WASHINGTON & CARTERSVILLE, Ga. — This week’s roundup of community developments highlights a diverse intersection of national politics, indigenous archaeology, and modern pagan religious life. From the highest levels of military leadership in Washington to ancient ceremonial pits in Georgia, and forward to upcoming community gatherings in the Pacific Northwest, contemporary spiritual communities continue to intersect with broader cultural and historical milestones.
Main Facts
The political spotlight has turned once again toward the upper echelons of the U.S. military following President Donald Trump’s formal nomination of acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao to permanently lead the Department of the Navy. Cao, a retired Navy captain and special operations veteran, has drawn significant scrutiny—and distinct reactions from modern magical and pagan communities—due to past public statements expressing alarm over the presence of Witches and Wiccans in American towns.
Simultaneously, groundbreaking archaeogenomic research published in PLOS One has revealed the first definitive physical evidence of pre-Columbian cacao consumption within the Mississippian cultural sphere. Analyzing ancient residue from 11th- and 12th-century pottery sherds unearthed at the Etowah Mounds site in northern Georgia, scientists successfully isolated ancient DNA belonging to Theobroma cacao. This discovery fundamentally redefines our understanding of long-distance trade, cultural exchange, and ritual feasting networks operating across North America centuries before European contact.
In community events, the Aquarian Tabernacle Church (ATC) has officially announced the return of the Hekate’s Sickle Festival. Scheduled for November 6–8, the three-day devotional gathering will take place at Camp Moran State Park on Orcas Island, Washington, offering practitioners a rustic immersion into mystery work, ritual, and fellowship.
Chronology of Recent Events
- 2023: During a recorded interview with conservative Christian activist Sean Feucht while campaigning for public office, Hung Cao characterizes Monterey, California, as a "very dark place" overrun by witchcraft, warning his audience, "We can’t let that happen to Virginia."
- 2025: Hung Cao wins narrow confirmation from the U.S. Senate to serve as the Under Secretary of the Navy.
- April 2026: Following the sudden departure of Navy Secretary John Phelan, Hung Cao assumes the role of acting Secretary of the Navy. His past anti-witchcraft remarks resurface across social media platforms like Bluesky and independent news outlets, prompting localized tongue-in-cheek gatherings of Witches at historical coastal sites like Lovers Point in Pacific Grove.
- August 26, 2026: A peer-reviewed study is published in PLOS One, detailing the successful extraction of ancient Theobroma cacao DNA from pottery vessels recovered at the Etowah archaeological site in Cartersville, Georgia.
- September 3, 2026: President Trump formally nominates Hung Cao to permanently serve as the Secretary of the Navy, urging the Senate to expedite confirmation proceedings. Concurrently, community organizers release updated ticketing and registration details for the upcoming November Hekate’s Sickle Festival.
Supporting Data and Archaeological Findings
The discovery of ancient cacao at the Etowah site bridges a long-standing gap in North American archaeology. While prior chemical assays hinted at the presence of the tropical plant in southeastern Indigenous contexts, those tests struggled to differentiate cacao compounds from Ilex vomitoria—the botanical base for the ceremonial "Black Drink" widely utilized across the Eastern Woodlands.
By utilizing advanced archaeogenomic testing to sequence degraded DNA directly from two separate ceramic vessels, researchers confirmed the genetic signature of Theobroma cacao. Key data points from the study include:
- Geographic Origin: Theobroma cacao is native exclusively to tropical ecosystems, meaning the beans or prepared liquids traveled thousands of miles northward from Mesoamerica or lower Central America.
- Archaeological Context: The positive sherds originated from large, deliberate refuse pits associated with communal feasting events tied directly to the construction of Etowah’s foundational earthwork platform mounds.
- Precedent: While cacao residue had previously been documented as far north as Chaco Canyon in New Mexico, this study provides the easternmost and first direct molecular confirmation of the plant within the Mississippian world.
In the realm of modern governance and demographics, the Department of the Navy nomination places an official at the helm who oversees a sprawling active-duty force while managing acute logistical pressures. The Navy currently navigates severe strain, highlighted by extended carrier deployments—such as the USS Abraham Lincoln’s prolonged operations supporting regional conflicts—which have sparked congressional inquiries regarding crew fatigue, mental health resources, and essential supply shortages.
Official Responses and Public Reactions
The nomination of Hung Cao has elicited starkly contrasting responses from political allies, military analysts, and religious liberty advocates.
The Administration’s Stance
Administration officials have doubled down on Cao’s military background and leadership credentials. Announcing the nomination on Tuesday, President Trump lauded Cao as a "true WARRIOR," emphasizing his 25 years of service as a Navy SEAL and special operations officer with deployments spanning Iraq and Afghanistan. Proponents argue that Cao’s hardline stance on leadership—favoring traditional military discipline and what he terms "alpha males and alpha females"—is necessary to restore combat readiness and counter perceived institutional softness within the armed forces.
Community and Civil Liberties Concerns
Conversely, modern Pagan, Wiccan, and secular advocacy groups have expressed profound unease regarding Cao’s worldview. Critics point to his explicit rhetoric framing contemporary pagan practices as a "threat" and a form of spiritual contagion as evidence of potential bias. Watchdog organizations argue that appointing an individual with a documented public animus against minority religious expressions to a top-tier civilian defense post raises serious constitutional questions regarding equal protection and religious tolerance within the ranks of the U.S. Armed Forces, where thousands of Wiccans, Pagans, and earth-centered spiritual practitioners serve openly.
Religious freedom advocates maintain that military leadership must remain strictly neutral and respectful of the pluralistic constitutional framework governing all service members, regardless of their personal faith traditions.
Implications for the Future
The convergence of these stories highlights the complex ways in which history, culture, and governance intersect in contemporary America.
For the military and religious communities, the Senate confirmation hearings for Hung Cao will serve as a crucial public test. Lawmakers will likely face questions not only about his operational competence and handling of current naval supply crises, but also regarding his past statements concerning religious minorities. If confirmed, Cao’s tenure will be closely monitored by military pluralism advocates to ensure that diversity of belief within the armed forces remains protected under Department of Defense regulations.
Meanwhile, the archaeogenomic breakthroughs at Etowah signal a paradigm shift in how historians view pre-Columbian Indigenous networks. The confirmation that luxury trade goods like cacao moved seamlessly between Mesoamerican civilizations and Southeastern mound-building societies underscores a deeply interconnected pre-contact continent characterized by sophisticated commerce, shared ritual technologies, and extensive diplomatic alliances.
Finally, grassroots cultural touchstones—such as the upcoming Hekate’s Sickle Festival on Orcas Island—demonstrate the robust health and resilience of modern magical communities. By carving out physical spaces for retreat, devotional practice, and communal bonding away from the turbulence of national politics and daily modern stresses, practitioners continue to anchor their traditions in deep-rooted earth reverence and shared sanctuary.
