On Wiccan Belifes and Witchcraft
I wasnt exactly sure where this thread belonged so i decided to put it in this section.
I simply have a question. I am taking Anthropology courses and one of them is Titled "Witchcraft, Magic and Religion", a class that I am very excited about taking. So I was speaking to my mom's friend who is very very Catholic and I mentioned that I was going to be doing a field research project on a Unitarian church and somehow other subjects began to spawn from there. He then went on to mention that I should be incredibly careful with anything related to witchcraft, mind you this class is NOT meant to influence anyone it is simply a class meant for students to learn about cultures and their history...so that includes: Catholicism, Judaism, so on so on.
So anyway he continued to tell me that I should not get involved with Wiccans or anything related to it, that even one encounter could provoke the evil spirits and that I could become possessed. By this point i knew I was having a conversation with a wall, because no matter what I said I had no logic because god is the only logic. Now I have no problem with religions, although I am unaffiliated for the most part, i do enjoy learning about them and people in general.
Basically here is my question, for those of you who are well informed in the area of "witchcraft" or wiccans or anything related to those beliefs/subjects what exactly do they entail? I guess i just dont see the fear religious people in particular have with them.
My question is not meant to offend anyone, it is simply out of curiosity and for learning purposes. Thanks.
Dunno. But it's interesting that a Catholic person thinks that witchcraft is, essentially, on par with the Catholic church in terms of power. In fact, I don't think a Catholic person could "put a curse" on someone, so he might be saying that the witchcraft is more powerful than Catholocism. You'd think that he'd have expressed more Catholic team spirit.
I don't know much about it, but I think witchcraft/Wicca is about honoring nature and seeing creation as sacred and that you get what you give (your actions, good or bad, come back to you). People get excited about witchcraft because the fears people (who also believed in spontaneous generation) had back in the day have been carried over time. You're safe.
Well, the main tenant in Wiccanism is "An it harm none, do as ye will" (for those who are 'hard core'/heavily researched in this religion, know there are exceptions to this rule, and where they lie....I'm not really one of them). It is a 'nature based' religion, and often holds the female archetype higher, if not equal too, the male. Here is a site for a Wiccan Church. Seeing as the definition is so loose, there are many factions. The teenagers who call themselves Wiccans and worship the Judeo-Christian archetype: Satan, aren't....They're simply(IMO) reversed Christians....In order to believe and worship Satan, you're acknowledging Christ's divinity/God's monotheism.
When I was Wiccan (I'm now a Thelemite, with a focus on folk magick), I was asked what I thought about Christ. I paused, thought about it (I attended a Christian private school), and responded saying I believed He was a powerful Witch.
Also, knowing you didn't really 'know'....In the future, please acknowledge alternative religions as religions. When referring to them, capitalize their first letter, and instead of using the term 'religious people' in reference only to those practicing traditional religions.
Have fun exploring and studying all these faiths!!
All I've really heard that witchcraft is not Wicca, and Wicca is more like a modern version that started in the 20th century (or something like that). It kind of sounds like it's this old timey pagan thing, but I guess it's an offshoot of all that stuff.
I think that class would be cool - I think the general impression of Wicca is it's not a valid religion, but it probably actually fits in well with all the other belief systems. It seems like it integrates some other religions' figures and concepts.
i know wiccan's are good witches that cast good spells... i was interested in this in junior high... witchcraft on the other hand i probably would steer clear of... the devil is very powerful... gosh i'm getting goosebumps just thinking about it... but both r very interesting
I'm curious what exactly makes a system of religious beliefs "Wiccan"? Are there set principles and guidelines that make a system of religious beliefs "Wiccan"?
"spells" in wicca are just like prayers in any other religion. The magic that happens is just like the magic or "miracles" that happen in other religions.
ex: A Christian may bow his/her head, say a prayer directed to God, and end it with a hope that prayer is answered. It may or may not be. If it is, it is generally seen as a miracle, or "answered prayer". Some symbols include crosses and angels. They may do this anywhere, or in a holy place like a church or nature.
ex #2: A Catholic may say "Hail Mary's", use a rosary as a symbol of penance or a reminder of the divine, pray to saints or the Holy Mother, refer to figurines of saints/Christ, or the crucifixion, and again, answered prayers are seen as miracles or of a divine nature. They may do this anywhere, or in a holy place like in a church or nature
ex #3: a common Wiccan banishment ritual for me: first I create a holy place. I use salt as a symbol of purification and "cleanse"the area by making a circle. It's not that the salt is Magical, it is a symbol of cleansing. I then gather items that have a meaning for me, in a banishment ritual I would choose a black cord to represent my negative thoughts. It's not that the cord IS my thoughts, it is a symbol. I then hold the cord and meditate (AKA pray) on what it is I am wanting to achieve (in this case, getting rid of my negativity). I then place the cord in a pile of salt (to symbolize my thoughts being cleansed) And I will leave it there until I feel my goal (or prayer) has been achieved (or answered). I may light candles or incense, or refer to Gods, Goddesses, Saints, Martyrs, or Religious figures that I admire and/or whom I feel could offer me guidance and/or help. I will then "close the circle" I made signifying my prayer has ended.
