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Saturday, 12 March 2005
Mood:
 d'oh
Topic: Witch or Wiccan
Here is another response to the question I asked at the Witch School Forum regarding Wicca and Witchcraft that I found interesting:
"I agree that it can often be confusing because so many people use the words Wicca and Witchcraft in different ways and mean different things . . . but that's an inherent problem with labels. People also have different definitions of what makes a Christian (i.e., believing in Christ, belonging to a specific church/denomination, following specific rules for living, etc.), a patriot, a mother -- you get the idea. So how do you solve the problem? Always try to be clear what you mean when you use things kinds of words, and if you're not sure what someone else means, look for clues or ask for clarification. There's no way to impose an "official" definition that everyone will stick to.
Now, I think of Wicca as a group of specific mystery traditions. If you are trained in and follow one of those traditions, such as Correllian, then you are a Wiccan to me. Because I study Correllian Wicca and follow these traditions, I consider myself a Wiccan.
Witchcraft is "low magick" -- as opposed to "high magick" or ceremonial/ritual magick -- ranging from spells to charms, following the principles of sympathetic workings: like calls to like. Witchcraft works with practical, concrete forces and is very much a part of every day life. How you practice witchcraft stems from your personal philosophy, beliefs, or experience. You can use Wiccan philosophy as the foundation for your workings in magick: that's what Witchschool.com teaches. But there are other philosophy systems, and one individual can even believe in multiple philosophy systems.
I practice two forms of magick: Wiccan-based witchcraft, and sea witchcraft. One is based on my training at Witchschool.com and in other Wiccan traditions, the other is based on my lifelong experience of living on the coast. I've been a witch much longer than I've been a Wiccan, because I've practice sea witchcraft since before I ever heard of Wicca. The separation is clear in my mind and practice."
I still have not posted a response. Have you ever been so confused that you don't even know what questions to ask??
Part of the problem I guess is that I have not given my spiritual side much attention at all lately. And that includes my studies. Life is pretty overwhelming at the moment but I need to remember that during times like this it is even more important to take care of myself and nuture my spiritual side. It is my strength and has gotten me through such times in the past.
I did decide to do a little web search on sea witch and found a couple of interesting links:
A resource site for Pagans who specialize in water-based magick and worship of Sea Gods.
Sea Witch/Article
Sunday, 6 March 2005
Mood:
 quizzical
Topic: Witch or Wiccan
I have been hanging out some at the Witch School forum and there has been a bit of a discussion going on there about Wicca and Witchcraft. This is my most recent post regarding the issue:
" MM
I have a question:
Raymond Buckland, who is clearly Wiccan, uses the terms Witchcraft and Wicca interchangeably. The name of his book is "The Complete Book of Witchcraft." And he refers to Wicca as modern Witchcraft.
What are peoples thoughts on this?
I am not trying to convince anyone that there is no difference between Wicca and Witchcraft. I am just curious and trying to get my head wrapped around this stuff. If there is a difference what is it?
This is my take on it so far. Wicca is a modern religion founded by Gerald Gardner (and brought to America by Buckland) in the 1951. But Wicca has roots dating back to the very beginnings of time. It is a reconstruction of the Old Religions, Witchcraft being one of them. So I guess I see Wicca as a modern version of the Old - a revival of the Old.
BB Dana"
Here are a couple of responses:
1. "Witchcraft is not an actual religion. Let me say it again WITCHCRAFT IS NOT A RELIGION. Witchcraft is simply the practice of magick that is incorporated into a lot of Pagan religions. Wicca was the religion being practised, among others, by some of the pre-christian pagans. The ideas of a God and Goddess, the three-fold law, do no harm are all part of the Wiccan religion. Witchcraft is not a religion, so it does not hold these ideals. If you do adopt the idea that we serve the Goddess and the God, if you observe the Sabbats and do no harm in your spells then you are a Wiccan.
A witch can be someone who practises magick without regard for ethics or morality, or one that does have those things. "
2."Dana,
You have a very valid question, especially considering all of the different views that people have as well as the different books that have been published concerning Witchcraft.
