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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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