Are You a Pagan Individual?
Author: Crick
When one looks about the Neo Pagan community, one common factor that stands out is the constant jockeying of certain individuals/groups to be the learning curve for all other pagans. To my mind this is an attempt to validate ones personal insecurities. For as pagans we should be individuals who are comfortable in the way that we seek our spiritual path.
One cannot be true to and thus accepting of others if we are not true to ourselves first. This is a tenet that separates the individualism of paganism in general and witchcraft in particular, from the tenets of organized religion.
It is interesting to note though that such behavior is unique to Neo Paganism. Not all of those who contributed to the origins of Christianity believe in the concept of “Jesus” as he is portrayed by the organized religions of today.
For instance, the Mandaeans are followers of John the Baptist. They are a people called “Mughtasilah”, which translates as, “Those Who Wash themselves”. They are considered to be the “Children of the Books”, and as such, are said to be “holders of the Word of God.” And though they are hostile to Judaism, Christianity and Islam, (Mandaeans regard Christianity and rabbinical Judaism as false religions that, along with the negative influence and/or alignment of planets and stars, impede the soul’s release from bondage.
With the arrival of Islam in Iraq, in 636 CE, the Mandeans were seen as the third “people of the book”, and were thought to be the mysterious Sabians of the Koran. But the Mandeans still encountered a difficult relationship with Islam, and Muhammad is in their writings called the demon “Bizbat”.
The Mandaeans themselves subscribe to the belief that Judas Thomas was Jesus’ twin brother and that it was actually Judas Thomas who was crucified on the cross and that Jesus then lived out his life as his brother Thomas to avoid persecution for his attempted role as the alleged messiah. To support this belief, the early church father “Irenaeus” wrote around 150 CE that Jesus remained on earth as a teacher for some twenty years after his crucifixion, and that John the Apostle served as a conduit for these teachings.
The Mandaeans are an ancient form of Christian Gnosticism, which practices initiation, ecstasy and various rituals that have been said to resemble those of the Freemasons. They very frequently practice baptism in running water and a sort of “confirmation”, is given to the dying. They repudiate idolatry and circumcision, while celibacy is absolutely forbidden. They practice a moral code of charity and goodwill.”
They hold to a planetary influence on the hours, much like Solomon and others of his kind did and they have a seven-day induction of priests, which is similar to the Sabians. Their year consists of twelve months of thirty days each, followed by five auspicious days of epact. At the New Year they keep vigil for the spirits of light to return from congratulating the Supreme Being for creation.
They utter “Ask and find, speak and listen” like the Harranians, but then invoke a formal denial of the powers of the sun and moon contrary to the Sabians. Their calendar is solar while the Harranian one is luni-solar. And amongst the Mandaeans, women may own property, though divorce is not recognized, and a man may have as many wives as he desires.”
The Mandaeans take their name from “Manda” which means secret knowledge.” The Mandaean priests are called “Nasoreans”, as were the followers of Jesus. Within the Mandaean sect, a Nazarean is equated to the same status as an archbishop. During the first three centuries CE, there were certain Mandaean or Johannite sects, especially in the region of the Tigris-Euphrates basin, who honored John the Baptist, not Jesus, as their prophet.
One of these sects still exists to this day in areas of Iraq. According to their thinking, John the Baptist was “the true prophet”, while Jesus was a rebel, a heretic, who led men astray and whom betrayed secret doctrines.” According to the Mandeans, John the Baptist was Hibil-Ziwa. “Hibil-Ziwa was a Savior who entered the world of darkness and destroyed the evil spirits so that the faithful could obtain liberation before the end of the world.”
The Mandaeans tell of the founding of Jerusalem by a powerful and evil female Goddess named Ru Ha. For Jews, Muslims and Syriac-speaking Christians, Ru Ha, signifies the Holy Spirit who is mentioned in both the Quran and the Bible. She controlled the Seven Planets and worked evil on the Earth through several chosen men. They are Abraham, Moses, David and his son Solomon. Her greatest evil however, was realized through the actions of one man. At her temple in Jerusalem, a young priestess was selected to bear a “special offspring”. The name of this priestess was “Miriam”. The Christians call her Mary. She brought forth the “child of Ru Ha”, the “Imunel” (Immanuel) and he were in turn called, “Jesus”.