If I remember correctly, and please if I err in this feel free to correct me, when 'Wicca' was originally founded it was a combination of three different major religions, specifically: Strega (Italian Witchcraft), Rosecrucian (Fellowship of Crotana) and Grande Loge Symbolique Ecossaise Mixte de France (French Lodge of Masonry or Co-Masonry). He also incorporated several aspects of lessor know religions, teaching, philosophies and ideals from such sources as: Malaysian folk magic, George Pickingill - Satanism (Self proclaimed Satanist), Teosophy, and his original religion of Roman Catholicism.
Most people will think of Gerald Gardner as the Father, though there are others who will say that Aliester Crowley was the father of modern Paganism. But in all reality it was Gardner who was the first to bring about the idea of naming a religion. For prior to his naming the type of Witchcraft that he practiced "Wicca" in New Forest, all 'Witchcraft' was just the practice of a religion other then 'Christianity' as decreed by the Roman Catholic Church in Rome specific and became even more so with in England during the Inquisition.
More to the point 'Witchcraft' was the employment of practices encompassing divination, herbology (such as used in spells or cures out side of the 'modern' medical science's), hex craft (such as the Dutch and Netherlanders practiced), etc. Where as Paganism was specifically a Peasant who was not of the Christian Faith, not nessasarily some one who practiced Witchcraft specifically.
Please do not get me wrong for in a lot of ways Yes Gardner was the founder of the Modern Witchcraft movement due to the fact that he began the 'revolution' of the way we think of Witchcraft today. He brought about the idea of "Naming" a Pagan religion instead of calling it just Witchcraft thus the reason we have so many different types of Wicca today and other religions that have a "name" where as prior to Gardner they did not have a specific one other then the "Way".
Modern Wicca is a sespot of every conceivable religion or way of honoring the Gods' out there that you can find. Every aspect of a Wiccan ritual has an element that is from several different ways of doing things. There are very very few, and I mean very few aspects of Wicca that is an original aspect of just Wicca as it was first founded.
To say that Wicca has roots dating back to the very beginnings of time is correct in one aspect but completely wrong if you consider that Wicca as practiced today is in no way a true refection of how "Witchcraft" was practiced even 60 years ago.
The majority of what we consider today as a revival of the 'Old' Religions is in a lot of ways just our attempt to try and bring to light or understand how things were done hundreds if not thousands of years ago. So much information has been lost due to wars, revolutions as well as just plan old fear of writing anything down due to persecution, or as in the Druidic/Celtic nations ways of doing thing of oral the information was lost due to the changing of the way something was worded from person to person.
My personal belief is that there is no one Pagan, Wicca, or other religion that is entirely true and correct as of our day and age. We try and revive through trial and error, old manuscripts, tablets etc. what has been lost. So in my oppinion the New Religions of this day and age are all speaking falsehood if they say it is the same as it has all ways been or that what we/I/they teach has been taught since the beginning of time.
So if you personally want to use Wicca and Witchcraft interchangeably you are not incorrect in what you are saying.
I hope this helped in at least a small way,"
I have not yet posted a response. There is a lot of info in the second post that needs to yet sink into my brain. But I am finding all this so interesting.
Well, that is my Blog for the week. Till next time.
Saturday, 19 February 2005
Mood:
quizzical
Topic: Witch or Wiccan
Here are some more thoughts regarding the issue I started in last weeks blog. I posted this over at the Witchschool Forum:
The most valuable gift that the Wiccan Path has given me is the gift of empowerment - the ability to make my own choices regarding what I believe and the ability to connect to deity on a personal level. This has given me such incredible strength and has gotten me through some very difficult times. In the early years of my journey it was this strength that kept bringing me back to Wicca and it was guilt (speaking of old habits that are hard to break) that kept pulling me away. It wasn't until I was able to reconcile the two paths (Wicca and Christianity), without guilt, that I was able to committ to Wicca and move forward. Empowerment was the catalist. Yes, I can believe in Jesus and be Wiccan. Yes, I can believe in Jesus and not go to Mass (because this is not meaning for me - there may be Christian Wiccans who still go to Mass and that very night celebrate a Sabbat - because Mass is still a meaningful way of connecting to Deity for them - I don't know but I am open to the notion that this a possibilty). I think what I am trying to get at here is that I find it so disheartening when people argue about labels. In my mind, we Wiccans are the Kings and Queens of tolerance. Tolerance is not always an easy thing to engage but if we can approach people with an open mind and heart the opportunities for growth are endless. So when someone says I practice the religion of Witchcraft but I am not Wiccan how can this be impossible. For some reason this has become meaningful for them.
