Any Questions about Wicca

[Rose Mystica]

TN_Lark

My, my. I never could understand people whose only response to having someone disagree with them was to start calling names and swearing.

And I'm not Christian. I have been a practicing Wiccan for many years. That's why I was trying to correct some of the misinformation that you were posting.

I would not have responded at all had you made it clear from the beginning that you were practicing your own form of Christian-Wicca. But your posts made it sound like your view of Wicca was the way that other Wiccans practiced..and it very much isn't the case. I'd be more than happy to discuss our differences in practice if you'd like to learn more about the way that most Wiccans practice, including our beliefs in multiple deities, our rituals, our beliefs in the afterlife, etc.

By the way...how do you reconcile your treatment of others and your abusive language with your interpretation of the Rede as "harm none"? One of the things that Wiccans believe is that we hold a bit of the God and Goddess inside each of us. To attack another, either verbally or physically, is to also attack the Divine in that person. It's rather the same idea that Jesus spoke of when he said; "even as ye did it unto these, the least of my brethran, ye did it unto me".

-Lark-

Yes, I noticed that the original poster didn't include "some Wiccans" or "my coven" to denote a personal form of practice.

And when one doesn't specify "my coven" or "some Wiccans", one could take it as a generalization to mean ALL Wiccans/Witches.

3nodding  

[Ace_Of_Swords]

TN_Lark

My, my. I never could understand people whose only response to having someone disagree with them was to start calling names and swearing.

And I'm not Christian. I have been a practicing Wiccan for many years. That's why I was trying to correct some of the misinformation that you were posting.

I would not have responded at all had you made it clear from the beginning that you were practicing your own form of Christian-Wicca. But your posts made it sound like your view of Wicca was the way that other Wiccans practiced..and it very much isn't the case. I'd be more than happy to discuss our differences in practice if you'd like to learn more about the way that most Wiccans practice, including our beliefs in multiple deities, our rituals, our beliefs in the afterlife, etc.

By the way...how do you reconcile your treatment of others and your abusive language with your interpretation of the Rede as "harm none"? One of the things that Wiccans believe is that we hold a bit of the God and Goddess inside each of us. To attack another, either verbally or physically, is to also attack the Divine in that person. It's rather the same idea that Jesus spoke of when he said; "even as ye did it unto these, the least of my brethran, ye did it unto me".

-Lark-

Let me see how much I care, none really. I'll take the punishment for my actions as I have been since I became Wicca. I know what I do and fully accept all punishment. I am not in a good mood and I am tired of people attacking me left and right, so please just leave me alone, and talk to the other girl about Wicca. I will talk to you when I am in a better mood, then I will discuss our differences in the religion. I am sorry for hurting your feelings, if I did.  

[TN_Lark]

Crimson_Enigma

Let me see how much I care, none really. I'll take the punishment for my actions as I have been since I became Wicca. I know what I do and fully accept all punishment. I am not in a good mood and I am tired of people attacking me left and right, so please just leave me alone, and talk to the other girl about Wicca. I will talk to you when I am in a better mood, then I will discuss our differences in the religion. I am sorry for hurting your feelings, if I did.

Hon, you didn't hurt my feelings. Believe me, after 61 years my skin is much thicker than that. Take your time, get over what's bugging you. Then if you want to talk I'm more than willing to discuss things calmly with you.

I wasn't trying to attack you in my posts, just present some different information. And I don't think anyone is talking about punishing you. I was simply trying to point out some misconceptions based on the original post.

-Lark-  

[Ace_Of_Swords]

I am sorry, I really am. I have just been hurt by someone and I take my pain out on others, even when I don't intend to. 61 years? Is that spirit wise or real age wise? I feel a little better now, so I can talk calmly with you. I was thinking about it and maybe the Goddess or my spirit guide sent you to give me more information on Wicca. I think that every person brought into your life can teach you something, you just need to find out what it is that they can teach you, then learn it.  

[TN_Lark]

Apology happily accepted. All of us are guilty of putting our foot in our mouth every once and again. But it takes a stronger person to say they are sorry when they do it.