He was baptized by John and taught at length by him. In time he turned away from John’s teachings and led the people astray, the Mandaeans claim. The Mandaeans say that Mary is a “Daughter of Moses” and that Moses dwelt on Mt. Sinai.
One of the texts of the Mandeans tells a story about the flight of a group called “Nasoreans”, from areas that are today known as Jordan, to the Mesopotamian region, in the times of the Jewish wars following the destruction of Jerusalem in the year 70 CE. It is thought that they were driven out by Saul (Paul) himself.
The story goes that Paul arrived as the first Christian missionary in Corinth and in Ephesus, only to discover to his amazement that there were already churches established there. Upon making inquiries he discovered that they were the Church of John the Baptist. Paul believed that the Ephesians and Corinthians would, therefore, be delighted to discover that he represented Jesus Christ, the one prophesied to come after John.
However, contrary to his expectations, they had never heard of such a prophecy.” The following reference is found in the Christian bible: “While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when [or after] you believed?”
They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” So Paul asked, ‘Then what baptism did you receive?’ “John’s baptism, ” they replied. Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.” Acts 19:1-5
And so though there is an ongoing and determined effort by the three main Abrahamic religions to be seen as the learning curve for all other beliefs in the world, just as there are certain Neo Pagan individuals/groups who follow suit in regards to Paganism. As individuals it is our responsibility to dig beneath the surface of such popular and often misguided rhetoric, for the truth is that which serves the individual and not that of the masses.
As pagans, our spiritual journey is unique to each of us and cannot nor should not be defined by any one group of folks, regardless of such rhetoric…
Eagle soars high enough to see the grand panorama of life, and yet has vision keen enough to spot a fish a mile away. How’s your vision? Are you seeing the big picture or are you only concentrating on the fish? Eagle is asking you to take a step back so you can once again see the whole. You’ve gotten so lost in the trees you’ve forgotten the forest.
The way to be rich is to realize how rich you are. The way to be rich is to express and to live the unique abundance that is yours.
It’s not what you get that makes you rich. It’s what you do with all you have.
The way to be truly rich is to make good, meaningful use of what you have. The way to be exceptionally rich is to be generous with all that you are.
The abundance of the universe is literally everywhere. What transforms that abundance into real richness is your choice to make purposeful, loving use of it.
Each day is overflowing with possibilities for new richness. See the best possibilities, act on them, and find true delight in making life richer and richer.
Make joyful use of each moment, and sincerely give the best of who you are. Live a life that is rich indeed.
— Ralph Marston
Great Goddess, Great God
I greet you at the start of a new day
And thank you for the potential that this day holds
Please send me the best day possible
Help me to feel my best
So I might do my best for myself and for others
Smile upon me as I walk my Path
And guide me so I might walk with wisdom and grace
And shine your light upon the world
As the Sun rises
Fill me with energy and joy
Bless me with Your Presence
And watch ove me and those that I love
So Mote It Be
3 Winterfyllith
Njord’s Blot
Color: Sea-blue
Element: Water
Altar: Upon cloth of sea-blue set a Scandinavian ship, a net, a basket of fish-shaped cakes, and a metal tankard of mead.
Offerings: Give aid to a sailor. The House should, together, send a package to one who sails the seas and has need of succor.
Daily Meal: Fish.
Invocation to Njord
Hail, Njord, Lord of the Surface of the Sea!
Hail, Sailor’s Watcher,
Lord of Ships upon the waters.
Blessed you are in the prow,
Where you lead us forward to our goals.
Blessed you are in the stern,
Where you guard our wake
From the monsters of the Deep.
Blessed you are on the port,
Where your keen eyes search the horizon.
Blessed you are on the starboard,
Where you guide us by the stars.
Blessed you are on the high mast,
Where you stand tall with far vision.
Blessed you are in the sails,
Which you fill with billowing winds.
Blessed you are at the rudder,
Where you skillfully outrun all storms.
Blessed you are at the nets,
Where the fish come by the thousands into our hands.
