Wicca 101 - 104

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=168 BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF" background="041a11c3.gif"> <div> <B><IMG SRC="0ff8f560.gif" border=0 width="143" height="86" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <A HREF="http://groups.msn.com/oTheWiccanRealmo/join" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://groups.msn.com/oTheWiccanRealmo/j"><U>Join </U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://groups.msn.com/oTheWiccanRealmo/join" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://groups.msn.com/oTheWiccanRealmo/j"><U>)o( TWR )o(</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id46.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Whats New"><U>What's New</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="http://groups.msn.com/oTheWiccanRealmo/messages.msnw" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://groups.msn.com/oTheWiccanRealmo/m"><U>Message Board</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id26.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Rules"><U>Rules</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id59.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Member List"><U>Members List</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id57.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sign Up For Your Email"><U>Join The Wiccan Realm Mail</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id56.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Login To Your Free Email"><U>Login To The Wicca Realm Mail</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id58.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Web Rings"><U>Web Rings</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id49.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links"><U>Wiccan Links</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id27.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="A warning"><U>Everyone Read</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id28.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Wicca 101 104"><U>Wicca 101 - 104</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id29.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Wicca For Beginners"><U>Wicca For Beginners</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id30.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Pagan Bill of Rights"><U>Pagan Bill of Rights</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id31.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Witchcraft as a Recognized Religion "><U>Witchcraft as a Recognized Religion</U></A> </div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id17.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Stone Magick"><U>Stone Magick</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id32.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Dragon Magick"><U>Dragon Magick</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id33.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Satanism"><U>Satanism</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id34.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Buddhism"><U>Buddhism</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id35.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Celtic Druidism"><U>Celtic Druidism</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id36.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Fairy Faith of Great Brittian"><U>Fairy Faith of Great Britain</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id37.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Celtic Lore Amaethon Tananis"><U>Celtic Lore Amaethon - Tananis</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id38.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Zodiac"><U>The Zodiac</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id39.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Traditions of The Craft"><U>Traditions of The Craft</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id40.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Runes"><U>Runes</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id41.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Moon Lore"><U>Moon Lore</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id42.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Divination"><U>Divination</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id43.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Charka"><U>Charka</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id44.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Auras"><U>Auras</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id45.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Astral Projection"><U>Astral Projection</U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <div> <B>Wicca 101</B></div> <bR> <div> This came from Lady Moon Ravens Cave Page </div> <bR> <div> Obviously, if you are reading this, you have at least some interest in Wicca or “The Craft.” Just as most scientists don't just jump into any experiments without first doing extensive research, Witches or Wiccans, do no just jump into spell crafting and Magick.