Pentacle. (CC/Lord Yoult)
Daniel LaPlante, a convicted murderer currently serving a life sentence in Massachusetts for killing three people 25 years ago, has filed a lawsuit against the state Department of Corrections for failing to allow him to obtain ritual oils and other items for practicing his Wiccan faith.
Wicca is a neo-pagan religion that focuses on nature using “mysticism, and natural magic or ritual.” Boston Magazine reports that there has been a notable Wicca presence at the MCI-Norfolk jail since the 1980s.
In a document filed in U.S. district court, LaPlante, who is representing himself, claims the DOC has “hindered” his ability to practice his faith by not allowing him to obtain “dragon’s blood,” “black opium,” “honeysuckle" and more than 30 oils he says are essential to practicing his faith during the various cycles of the moon.
LaPlante lists nearly 26 different healing herbs that that remove jinxes, chase away demons, create connections to goddesses, and expel negative spirits. He claims he needs them for meetings with other Wiccans at MCI-Norfolk.
The complaint states that the Wiccans must hold their meetings in a basement where they cannot see the moon. The complaint goes on to say that cakes used during Wiccan sermons are meant to “excite the senses,” but the cake served by the DOC is “always the same.” LaPlante requested a different cake for each month, including a carrot cake, known by Wiccans as “Wolf Ice.”
Also requested were various robes and more than a dozen medallions, including one called "Thor's Hammer."