Blessed you are belowdecks,
Where you rock us gently to sleep
On the waves of certainty,
Knowing that the farthest shore
Will soon be under our feet.
Hail Njord, Lord of Ships,
Guide our souls safely across the waters.
(All pass and bless the package, and see it safely gone. The mead is poured out as libation.)
October 2 – Daily Feast
Sweet fragrance of the land, herbs and roots and medicines long lost to the general populace, are nonetheless as present as they always have been. We have been so taken with miracle cures, these things have been put away as folklore and not dependable. The simple people at one time had no other alternative – so runs the present-day popular notion. Hard-fought battles over who is to pay for the miracle medicines – and we are grateful for most of them – may turn a venturesome soul back to the soil and back to those things that heal a mind and body without being asked for proof of insurance. But one other thing far too ignored is the power of prayer. No Indian is remiss in blessing his body and soul and spirit because he knows they work together. His prayer is not now and again but regular and potent.
~ The lack of respect for growing, living things soon led to lack of respect for humans too. ~
LUTHER STANDING BEAR – LAKOTA
‘A Cherokee Feast of Days, Volume II’ by Joyce Sequichie Hifler
So far today, Goddess, I’ve done all right. I haven’t gossiped, haven’t lost my temper, haven’t been greedy, grumpy, nasty, selfish or overindulgent. I’m really glad about that.
But in a few minutes, I’m going to get out of bed, and from then on I’m probably going to need a lot more help!
The High Priest Steps Forward To Give The Invocation of the Goddess
Come to us Moist Mother Earth. Come to us and take your ease. You have
labored long and hard to bring forth your bounty, so that we your children may survive. Come and relax, for well have you earned your rest. Eat and drink your fill, sing, dance, and be merry, for you have done well, and there is
plenty for all. And, if it pleases you to ask for the favors of one of us as
well, may you find satisfaction there too. We shout your praises, for you are
the essence of fulfillment, love, and joy. You are the most beautiful, and
beyond measure is your grandeur and greatness. May we never forget that we are a part of your Sacred Body, and may we work to preserve it in all of its
myriad forms. All hail the Great Mother!
The High Priest Faces North:
Guardians of the watchtower of the north, we do summon, stir,
and call thee up to protect us in our rite. Come forth from the fertile bosom
of our Blessed Mother Earth, and nourish us so that our hopes may grow to
fruition. So mote it be!
Guardians of the watchtower of the west, we do summon, stir, and
call thee up to protect us in our rite. Come forth from the rainbow hued
morning dew that covers the fields, and is soon to be frost. Asperge us with
your diadems and water our deepest roots that we may find peace of mind. So
mote it be!
Guardians of the watchtower of the south, we do summon, stir,
and call thee up to protect us in our rite. Come forth from the cook fires
and smokehouses where food is being made ready for the coming cold months.
Kindle within us the flame of spiritual awakening. So mote it be!
The High Priest now approaches…..
The Quarter Invocations Will Now Be Preformed
The High Priest Facing East:
Guardians of the watchtower of the east, we do summon, stir, and
call thee up to protect us in our rite. Come to us now on the cool breath of
Autumn’s sigh which heralds the advent of Winter and the close of harvest
time. Breathe into us the spirit of the pure joy of life. So mote it be!
Great Goddess
Be with me in this time of sorrow
Ease the pain of my heart
And soothe my battered spirit
Bless my nights and restful sleep
So I might cope with the long days ahead
Enfold me in your compassionate arms
As I learn to live with my loss
Help me to move forward with life
And let the pain grow less as time passes
Bless me with your love
And watch over me
And the one I have lost
So Mote It Be
A Decade of Paganism
Author: SylvanFox
When I was knee-high to a grasshopper, I had a children’s Bible that I must have read a hundred times. I quickly noticed that it didn’t have any of the quotes that I heard in church, so I knew I had to get my hands on the real thing. I struggled with this mammoth book and its Jacobean writing style, and once I got past that I struggled with its contents. I had no trouble believing that Moses had parted the Red Sea or that Jesus could turn water into wine. What troubled me was the way the Bible regarded women.
