| QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Q. What is Paganism? A. Paganism is one of the oldest systems of religion that can be traced in humanity. Its origins lie in European pre-history, and its traditions are premised on a view that all Nature is sacred. The term "pagan" comes from the Latin pagani, meaning "people of the fields" or "people of the land", since the ancient traditions of God and Goddess-worship and Nature spirituality were held longest by the rural populations of Europe. Q. What is Witchcraft? A. Witchcraft is the belief in an ancient form of spirituality that existed in Western Europe in pre-Christian times. The original Witches were healers, midwives, seers, herbalists and sorcerers who lived among European tribal societies. Witches performed the role of tribal shamans among the Pagan cultures of Europe. They were revered among the royal society since they were often seers and could offer advice on running the kingdom. Wicca, or the "Craft of the Wise", worshiped a God and a Goddess, usually having multiple facets to each such as the Triple Goddess (Maiden, Mother, Crone) and a duel God (the young Stage King and Pan) Q. What are the basic principles of Witchcraft or Wicca? A. The basic Rede is "Do what thou will but harm none". What does this mean? This means that you do nothing that will cause harm to another person, as long as they have caused you no harm. This includes not bending someone's will to your own. It is a Nature based religion having a God and a Goddess, duality in all things, male-female, good-evil, etc. It is based on free will. There is no devil or Satan in Witchcraft, that is a totally Christian concept. We believe the only evil that exists is in the heart of man and not caused by a deity. Q. Are Paganism and Witchcraft considered cults? A. All religions can be considered cults if you go by the Webster's Dictionary: B. cult: 1. a system of religious worship 2. devoted attachment to a person, principal, etc. Cult is a word now used to describe any religion that is mis-understood in a Christian society. Christianity is the most heinous cult of all. For the first 15 centuries of Christianity the Bible was in Latin and until the mid 20th century Catholic masses were held in Latin, the main indicator of a cult is the control of information. So by these standards the Christian church was a cult. Q. How did Witchcraft get such a bad name? A. The negative associations regarding Witches are the result of widespread religious prejudice which evolved during the early years of the Christian era. Christian missionaries attempting to convert the Pagan peoples of Northern Europe found themselves at odds with Witches and other types of Pagan priests and shamans. As the Church gained a great deal of power over the course of time, it sought to eradicate the influence of the Witches by portraying them in an unfavourable light, such as devil worshipers, and, later, by outright persecution, torture, and murder of people accused of being Witches. In the Christian culture, many of the negative stereotypes remain. Q. Do Pagans and Witches worship the Devil? A. No! There is no devil in Witchcraft. The general notion of the devil is really part of the Christian New Testament theology. Witchcraft and Paganism have a totally different theology which does not even acknowledge the existence of the Christian devil. During the persecutions of Witches during the Middle Ages and Renaissance, the Christian churches began to use the image of the Stag God (Cernunnos) to represent the devil in an effort to crush the Pagan and Witch practices that they were attempting to eradicate. Satanism, or devil worship, is a Christian heresy dating to the time of the Renaissance, and has nothing to do with Witchcraft or Paganism. Witches and Pagans worship neither the Christian God nor the Christian devil. Q. Are pentagrams satanic? A. No. The inverted pentagram (two points up) represents the Stag God and the circle around it, the moon for the Goddess. With one point up, it represents the four corners, North (earth), South (fire), East (air) and West (water), with the top point representing the higher self or deity. The pentagram has been made to be evil by Christians and through misinformed movies, stories, etc, to give them a satanic touch. However Satanists use the pentagram is up to them and has nothing to do with Witchcraft and Wicca. EARTH: (lower left hand corner) represents stability and physical endurance. FIRE: (lower right hand corner) represents courage and daring. WATER: (upper right hand corner) represents emotions and intuition. AIR: (upper left hand corner) represents intelligence and the arts. SPIRIT: (at the top most point) represents the All and the Divine. The Circle around the star represents the God-Goddess; it refracts and reflects all light, bringing to the wearer total intelligence, universal wisdom and protection. Q. What is a coven? A. A coven is a group of Witches who practice together. Most covens are small, intimate groups of about a dozen members or so. Q. Why is Halloween associated with Witches? A. Originally known as Samhain (pronounced "sow-ain"), it is and was our New Year. In ancient Celtic times it was a festival of mid-autumn celebrating the symbolic "death" of Nature following the harvest and a time to remember and honour the dead. Christians have vilified it as a night when Satan was worshiped. Going back to the non-belief of Satan by Witches, this is ridiculous but shows the stigma attached by the Church. Q. Are all Witches women? A. No. Witch is a term used for both men and women of the Wiccan faith. The word Witch derives from the Anglo-Saxon Wicce, meaning a female Witch, and Wicca, a male Witch. Witchcraft, therefore, has always included both genders. Q. What is a warlock? A. The term warlock is derived from the Anglo-Saxon waerloga, meaning an "oath-breaker" or "traitor". It was a term applied by Witches to those who betrayed them to the Inquisition, be they male or female. It doesn't not denote a male witch, they are called witches just like their female counterparts. Hollywood and the uninformed have perpetuated the use of the word Warlock as a name for male witches. Q. Do Witches believe in magick? A. Yes. What Witches call magick is the harnessing of natural energy forces or "psychic energy" to make things happen. Witches undergo a process of training lasting many years during which they develop skill in working with energy forces. It is part of a Witches religion although you don't have to have the same spiritual beliefs as a Witch/Wiccan, you do not have to be a Witch to practice magick. Q. Do Witches have special psychic powers? A. While everyone has "psychic powers", Witches tend to have these abilities more sharply honed than most people, having trained in using them. Most people have psychic experiences randomly during their lives, a precognitive dream, a feeling of deja vu. But, due to movies, a Witches power has been greatly exaggerated. We don't fly, we can't physically change our looks, and we can't walk on water. Q. Do all Witches wear black? A. Only if they like the colour. Witches dress any way they want to. For ceremonies and rituals, we have robes that can be black, red, purple, blue or whatever colour needed for the ritual. Or sometimes we go "skyclad" or naked. It's up to the individual. That lady walking down the street in a business suit could be a Witch, as could your mail carrier, teacher, congressman or favourite movie star. You can't tell by what we wear. Q. Do Witches have ceremonies such as baptisms and marriages? A. Yes. Handfastings (marriages) are wonderful ceremonies to bind two people together. There are also "baptisms" and "passing" ceremonies done for birth and death. Q. How many Pagans and Witches are there today? A. There's no real way to get an accurate count but it can be estimated that there are 200,000 to 300,000 in the U.S. today. Although how this figure was estimated I have no idea. Q. Can someone who is a Christian also be a pagan? A. Paganism, Wicca and Christianity have very different and conflicting belief systems and practices that would make it very hard to combine the two belief systems. Some Christians do practice magickal spells as part of their spirituality but do not consider it Witchcraft. Q. How do I know if Witchcraft right for me? A. If it is, you know just like with any other religion. If it feels right, makes sense and makes you feel like you've "come home", then it's right for you. If not, then keep looking. You'll find something that clicks eventually. That's why there are so many religions, because there are so many kinds of people. Q. If Witches are not evil, why do they call themselves by a name that has so many negative associations? The negative associations of the term "Witch" have evolved out of a misguided fear, prejudice and hatred for many hundreds of years. The term "Witch has been used for ages. It defines who we are, what we do and what we believe in. It is the name we have inherited from those who have practiced our religion for thousands of years. Rather then change what we are known by, it would be better to change the perception that has caused the name to be associated with Satan, evil, etc, something that it, in fact, has nothing to do with. |