Bomb Scare Went Up In Smoke Deputies Find Burning Sweetgrass At Wiccan Temple

What started out as a Spokane Valley bomb scare Saturday turned out to be an attempt to desecrate a Wiccan church’s outdoor temple.

Teara Staples, who said she is a high priestess and ordained minister in the Universal Life Church, said a former member of her group called her shortly after 11 a.m., saying he had a “gift” for her.

Just after she hung up, Staples’ fiance saw something smoking in their back yard at 178118 E. Appleway. They called authorities, and Valley Fire Department officials arrived.

Thinking the smoking object could be a bomb, firefighters contacted the Spokane County Sheriff’s Department, sheriff’s Lt. David Wiyrick said.

Deputies found the item was not an explosive device, Wiyrick said. Deputies confiscated it, Staples said. She said it appeared to be a piece of petrified wood and a bundle of sweetgrass that had been ignited.

Staples’ residence is used as the home of the Earth Mother’s Child Church of Wicca. Staples thinks the burning sweetgrass was placed in the middle of the group’s circle - an outdoor ring of rocks used as a temple - to desecrate it.

She said the man, whom she declined to name, has been harassing members of her church since December. He used to be a member, but quit last summer.

He still attended open circles, ceremonies open to all Wiccans, until members asked him to leave around Christmas time. He had been making unwelcome advances toward a woman in the church, Staples told deputies.

, DataTimes