| (This rant on ‘true wicca’ is mine (Malkin - jenna_r_86@hotmail.com), and was originally written in reply to a post to a yahoo group I belong to appearing below, and was originally posted on the 26th of Jan, 2003. My reply was edited on the 24th of Feb, 2003. I hope you find it of some use. ) { Hi Queenie: I joined this site to find out what the wiccan beliefs are, because some of my friends are wiccans, but no one has been able to tell me exactly what the wiccan belief is. I've read about Gerald Gardiner and some of his works, but the "definition" of what is the wiccan belief, is not stated in express terms. I know what christianity is, Judaism, Islam. but I'm interested in understanding my friends' beliefs. there must be someone who knows, eh? Some of the random explanations are Pagans, witches, warlocks, or even satanism, but I don't think satanism is part of it. Does it have anything to do with animism? Tip } Wiccan Belief? The trouble with many concepts that are ‘abstract yet fundamental’, as ‘Wiccan belief’ is, is that they are all learned not by logical reason, but by osmosis – ‘this is honourable, but that is dishonourable’. Socrates knew this and he asked the high priest what ‘piety’ was, and the chief general what ‘courage’ was, and they couldn’t put these concepts into words accurately, and just made fools of themselves. (They later were part of the conspiracy to defame him, which you can read about in Plato’s ‘Socrates last days’. ) Religion that has a book is a time capsule. The things in that book are only fully applicable during the time that it was written in. Wicca is a growing, changing religion. No-one will ever be able to tell you exactly what the wiccan belief is, and not every wiccan on the planet will agree with that person’s definition of wicca. Wiccans do not have a bible, as such, so there is even more room for interpretation than in doctrinal r religions (religions-with-a-book). Wiccan belief changes and differs from person to person, as the message is pulled through the filter of our thoughts, emotions, memories, and other beliefs, until our interpretation of the wiccan belief becomes ingrained in our psyche. (You can see the same principle in the game Chinese Whispers/Broken Telephone. ) Christian, Islam and Jewish beliefs differ too. In Christianity, there are Mormons (with a new book to the bible), evangelists (Praise the Lord and pass the cheque book), and, that most famous of schisms; Catholicism and Protestantism. If you ask these people what exactly is Christianity, you will get different responses in the non-core values. (core values are central, founding values. Non-core values are things that came along later.) If you ask wiccans what exactly is wicca, you will get different responses in the non-core values. (This whole paragraph is only to point out how even religions that have a distinct bible have different sects. Not trying to pick on Christianity, it’s so mainstream it is a perfect example.) Pagan simply means ‘rural’ in its original language, and it is now seen as anything that is not Jewish, Islamic or Christian. Gee, that’s only a short list! ‘Pagan’ can be Buddhist, Hindu, Shinto, Druidic, Witchcraft, Zoroastrian… you get my point. A witch can be of any religion, as being a witch is not restricted to any one religion. Animism, as I understand it, is the belief that all things have a soul. I would agree that wicca is animist in its beliefs. Wicca, as I understand it, is a bit more of ‘sweetness and light’ than traditional witchcraft, is bio-centric (all life has value because it exists), uses common magick (uses props for magickal aid rather than pure mind), believes in the All, personified by the Goddess and God, representing duality in nature (day, night, man, woman) uses the pentacle as… yadda yadda yadda. Wicca, as I understand it, is constantly growing and changing. What I put down here today, I will think of differently in a week’s time. People who we would classify as ‘wiccan’ two hundred years from now will look at us and laugh, and continue worshipping in their changing ways. I would like to refer you to: www.paganism.com And, more bitter: www.whywiccanssuck.com I hope you understand a little more now. I know I do. :) God bless. Malkin. |
| Wiccan Belief? |