So...we start afresh. I'm Lark, pleased to meet you.

Yep, it's 61 in actual years. I just had my birthday this past week..although at my age I don't do quite as much celebrating about getting older. (LOL) I have been a practicing Wiccan for almost 20 years, and I have been leading a successful Wiccan coven for the past 10 years.

If you have some questions feel free to ask them. And I'll also be glad to point you at some good internet and book resources to learn more as well. Knowledge is a wonderful thing. The problem with the internet is that there is a bunch of hooey out there as well as good information..and learning to tell the difference takes time.

Talk to you again soon.

-Lark-
HPS, Tangled Moon Coven  

[Ace_Of_Swords]

Hello Lark, my name is Crimson. I am 16, I just had a birthday on the 12th. I have been studying Wicca for about 2 years now, so now I feel bad. Your 20 to my 2. I joined a coven with a group of Wicca's at my high school. Three of us our Fire Casters, me being one of them. We only have one Earth caster. Our coven is around 10 years old, the wisest of us has been a Wicca for 9 years.

I do have a question acctually. I have been meditating and trying to improve my spiritual energies, but it seems like I'm not. I have been practicing fire casting also. However it seems that I can not control it very well. I have more luck controlling water. The 9 year Wicca told me I was a fire caster. Could it be that I am not a fire caster or that my spiritual energy isn't strong enough? I practice like crazy, so I'm not sure what's wrong.  

[TN_Lark]

Ok...now you'll have to explain your terms for me. What is a "fire caster" or an "earth caster"? I've never heard those terms. Are you talking about someone using fire energy or earth energy to cast a circle?? Explain a bit more of what you are talking about and I may be able to explain better.

As for increasing your own spiritual energy, you may be trying to do something you don't need to be doing. When casting a circle or working magic you don't want to use your own energy to power the working. Doing it that way drains you of energy and leaves you tired, irritable, headachy, and generally feeling terrible. The simplest source of energy is that of the Earth we stand on. The idea is to learn to tap into that energy, channel it through yourself, and focus it on the purpose of the magic that you are engaged in.

Most people will ground themselves to Earth and use that energy to power a working. But it is possible to link to any of the Elements and do the same thing. In fact, it's a good idea to learn to work that way with all of the Elements. The idea of being/working with one Element is something that came out in the movie "The Craft". Wicca is all about balance, and that means that you need to work with all of the Elements, not just one.

Let me point you at a couple of good message boards that you might find useful for learning more.

Teen Witch at http://forum.teenwitchonline.org/ is hosted by some long-time friends of mine. It's geared for teens who are practicing all forms of Paganism. But there are also adults there, including me, who will answer your questions.

Branwen's Cauldron at http://www.branwenscauldron.com also has a message board that I moderate. There are people there from many different paths, including some Christians. You are welcome to come there as well to ask questions.

The Wiccan Collegium at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wiccan_collegium/ is another board that I moderate, and it is specifically designed to help out those who are just learning about Wicca..although some of the discussions do get a bit scholarly. I think you'd like it there.

I probably didn't answer your question very well. If I didn't get at what you were asking me about just clarify your questions a bit and I'll try again.

-Lark-  

[TN_Lark]

Oh, one more thing...

If you'll tell me what books you've been reading on Wicca, I may be able to recommend some better reading material that will help you learn more.

-Lark-  

[[GWW Guild Mule]]

Quote:

WICCA'S ARE CHRISTAN, THEY BELIEVE IN CHRIST!!!!!!

Actually, WRONG, not all wiccans believe in christ, they believe in a God and Goddess, but usually not Christ.

Quote:

It is true that Wiccan's are a cult.

ZOMGWTF? Are you high, there is a difference between cults and religions.

Quote:

Wicca's came first, before Witches. We were just a secret, we remained a secret. So guy who said we were only 50 years old, you are wrong. Witches are the ones who took what we did and ignored our laws and take full consequense and really not caring.

Whoa, holdher down there for a second. Garder created Wicca 50 years ago, it's not older then that, are you thinking of Paganism?

