In my general hunt for religious info I was trying to gain some insight into Wiccan beliefs. It seems somewhat unique in that some of the sites I've found believe in many gods, and some in no gods, and some that think it doesn't matter. The only consistency seems to be the 3-fold law and 'harm ye none' (and some bad website designPlease Register or Log in to view the hidden image! ). Is there a foundation beyond these 2 beliefs? It seems a bit light, which is making me think that I am missing something. I think it's funny that, do to the diversity, whatever happens to be true (in terms of there being god/s) some wiccan somewhere probably has the right combination.
LOL!! I have noticed that too!! Check out here: http://www.religioustolerance.org/var_rel.htm Scroll down to the Neo-Pagan section. And here: http://www.whywiccanssuck.com/
http://www.whywiccanssuck.com/ Thankfully WWS also provided some links to non-newage Wicca. Wicca's biggest problem seem to be the same as Chritianity's... members who 'believe' in their religion without actually knowing anything about it. And thanks for the beliefnet post... I've been there before, but didn't realize they had much info on some of the smaller religions.
I think every Wiccan is different. I've been trying to lern about it also, and I've read a couple books, and, in terms of gods, it seems that they are just representative of the male and female energies of the Earth. But again, it seems to differ from person to person with respect to rituals, worship, etc. The three-fold law is the most important thing however, and a lot of people (ie the entire town I moved from) don't seem to realise that, and so thikn that witches are evil and sacrifice small children and bunnies, and that they only cast spells for evil. Totally wrong. My best advice would be to find common authors referred to on websites, and pick up some books, and talk to Wiccans if there are any around you.
LOL - I don't even think they have that much in common! Some don't believe in the threefold law, but rather that what you put out is what you get back. Period. The admonition to harm none is about the only rule they do seem to have in common. As for the gods and/or goddesses they worship, this is more of an individual choice. As I see it, the gods and goddesses are all personifications of the ineffable Divine, so whatever form helps you to relate to the Divine is acceptable. But since Wicca is a religion of balance and nature, I believe that most Wiccans see the Divine as being equally male and female. Wicca is also a religion of personal responsibility - no one else is going to pay for what you have done wrong in this life. It is a religion that advocates self-growth - it does not dictate what others must believe or threaten anyone with hellfire if they disagree. As for what they do, Wiccans simply work with the energies present in nature to bring about desired changes in their lives in accordance with their own will (as long as it is in accordance with the free will of all and harms none, of course), which is what is generally meant by the term "Magic(k)". Since Wicca is more of an individual path than are the organized religions, it is a bit more difficult to define, but I hope this helps some. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