</div> <bR> <div> There are things you should know first, and that is what we are going to cover here.</div> <div> First we are going to talk about the History of The Craft and Wicca. You may think this is boring but believe me, you are going to need it!! Here goes.</div> <bR> <div> There are many theories about wicca and its origins. If you ask five different Wiccans, you are likely to get five different answers. So, as I began doing more and more research to write this, I came up with several answers, you may notice that some of them contradict the others bear with me! </div> <bR> <div> First, Wicca originated in modern times, and has the advantage of being set out in written texts and even in the memories of living people. We do know that Wicca is a neo-Pagan religion based on the pre-Christian traditions of England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. It can be traced even further back to Paleolithic peoples who worshipped a Hunter God and a Fertility Goddess. Cave paintings were found in France and dated at 30,000 years old, these paintings depict a man with the head of a stag, and a woman with a swollen, pregnant stomach. They are shown standing in a circle with eleven mortals.</div> <bR> <div> By these standards. The religion now known as Wicca is perhaps the oldest religion in the world. Wicca also had a profound influence on Christianity. </div> <bR> <div> In the medieval period, tremendous persecution was directed against the Nature Religions by the Roman Church. In 300 years, millions of men, women, and children were hanged, drowned, or burned as accused “Witches.”</div> <bR> <div> The Wiccan faith went underground, practiced only in secret groups that came to be called “Covens.” In 1951, the laws against Witchcraft were repealed in England. A man named Gerald Gardner, was the first to come into the public eye, by giving a description of what modern witches were practicing. He began what is now called the Gardnerian Tradition of Wicca. (More on that later!)</div> <bR> <div> Wicca is one of the largest minority religions in the United States. No one can for sure say how many wiccans are in the US, but the best estimate is around 750,000. That would make Wicca about the 5th largest religion in the US.</div> <bR> <div> I can hear a few people out there going, “But Lady, if its so big how come I have never heard of it??” Well, honestly because many Wiccans are still underground about their faith. As sad as it may seem, there is still religious persecution in the US. And those like myself that have come out of the broom closet so to speak have had numerous things done to them. My tires were slashed, because “Christianity is the only religion.”</div> <div> Those who have publicly come out about their faith are very heavily persecuted in North America; on a per capita basis, Wiccans are believed to be more victimized than members of any other religious group. Sad isn't it?</div> <bR> <div> Okay, we have covered the history, now lets take a closer look at what Wicca is and what its not. I always choose to cover what it is NOT first. </div> <div> ~Wicca is NOT Satanism!</div> <div> Wiccans do not worship a devil of any kind! Yes, we acknowledge that there is evil out there, but most of us believe that by giving it a name, we give it more power, and honestly most of us would just rather leave that one alone!</div> <bR> <div> *Wiccans do not do ritualistic sacrifices of any kind!!</div> <div> We do not kill children or animals, and bathe in their blood, nor do we drink it! I have many pets and the thought of even one out of the 32 that I have, being hurt puts me in a state of panic. And for the record, I take care of children for a living!</div> <bR> <div> ~We cannot twitch our noses and freeze time, clean a house, or fix something, nor can we fly, bring someone/something back from the dead or control you with our minds. “Psst, hey you. Yeah you, the one that actually thought we could do these things…let me tell you a little secret. If Hollywood says that it is true, it is probably either not true, or extremely exaggerated to make a profit. Start thinking for yourself! WICCA IS NOT ABOUT EASY ANSWERS!</div> <bR> <div> WooHoo my favorite part. What Wicca IS</div> <bR> <div> ~Wicca is a nature based, polytheistic religion. </div> <bR> <div> ~It is the acceptance of personal and social responsibility. </div> <bR> <div> ~It is the acknowledgment of a holistic universe and a means towards raising a consciousness. </div> <bR> <div> ~It is the acknowledgment of; Equal rights, feminism, ecology, attainment, brotherly/sisterly love, and planetary care. </div> <bR> <div> ~Wicca is about recognizing that we all have the ability to take our fate in our own hands. </div> <bR> <div> ~Wicca is based on the concept of natural and essential equilibrium. All things have spiritual “life”. </div> <bR> <div> ~Wiccans do not believe that Wicca is the only valid religion. We understand that each person is different, and maybe Wicca doesn't meet the needs of that person, but being Christian does. That is fine….To each his own. What we do believe is that everyone should have the right to choose.