Wiccan FAQ - ?????? PROFIT

******** THIS s**t IS HILARIOUS INNIT

STEP 1: CALL YOURSELF WICCAN	11.7%	[ 259 ]
STEP 2: BUY STRANGE CLOTHES	6.3%	[ 139 ]
STEP 3: WHINE ABOUT HOW OPPRESSED YOU ARE	10.7%	[ 237 ]
STEP 4: ????????	37.7%	[ 836 ]
STEP 5: PROFIT!	33.6%	[ 744 ]
Total Votes:			[ 2215 ]

[Imaginary Glass Nightmare]

Wait...I'm confused.
In my previous understanding I thought Wicca was like a sort of Pagan priest or healer, because wasn't the word witch derived from the word Wicca by the christian church to try and convert people? What I'm thinking you're saying now is that Paganism is older than Wicca because Wicca was made relatively recently, by being pieced together by Gerald Gardener from old Pagan believes, but with different rituals, laws, and the like? Was the word Wicca from the old Pagan believes, or is my information on that completely off? Some clarification on those things would be much appreciated.

On completely different note, I've decided Wicca isn't for me. Do you have any credible sources for information on other Pagan type religions that I could read up on? Please and Thank you.

[A Soporific]

Imaginary Glass Nightmare

Wait...I'm confused.
In my previous understanding I thought Wicca was like a sort of Pagan priest or healer, because wasn't the word witch derived from the word Wicca by the christian church to try and convert people? What I'm thinking you're saying now is that Paganism is older than Wicca because Wicca was made relatively recently, by being pieced together by Gerald Gardener from old Pagan believes, but with different rituals, laws, and the like? Was the word Wicca from the old Pagan believes, or is my information on that completely off? Some clarification on those things would be much appreciated.

On completely different note, I've decided Wicca isn't for me. Do you have any credible sources for information on other Pagan type religions that I could read up on? Please and Thank you.

Don't worry about it. There is a LOT of misinformation out there on the subject.

No, the term Wicca has nothing to do Christianity. Wicce is an old Anglo-Saxon word meaning wise, but Wicca is really a new tradition. I have to point out that treating "pagan" things as a unified thing is the wrong way to look at it. The only thing that all Pagan things share is that they are not Christianity, Judaism, or Islam.

Try the Fluffy Rehab guild. They're a good source of information.

[maenad nuri]

Imaginary Glass Nightmare

Wait...I'm confused.
In my previous understanding I thought Wicca was like a sort of Pagan priest or healer, because wasn't the word witch derived from the word Wicca by the christian church to try and convert people? What I'm thinking you're saying now is that Paganism is older than Wicca because Wicca was made relatively recently, by being pieced together by Gerald Gardener from old Pagan believes, but with different rituals, laws, and the like? Was the word Wicca from the old Pagan believes, or is my information on that completely off? Some clarification on those things would be much appreciated.

Wiccans are Wiccan Priests. Wicca comes from an Old English word which did, in fact, mean witch, but it's application to the religion comes from Gardner.

Quote:

On completely different note, I've decided Wicca isn't for me. Do you have any credible sources for information on other Pagan type religions that I could read up on? Please and Thank you.

I think there's too many to give you really good sources. A good place to start is within the different pantheons.

[Imaginary Glass Nightmare]

@A Soporific
okay thanks, I would go to there, but I can not stand the way gaian guilds are set up

@maenad nuri
good, that's what I thought.
and what do you mean by pantheons? I was think more along the lines of a website I could look at.

[maenad nuri]

Imaginary Glass Nightmare

@A Soporific
okay thanks, I would go to there, but I can not stand the way gaian guilds are set up

We're quite a good one. Don't deal in a lot of the nonsense other guild do.

Quote:

@maenad nuri
good, that's what I thought.
and what do you mean by pantheons? I was think more along the lines of a website I could look at.

Pantheons are the cultural groupings of Gods; Greek, Roman, Norse, so forth.

[Imaginary Glass Nightmare]

eh, maybe I'll take a look then.

Oh, I see. I'll look into it. I was thinking more like the old Irish religion that came before Christianity, I thought that was still practice today.

[A Soporific]

Imaginary Glass Nightmare

eh, maybe I'll take a look then.

Oh, I see. I'll look into it. I was thinking more like the old Irish religion that came before Christianity, I thought that was still practice today.

Well, there is. It's just not Wicca and not open to those who aren't full Irish raised in traditional Irish culture.

[CuAnnan]

A Soporific

Wicce is an old Anglo-Saxon word meaning wise

Is it?

[maenad nuri]

CuAnnan

A Soporific

Wicce is an old Anglo-Saxon word meaning wise

Is it?

Nope. Wicce meant witch.