Quote:

In short, Witches bad, Wicca's good.

Are you saying all witches are bad? What the hell? Not all Witches are bad, there are good ones.


Not all wiccans believe in Jesus Christ, only a few do, don't mix up your own way of practicing your religion with others.
Wicca is a free for all thing, the god and goddess you think up can be Apollo and Athena for all we know.  

[Ace_Of_Swords]

When I say fire caster or earth caster, I mean that that is the element that will come easier to the person. Like my element is fire so that will be the easiest element for me to use. That makes sense, which might explain how I can use water better than fire at the moment. I have connected with the water and am using the energy through me, wow thanks, that makes a lot of sense. I just need to figure out how to use fire now.

I was told that I can only use Oracle Cards, please explain this to me. My finacee bought some tarot cards and he used them and had an easier time with it than me, my best friends in the coven also use them better than me. Whenever they touch it they claim they feel a feeling like electricity or something like that. It doesn't hurt them it just feels werid to them. My finacee can do a reading and connect with his cards so much easier than me, his readings are far more accuate then mine. I must admit I am a little jealous of how easy it comes to him than me. However, not the point. He brought his cards to school one day and I held them and I didn't feel anything for a few mintues and then I felt like somone stabbed my hand and drug it all the way up to my ear. I had to drop the cards it hurt so bad. I then got a horrible headace and had pains throughout the day. My friend had touched the cards and she felt electricity instead of pain. This confuses me. She said that I must be able to use Oracle cards then, which is better, and not many people can use them. Is this true?  

[Ace_Of_Swords]

Kansas Kandi

Quote:

WICCA'S ARE CHRISTAN, THEY BELIEVE IN CHRIST!!!!!!

Actually, WRONG, not all wiccans believe in christ, they believe in a God and Goddess, but usually not Christ.

Quote:

It is true that Wiccan's are a cult.

ZOMGWTF? Are you high, there is a difference between cults and religions.

Quote:

Wicca's came first, before Witches. We were just a secret, we remained a secret. So guy who said we were only 50 years old, you are wrong. Witches are the ones who took what we did and ignored our laws and take full consequense and really not caring.

Whoa, holdher down there for a second. Garder created Wicca 50 years ago, it's not older then that, are you thinking of Paganism?

Quote:

In short, Witches bad, Wicca's good.

Are you saying all witches are bad? What the hell? Not all Witches are bad, there are good ones.


Not all wiccans believe in Jesus Christ, only a few do, don't mix up your own way of practicing your religion with others.
Wicca is a free for all thing, the god and goddess you think up can be Apollo and Athena for all we know.

Okay, let me see.

1. Don't care.

2. There is no difference between cults and religions. A cult is a group of people, organization, or fan club that get together and worship one person or another group of people. So what would that make religion?

3. Don't care

4. Witches are bad, they are the ones that abuse the laws. So ya, that is a degrading term.

5. Then finally for the last time, I didn't say all Wiccan's. I went back and realized the mistake I did and fixed it.

 

[[GWW Guild Mule]]

No, they are not bad, they have their own religion, if they have their own religion why would they have to follow wiccan laws?
Besides, who ever said wiccan laws where correct?
I know Witches, people who actually KNOW everything about Witchcraft, and they are NICE people, calling witches bad is really dumb. They figured a way to substitute blood for other stuff.

If you are trying to make a valid point, saying Don't care makes your point look not valid.

Also, how can you be wiccan and christian?
Christian is about whorshiping Just god, and praying to him.

Wicca is alot about believe you can do something if you will it on your own.

Christian is all about God can help you do something, but you never really do anything on your own since god is there to help you.  

