There is a buzz in the air. It seems Wiccans and Wiccan holidays are on everyone's lips. Everyone at Fox Newsthat is. It seems there is a wee bit of confusion about what Wiccans are, what we do, and what holidays we hold sacred, most importantly about whether or not we should have the same rights to set keep them in our daily lives as members of say Jewish or Christian groups.
Every weekend I am privileged to have the opportunity to be able to speak with individuals that have questions about items in my shop. The books, altar cloths hanging like prayer flags with pentacles, triquetras, OMs, and triple moons, crystals and like objects tend to draw attention and arouse curiosity. Like most in the Pagan path, proselytizing is not a part of my faith but I will take the time to share information when someone asks. There have been more than one relieved parent leave my shop and more than one leave angry that they did not get the results they were hoping for.
The biggest buzz seems to be what exactly do Pagans and Wiccans believe, what are our holy days, and why they should be recognized. Of course there is also the connection to witchcraft that has everyone's curiosity piqued.
Simply put Wicca is a reconstructionist religion based on ancient pre-Christian theology. Paganism is an umbrella classification for groups of religions that identify with or are an original part of, any religion that pre-dates Christianity. The word Pagan derives from the Latin root, "paganus" or country dweller that associates Paganism with location rather than actual beliefs. In short, Paganism was never considered a single belief structure, it simply reflected the beliefs found in areas in which pre-Christian beliefs were commonly practiced. Those beliefs were central to the given locations. For instance, Druidry in Ireland and the UK, Hinduism in India and so forth. Despite popular belief, these religions never really died out. In fact, quite the opposite. Many of our ancestors passed their religion by teaching, not by written word. In fact, many of them believed that by putting beliefs in writing they would somehow be contaminated by the physical world but if they were passed by word of mouth and practice they would become a part of the soul and thrive. They have survived through two millennium of persecution, and what we have now is as close as we can get to the original paths.
Paganism, as being a part of the natural world, reveres nature. Nature is in fact an integral part of the Pagan life. Our lives are governed by the natural ebbs and flows of energies in the natural world. For instance, in Winter some animals hibernate, trees and shrubs go dormant, and the weather encourages us to move inward. The natural cycle is to do just that. When Spring comes around, we often feel it weeks in advance. The urge to plant, clean, get outside and moving are all a part of our natural cycles. Pagans honor those cycles of life and their connection with Nature. Nature itself is a divine thing and the cycles of life and death are celebrated as well as everyday occurrences. We may believe in one Goddess or hundreds and while some may only honor the Divine Feminine, others honor both Goddess and god as being equal co-creators of our world and everything in it. Therefore, by that train of thought, all things are an extension of the Divine and so are we. Our holy days are set aside to honor those Divine influences as well as the natural cycles of life and Nature itself.
Paganism is divided into several groups. These groups are not representative of any general Neo-Pagan or Pagan belief structure. They are simply for understanding the diversity within this community.
Paleo-paganism: A Pagan culture that has not been affected by modern civilization or another theology or culture. Many pre-patriarchial cultures of Europe, Africa, pre-Columbia paths would be considered under this grouping.
Civilo-paganism: Religions that fall under this category would be considered Greek, Roman, Egyptian, or Middle Eastern based, pre-Christian. These paths fell into civilized life, education, and so forth and were therefore affected and changed by it.
Meso-paganism: Paths that fall into this category are those that may be considered a completely separate culture but which have been influenced by a conquering culture. They may be able to maintain some religious practice and freedom through remaining separate. Aboriginal paths may fall into this grouping.
Syncreto-paganism: This particular group has had to hide within a larger more oppressive group and in doing so have incorporated one path into the other, for instance Santeria, Voudoun, or Hoodoo paths.
Neopaganism: This final is probably the most common as it is the attempt of humanity to re-connect with Nature and simple divinity using images and information of pre-Christian theology but adapting them to modern life.
Among the most prolific of the latter is Wicca, with Heathenism, Asatru, Druidry, and Witta following closely behind. Modern Wicca is generally heralded as the magickal child of Gerald Gardner, roughly between 1946 and his first published work in 1954. While it is possible he may have been influenced by Aleister Crowley in terms of ritual format, his influence is claimed to have stemmed from matriarchial practice of a Ms. Dorothy Clutterbuck. Given the time frame, it is also very likely he was influenced by the writings of Charles Godfrey Leland ( Aradia: Gospel of the Witches, published 1899, http://www.sacred-texts.com/pag/aradia/). Other authors such as Raymond Buckland, Margaret Murray, Z Pudapest, and countless others have also contributed to various paths of Wicca throughout the decades.
