Cult or Not?

June 16, 2008 11:42 AM

I just saw a group of folks at the cafeteria in the DeKalb Farmer's Market in Atlanta, and I'm trying to figure out... are they a cult?

A group (maybe 10) of men and women, with children and teens. Mostly white but one black woman. The weird thing that caught my eye was they they were all wearing hempy-natural-fiber looking simple shirts or long dresses over t-shirts and "normal" clothing.

I shoulda walked over and asked, "Pardon me, are you a cult?," but something told me that might be rude.

So... were they?

Thanks in advance.

posted by jpburns to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (10 answers total)

They were a group of people who were eating together while dressed in similar clothing. There's no way of telling from that, or from any response you'll get here, whether there's a controlling, charismatic leader waiting back home for them.
posted by mudpuppie at 11:54 AM on June 16, 2008

What would have been wrong with "that's an interesting shirt, did you get it here at the market?"

By which I mean to answer - you sure they didn't just buy these garments there and have an epiphany that wearing was easier than carrying?
posted by phearlez at 11:55 AM on June 16, 2008

Yeah, I've seen them there a couple of times, and wondered the same thing. From what I could gather, I think they're members of a commune somewhere out I-20 East that comes into town for staples every few weeks or so.
posted by deadmessenger at 11:55 AM on June 16, 2008

While I haven't heard of them in Atlanta, they could be folks from the Zendik Farm. The talk page there at wikipedia is pretty telling...

When they were based near Asheville, NC they would come down to Greenville, SC (where I was living) and sell their "art" (using the term very loosely here) on the streets.

They are the walking, breathing stereotype of "dirty hippies" but with a cultist flair. Probably one of the true last surviving communes left on the country.

Here's another article. Dirty hippy sex... ew...
posted by wfrgms at 11:57 AM on June 16, 2008

Best answer: Maybe members of the Twelve Tribes Community? They have a community in Savannah and Brunswick.
posted by robtf3 at 12:25 PM on June 16, 2008

Zednik people used to be in DC too. did they have t shirts that said "stop bitching and start a revolution?" Were they selling comic books? That's them.
posted by Ironmouth at 1:43 PM on June 16, 2008

Best answer: Seconding Twelve Tribes. They were up in my area last summer and I thought of them instantly.
posted by jenlyn1123 at 5:23 PM on June 16, 2008

Best answer: I'm with deadmessenger. There's a commune (even a sign for it) off of Hwy 124 near I-20, called Promised Lands or something like that?
Also.. found a link for some communes, and there's plenty in Decatur
posted by czechmate at 6:04 PM on June 16, 2008

Best answer: I thought of Twelve Tribes as well. Were the women all in skirts or dresses?
posted by Morrigan at 8:25 PM on June 16, 2008

Response by poster: Thanks for the responses.

Maybe it was the Twelve Tribes folks... it's hard to tell. The women wore dresses. The weird thing is that they were wearing these shirts or dresses over what appeared to be "normal" clothes, as a second layer. It was unusual looking...

Next time I'll ask them.

Funny to see the info about communes in Decatur. We always mutter "potheads" at the Lake Claire one when we drive by on DeKalb Avenue, mainly because they're... uh... potheads.

Thanks again.
posted by jpburns at 11:33 AM on June 17, 2008