[TN_Lark]

Crimson_Enigma

I was told that I can only use Oracle Cards, please explain this to me. My finacee bought some tarot cards and he used them and had an easier time with it than me, my best friends in the coven also use them better than me. Whenever they touch it they claim they feel a feeling like electricity or something like that. It doesn't hurt them it just feels werid to them. My finacee can do a reading and connect with his cards so much easier than me, his readings are far more accuate then mine. I must admit I am a little jealous of how easy it comes to him than me. However, not the point. He brought his cards to school one day and I held them and I didn't feel anything for a few mintues and then I felt like somone stabbed my hand and drug it all the way up to my ear. I had to drop the cards it hurt so bad. I then got a horrible headace and had pains throughout the day. My friend had touched the cards and she felt electricity instead of pain. This confuses me. She said that I must be able to use Oracle cards then, which is better, and not many people can use them. Is this true?

I don't know for a fact that you can only use the Oracle cards..and truly no one can tell you that you can't use another form of divination. Only you can decide which means work for you.

Any divination system is merely a set of symbols that help you connect with your own unconscious mind where you may find answers to possible futures. Different sets of symbols work for different people. My husband reads Tarot and I Ching. Tarot doesn't work for me at all...I use Runes, Ogham, and Scrying. Think of it this way...all forms of divination are like keys to the doors of the unconscious mind. But you have to have the right key in order to unlock that door. So if you find that Tarot doesn't work for you..then it's not the right key for you. Find something else that works. If the Oracle cards give you good answers, then they are your key.

Can we talk a bit about some of the misconceptions you seem to have about Wicca? I don't want to have you upset or angry with me, because I'm not trying to say that your way of practicing is wrong. But you seem to have come up with some ideas about Wicca and Witchcraft that aren't exactly accurate.

Wicca is a modern religion created by Gerald Gardner in the 1940's that attempts to reconstruct the Pagan religions of northern Europe as they were thought to have existed. It is specifically a fertility religion which is centered on the worship of both Gods and Goddesses. The joining together in the Sacred Marriage by the God and the Goddess is what keeps the Universe running according to Wiccan theology.

Wiccans celebrate eight holidays which are based on the Pagan Celtic and Norse ritual days. Most Wiccans do not acknowledge the Christian holidays at all. Many of us also hold rituals to celebrate both the Full Moon and the Dark moon each month.

Wiccans also practice Witchcraft and are considered to be Witches. Witchcraft is nothing bad, evil, or scarey..it is simply a form of using magic. Wiccans use magic whenever they cast a circle, perform a healing, etc.

Not all Witches are Wiccan however. Witches have been around for hundreds, if not thousands of years. The practice of Witchcraft is far older than Wicca. A Witch can be of any religion..including Christianity. Some Witches are also Pagans; although the path that they follow is somewhat different from Wicca. They are not evil people, and they tend to live ethical lives just like you and me. They do not follow the same ethical rules as Wiccans (just like Wiccans do not follow the laws of Christianity), but that doesn't mean that they don't have their own rules of what is good and bad behavior.

Wiccans do not follow the Ten Commandments. They have their own ethical system which include the Wiccan Rede and the Law of Threefold Return. While abiding by the Ten Commandments is a good way to live, it is specifically tied to Christianity and Judaism and has nothing to do with Wicca.

Wicca is not a cult...and a cult and a religion are not the same thing. Cults tend to have certain characteristics that cause harm to those that belong to them, such as making people give the cult leaders all their money, or cutting off their contact with friends and family. They also tend to have charismatic leaders who make all the decisions for the people in the cult. Wicca does none of these things. Here's a good site with information on what makes a cult. http://www.neopagan.net/ABCDEF.html

I have known people who practice Christian Wicca. Personally I think it is very difficult to meld the two systems. Especially since Wicca requires both God and Goddess as part of its core beliefs. How you would try to blend the two is up to you to figure out if that is the path you chose to follow. I won't tell you it can't be done. But I will tell you that you'll get a lot of flack from both sides of the fence on that one...as you've already found out.

I guess a question that I have for you is what is it that draws you to Wicca? Is it the religion? Is it the magic? Because I think it is important to understand the whys of our choices.