The reason why I have not labelled myself a Christian Wiccan is that I am just not comfortable with the intolerance that some labels can generate. I am also not sure that there is enough Christian left in me. Further, can't I be just a Wiccan and believe in Jesus? I know the very definition of Christianity incorporates a belief in Jesus. But Wiccan incorporates a belief in personal Deity and Jesus just happens to be an aspect of Deity that I can personnally connect with. Further, if I choose to answer "yes" to the question "Can I be a Wiccan and still believe in Jesus?" (and not a Christian Wiccan) - is this not my choice - I am not harming anyone - I am just developing my own personal belief system. Now I know it may not always be as simple as this - one's personal belief system may be so outside the Wiccan realm that the label of Wicca just could not fit - for example if you don't believe in the Rede can you be Wiccan? (probably not - but there are other Pagan religions that do have other codes of ethics- is this true of other Wiccan traditions?)
Ok I think I better stop now - I am getting confused. But again, interesting things to ponder.
BB Dana
Sunday, 13 February 2005
Topic: Witch or Wiccan
This week I have spent most of my time working on this site. That's what happens when I start something new. I can get a little obsessed.
This site certainly was not in my plans but at the same time I kind of like following along where this Path decides to take me. This has been good for me since I can also get obsessed with doing things a certain way and resist change. Things come around for a reason so sometimes it is good to take chance and move forward. But at the same time I do need to get back to my studies. I did do a little this week. I continued taking notes from Raymond Buckland's "Complete Book Of WitchCraft" for my essay "What is Wicca." I have already taken notes from Correllian Wicca, First Degree Intro, Scott Cunningham's "Wicca: A guide for the Solitary Practitioner" and Lady Raya's "13 Lesson's for Pleasing the Divine."
A Penny for my Thoughts?
There appears to be a number of differing perspectives out there regarding Wicca and Witchcraft. Some are of the perspective that Wicca and Witchcraft are different and that Wicca is a religion and Witchcraft is about the practice of magic. Others also believe that they are different but that they are different religions. Then there is Anna Moura, author of the Green Witchcraft series who states that Witchcraft is a religion separate from Wicca and is also about the practice of magic. Further, there are some who practice Witchcraft as both a religion and magic and others who practice it as a religion but not magic and vice versa. She also outlined a third approach to Witchcraft which maybe I will write about another time because it is not straight in my head right now.
Correllianism appears to use these words interchangably as does Raymond Buckland inticating that there is no difference between them. On the back cover of Raymond Buckland's Complete Book Witchcraft it states that "He (Buckland) has become a respected authority on the rise of modern Witchcraft." Therefore Wicca, which is a religion (I don't think there is any dispute about that), is modern Witchcraft - indicating that Witchcraft is an Old Religion.
All this leads to differences in the ways people label themselves. And I don't have a problem with this but what does concern me is when others do judge how someone labels or defines their perspective. This usually comes up at most forums I have been involved with. Some people get pretty angry about these things - "How can you possibly be a Witch and not Wiccan?" Now if someone says there a Christian Wiccan look out! That will definetly ruffle some feathers. In this day and age when so many of us have been raised in Christian backgrounds it really shouldn't be all that surprising to find Christian Wiccans. As one moves forward on a new path they may take with them some things that they just can't leave behind - and "la voila" something new emerges. I think this represents growth.
Do you want your penny back?
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