While the rose-haired witch prayed for the Iowa House of Representatives on Thursday, others in the audience were praying for her soul.

Though there have been rabbis, imams, and priests, it was the first time anyone could remember a pagan witch delivering the morning blessing for legislators. Their reaction was decidedly mixed.

Wiccan priestess Deborah Maynard, from Cedar Rapids, called on “God,” but also “Goddess,” and “Universe.” She called on the four elements—air, earth, fire, and water—to lend wisdom and strength. She called on the fifth element, spirit, to help lawmakers “respect the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.” ...