You see, in my childhood I had a more fervent faith that any adult I’ve ever met. It wasn’t ever enough to read about all that stuff happening so long ago, I wanted that stuff to happen here, now. I wanted to be involved in my faith, not just have it spoon-fed to me on Sundays. I wanted to be a preacher, or a prophet, or a modern-day Biblical hero. Reading the real-life grown-up Bible made me realize that could never happen, and for no better reason than that I am female.
That’s how it came to be that at the age of fourteen, I was looking for new options. I didn’t have much to go on, just some vague idea that other religions existed plus a love for mythology and stories. Then one of the other kids in the neighborhood found a battered old brown book that was simply titled Wicca (no idea who the author was) . We never really knew where this book came from, but all the kids were fascinated with it because it mostly contained what we recognized as Witchcraft (in hindsight, this was not a very good book on Wicca) , but it opened us up to new possibilities, and the few mentions in the book of “The Goddess” caught my interest. Surely a Lady god would let women step up to the plate! There was no way to find out more about this Goddess at the time, but that problem soon disappeared, when we got the internet hooked up at the house.
Online, I ran into Wicca again when I met a lot of Witches on a site I frequented. This led me to do further research, and I liked what I found out. Soon my prayers were directed at an equal Goddess and God, and I worked out a plan to get the book that everyone online recommended to me as a great starting place- Scott Cunningham’s Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner. This was a lot better than that battered old book we had been toying around with. I learned a lot from it, and for the next two or three years I was a devoted and enthusiastic Wiccan.
I’ve always heard a lot of complaints about teen witches, but people have got to start somewhere. I won’t say that I was always mature and grounded in my approach to Wicca at that time, but I don’t think I was a total Fluffbunny either. It wasn’t a phase. It wasn’t a fairy tale version of my life. It was my new path, and I’m still walking it, so I try to show respect to teen Pagans when I run across them on the net
When I was old enough to get a job, I bought more books on Wicca and Witchcraft, including more Cunningham books and Raymond Buckland’s Complete Book of Witchcraft. I liked all of these books, but I started to get a little bit disenchanted with Wicca. I might never have done so if I could have been a part of some organized Tradition or coven.
The problem was something I had trouble grasping at the time. Wicca was a hodge-podge of stuff borrowed from older religions and often watered down a lot. While I liked and believed in the idea that “All gods are one God”, I wasn’t really interested in worshipping some flavorless compilation of gods. It’s hard to put into words what I needed, but the closest thing I can think of is discipline. Wicca didn’t seem to have any standards to live up to outside of “harm none, ” and I thought there should be more to it than that. I also thought that Wicca, and many Wiccans, focused too much on sex, both as a part of the religion and as a major sign of freedom. It made me feel left out, because I had an “inexcusable” aversion to sex (will get into that later) .
Another thing was that I wanted to stick to one god or set of gods. I researched a number of Pagan paths, including Hellenic Reconstructionism, Celtic Reconstructionism, and Discordianism. I also read up a bit on Theraveda Buddhism. It was a while before I would settle for any one thing, however, and instead of moving on, I incorporated pieces of these other paths (especially Discordianism and Buddhism) into my faith.
Then there came a day when I stumbled across an article on The Witches’ Voice that talked about something called soul retrieval. I was interested in this, and resolved to contact the person mentioned in the article. I was now nineteen and no longer living with my Southern Baptist mother so it was no trouble for me to do so. I had progressed over the last five years, but not as much as I thought. The process of soul retrieval marked the beginning of the real growth, perhaps due as much to becoming an adult as to the soul retrieval itself.
When I talked to the woman, she told me about a lot of things. First off, she said that I was a “walk-in”, a person who steps into the body of another, sometimes for a specific purpose. According to her, my specific purpose was to get back into the world of life so I could repair myself of damage done in my last life.
I take what I hear about past lives and such with a grain of salt, as I’m not even sure how reincarnation works, or if it works at all, but what I was told about my past life in this conversation answered some very important questions about things in my life, most notably my big sexual hang-up. A lot of family members had been thinking that I had been molested at some point, but the truth is that such a thing never happened in my childhood. I had no real reason for my unnatural fear and aversion that made me feel weak, ashamed, and confused. That’s why I was inclined to believe her when she told me that I had been brutally assaulted in a past life.
