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Ugh, this one makes me feel a little stupid. I''ve already said something to this extent, and I thus wish to apologize for it. >_<

But, isn''t it safe to say that some naturally more acute senses and abilities can be very mildly accounted for by heritage? I mean say, for example, that your family background reaches back to a culture that communed with nature often, and for multiple generations. Wouldn''t the adapted traits of a bloodline for, say, effecting the weather in some way carry weakly through to an uninformed descendant, or, at the very least, allow for them to learn those certain things more quickly?

I say this because, while still learning the ways and etiquette of magickal practice, I''ve found myself to feel more comfortable with, if anything, actions that intend to alter or change the weather. I certainly can''t say that I have command over any specific elements in this way, but I do feel I have some weak influence over them. I feel it is necessary to note that every member of both my mother and father''s side of the family has passed on the tradition of farming, and this seems to stretch back to both their presences in Gaul, where the deities that I honor now were honored then as well. For this, can''t ancestral ties be thanked for some aid, regardless of how small, to one''s efforts?

I don''t know if, by saying this, I''m only making myself to look like a fool, but I earnestly do not wish to mock others in giving such a hypothesis, only to question whether it is or is not credible to ponder over.

Ah, and I think I have something else you could add to the list. sweatdrop If it's all right.

Claims to be a natural Wiccan. You can't be born believing in the three-fold law anymore than a Christian can be born following the ten commandments. Natural Wiccan should not ever be confused with natural witch.

sybex Shark:
Ah, understood. 3nodding While I doubt I have any significant family tie to a famous witch, my mother's maiden name is Frost, which always means a possibly distant tie to Gavin Frost, cofounder of the Church and School of Wicca (Though, Frost is somewhat of a common name, so I give my doubts to that), but at the very least, such relations could always mean some ancestral connection to the German zauberors.

And as for my thought of the family occupation of farming applying to proficiency in weather magic, I was more or less speculating that if the family practice of raising crops dated back to times when rituals for the crops were more commonplace in society, the methods used would have imprinted itself in the adapted traits of the passing generations, and even when the practices ended, the multicentennial habit of wanting and hoping for ideal rain conditions might still tap into that particular focus of will, preserving it through the ages.

Just a possible theory, but I should probably check for any noteworthy relatives on top of that. Thank you for the clarification. ^^

Oh, and if I may add another feature of what may appear to be "Fluffy Bunny" status:

"Claims that they have been on a certain unearthly plane, and that they are of high status in it" That is to say, those people who are fixed on believing that they have been to "Heaven" or "Hell" (Even though travel backwards into negative realms via astral travel has been proven impossible by both the Church and School of Wicca and the Canterbury Institute, and that reincarnation or guardianship are the only imaginable alternatives to ascension), and may be inclined to believe that they are an entity sourced from that plane, such as an angel, archangel, demon, etc. This sort of attitude often goes hand in hand with #4, and will use both to justify an authoritative standpoint in the description of the world beyond the mundane realm.

I'll wear a small silver etched-design ankh on a black cord, because I know what it stands for and I simply like the look of it. I also wear one of two pentacles on a random chain that I haven't broken yet out of being an idiot. One was give to me by my boyfriend and has a moonstone on it (I'm a Cancer) and the other was given by my closest guy friend who knows I'm studying Wicca, it has a light blue agate stone in it. I don't wear both pentacles at once, I rarely wear them with the ankh unless it's a special time. And they're all small enough they aren't noticed quickly. 3nodding

I've done the 'claiming age' thing, but that's because certain Wiccan sects do things that have been done for hundreds or thousands of years. Gardner's Wicca is modern, but others have taken from it's rules and applied them to practices that existed beore even Christianity. sweatdrop

Interesting post.

I 't think that I've ever fit into one of those catagories (or mabye I have, and just haven't realized it - depends on what you think of Cunningham... o.o). The only catagory I fit into is wearing lots of silver jewlery (pentagrams under my clothes) and black. I like the color black - it's good for keeping in energy and pushing away negative energy...

*shrugs*

That's all.

I love the very thoughtful responses brought here. Hopefully I can respond to them as best as I can.

Sucellus: I think we all figure that sybex already covered most of this well =3

Sybex: For your first response - Yeah... mostly the "related to Gerald Gardner" thing is quite correct. But, another BS thing is a claim to be from like... hundreds of generations of Wiccans. Or even Witches. The chances of that being passed on flawlessly that long is just... bullshit >.<
Your addition? I concur!

Sucellus: Your addition? Oh god do I concur!

Ivy: I think what was meant by all the jewlery was EXCESSIVE and/or HUGE (borderline bling-bling, even?) jewlery. Like... half an armful of jewlery on each arm, 5 or more necklaces (all with a "Wiccan" theme), etc. Most people really can't get away with it. But, to credit, I have seen an elder woman who has worn something like this, and gets away with it wonderfully. Its interpretive, as is just the term itself anyway.

Amber and Angellen: Do you wear black and all that jewlery BECAUSE you are wiccan? Probably not. Most of my wardrobe is black, and I prefer silver to gold, but I had this taste before I knew things about Wicca/witchcraft =3 I think that what the original author meant was that the wardrobe was such that way BECAUSE of their religious choice.

I am an empath, too. However, its so bad that even my typical wardrobe of black black black on blackity black black does not do any warding for me. Then again... I haven't tried to put any power into my wardrobe... LOL