special memorial to celebrate Shawn's life and contributions to Witchcraft. Details will be here and on FestivalOfTheDead.com.
Blessings from Salem
Christian Day"
I will forever be grateful to him for making me and Mark a part of his world and giving us a spiritual home and , as he put it to me , a "Halloween Family". For all of us who loved him, his spirit will permeate every last cobblestone of Salem and I'm sure the ripples and shockwaves of his short, dynamic life will be felt in Witch City for decades upon decades.
Shawn, I love you dearly and Halloween will not be the same without you. I just hope that is some small way I can do your memory justice.
"The Passing of a Dear Friend
Greetings,
It is with great sadness that I share the news that Shawn Poirier, my friend and business partner, passed away peacefully in his sleep in the early morning hours of Sunday, March 18th, 2007. We ask for energy, prayers, and well-wishes that he has a safe journey into the next world. I am here in New Orleans with Bloody Mary, where we went to the altars set out for Saint Joseph's Day. Saint Joseph is the patron saint of happy deaths, so we welcome those energies for Shawn's journey. In New Orleans, the magic of Catholicism, Voodoo, Witchcraft, Strega, and Native spirituality are all blended into a veritable Gumbo of power and we draw from that for strength.
Shawn is the most magical person I've ever known. For those whose lives he touched, I say blessings and Ashe, and know that his spirit will always be with you. The energy of a place becomes a composite of all the lives who have touched it and the powerful spirits become the Loa or spirit of that place. It is in this way that Shawn will always be part of the magic of Salem, ready to lend his power to those in need.
The Festival of the Dead, the October events that Shawn and I founded in 2003, take on a new meaning with his passing. We truly have confronted our own mortality and looked death in the face. The work that Shawn and I began will live on, not only in me but in all of the hosts, hostesses, psychics and workers of this cutting edge adventure into the spiritual unknown. It is in Shawn's memory that each of us who contribute to the work seek to live up to his legacy and create our own. Festival of the Dead is bigger than all of us who present it. It is the magic of all of you who participate and speak its name.
To all souls who are true to the magic of what we do, please join us this October, where we will hold a special memorial to celebrate Shawn's life and contributions to Witchcraft. Details will be here and on FestivalOfTheDead.com.
Blessings from Salem
Christian Day"