Believing in those gory details opened me up more to the rest of what she said. She explained that she was a “Plant Woman”, and that I was training to be a sort of Norse version of that in this past life. “Plant Woman” was her preferred term for what we might call a Medicine Woman or a Shaman.
After the soul retrieval, I felt revitalized, and there was a definite feel of beginning. I felt like an apprentice or acolyte, just beginning my spiritual path. I decided to check out Norse mythology and Heathen faiths such as Asatru and Odinism, and (how had I not already done so by that point? I have no idea) , and I loved what I found.
From then on, my primary focus would be on Heathen gods and Heathen lore. The only exceptions have been two occasions wherein I implemented Chaos Magic in order to use another belief to further my path. The first time was in order to understand better the rifts between my Christian family and myself by sliding back into the Christian paradigm for a while. The second was a time I felt that I specifically needed to the energies of the Egyptian Goddess Sekhmet. Both of these experiences were very powerful, but I was happy to get back to my Heathen comfort zone.
Being a Heathen fulfilled a lot of my personal needs that Wicca just didn’t fulfill. I’m not saying Wicca isn’t a good religion, it’s just that being a Heathen rocks my socks. I liked that the structure was just a little more rigid (even though I never joined up with any specific Heathen path) and that there were ancient, poetic texts to study and ponder. I suppose I had missed these things since leaving Christianity. I started reading the Eddas on sacred-texts.com and eventually bought a copy of each one.
As I’m reviewing the last ten years (going on eleven- I am now 25 years of age) , I can’t help but think about exactly what it means to be Pagan. Oh, I know about the standard definition, but there’s also a tiny but unique culture we have. Even though I’ve primarily been solitary, only attending one full-on Pagan Festival the entire time and one year’s celebration of the NYC Pagan Pride gathering, there is this very real culture of which I am a part.
I’ve seen this culture change over time, watching from underneath my little rock. At first, Wicca seemed to be the only form of Paganism I ran across. Within five years, there were tons of people claiming this little religion or that, and many people seemed to open fire on Wicca the same way they would on Christianity. For the most part, though, no matter what religion we claim, we all seem to go our own way (I’d like to see whether it works that way with more organized Pagans) . And somehow, all those little roads go in roughly the same direction and get us to roughly the same place. Modern Pagan culture, because of its diversity, is less about the Gods we believe in and more about a spiritual journey, a process of growth and learning.
It changes the way we see the world. I know Christians and atheists and even Asian Buddhists, and all of them have a different way of seeing things than I do. It’s hard to explain exactly what this difference is. Christians and Buddhists have texts to guide them in religious conduct and thought. Atheists prefer to just live life and not think about any spiritual aspect in life. As for us, I think we tend to look at the same situations through a different lens. We try to understand things. That doesn’t make us any better than anyone else, nor does it guarantee that we will always come to the most logical conclusions, but it is something.
There are other things Pagans tend to have in common, such as knowledge of other Pagan paths, a certain degree of Occult knowledge, and the experience of being a tiny religious minority. This what makes us into a single large community (well… roughly speaking, anyway) . Though my practice is solitary, there are a lot of big things in my life that could not have happened without the existence of this community.
Ten years, you guys. What now? There aren’t any books or guides to tell a Pagan what to do at this point. (Should there be?) I know what I’d like to do next, though. I want to be more involved in this community. I feel like it still has a lot to offer me, and I finally feel like maybe I have some things to contribute. That remains to be seen. It’s the next chapter I choose to embark upon, now that my first decade of Paganism has come to a close.
For all those working Witches, Wiccans & any other Traditions that may be joining us today. This Is Your Day!
You get up every morning. Go to work and work your rump off. Come home eat supper, take a bath and go to bed. You occasionally stop to think no one appreciates you. Boy, are you wrong! The States have put a day aside to acknowledge you and the hard work you do every day. You know why?
Because You Make this Country Great! You are our Backbone! We appreciate everything you do and we want to take this day to acknowledge you. And to say “Thank You!”
