Ok im getting asked questions and i realize im probably writing this under wrong topic but this is where the discusson started. Wicca is the religion of the witches.We are witches. Hiccup is a Victorian witch which means she follows and prefers a victorian lifestyle and practices house-magick. Iam a Faerie witch which means i follow the earth-deities and elementals. We worship the God and the Goddess both rulers of the earth. The God is the male aspect symbolized by the sun while the Goddess is obviously the female aspect of the earth and is symbolized by the moon. We along with several traditions also see the Goddess as Mother,Maiden and Crone. Mother in the Goddess' Motherly aspect as taking care of the earth as a mother would,Maiden as the Goddess' fertile aspect seen in the spring and she is Crone as a wise old woman during the winter.I hope that clarifies some things. Our Sabbats are seen as a wheel of the year.Our Sabbats predates christianity and the christians took the pagan sabbats and changed them too fit their own needs. We celebrate Yule Dec 21 (christmas). This is when the Goddess gives birth to the God. The christians adopted this Sabbat for themselves 273 C.E. Since the God is symbolized by the sun. This is when the sun is born again as well.My wife and i celebrate Yule with joy,we do the traditional baking,meet with family who are christians,and do the gift thing.Our christmas tree in the home is seen as the symbol of the earthly elementals.You can find this info in Wicca:A Guide for the solitart practitioner by Scott Cunningham.Also,Green Witchcraft by Ann Mouram,and Embracing the Moon by Yasmine Galenorn. The next Sabbat is Imbolc on Feb 2 This marks the recovery of the Goddess after giving birth to the God,and the lengthening days awaken Her. As the God grows his strength is felt in the longer days. The warmth fertilizes the earth which causes it to germminate and sprout. This is the Goddess' maiden form. Ostara is March 21 and is the Spring Equinox. This is the first day of true spring.The God is growing to maturity at this time.On Ostara the days and nights are equal. This is a time of beginnings,of action,of planting spells for future gains,and of planting gardens. Beltane is April 30. This is when the God comes into manhood and the Goddess is fertile and becomes pregnant of the God. This is also known as May day and there is much feasting and ritual.Beltane marks the return of vitality. Midsummer or Summer Solstice is June 21,also known as Litha. The powers of nature are at their highest. The earth is awash with fertility of the Goddess and God.In the past bonfires were built to encourage fertility,purification,health,and love.Midsummer is good for our magick. Lughnassadh is August 1 and is the first of the 2 harvest sabbats.The God is losing his strength as the crops are starting to whither. Every meal is an act of attunement with nature. Mabon is Sept 21,the 2nd harvest and Autumn Equinox.Once again day and night are equal,the God is preparing to leave his body once again and enter into the unseen. Nature is declining and preparing for winter. Samhain October 31 is the last of the Sabbats. This is our farewell to the God,a temporary farewell as he is reborn at Yule.Samhain is a time of reflection,looking back over the last year.This night the veil between the worlds is thinnest and we pay our respects to long past loved ones. Then once again is Yule and the wheel is complete. In Wicca there is no sacrifice,the Wiccan Rede is,"do as you will lest ye harm none". I dont agree with the practices of some covens but this is their path.My wife and i are what you call solitary eclectics in that we choose not to belong to a coven but practice together in magick and ritual. Anymore areas of interest feel free to email me or post either way i enjoy sharing my "religion" its more a way of life than religion,but many call it a religion for political reasons so be it. If this email link doesn't work for whatever reason email me at faerie30@bellsouth.net. The eclectic tradition means we follow several pantheons. A pantheon being Roman,Egyptian,Greek etc. In other words we work with several diff groups of deities depending on what we are requesting assistance for. With that i shall quit until iam shown interest in other areas. We practice natural magick and ritual,practice herbology and use alternative medicine. My wife can see auras,read palms and tarot and has prophetic dreams. We are both empathic and she is a clairvoyant,and medium. Iam a healer.And everyone here knows our ET side i believe lol. We also have dealt with more spirits then we care to discuss as well as poltergeists etc. Like i tell people we walk the paranormal block,but are also well protected by eachothers deities and my faerie friends. You all take care and have a Blessed night. ------------------ Eric Cooper
Tell me about your more memorable experiences. Is your religion a part of your employment? Your wife? Any kids? Please let me know if I'm getting too personal. How do you feel about movies like Practical Magic?
