In some doofy Wicca thread in the GD...
aNeeA wrote:
About wiccans, I want to know more. This is called a religion right? It seems to be more like a sect... But I need info to say that
You practice vudu?
Me:
Fantastic questions, actually.
Wicca is a religion. The religion is remarkably new, actually. On a whole, that is. It is based off ancient pagan and NATURE-worshipping religions, and just brought to a nice modern whole, mostly by a fellow by the last name Gardner. There seems to be another person who has a take on wicca, with the last name Alexander, but I am not sure as much about when they becan their take.
A sect is a division of a religion. Catholicism, Protestant, Jehova's Witness, Morman, etc, are sects of Christianity. Gardnerian and Alexandrian are sects of Wicca.
Do you mean cult? That tends to be the word often associated with wicca/witches. A cult, as most people tend to define it, is a false religion often of fanatics and follows around a central person and acts to make the leader's beliefs known. So, Wicca is not a cult, by that definition, either. (Please note, there are many definitions for the word "cult," and one would actually make ALL religions a "cult," so it depends how you look at it.)
Wiccans worship nature, and often a god AND goddess figure, or other ancient mythological figures. For thousands of years, as evidenced by artwork and artifacts, there was a central goddess worshipped by almost all people. The curves of a woman, similar to seeds and fruit, the circle of the moon, etc. were related to nature, and the woman's ability to bear children made her a source of life. Therefore, the goddesses (all kinds of variations from different peoples) is the deity of nature, and why pagans (and now modern wiccans) like to worship a female deity. However, it is very important to not forget about the god figure as well, in order to keep balance.
Voodoo... the definition from dictionary.com:
1. A religion practiced chiefly in Caribbean countries, especially Haiti, syncretized from Roman Catholic ritual elements and the animism and magic of slaves from West Africa, in which a supreme God rules a large pantheon of local and tutelary deities, deified ancestors, and saints, who communicate with believers in dreams, trances, and ritual possessions. Also called vodoun.
2. A charm, fetish, spell, or curse holding magic power for adherents of voodoo.
3. A practitioner, priest, or priestess of voodoo.
4. Deceptive or delusive nonsense.
Well, most wiccans I know are not from the Carbbean (although it is possible). Although, by definition #1, I do see similarities. Communicating with others in dreams and trances, but not possessions, is common amongst witches (remember, witchcraft and wicca are different things) and I imagine some wiccans, too. A reverence for animals is also very popular amonst wiccans/witches, as many try to find their guiding/spirit/totem animal (mine are a
white stag and an owl).
However, any witch/wiccan who tries to curse people with their magick is not one we prefer to associate with. There are good and bad believers (as with any religion), but I am very proud to say the vast majority of us are good. Most people-manipulating spells dont' even work, as it would take the most highly practiced witch to be able to manipulate a person, and if someone was that powerful, they would certainly not wish to manipulate a person for their own desire.
I hope this answers your questions. Wicca is really a peaceful religion, and is dominantly a desire for people from this era wishing to believe in the same things that ancient people believed in. Religion really shouldn't have to be something that evolves to modern beliefs to accomodate new ways of thought. Loving nature, as it is rather everlasting and pretty constant, is simple and desirable to many.
Religions can be wonderful things, as they inspire hope, love, and community. I believe that Christianity teaches wonderful things, but sometimes the leaders of each division can teach bad things, and create closed-minded and very hateful people. Any religion can do this, and it is a shame.
I believe that by understanding one another, all religions can get along. I hope this post has been informative and helpful.
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I just wanted to share this experience, and wish to open the table for others to share any experiences of their own where they have helped educate people who seek to further learn and understand.
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