Why We Should Agree to Disagree
Author: Elevander
I was wandering around on the Internet the other day and came across an article on Wicca and Christianity. As I began to read it, I felt as though someone had punched me physically in the stomach, such was the hatred and vehemence behind the words.
A large portion of it was dedicated to emphasizing how, according to the Bible, Witches are Satanists, heretics and sinners, i.e. children of the devil. We do not follow their texts and their God and so we are painted as being evil and wrong.
The author dismisses emails he had received from Wiccans informing him that we do not believe or have a place for a devil in our faith and pointing him towards websites such as witchvox.com for a clearer view of our faith, by stating that just because we do not acknowledge Satan does not mean that it is not he who leads us.
It is an example of the shining white of the Christian God; if we do not worship him then we must be completely dark and led by Satan. It is a comfort to me that the Lord and Lady are both light, dark and shades of grey, and so nothing I experience will ever be a mystery to them but rather a part of them.
Instead of becoming angry at the intolerance in the words, I found myself considering the similarities between the two faiths, rather than the differences. Wiccans believe that the divine is represented by both male and female, the God and Goddess who were created by The One.
A popular school of thought is that all Goddesses are one; different aspects of the female divine that can be found in every pantheon, the same applies to the God and the male divine. This could be interpreted as there being one God.
The concept of a Goddess places the first stumbling block, and yet Christianity does have a female figurehead in the form of the Virgin Mother (notably Catholicism in which Mary can be revered even more than Jesus, especially by the women).
Ignoring the inherent dehumanization of her title, Mary the Virgin Mother does provide a female influence even if her importance in relation to the Christian God is generally iniquitous within the texts and their followers.
It may be suggested that, similar to the Triple Goddess, the Christian God is considered to have three aspects, which make up the Holy Trinity; the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, although Christians have said that this is not the case and that the three are One together, rather than being three separate aspects of the One.
This is rather confusing as they are mentioned separately by name in the new testament and yet the old testament uses the term ‘God/Lord’ throughout, suggesting that the two options are synonymous like the Goddess, whose three aspects can be spoken to separately or as one; but all are the Goddess.
I see more similarities on a moral level, the Bible containing parables and passages about the way you should treat your fellow man.
The Bible contains the story of Moses and the 10 commandments – the Christian ‘laws’ if you will, such as “Thou shalt not steal…commit murder…adultery, etc.
We Wiccans have one law ‘An’ it harm none, do as thou wilt’. It seems to me that this encompasses the 10 commandments and more besides, but without all the negative commands such as ‘Put to death any woman who practices magic’ (Exodus 22:18).
Are the two faiths really all that different?
I mean obviously there are differences in outlook as Wiccans do not seek to recruit others or disparage their paths as each person’s path is their own, but surely it is how people behave towards each other that is most important, not the fine details of exactly what they believe?
A point was made that Wiccans have no place or need for forgiveness within our faith and so no concept of sin. I personally believe this to be untrue, anything which goes against the Rede is wrong and therefore could be considered a ‘sin’, it is just that we do not need to ask forgiveness from a perfect God, but rather seek understanding and forgiveness from a divine that is both darkness and light and therefore a divine that understands.
As we are a part of the divine, we must also be able to forgive ourselves our mistakes and make conscious efforts to learn from them, so that they may not repeat themselves.
I suppose a concise way of looking at it would be that Wiccans try to make up for our mistakes while we are alive, and so learn lessons, rather than pay for them and be punished once we have died.
Perhaps what I will say next will seem simplistic, but if everyone made the effort to see common areas rather than differences we may all be better off and happier in ourselves.
Even if this means placing importance on different (and possibly more constructive) parts of the Bible teachings such as “Love thy neighbor as thy brother”, “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you” and “Judge not, lest ye be judged” (‘Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to ye again’ Ibid 7:1-2).
There are more cultures, faiths and origins in today’s society than we can count and yet intolerance and prejudice has not been diminished.
With the growing unrest and suspicion due to the ongoing wars and the media panic over terrorism where everyone is a potential enemy, tolerance needs all the help it can get – even if it means that those who walk in peace must agree to disagree in order to concentrate on the wider issues.