Memorable experiences? well many are posted throughout here. Being Wiccan has nothing to do with my employment as a matter of fact iam ridiculed much at my employment for alien/ufo reserach and for being wiccan so no. My wife is a 4th gen witch so she somewhat got me into wicca yes but ive always had my abilities since i was born.No kids as her ex-asshole husband has them..long story and dont want to get into it,he was very abusive and attempted to kill her 3 times is all i will say. As far as movies....enjoyed The Craft its somewhat factual but a little over dramatized as usual...much fact in Blair Witch and Practical Magic was right on. ------------------ Eric Cooper
I found that Practical Magic was very silly at the end; I could be wrong. What does it mean when someone always feels a pull when given the chance to discuss witchery? Opposing spirits? Curiosity? A calling? The Devil? [This message has been edited by Vanja (edited October 16, 1999).]
Thanks for the explanation. That helps. I get the concept. There's truth in it for sure. The study of nature and natural cycles and attributing those to God. I get confused when you say God dies and is reborn though? What do you think about Jesus and the Bible? Do you think that there is a connection of any kind between the wicca and the alien interference? You say you are protected, but it sounds like you are barraged by spirits on a daily basis. Do you think that there are such things as evil spirits? You have to make a conscious choice about whether or not to use magic for evil purpose? When I read about this practice, it makes a lot of sense to me. About the natural cycles and attributing the earth to God. But when I read the Bible, it explains these things as well. Even the holidays coincide. The Bible explains who the fairies are and explains your spirits. And your other interactions. Do you understand what I mean when I say that the Bible is the FINAL word? Like, there are many things that are true about wicca. I have no doubt that you and your wife have tapped into a spiritual realm, no doubt. Which spirits are you interacting with is my concern. With so many similarities in spiritual law areas, aren't you the slightest bit intruiged by the Bible? How do you explain the Bible? ------------------ God loves you and so do I!
Faerieshaman, Happy Samhain to you! I'm not Wiccan, but I like to know about all religions, and the Wiccan religion is one that particularly interests me. It was unclear to me whether you meant to say that you have been ridiculed at work for your beliefs or not? I wonder about what kind of religious persecution is still being perpetuated against witches today? Christians wear persecution like a badge, and even use it to "prove" the correctness of their chosen path. But I know of no religious group that has been persecuted as much as witches. Even the Bible commands us not to suffer a witch to live (see Exodus 22:18), and because of this, many have died for their beliefs. Can you imagine a Wiccan running for president of the United States? As a matter of fact, can you imagine anyone running for president of the United States who does not claim to be a Christian? I just wondered if you would be willing to share your thoughts and experiences regarding religious persecution of witches today? Thanks.
I have been interested in Wicca for a few months now. It seems to be one of those things that you're oblivious to, then a light comes on and you begin to see it and hear about it everywhere. There's a cool website talking about Wicca - www.witchesweb.com. I think I might have seen that link elsewhere in this forum, I can't remember who directed me towards it in the first place. I found it to be incredibly informative, but there's lots of questions I have. Faerieshamen - maybe you can help me? I wonder what is the Wiccan belief regarding what happens after death?
Gladly.....we believe in reincarnation.Whatever experiences and lessons you didn't learn each lifetime you learn the next. The ultimate goal being with the deities. ------------------ Eric Cooper
faerieshaman-I posted you a message about the origins of Wicca, but I can't remember where I did it. Did you get the message?
What facts about witches are true in the Blair Witch? I would honestly like to know. What frustrates me about people who are Wicca or whatever, is when they take offense at the idea of a witch. Why do you refer to yourselves as witches, if in fact you do not do the things that a witch is popularly associated with? I do not mean to be mean or agressive with that question, I am honestly curious.