-Lark-  

[Ace_Of_Swords]

I get all my information about Wicca from the leader of my coven, I have never really questioned her. She seems like she knows what she is talking about, so I don't really do any reasearch. She has already done reasearch, she says so anyway. What is wrong that I should tell her about? Although being the youngest Wicca of the coven, I'm not sure that I could make any kind of influence on her though. Accutally those are two different definitions. Ocult is the one that is evil and forces people to do such. Cult is what I said above. dictinonary.com is where I found that out and the good old fasioned read book, as we call it in Louisiana. What draws me to Wicca? I am not sure, it is just a feeling of belonging that I get. I can do things I never thought possible. I am able to use magic and talk to spirits. It is like a dream for me. I have always felt like I never belonged to this world, our world I mean. I feel like I belong somewhere else, Wicca helps me to contact where I think I belong.  

[TN_Lark]

Crimson_Enigma

I get all my information about Wicca from the leader of my coven, I have never really questioned her. She seems like she knows what she is talking about, so I don't really do any reasearch. She has already done reasearch, she says so anyway. What is wrong that I should tell her about? Although being the youngest Wicca of the coven, I'm not sure that I could make any kind of influence on her though. Accutally those are two different definitions. Ocult is the one that is evil and forces people to do such. Cult is what I said above. dictinonary.com is where I found that out and the good old fasioned read book, as we call it in Louisiana. What draws me to Wicca? I am not sure, it is just a feeling of belonging that I get. I can do things I never thought possible. I am able to use magic and talk to spirits. It is like a dream for me. I have always felt like I never belonged to this world, our world I mean. I feel like I belong somewhere else, Wicca helps me to contact where I think I belong.

Hmmm, well your coven leader seems to have some rather odd ideas about what Wicca is all about. Frankly I have no idea where she came up with them. All I can tell you is that they don't match anything to do with actual Wiccan practice.

So here's where you get to make some choices. I will happily point you at some accurate information about Wicca and you can TRY to explain to your coven leader where some of her ideas appear mistaken. Now, she might be happy to learn..just as you are. Or she may get angry and toss you out of the group.

On the other hand, you can continue to practice the way that you have been..and that's OK. It might not be Wicca, but it is a way that works for you. Only you can make that decision. And it's a hard one I know, because it might lose you a group of friends that you are close to.

And the third possibility is that you will find out that you truly are drawn to what the real Wicca is all about and find new friends and a whole new life being Wiccan rather than the practice you are following now. Again, this is a choice that only you can make.

I know this looks like a really hard decision to make because some of the choices may be painful. So here's a question that might help you make this decision. Do you believe only in the God of the Bible? Or do you, as Wiccans do, believe in both Gods and Goddesses? If your answer is that you only believe in the Christian God, then there isn't much point (other than simply intellectually learning something new) to go chasing down the path of Wicca. You would be better off continuing with your current group...just understand that what you are doing isn't Wicca.

Wicca is a beautiful religion, and many people who come to it describe it with feelings similar to what you stated. A lot of people will speak of a feeling of "coming home" and of "belonging". It is a religion which teaches personal responsibility. It also gives us power from within, rather than power over others. It is also a religion that emphasizes living in the here and now, working to make our world a better place to be. And it teaches us how to become better people. But it isn't for everyone. No religion is right for everyone...if it were we wouldn't have all of the religions that there are in this world, we'd have just one.

Think about what you'd like to do. If you'd like to learn more about what Wicca is truly all about I'll point you at information to help you learn and I'll continue to answer your questions. If you decide that you want to continue being a Christian and working with your current group..that's OK. All I ask is that when you talk about what you do you explain that that is the way that your group practices, but you understand it is not the way that all Wiccans believe and practice.

Back on the definitions thingie... When you mention "ocult" do you mean "occult"? Occult simply means "hidden". It is a word commonly used in reference to most magical practices because they were hidden away for so long. It doesn't necessarily mean that something is evil or harmful. As for the word "cult"..I really suggest you move beyond the dictionary for information. Dictionary meanings get outdated pretty quickly in many cases. Check out that link I gave you. I think you'll find it interesting.

By the way...we're almost neighbors. I'm up here in Tennessee just north of Nashville.

-Lark-