Footnotes:
– Christians Don’t Understand Wicca? David J Stewart
– The Holy Bible
Wicca v Witchcraft
Author: Irishdize
What are some of the differences between a Witch and a Wiccan?
Wiccans believe in and worship deities, usually a male and female God or a God and Goddess. Most Witches either worship only the Goddess or see the Goddess as a personification of nature, as I do. Wicca is one religion with laws, such as the Wiccan rede and the law of three. The rede says ‘an it harm none, do what ye will’. While I think it’s a wonderful law that covers just about everything you could ever wonder about, I don’t and cannot follow it. I simply instead do the best I can, given my circumstances. I don’t believe in ‘the law of three’ either which is whatever I send out ‘will come back to me times three’. I certainly believe in the law of Return, but it doesn’t work in quite the same way. Whatever I send out does return, but right away and is usually the exact same lesson reversed back at me. As you might surmise, I am not Wiccan.
Another key difference is that Wiccans will generally take gods and goddesses from mythology and call upon them for certain help, such as calling Aphrodite when they are doing a love spell. I simply do not need to use mythological deities to make my magic work; Magic is using natural energies that exist within me and around me in Nature to bring about change. In fact, one can believe that God doesn’t exist and still work Magic. Wiccans have a Wheel of the Year that they celebrate. There are eight holidays — starting on Oct 31st ‘Samhain’ or the Witches New Years. Their holiday structure has four high holy days and four low days as well as 13 Moons, some full and some new, when Magic is usually worked or divination is usually done.
I have random ritual days wherein I will spend the entire day or night in ritual, reading, contemplating, spirit dancing, or just connecting to the trees, rocks, the grass, whatever I feel like doing. Sometimes I will watch spiritually uplifting movies or listen to Native American music. Sometimes, I will just sleep or do readings by dice and Tarot. It’s all unplanned and very spontaneous whereas in Wicca, it’s usually planned down to the letter. Spells are written out before they are performed, as are rituals and of course, as I said, they know what day is a ritual day and what not. Most Wiccans I have encountered believe that their strongest magic can only happen on Full and New Moons. I disagree completely. Magic comes from within; it doesn’t matter what day or night one performs it and it doesn’t matter how well written your spell is or what tools you have (if you even have any tools) .
Most Wiccans have many tools and an Athame to direct energy or cast the circle. This is done for many reasons I am told: to create sacred space, to have a protective barrier against negative energies, lurking spirits or unexpected Visitors (human or animal) or to keep the magic within the circle until they are ready to send it out to do its purpose.
Witches like myself generally see no reason for a circle. Nature is holy; The Universe is Divine. There is no place in Nature that is not sacred already to us, so if the circle is being drawn for that reason, it isn’t needed. The energies that are around us at all times are both positive and negative, and while you can definitely put a mental shield up to protect yourself against such energies that cause you stress or harm, an imaginary circle isn’t needed. but by all means if you feel a need for it, who am I to say you shouldn’t do it?
Lurking spirits aren’t relevant to me as I don’t believe in spirits or ghosts and let me tell you something honestly, I have NEVER cast a circle in ritual while doing magic and never had my spells backfire or had any negative response. Sure, I’ve had spells that didn’t work because I didn’t put the right amount of effort into them but that had nothing to do with not casting an invisible circle or because I didn’t make the backyard sacred enough. As far as unexpected visitors or animals, my cat is just as sacred as the tree is so I am not worried about his energies affecting my work.
Many other tools that a Wiccan might have are cauldrons, mortar and pestle, wands, specific colored candles, incense, specific books by well respected authors, etc. I use only the following: Incense, Oils, Sage, Candles and Dice. I use Tarot Cards on occasion for personal insight, not to read the future. I do believe that you have to use specific colors to achieve certain goals but at the same time I KNOW that this isn’t true, I have used a yellow candle, for example, to bring money into my life and it worked because ultimately the candle is just a tool, Magic comes from within me and around me but I NEED what I NEED at the moment and candle colors represents some inner need, so I embrace that at the moment.