Corp Hudson - Now, I'm definitely not an authority on this one, but here's what I've gathered in my recent research into Pagans in general and Wicca in particular. Faerieshamen - maybe you can help - you still on vacation?? The word "witch" seems to have origins meaning something along the line of "commoner" or perhaps "country dweller". The word "heathen" has similar origins. It used to have nothing to do with religion. I have read a couple of things that say originally, witchcraft was not a religion so much as just a way of life, a perception of how the world functioned. No Gods or Goddesses involved. Wicca is just one of the many Pagan religions. Not everyone that calls themselves a 'witch' is a Wiccan, but I think a lot of Wiccans do call themselves 'witches'. "Witch" is a word for both male and female, "Warlock" is a derivitave of some Irish word (I think) that means theif, or something similar. (Sorry, I can't remember exactly what it was, but definitely not something complimentary.) As far as not doing what witches are "poplularly associated with" - well, Polacks are notorious for being dumb, does that mean that stereotype is correct? I think the whole evil witch with the shriveled face and warts and stringy hair is a concoction that came about long after witchcraft. Just about every group that holds a strong opinion tends to villianize their opposition. Just look at the drawings of the Japanese from WWII, they look like monkeys or something. As far as what REAL witches do, that is so incredibly varied, it's just impossible to list everything. Some do cast spells, have familiars...I don't know anyone who can actually fly on a broomstick though. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! I don't think someone who believes in Wicca would be upset if you called them a witch, as long as you weren't trying to be insulting about it. "Witch" has turned into a slur instead of a description. Hope I've shed a little light. You might want to check out that link I posted before, there's a lot of information on there that might answer more of your questions, if you're still interested.
The fact is that the word witch means an evil hag with big warts. The word may have started out meaning something different. The word has evolved, just like christian (originally a slur), gentile(originally a non-jewish person), and samaritan(originally an enemy of the jews) have all evolved.
SkyeBlue, I have a book called "Witches and Witchcraft", by Rosemary Ellen Guiley. About the term, "warlock", it states, "A term for male Witches, though most men in Witchcraft prefer to be called Witches or Wiccans like their female counterparts. The word has negative connotations; it stems from the old Anglo-Saxon word, waerloga, which means traitor, deceiver or liar. Traditionally, a warlock is a sorcerer or wizard who has gained supernatural power and knowledge through a pact with demons or the Devil. (Such pacts are not part of contemporary Witchcraft, which does not share Christianity's belief in the Devil.) Since the revival of Witchcraft in the 1950's, few Witches have referred to male Witches as warlocks; Sybil Leek once commented that use of the word was a rarity, except among outsiders. In Satanism, some men who belong to the Church of Satan call themselves warlocks." ------------------ www.indigenousrocks.com
Corp. Hudson - Webster's NewWorld Dictionary lists your definition as only one out of six. Here's the six(shortened version) 1(a). -n a woman having power thru a pact with the devil or evil spirits 1(b). a man with the same 2. -n Ugly & ill-tempered old woman 3. -n short for water witch 4. -n a bewitching or fascinating woman or girl 1. -vt to put a magic spell on, bewitch 2. -vt to charm, fascinate So there you go, Corp. - you seem to have focused on the MOST negative definition for the word you could find, and added warts. Do you do this for all words, or just ones that describe people different from yourself? Fact of the matter is, you can turn any word into a slur (I happen to have a friend that uses the word "christian" as a slur. I happen to be more respecful than that, but there you go). The choice you have made as to what definition you follow tells me a little bit about you. Aren't YOU a Christian? Doesn't that call for a little respect to your fellow humans, regardless of their current beliefs? Searcher - Thanx for the clarification about witch vs. warlock. I couldn't remember exactly what the details were. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! I recently came across a web site that said that in modern usage, the word witch is coming to mean anyone that follows a pagan or earth-related religion that casts spells, regardless of sex or which one of the religions they follow. I don't know if I agree with that, but I thought it was interesting.
Searcher, When you were talking about the President, I had to laugh just because it's pretty clear that Clinton is no Christian. I've seen him at churches before, but that doesn't mean much huh? Maybe his experience will humble him enough to find God? I won't hold my breath but you never know. ------------------ God loves you and so do I!
