Wiccan Exploration

What did I do?

Had a religious arguement with my boyfriend over whether it was Sahmain or Beltane, or nothing what so ever (being in Australia it's mutable). Decided to stop having the arguement and just have fun.

Put out a jack-o-lantern to ward off the ghosties, only to find it stolen. Undeterred (and cherishing some very bad thoughts) made another one and put it closer to the house. Celebrated the occasion with my friends in a loud and robust manner. Went to bed satisfied, but still feeling I should have done something more to celebrate the holiday in a religious way.

Kithera

 

Not sure if she posts here or if this was already talked about: most of what I know about paganism comes from here: http://www.siubhan.com/witch/musings.html

She mentions that most of us will find at least one thing on there that's heretical. Do you find her beliefs usual, unusual?

 

Estelita

Are you referring to a particular article on that link you posted? If so, which one?

 

When I was little I began to develop my own belifes about the universe i.e. reincarnation, the idea that nature was a power unto itself, etc. When I got older and started reading, I soon relized that I was not the first person to think these things by a long shot. I discovered that I was a witch. I've been practicing by my self for years now and I've just been invited to join a coven by a good friend and client. I will be taking my dedication sometime this week! It will be very exciting to learn and practice with a group for a change!:}
This was also the closest religion I could find to Jedisam[If that's how you would say that.]

 

Sadly, many Christains went out of thier way to distroy or alter almost intirely the roots of most European paganisam, [Please don't take this as a christian bash. I love many christians, infact you can read what my sister has to say about catholosisam under that thread. This is historical fact not just my opinion.]so you're right, no one is sure how close the modern practice is to the ancient one. Gardener tried to piece it back together and did what I feel was the best he could given what he had to work with.[Many others have done the same by the way.]
However, a basic belife of Wicca is to trust what you belive is true in your heart. So if you feel like you are conecting to an ancinet practice, then you are.
If you can "Feel the force flowing through you" then you are working the path of a Wiccan. Old or new.
Also, Wiccans belive in Karma. [Similarly to Hinduisam] So if you go around killing things and calling it "Ritual sacrifice" then that same pain you inflict on others will be inflicted on you three-fold.

For the good of all,
By the free will of all,
So mote it be.


[and yes, I know I can't spell. no pun intended.]

 

I grew up in an area where their were a lot of Wiccan families.

Jediism is a bit more evolved in that their is not a belief in personified deity (i.e. god or goddess). There is simply the Force, which is tangible and proven to exist.

 

Many Wiccans refer to the "Force" as the "All One". The presonification of God and Godess are [for lack of a better trem] the positive/masculine and negitive/feminine eliments of this force. Like the dark and light side. The difference being that we beilve that the "dark" side is not evil and the goal is to balance the two instead of gravitating twards just one.The two sides do not exist with out the all one and vice versa. [similar also to the holly trinity in cristanity] However, everyone looks at it diferently. Some sects choose to focus on God or more comonly Godess. I like to look at the whole.

 

Sadly, many Christains went out of thier way to distroy or alter almost intirely the roots of most European paganisam, so you're right, no one is sure how close the modern practice is to the ancient one.

While you're certainly right, there is a lot of evidence for what the original practices were like. The archaeological record gives evidence for things like ritual sacrifice and clan structure, and while the written stories of the Celtic peoples have been corrupted by the monks who wrote them down, you can still get the basic story behind it all (Christianity was, at this point, often adapting to Pagan religions as much as the other way around), and the Norse legends are pretty much accurate, iirc.

Of course we'll never be able to tell exactly how ancient people worshipped, but there's no reason to claim we don't know anything about it...I know that's not what you're saying, but a lot of people take it that way. Just clarifying, I guess.


Jenavira

 

Yes you are right. We do know a lot and yes many people think that Wicca and other pagan traditions were totally made up. Thanks for clarifing.

 

Many Wiccans refer to the "Force" as the "All One". The presonification of God and Godess are [for lack of a better trem] the positive/masculine and negitive/feminine eliments of this force. Like the dark and light side. The difference being that we beilve that the "dark" side is not evil and the goal is to balance the two instead of gravitating twards just one.The two sides do not exist with out the all one and vice versa. [similar also to the holly trinity in cristanity] However, everyone looks at it diferently. Some sects choose to focus on God or more comonly Godess. I like to look at the whole.

Don't get me wrong.....I do believe in "the Force" because it is the energy that all matter is made of...however, I do not believe in a light/dark differential....keep that for the film.

And applying male/female characteristics to it is personification.

It has become more and more known to me how much of an intertwined effect this force has on us.

 

As I said,I like to look at the whole. It's very much like Taoisam. The two parts do not exist with out the whole and vice versa. The whole is much more than the sum of it's parts. I am open to different interpritations. Weather you concider yourself a witch or a Jedi, I think we're on the same team. There are many forms of magical practice in this universe and as long as they are construcive I am in favor of them all.

 

Just nobody go off and turn into the Emperor, mmmkay?

 

alpha-red

Oh, sure, take away all the fun.


Just kidding.

 

Comming into this disscussion a tad late, but here goes nothing.

The thing that first drew me into Wicca was probably the fact that even though I grew up with no solid church stuff, then started to attend a united church a few years back I never felt comfortable with all the talk to the preist then he talks to god.

I always used to sit in the moonlight and be at peace, I felt more comfortable around people who had no religion or who had one they didn't make public then people who were all "God this and God that"

As a beginning witch I'm finding that I'm totally comfortable with this religion, that I actually fit in, and you arn't seen as a total nut when you talk about it to people who know what you're talking about.

My parents have also been very supporting, altho we havn't told my grandmothers yet, (One's Christian, one's Romanian Rothodox) And the fact that they support me helps alot.

o.-