Books are of my own choosing. I read what I am drawn to read. A lot of the times, the books on my shelves are devotionals from different religions or books on Wicca (because that’s all I can find) . I have heard from several Wiccans that we should not read books written by certain authors. Let me tell you, read whatever feels right to you, whatever you are drawn to. Don’t worry about what another person thinks about you or your path. Maybe you need to read something in that book to teach you a lesson?
Of course, we Shadak Witches also have 108 Books of Shadak that we draw inspiration and wisdom from. These books have been handwritten or typed out by modern-day Witches with computers and are leather bound. These books are filled with the thoughts, ideas and opinions of our family members as well as instructions, rules and rule changes, counsel decisions and more and are to be read alongside any other books of our choosing.
Most Wiccans I have met believe in the Summerlands or life after death, ghosts, and angels. I’ve even heard some Wiccans speak of demons, which are from the Christian religion. I suspect these are Wiccans who were raised around Christianity.
I believe that when a person dies, their energy is reabsorbed back into Nature, back into the Goddess. I don’t believe in a traditional afterlife, so no Summerlands, no angels, no ghosts, no demons. I don’t believe in Jesus either -shocking, huh?
My altar is very simple, as well. I have two altars at the moment because I am living in my own apartment and then, part time, with my boyfriend. Both altars are just flat wooden tables. Both have candles on them, incense, oils, sage, some dice, Tarot Cards, books, flowers in a vase. Nothing elaborate; no statues, no athames, no pictures of the lord and lady, no pentacles…though I do wear a pentacle necklace and a pentacle ring, Both to me represent that I am Pagan, that I believe in the 4 elements and spirit and the six senses.
Most Wiccans have a year-and a-day of study. They can start out a bright-eyed bushy-tailed young teen ager and a year later become a High Priestess who doesn’t even know how to read tarot cards!
In Witchcraft, there either is no degree system at all — because progress is marked personally by how much we have learned or how much we have experienced — or there is a personal degree system such as the one that I follow which takes many YEARS to get through until you can become a High Priest. There are six levels within each degree in the system I follow and you earn a level by reading certain books and doing what you are supposed to do in the books. You do a simplistic ritual to see if you have earned a level. The die is instrumental in determining this.
Wiccans care very much about the rede and law of three. They don’t hurt people willy-nilly. But in The Tradition of Witchcraft I was raised in, we must wait for certain changes to happen. We must wait for the doors to open. This means that if I want to go to college, I must read The Books, cast the dice and wait for that door to open, Wiccans may just apply and attend school, not thinking about whether or not this is their intended path, whether or not they have taken a slot that someone else was supposed to have, etc. After all, what rule is there to follow other than the rede?
As far as sex, the body, life on Earth, we have similar views. Sex is sacred to most Wiccans and Witches and whatever someone does, as long as there isn’t harm, is all right. I’m gay and that’s perfectly accepted in both paths. The body is Holy.
Many Wiccans I have encountered tell me that Wicca is the religion and Witchcraft is just Magic. Magic is Magic, folks. You can be a Witch and NEVER practice Magic. There are many Traditions out there called Witchcraft and these people consider this to be their religion or spiritual path, as I do! If someone asked me what my religion was, I would say I am a Unitarian Universalist and a Solitary Eclectic Witch. I might also say that I am a Shadak Witch because Shadakism is the name of the tradition that I was raised in, It would depend on how much time I wanted to invest in explaining myself to the person I was talking with.
Magic is such a small part of being a Witch. I think I have been a Witch for 29 years and have done only about 50 spells in that entire time. Most of what I do is worship Nature, cook, garden, read, contemplate, dance, chant, cleanse, clean, watch TV, listen to music, have sex, walk in the woods, swim and cast dice, which are all parts of being a Witch. You should embrace your spiritual life as well as your ‘mundane’ life.
‘Blessed Be’ is usually a Wiccan saying, much like Merry Meet or Merry Part. Most Witches won’t say this when you meet them. It’s one good way to tell if the person you are speaking with is a Witch or a Wiccan… but some Witches will use the term if they are speaking with someone else who uses it. For example, my sister is Wiccan and will often end our conversations with “Blessed Be!” and out of respect I will also say it.
So, out of respect for the Wiccans who chose to read this, I say, “Blessed Be”!
Witches Of The Craft® 
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