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>Wicca 102</B></div> <bR> <div> This came from Lady Moon Ravens Cave Page </div> <bR> <div> Beliefs and Practices </div> <bR> <div> Well, you've covered the History, and what Wicca is and whit it is not. Now comes the </div> <div> fun and the tricky part. Where our journey into the craft gets just a little deeper. Now, we come to belief and practices. The reason it gets so tricky is because there are many traditions in Wicca. In fact they number in the hundred's. So before we go any further we'll touch on a few first. </div> <div> Wiccan Traditions </div> <bR> <div> Alexandrian: Originated in England in the 1960's. Founded by Alex Sanders tends to be more eclectic and liberal. </div> <bR> <div> Celtic: Based on the practices of the pre-Christian Celtic world. Significant amount of Druid practice used, and also shares a lot with the Teutonic tradition, including the use of runes. Extremely earth based. </div> <bR> <div> Dianic: Tradition from Western Europe tracked back to Margaret Murray in 1921. Pegged as the feminist movement of the Craft. Mix of many traditions but main focus is on the Goddess Diana. </div> <bR> <div> Eclectic: Doesn't follow any strict traditional guidelines. Practices the beliefs that suit them best.. May mix traditions, to find the magick that works best for them. (This is where I fit in, and just to show the variety some of the things I practice are; Faerie wicca, dracomancy (dragon magick), Teutonic (Nordic), Seax Wicca, and Celtic.)</div> <bR> <div> Faerie Wicca: based on fairy lore and beliefs. </div> <bR> <div> Gardnerian: Founded by Gerald Gardner, required ritual nudity, extremely traditional path, very secretive, take oaths upon initiation. </div> <bR> <div> Hereditary: a person who can trace back on their family tree, and was also taught the craft by a living relative. </div> <bR> <div> Pictish: Scottish, with a stern connection to nature in all it's forms, practiced as solitary. </div> <bR> <div> Seax Wicca: Started by Raymond Buckland. Allows self initiation, and auto setup of a coven. </div> <bR> <div> Teutonic/Nordic: From the ancient time. Norse practitioners are often Asatruar. Following Scandinavian and Germanic Deities and using divination methods like the runes. </div> <div> Okay, as I said there are hundreds of traditions, and I chose to cover the most common ones. If you want to know more, get a hold of me, or research them on your own. </div> <div> Alrighty then, now on to practices and beliefs and since most of this can change from tradition to tradition, I will try and pull out the most common and traditional. </div> <div> The first most universally accepted belief is The Wiccan Rede. There is the simpler short version of "an it harms none, do as thou will." But, there is also a longer slightly complex version and we'll break them down and cover them later on. </div> <div> The second is the Three Fold Law which states, "That which thoug doesn't send out shall return three fold." Simply put, if you send something positive you get that back times three. (Example: Say you do a good luck spell for Mary. Since it was positive, you get luck back times three. Now a week later you do a spell on John for Bad luck and John breaks a finger. Well, what you just sent out returns multiplied by three. So, you may break a leg or WORSE! Like, I have always said...Karma is a bitch!) </div> <div> If you haven't guessed by now wiccans are polytheistic. (Believing in more than one God) </div> <div> OTHER BELIEFS </div> <bR> <div> Immanent Divinity: Wiccans believe that the Spirit of the God and Goddess exists in every living thing; in he trees, rain, flowers, sea and each other. This means that we must treat our peers, and all the beings of the Earth as aspects of the divine. </div> <bR> <div> Nature: Wiccans learn from and worship nature by celebrating the cycles of the Sun and the Moon. Our teachers come in the form of Trees, rivers, lakes, meadows, and other living forms. We revere the Spirits of the elements that create our world. Air, </div> <div> Fire, Water, and Earth combine to manifest all creation. From these four elements we gasin, wisdom and understanding of how the universe unfolds. </div> <bR> <div> Other Faiths: Wiccans believe in FREEDOM first! We do not look at our path as the "only one". But one among many. Wiccans practice tolerance, and acceptance toward all other religions, as long as they don't preach or commit harm to others. We do not convert new members to the Craft, nor do we advertise or prosteletize. We believe that anyone who is meant for the path will find it through their