It has, in my experience nothing to do with possession or evil (seeing as how most wiccans don't believe in an inherent evil force), and has more to do with symbols and putting your energy and focus where it needs to be to accomplish a goal. Most wiccans don't "cast spells" on people because we believe in Karma and tend to be a rather peaceful bunch.
i know wiccan's are good witches that cast good spells... i was interested in this in junior high... witchcraft on the other hand i probably would steer clear of... the devil is very powerful... gosh i'm getting goosebumps just thinking about it... but both r very interesting
Wiccans are witches...not good or bad. People are good or bad. A Wiccan witch can be just as bad as a rogue Catholic Priest. Wiccans also practice Witchcraft. Sometimes in the very way that fufu explained. All Wiccans are witches but not all witches are Wiccan.
yes i know wicans do witchcraft... but what i remember from reading was that it was good witchcraft- not meant to harm anyone
There's a huge wikipedia article on Wicca, if anyone's interested.
hey everyone, thanks for your responses its always great to hear/learn others responses.
Hanashi, question: so I would refer to Wiccan as a religion? Like the Wiccan Religion? Did i understand correctly I dont want to mislabel. thanks lady :)
Also, why is what Wiccans do referred to as "witchcraft"? Or what exactly is considered witchcraft?
I'm curious what exactly makes a system of religious beliefs "Wiccan"? Are there set principles and guidelines that make a system of religious beliefs "Wiccan"?
This too, same question.
Thanks for all your help everyone!
I think it's awesome that you get to learn about Wicca! I've recently been interested in nature based religions and beliefs but haven't had the time or motivation to really dig deep into it. Maybe i'll do that tonight! you have motivated me!
I think your best bet would be to find a good article on it. Wicca is a sub-type of Pagan, and because Wicca isn't really and "organized" religion, everyone would define it a little different with a few core similarities.
Differences between Wiccans:
Some practice in a coven (or group), some practice alone
Some practice tarot, divination, numerology, scrying, herbal or crystal healing, others do not or they just pick a couple of these.
Some Wiccans honor both a God and Goddess, Dianic Wiccans honor only the Goddess.
Wiccans also choose their pantheons. Sme wiccans may be drawn to ancient Greek deities, some to Egyptian, Celtic, African or any myriad of others. Other Wiccans pick and choose a few out of different pantheons, others prefer to avoid specific Gods and Goddesses and choose to focus instead on the big picture.
I could name more, but I'll go into similarities.
Keep in mind these are generalizations, you will always find exceptions.
Similarities:
Most wiccans see the divine in a duality: there is both a male and female aspect to the the divine being/creator, just as there are male and female aspects in nature. Typically they thus honor a God (represented by the sun) and a Goddess (represented by the moon)
Most wiccans see the spiritual as being both within ourselves and outside of ourselves. Ex: This world is not inherently evil, it is a sacred space and everything in it has an aspect of divinity because it was created by the divine.
Wiccans follow the wiccan rede: "an it harm not, do what you will". This includes yourself. It means to step back and look at what effect your actions, prayers, thoughts, and energies are going to have on those around you.
They also tend to believe in the "three-fold law", that is, any action that one takes it returned on them three times over in the future.
Wiccans also pay specific attention to the phases of the moon and the seasons of the year. These both represent the cycle of life, death, and rebirth.
Again, there are more, but I encourage you to find some articles.
There are many misconceptions about wiccans, pagans, and the like
great, thanks so much! ive already started checking out some Wiccan churches online to get some more info.
<--------------Shamanic Wiccan (formerly Alexandrian Wiccan). I would be happy to discuss via email (Stormflakes@gmail.com)
When I was Wiccan (I'm now a Thelemite, with a focus on folk magick), I was asked what I thought about Christ. I paused, thought about it (I attended a Christian private school), and responded saying I believed He was a powerful Witch.
I love it. :smooth:
And this, from the Thelema intro page:
Although Thelema is sometimes referred to as a "religion", it accommodates the full range of individual beliefs, from atheism to polytheism. The important thing is that each person has the right to fulfill themselves through whatever beliefs and actions are best suited to them (so long as they do not interfere with the will of others), and only they themselves are qualified to determine what these are.
;)b
Don't pay any attention to your mother's friend. People get so weird about religion. Years ago, our family joined a Unitarian society (We're athiests). DH's dad, who was newly religious with his new wife, gave us a stern lecture, saying that was going "too far". We ignored him. There were lots of nice Wiccan folks in that UU congregation. Don't be afraid to learn about people's beliefs. Close-mindedness, distrust, and hostility are the real danger.
i agree with you isaytomatoes! My anthro class has been so inspirational...we are learning about all different kinds of religious practices i love learning about other cultures. Theres a quote by Durkheim that holds so true, it is this "All religions are true". All religions are true...to the believer of that religion. Basically its all about tolerance because without tolerance of others and their beliefs the world would be even more chaotic