Lori - Yah, I think a lot of people that call themselves "christian" have no right to it. I am not Christian (as if anyone here didn't already know that, lol), but I find myself probably just as disgusted as you with these rotten people that hide under Christianity and use it as an excuse to badger, bully, insult, kill, etc. Just tossin' in my two pennies.
Merry Meet, all! Corp. Hudson, I'm sorry to say, but I must take exception to your view on witches! I am a witch, I am a solitary (which means I do not belong to a group or coven), I do cast spells, but I am not evil, I am not a 'hag', and I do not have warts! Could it be you are confused by the Christian definition of a witch? Or maybe the Hollywood definition? You do realise that just because someone else has said something, you don't have to believe that yourself, yes? Try talking to one of us witches with an open mind. I think you'll find us to be a friendly, relatively open-minded bunch. You might even change your definition. For example - the "Christian" God is not excluded from the list of Gods & Goddesses I call upon in my spells. You seem to be monotheistic, I am polytheistic. If you are honestly interested, I am willing to share with you how I ask 'your' god for help when I need him. I just don't share your belief that he is the ONLY god. (I aplogise if I am assuming too much about your beliefs, please correct me if I'm in error.) Here are my personal beliefs, for any that are interested. There is a 'pyramid' of power. Dexter - I have seen you post elsewhere that you think of it as 'the force' - to my eyes, you are very close to the truth! At the top of the pyramid is the most pure form of this power. It has no form, is neither good nor evil, and isn't really useful to us humans in this form. To use this power, us terrestrial beings must refine the power - I tend to think of it as 'pulling' the power down from the top of the pyramid. The second level of purity is the two main Gods - the God & Goddess. The God and Goddess have male and female aspects becase that's how us humans have shaped them over the centuries. The God and Goddess are the beginning of order, they are part of the shaping of the cycles the universe follows. They are the power behind the Earthly seasons. We are sometimes able to ask the God & Goddess for help, they are very powerful, but you must be careful. The God & Goddess are still very close to the pure power, which means they are not 'good' or 'evil' either - if you ask them for something you better be sure you mean it, because it will be strong when you get it. If you ask for help to do evil, you could get it. Naturally, any witch worth their salt wouldn't ask for evil, because evil hurts the instigator as much as or more than it hurts the victim. The third tier of the pyramid is the other Gods & Goddesses. These are even more 'refined' or 'tainted' by humans, and they tend to specialise in certain things. (Similar to saints that others pray to for their specialties.) They are less powerful than the God & Goddess, and have very human traits. These are the Gods & Goddesses of Love, War, Fortune, Luck, etc. The fourth tier is close to us - things are becoming tangible. The fourth tier are earthly spirits - animal spirits, magical objects such as stones and herbs, faeries and the like. Things you might actually be able to percieve with your 5 bodily senses. The fifth tier consists of all the rest of the earthly magic - ourselves. I think the Christians would call this our souls. Each one of us are given a bit of this magic, along with every other living thing. It is the basic life force itself. We are all part of the force that powers the entire universe. As we die, we are returned to the general pool of energy, to be reborn as a new human, a new blade of grass, a new god or goddess. The personalities we currently posess 'taint' or 'refine' the energy we are using, and to a degree follows us to our new incarnation. You might see evidence of this in someone that seems to be very lucky, or unlucky, or has a skill or knack for doing something way out of proportion to their other abilities or knowledge. It is karma and knowledge following them from previous incarnations. I'm sure that there are many here that will disagree with my beliefs, and I accept that. I am in no way saying that I am absolutely correct, or even that I am a 'typical' witch (if there is such a thing!). I am displaying my beliefs here in hopes of spawning intelligent conversation. I love a good debate! I welcome any questions or comments or disagreements any of you might have. I will do my best to answer you honestly and completely. I am a lover of these earthly incarnations that make up the human race. We are all just as special, precious and magical as one another, blessings to you all.
Lori, Clinton portrays himself to be whatever is most expedient at any given moment. I have provided the link below for your amusement: http://www.ashbrook.org/publicat/oped/alt-clintonreligion.html ------------------ www.indigenousrocks.com