own search. </div> <bR> <div> Afterlife: Most Wiccans believe in reincarnation of some sort. (If you want more info on this let me know!) </div> <bR> <div> Sin: In Wicca there is no specific concept of sin. There is no heaven or hell that souls will go to based on their worldly actions. With the belief in the law of return, ones actions will determine ones future. </div> <bR> <div> Leadership VS. Hierarchy: There is no Arch Bishop of Wicca. One person or organization does NOT determine the practice and beliefs of Wicca as a whole. Wicca is a religion of clergy not followers. </div> <bR> <div> Churches and Temples: Our temple is found in nature, among the diving. We meet in a circle that represents the circle of life, and the equality we share. </div> <bR> <div> Magick: Wiccans believe in the power of Magick to create change. Prominent Wiccan author Starhawk defines magick as "the art of changing consciousness at will." We use herbs, oils, colors, stones, crystals, and other symbolic materials to represent the change we wish to create. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>Wicca 103</B></div> <bR> <div> This came from Lady Moon Ravens Cave Page </div> <bR> <div>  Celebrations and Holidays</div> <bR> <div> Wiccan Sabbaths are seasonal days of celebration. There are eight Wiccan Sabbaths, four of these are minor Sabbaths; two equinoxes and the two Solstices. The major Sabbaths or course also number in four. They occur roughly midway between the minor Sabbaths, typically at the end of the month. Different Wiccan Traditions assign various names and dates to these festivals. The most common names are of Celtic Origin. Samhain (October 31), Imbolc (February 2) Beltane (April 30), and Lammas (August 1). </div> <bR> <div> Rituals </div> <bR> <div> Many Wiccans write their own rituals for special occasions in their lives. </div> <div> Ritual is defined in Wiccan terms as "A focused mental or physical ceremony to either honor or thank ones chosen pantheon, or to perform a specific magickal working or act." </div> <div> During a typical coven or group ritual, they gather in a circle which is often 9 ft in diameter. With candles on the four cardinal directions. An altar is at the center of the circle or at the northern candle. Rites begin with a casting of the circle , in which the circle is outlined and purified and the candles lit. </div> <div> A ritual may include healing, divination, teaching, consecration of tools, and or discussion. After the major work is completed, food (Usually cakes and wine) is eaten and the circle is banished. </div> <div> For the Solitary practitioner, a ritual is much the same. Only instead of a group it is just you. When eating the cakes and wine, make sure to leave some for the deities that you called upon, and ALWAYS thank them. Or next time, they might not be as nice! </div> <bR> <div> Rites of Passage </div> <bR> <div> The Rites of Passage generally include several of the following: </div> <div> Dedication: Where a person confirms an interest in the craft. </div> <div> Initiation: When a person symbolically dies and is reborn as a wiccan. </div> <div> Handfasting: Wiccan marriage ceremony. </div> <div> Parting of Ways: Recognizes the end of a marriage. </div> <div> Wiccaning: Welcomes a baby into the craft. (Christian version is a baptism) </div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>Wicca 104</B></div> <bR> <div> This came from Lady Moon Ravens Cave Page </div> <bR> <div> Well, you have covered most of the fundamentals. Now, we get to the Laws and Ordains of Wicca. This is also where we will cover and break down the Wiccan Rede. </div> <bR> <div> Wiccan Rede (shorter version)</div> <bR> <div> (1) Bide the Wiccan Rede we must,</div> <div> (2) In perfect love, in perfect trust.</div> <div> (3) Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill,</div> <div> (4) An ye harm none, do what ye will.</div> <div> (5) Ever mind the rule of three:</div> <div> (6) What ye sends out comes back to thee.</div> <div> (7) Follow this with mind and heart.</div> <div> (8) And merry ye meet, and merry ye part.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Line 1: Talks about the Wiccan Law or Ordains (coming shortly)</div> <bR> <div> Line 2: Very important ideal of the Craft. We should all constantly strive to creae love and trust, both within the coven and in the world too.</div> <bR> <div> Lines 3-4: Refers to the keystone of Wiccan ethics. This is a very powerful statement. The words "an" and "will" can be taken to mean. "If and what"</div> <bR> <div> Line 5-6: The rule or Law of Three, states that whatever energies we put forth into this world, will return to us multiplied by three</div> <bR> <div> Line 7: Suggests that we should follow the Wiccan path wholeheartedly and without mental reservations.</div> <bR> <div> Line 8: There are two main messages here. It suggests that beginnings and endings are both important, and celebration should happen at both times.</div> </td> </tr></table></body>