Wiccans, or witches as some of you might
call them, have been the victims of religious intolerance for centuries now. With
a bigoted brush they have been painted in the most lurid manner by the uninformed,
the malicious, and those zealots of other faiths. At times the propaganda
I read is such fabricated filth I feel soiled merely having looked at it.
They are lies dreamed up by those so blinded by their own faith they are literally
willing to kill to be rid of Wiccans even today! The rule of "Do unto
others" apparently has a rider attached. "Do unto others as long
as they think like we do." Don't get me wrong, Wiccans have their
share of crazies too, but the level of intolerance on the whole is far smaller
than that I have seen elsewhere. It is a faith determined on an individual
basis rather than one determined by the moralist with dictatorial aspirations
who would rather see us all dance to the same tune. We are all individuals
and no two of us are alike. Wicca has a moral foundation as good as
any I have seen.
Wicca is some 10,000 years old now. It is something that has evolved with Mankind over the centuries.
Ever changing and fluid, it is a reflection of what we are. More recently
after it became a recognized faith there has been a renewed flurry of interest
and in the early 20s the first written books on its use began to appear.
Gerald Gardner was the first to publish books about witchcraft, and at the time
they were viewed as works of fiction. So what is it? Wicca
is a blend of science and folk magic. It is a belief that all things
contain power; humans, animals, plants, stones, colours, shapes and sounds. All
that is manifest around us contains this power. It is a belief in
the duality of nature and balance in all things. Both sexes are present
in nature. Nature is a reflection of divinity. If nature
has both male and female aspects, then why is our Western belief so lop-sided
and stuck on a singular male god? Shouldn't there be a Goddess as
well as a God?
The power around us can be harnessed
and used. All faiths do this through prayer, meditation, and by
using sacred objects. Each faith may use different rituals but the
intent is the same; to harness and focus the power in order to benefit its adherents.
Wicca is no different. It is the power of positive thinking. First
by one, then ten, then tens of tens! Power comes from the earth,
whom Wiccans regard as the Goddess. She is the Moon, all women from
the child to the hag, all-fertility and the waters of love and life. Power
also comes from the God. He is the male force, the hunter and the
reaper. He is seen as the sun, the fire and passion of life.
Wiccans worship both alone and in covens usually consisting of but not limited to 13 members. Nowhere in anything I have read do I see anything regarding devil worship or satanism. In fact they believe that the devil does not exist at all. The devil, or Satan if you will, is an invention of Christianity. Why would you worship that which you do not believe exists? Nor do I see mention of the sacrifice of children or animals though Wiccans do sacrifice. They sacrifice their mates who do not understand, families who were raised in another manner, their children because the courts see them as unfit parents. They sacrifice their jobs when their employer finds out their faith and the abuse of their property when the neighbors know. Sometimes they sacrifice their own lives, just as the early Christians did in the arenas of Rome. Wiccans are secretive because they need to be in order to protect their very lives. With the introduction of the computer they have finally found a way to communicate and congregate without fear. Stars - Maxfield Parrish
Then there is the issue of magick. Not the mummery of the stage performer, but the work of a practitioner who has studied to utilize the forces that surround them for the good of those they love.
These people respect life. All life! They respect the earth they tread upon and the power that surrounds them. The Wiccan Rede states clearly "An ye harm none, do what ye will." This includes harm in ANY form; mental, physical, monetary or psychic. "None" includes everything in our environment. The use of magick is a last resort when all else fails. Wiccans do not use magick in order to control others for any reason. It burns too much life energy to be used in a frivolous manner. Finally, for those who think to use magick
to turn others into toads and radishes, to summon demons to do their bidding, to be invisible, to gain power over their enemies, grow up and get a life, OK?
Get rich and buy a politician if you want to do that. My Thanks to Ogmos and Alodi Wolfsong in helping me make sure my words were right and true.
History and ideology
The Magic Circle - John William Waterhouse
(1849-1917)
Current location: The Tate Gallery, London
Thanks to Lady Immie for identifying this for me.
The power of positive thinking
The magick of worship
1926 Oil on panel. Currently owned by the New York Graphic Society Ltd.
The Wiccan Rede
Bide the Witch's law ye must,
In perfect love, in perfect trust.
Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill:
An ye harm none, do what ye will.
What ye send forth comes back to thee,
So ever mind the Rule of Three.
Follow this with mind and heart,
Merry ye meet, and merry ye part.
