Wicca/Paganism: Educate me

[Strat]

I know next to nothing about this subject but it does interest me. This has got to be one of the best forums on the net to find out more about this topic. So if there are experts out there, please educate me. Any good books?

Thanks in advance!

[sdv]

Strat, Vivianne Crowley (no relation to Aleister Crowley) is a well-known and well-respected practioner.

Her book Wicca (which I think is out of print now) is a good introduction to the religion.

Wicca is a religion, but it has no dogma. Practioners worship male and female deities as equals, and value the non-material and material worlds equally. The mystery aspect is because of the belief that divinity and spirituality is something you must find within yourself. Magick is practised to help others and Earth (If it harms none, do what you will.), and rituals are a big part of the religion.

Here are some free books online:

http://nwolibrary.com/religions/wicca/
Here's a good one to start with:

http://ebookee.org/Wicca-A-Guide-for...er_295995.html

Blessed be!

[modwiz]

Posted by Strat (here)
I know next to nothing about this subject but it does interest me. This has got to be one of the best forums on the net to find out more about this topic. So if there are experts out there, please educate me. Any good books?

Thanks in advance!

Oh sure, have a seat. This will only take a few minutes.

I hope this thread gets lots of traffic Strat. You have asked a legitimate question. My experience is there is no dearth of opinions on this subject here. There is even some knowledge. For me to even list some good books, off the top of my head, could start a small cerebral fire and it would be all your fault!

So, lets us see how the more carpally robust respond and then, if it is needed, I will muster the energy to respond. I believe you will get a good response and I will be spared. Whew!

[enfoldedblue]

Back long long ago in my early 20's I became very interested in witchcraft and paganism, even going through the ritual initiation. What attracted me to these spiritual frameworks is the fact that they encourage a deep love and respect for nature, and generally women (this is something I found greatly lacking in other religions and society in general). However, there are many branches and practices. There are branches in which participants try to find a harmony with nature, and others where they try to dominate nature. There are natural witches who work by intuition, and trained witches who practice extremly precise rituals...
It is a huge topic...and I've gotta run.

But good luck...it's a facinating area to explore.

[s3nru]

Modern wicca is less than 100 years old, but uses vernacular and reference such older pagan traditions. It's considered crude magic by some (in that it's less refined and more primal, comparable to voodoo/vodoun or shamanism) though it does have a very interesting and quite elaborate structure to it. Wiccans are in general practitioners of white or Grey magic (magic that helps one merge with the god head or magic that helps others merge with the godhead) as the rule of 3 tends to dissuade Wiccans from the practice of black magic. (whatever change you affect may be wrought back up on yourself x3). I bet Wikipedia has better information than I though

[Kiforall]

Some interesting theories to be found, also the druids in UK.

Think we are getting to a point where rituals and ceremonies are no longer necessary, if they ever were in the beginning.

[Strat]

Posted by modwiz (here)
For me to even list some good books, off the top of my head, could start a small cerebral fire and it would be all your fault!

Wouldn't be the first time haha! It's okay though I give haters and trolls the Ali shuffle.

Posted by Strat (here)
I swear I'm a nice guy, just every now and then the Tyler Durden in me comes out...

-------------

I'm generally fascinated in all religious/philosophical perspectives. This topic in particular is interesting because I've seen it in affect first hand. I can't give away too much, but a man I've known for a long time was victim to some kind of curse. His house became infested with flies (he pissed off the wrong person and he was absolutely in the wrong. He's a jerk to people he doesn't know). I'm not too sure how he got rid of them, but ever since then he has pictures of Jesus and the crucifix everywhere in his house. It's a stark transition from his character; he's not at all religious, he looks like he's a bouncer (barrel chested and full sleeve tattoos), rides a Harley, drinks beer to excess etc etc.

[modwiz]

Posted by Kiforall (here)
Some interesting theories to be found, also the druids in UK.

Think we are getting to a point where rituals and ceremonies are no longer necessary, if they ever were in the beginning.

For fun and a sense of community they are still very important.

[Kiforall]

Posted by modwiz (here)

Posted by Kiforall (here)
Some interesting theories to be found, also the druids in UK.

Think we are getting to a point where rituals and ceremonies are no longer necessary, if they ever were in the beginning.

For fun and a sense of community they are still very important.

On an individual basis, would the energy not be available without the ceremonies etc.

I mean ideally sharing the experience and having fun fits in with communities that are like minded but it shouldn't put people off dabbling if iintentions are good.

[Amysenthia]

To answer your first question some great books that will explain the craft: one would be "Wicca for Life" by Raymond Buckland, and "Wicca a guide for the solitary practitioner", by Scott Cunningham. Once you have read the basics move on to books such as "The Grimoire of Lady Sheba", by Lady Sheba. This is the story of one particular witch that comes from a long line of witches.

First of all you need to realize Wicca/Paganism is not an organized religion such as Catholicism. Hermetica which is the basis of most majic dates back to Egypt and even Babylonia. Wicca can be magic based or earth worship based without magic. The only real rule in Wicca is, "That if it harm none, do what you will". Where as in Paganism/Satanic worship which may use the same spells it is more, "Do what you will". Even if that means send a swarm of flies to infest someone's home. A true Wiccan would generally not do this, although it would be within their power. Often when a Wiccan starts to do these spells they are now moving into the dark arts and there is quite a price to pay for this. For it is truth that whatever you put out in a spell will come back to you many fold.