[CuAnnan]

maenad nuri

CuAnnan

A Soporific

Wicce is an old Anglo-Saxon word meaning wise

Is it?

Nope. Wicce meant witch.

And in a pretty mean way, if memory serves. Like "hexslinger", "curselayer", etc.
And that this is how the Anglo-Saxons used the word, rather than some eebil xian conspiracy to oppress the Olde Relijun ™.

[A Soporific]

CuAnnan

A Soporific

Wicce is an old Anglo-Saxon word meaning wise

Is it?

Yeah, I realized I was wrong after I posted. Sorry 'bout that one.

[Darin Rosewood]

Obscurus

I thought of a question for you guys. I apologize in advance if this has been addressed already.

I know that in order to be a "real Wiccan" you have to be initiated into a coven, and have to be an adult and all that. My question is: What about children born into a Wiccan family? That is, children born to Wicca initiates. Do they teach these children in the ways of Wicca, or are the children just sort of ignored spiritually until they're old enough to make a decision if they want to join that religion?

I'm sure it probably depends on specific families, but the thought just struck me last night and it seemed like it would be something interesting to bring up.

The way I understand it (and I'm not sure if it's part of the actual tradition or not, not being Wiccan, but I know of Gardnerian and Alexandrian covens that do it), some covens will perform a "Wiccaning" ceremony (a pun on "Christening" wink on a baby born to Wiccan parents. It's not the same as a Christian baptism, however, in that it's nonbinding. The ceremony is roughly along the lines of "Lord and Lady, bless and protect this babe until (s)he is old enough to make his/her own decisions." If I had children, I'd ask my gods to protect them and I would certainly teach them about my religion, but I'd also teach them about others. It's important to me that my children choose a path that's right for them.

[Baron of Move Like This]

CuAnnan

maenad nuri

CuAnnan

A Soporific

Wicce is an old Anglo-Saxon word meaning wise

Is it?

Nope. Wicce meant witch.

And in a pretty mean way, if memory serves. Like "hexslinger", "curselayer", etc.
And that this is how the Anglo-Saxons used the word, rather than some eebil xian conspiracy to oppress the Olde Relijun ™.

If I were someone using a word derived from Wicce i'd totally start a campaign to claim the term "hex-slinging huckster" from deadlands.

At least that way the fluffbunnies would have amusing misconceptions, like the idea that you ought to have a copy of Hoyle's Classic Games and play poker a lot and maybe drink.

[scorplett]

Darin Rosewood

Obscurus

I thought of a question for you guys. I apologize in advance if this has been addressed already.

I know that in order to be a "real Wiccan" you have to be initiated into a coven, and have to be an adult and all that. My question is: What about children born into a Wiccan family? That is, children born to Wicca initiates. Do they teach these children in the ways of Wicca, or are the children just sort of ignored spiritually until they're old enough to make a decision if they want to join that religion?

I'm sure it probably depends on specific families, but the thought just struck me last night and it seemed like it would be something interesting to bring up.

The way I understand it (and I'm not sure if it's part of the actual tradition or not, not being Wiccan, but I know of Gardnerian and Alexandrian covens that do it), some covens will perform a "Wiccaning" ceremony (a pun on "Christening" wink on a baby born to Wiccan parents. It's not the same as a Christian baptism, however, in that it's nonbinding. The ceremony is roughly along the lines of "Lord and Lady, bless and protect this babe until (s)he is old enough to make his/her own decisions." If I had children, I'd ask my gods to protect them and I would certainly teach them about my religion, but I'd also teach them about others. It's important to me that my children choose a path that's right for them.

"Wiccaning" is not a core practice of Wicca. The Farrars in their books wrote about concepts for such rites, however they were quite clear that these were of their own fabrication.
There are many who do like the idea of a 'naming', basically a non denominational ceremony to welcome a child and to give witness to the giving of the childs name. Deity and spirit might be called upon to provide guidance, but any and all elements of such a rite are completely within the purview of the parents.

To Quote Stuart Fararr in Eight Sabbats for Witches (A Witches Bible version)

pages 31 & 32 'Introduction'

We have added the third part of the book - "Birth, Marriage and Death" - because, again, we feel there is a need for it. Alongside the universal rhythm of the season, runs the rhythm of our individual lives. Every religion feels the need for a sacramental acknowledgment of the milestones in those lives - the welcoming of new children, the joining together of man and wife, the solemn valediction to dead friends. Wicca is no exception, yet the Gardnerian Book of Shadows offers no ritual for any of them. So we give our won versions of the Wiccaning, Handfasting and Requiem, in the hope that other people may find them useful.

[Stark Raveling Mad]

Hello!
I am going to be turning eighteen in one month.
How does one go about finding a coven and becoming initiated?