While Wicca is considered a Pagan religion, it lacks the constrictions of most modern theologies. For instance, there are no extensive laws or manifests to remember. The one law, An it harm none, do as thou wilt, covers every area in which someone could possibly do harm to another person and places sole responsibility upon the individual rather than an archetype. Wiccans do not believe in Satan or any aspect thereof. There is no need for this particular creation since our responsibility is individualistic and we alone carry the weight of our actions. Some believe that weight is carried out threefold, ninefold, or that the measure of damage is returned in accordance to the amount of damage the initial action has caused others. The general purpose is to walk our paths without negatively impacting the lives of others. The biggest separation is the lack of conversion or proselytizing. Our paths do not encourage or demand that we do this and so it isn't a part of our paths. A big part of this is the belief that each person must walk their own path and glean what they can from the experience. By trying to pull someone away from their path is to interfere with the path they may be on. While many believe in some form of afterlife, whether it is the Summerlands or reincarnation, Hell is not a part of our theology. That is a Christian concept.
Pagan holy days consists of eight holy days: Samhain (October 31), Yule/Winter Solstice (Dec 21), Imbolc (February 02), Ostara (March 20), Beltane (May 01), Litha (June 21), Lughnassadh (August 01), Mabon (Sept 22), and back to Samhain in October. The complete cycle is referred to as the Wheel of the Year with each holy day being symbolized by a spoke in the wheel. Each holiday is a celebration of both natural life and divine life in terms of cycles. Festivals were based around the planting and harvesting cycles, the cycles of fertility (Ostara and Beltane) of birth (Lughnassadh, Mabon,) death (Samhain) and rebirth (Yule, Oimelc), and the lives of the gods and goddesses we honor.
One of biggest controversial factors is the connection between Wicca and Paganism and witchcraft. I would like to clarify that witchcraft is not a religion. It is a practice. It incorporates mysticism, natural laws, physics, metaphysics, and a healthy dose of common sense and appreciation for the aforementioned personal accountability. To further clarify the act of magick, when one prays one moves to a place where they feel comfortable, sometimes a place set aside for prayer. A prayer closet if you will, a space in the garden, bedroom, kitchen, church, a place of comfort. The act of prayer places you in a state of spiritual awareness in which you petition your deity, commune with it by sharing and offering thanks, and finally by closing the prayer and leaving the space with the faith that your prayers have been heard and answered.
When someone engages in the act of magick, he or she enters a space they feel is sacred, such as a prayer closet, an altar, the garden, the beach, a space in which he or she feels comfortable He or she is then in a state of spiritual awareness in which he or she may petition their deity, commune by sharing and offering thanks, and finally by closing with an offering (usually herbs or flowers), and leaving the space with the faith that his or her prayers have been heard and answered.
There is simply no difference between one and the other. They are the same.
While Wiccans and Pagans may pray and meditate with their gods, not all Wiccans and Pagans practice the art of witchcraft. Witchcraft is simply a mixture of divine petition, knowledge of the natural world, and incorporation of various sciences. For some, it is not a moral issue it is simply a desire to honor their gods simply and without the complications. Both are completely correct but not synonymous. Recently Fox News attempted to utilize this misconception as an attempt to somehow discredit Wiccans and Pagans and bring condemnation on University of Missouri for their inclusion of Wiccan and Pagan holidays alongside Christian, Jewish, Muslim and a host of other inclusions.
As Wiccans and Pagans we have the right to organize. We have the right to worship. We have the right to keep our holy days. We have the right to raise our children in our paths. We have the right to live our lives unencumbered from government agency. These rights are guaranteed under the Constitution. Wicca is a peaceful, life affirming path that honors all people, all paths, and seeks only for the spiritual growth of the individual. In short, we have the same rights as everyone else that practices a spiritual path.
For that reason, I am grateful that Fox News has offered America the opportunity to take this opportunity to grow and expand their awareness and acceptance of other beliefs and paths. If nothing else, it gives us a wonderful example of what not to aspire to.
Here is a piece written for Concordia University about a multifaith gathering that shared beliefs, food, and other treasures from their many diverse paths. Proving once again, that diversity and acceptance is the path to peace and a healthier world.
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