I was a practicing Wiccan for many years. I tried the coven approach first but decided that the Solitary approach was more my style. I began the path after many years of studying various religions. First christianity, then eastern, then transcendental meditations, etc. I've studied works of the great masters. I was drawn to Wicca because I love our mother earth and coming from Native American descent on my mother's side Wicca

[modwiz]

Posted by Kiforall (here)

Posted by modwiz (here)

Posted by Kiforall (here)
Some interesting theories to be found, also the druids in UK.

Think we are getting to a point where rituals and ceremonies are no longer necessary, if they ever were in the beginning.

For fun and a sense of community they are still very important.

On an individual basis, would the energy not be available without the ceremonies etc.

I mean ideally sharing the experience and having fun fits in with communities that are like minded but it shouldn't put people off dabbling if iintentions are good.

Yes it would. I am very big on community as a glue for meaningful existence. I tend to put a spotlight on it. That's all.

[Amysenthia]

Just a warning to everyone. Right in the middle of posting a reply to this thread my IMac just crashed. On will Apple support right now. Anyone else having problems?

[Amysenthia]

I have switched to the cell to post this because I don't know why I was prevented from posting on computer.

I was just about to post a warning that if you are going to get into Wicca don't get into the magic aspects. I did and it was a disaster. There is no spell that can worded exactly right and things often do not go as expected. Also, things come into your life that you can't easily get rid of. Enjoy Wicca for the nature worshiping aspects. But know that there is a dark side too. Tread carefully.

[norman]

Whatever the experts we may have here say about the 'real thing', here in the UK we have a lot of fakers who are attaching their own mucky "people manipulation" games onto something they think sounds legit enough to get away with it.

I've met a lot of 'Pagans' over the years, and they've mostly turned out to be the most dangerously screwed up individuals I've ever met.

I'm not commenting on Paganism, itself !

I'm simply stating that, in my experience, Paganism attracts a lot of dodgy characters that you have to be very careful around.

Strat, if you're asking about this because you have recently met people who say they are into Paganism, be careful that you differentiate the Paganism from the personal clownery of many of the people. I say Clownery because clowns are such opposites within one person, and people who are one thing in mind and quite another in spirit seem to flock to Paganism like moths. I really don't know why, but they evidently do.

Even as recently as this last Beltane to midsummer period, I was yet again in the company, for an afternoon, of a 'Pagan Witch' who was quite off her trolly and arguing the inevitability of what amounts to the hive mind as being the next stage for humanity. She even claimed that 'aspergers' are the new humans etc.

I don't really think that's got much to do with Paganism, but people with such whacky notions are all over Paganism in this country and I find it quite scary.

Over the years, I've noticed the attraction to various isms. Every ism has it's flock of nutters, but the flock of nutters around UK Paganism is by far the most disturbing to me. It's as if there's something about Paganism that gives crazy people a good cover, that most other 'gatherings' wouldn't.


I hope I've not got myself into trouble by saying this. I have respect for whatever Paganism really is, but I'm finding it almost impossible to get to it to experience it, for the fringe of turbulence around it. In my own experience, that's really something quite unique.

Perhaps I need to invent a new term for it, Paganism - Ism.

[Grumpy Cat]

I find shamanism and such fascinating, as well as the Norse gods and Native American beliefs. There's a great deal of truth in many religions I reckon, but those in particular for me, hold significant resonance. Probably because they all speak of working with nature instead of against it.

Information on all of this is everywhere on the internet, but I would turn to Wikipedia first.

[blufire]

There's a little bit of witch in everyone. . . . .it just seems to shine brighter in some

[modwiz]

Posted by Amysenthia (here)
I have switched to the cell to post this because I don't know why I was prevented from posting on computer.

I was just about to post a warning that if you are going to get into Wicca don't get into the magic aspects. I did and it was a disaster. There is no spell that can worded exactly right and things often do not go as expected. Also, things come into your life that you can't easily get rid of. Enjoy Wicca for the nature worshiping aspects. But know that there is a dark side too. Tread carefully.

The dark side of Wicca arises out of the dark side of humanity. Emotionalism, not emotions, and the brokeness of people. Add the knowledge of influencing something in the dark and you have potential trouble. Passive magic, the working with Natures' currents is where one stays out of trouble. This is the true Magic of the Old Ways.

Ritual magic is playing with fire and all get burnt. Dabblers may escape only mildly singed.

[PurpleLama]

Some of us use these:

[RMorgan]

Hey Strat,

I can recommend you two books, both by Gerald Gardner, which was one of the biggest spreaders of the Wicca.

They are called Witchcraft Today and The Meaning of Witchcraft.

Cheers,

Raf.

[13th Warrior]

I'll give my cliff notes version:

The word paganism was used by the Roman Catholic church as an all encompassing term used to demonize any spiritual practice centered around Earth/Nature/Cosmos; although the church has adopted many pagan practices...

It's use is much the same as the term infidel.