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 Posted: Wed Nov 08, 2006 11:41 am
Some Misconceptions:
* Wiccans worship Satan - The figure of Satan is part of the Christian mythos, and those of us who do not follow Christianity, do not accept the existance of this character.
* Wiccans engage in ritual orgies - This misconception may have arisen from the practice of doing ritual in the nude.Not all Wiccans practice this way, and there is nothing sexual about it.
* Wicca is only for women - Wicca has attracted a great number of women because of the focus on the Goddess. But Wicca is open to everyone, male or female.
* Wicca has no rules - This little untruth is often used by our detractors to show that we must live wild and unrestrained lives. We may not have books of commandments to bind our lives, but most Wiccans do follow one single law: Harm None. Those two words have as much power as an entire book of rules.
* Wiccans cast spells and hexes to control people - If we really did this, Wiccans would all be wealthy and we would not suffer from discrimination. We believe that for every action, there is a re-action, and that includes using magick for negative manner. Wiccans don't believe in a punishing God, but we do think that bad actions will come back and bite us in the butt.
* Wicca is a cult that is trying to recruit people - Wiccans believe that each individual's path of spirituality is valid, and no one path is better than any other. We do not convert or recruit anyone. Proselytizing is not a practice we follow.
Real Facts About Wicca:
* Wiccans celebrate the 8 Sabbats - We don't necessarily worship the Earth, but we do hold it sacred, and celebrate the cycles and the seasons, as well as the traditional harvest days.
* Wicca is polytheistic - Not all Wiccans follow precisely the same path when it comes to Deity, but typically we believe in multiple Gods and Goddesses often taken from different cultures and time periods. Many Wiccans will work with 1 or 2 Deities, rather than worshipping the entire gamut.
* Wiccans do practice magick - Magick and spells are part of our religion. This sometimes seems far-fetched to those who don't understand. Forget every magick spell you've ever seen on TV or in the movies. Magick is nothing more than utilizing the energy that exists around us in nature. It's a delicate art that takes time, study and practice to master. We don't spend our days casting spells willy-nilly.
* Wiccans do gather in covens - The media has made this sound more sinister than it really is. A coven can be any number of people (not just 13), and involves a group of Wiccans who gather regularly for ritual, magick, study and celebration. It's not that mysterious at all. Many Wiccans are not part of any coven, and folks who work alone are called 'solitaries'.
Wish to learn more about wicca? Here's the source To Wicca
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Posted: Mon Dec 25, 2006 8:08 am
About "Wiccans engage in ritual orgies" the problem here is three fold (what is it with threes?). 1) some Wiccans DO engage in orgies as the word is commonly used. It does after all fall under "An it harm none, do what you will." If everyone is willing, there is no harm. Not my thing & I stay away from those groups. But it does happen. 2) in fiction, it simply makes a better story. Think about it, outside of Wiccans, who wants to hear that a small group of people gathered, cast a circle, invited the Gods, had cakes & said thank you. Not very interesting unless you already understand what it is REALLY about. 3) is the word orgy itself. orgy (thanks to http://www.etymonline.com ) 1561, orgies (pl.) "secret rites in the worship of certain Gk. and Roman gods," especially Dionysus, from M.Fr. orgies (c.1500), from L. orgia, from Gk. orgia (pl.) "secret rites," from PIE base *werg- "to work" (see urge (v.)). The singular, orgy, was first used in Eng. 1665 for the extended sense of "any licentious revelry." OED says of the ancient rites that they were "celebrated with extravagant dancing, singing, drinking, etc.," which gives "etc." quite a workout. The latin orgia is also where we get the word Urge urge (v.) (again thanks to http://www.etymonline.com ) 1560, from L. urgere "to press hard, push, drive, compel," from PIE base *werg- "to work" (cf. Avestan vareza "work, activity;" Gk. ergon "work," orgia "religious performances," organon "tool;" Armenian gorc "work;" Lith. verziu "tie, fasten, squeeze," vargas "need, distress;" O.C.S. vragu "enemy;" Goth. waurkjan, O.E. wyrcan "work;" Goth. wrikan "persecute," O.E. wrecan "drive, hunt, pursue;" O.N. yrka "work, take effect"). The noun is first attested 1618, from the verb; in frequent use after c.1910.
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Posted: Sun Feb 11, 2007 11:09 am
Allow me to add something
M: Wiccans can cast magick on someone without the "target" knowing
F: Wiccan can not cast magick on someone without there knowing or approval. This is a voilation of there "personal rights". The same goes for animals, hence they can not speak.
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Posted: Wed Feb 28, 2007 2:18 pm
Fenrir Air of Moonlight Allow me to add something M: Wiccans can cast magick on someone without the "target" knowing F: Wiccan can not cast magick on someone without there knowing or approval. This is a voilation of there "personal rights". The same goes for animals, hence they can not speak.
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Posted: Fri Sep 07, 2007 10:16 pm
Phoenixfire Lune Soleil Fenrir Air of Moonlight Allow me to add something M: Wiccans can cast magick on someone without the "target" knowing F: Wiccan can not cast magick on someone without there knowing or approval. This is a voilation of there "personal rights". The same goes for animals, hence they can not speak. I'm confused....I think I missed it too....
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Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2007 11:55 am
Nekochanskiss * Wicca is polytheistic - Not all Wiccans follow precisely the same path when it comes to Deity, but typically we believe in multiple Gods and Goddesses often taken from different cultures and time periods. Many Wiccans will work with 1 or 2 Deities, rather than worshipping the entire gamut.
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Posted: Sat Sep 15, 2007 11:58 pm
Phoenixfire Lune Soleil Nekochanskiss * Wicca is polytheistic - Not all Wiccans follow precisely the same path when it comes to Deity, but typically we believe in multiple Gods and Goddesses often taken from different cultures and time periods. Many Wiccans will work with 1 or 2 Deities, rather than worshipping the entire gamut.
I was actually wondering when you would notice this one. Is it bad that, that is the only reason I didn't already point this one out?
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Posted: Sun Sep 16, 2007 2:29 am
DragonLady2006 Phoenixfire Lune Soleil Nekochanskiss * Wicca is polytheistic - Not all Wiccans follow precisely the same path when it comes to Deity, but typically we believe in multiple Gods and Goddesses often taken from different cultures and time periods. Many Wiccans will work with 1 or 2 Deities, rather than worshipping the entire gamut.
I was actually wondering when you would notice this one. Is it bad that, that is the only reason I didn't already point this one out?
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Posted: Sat Nov 10, 2007 10:10 am
DragonLady2006 Phoenixfire Lune Soleil Fenrir Air of Moonlight Allow me to add something M: Wiccans can cast magick on someone without the "target" knowing F: Wiccan can not cast magick on someone without there knowing or approval. This is a voilation of there "personal rights". The same goes for animals, hence they can not speak. I'm confused....I think I missed it too.... When u do this, u mess with their free will, which in fact is doing harm. Would you want someone doing magick on u without your permission??
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Posted: Sat Nov 10, 2007 10:11 am
Phoenixfire Lune Soleil DragonLady2006 Phoenixfire Lune Soleil Nekochanskiss * Wicca is polytheistic - Not all Wiccans follow precisely the same path when it comes to Deity, but typically we believe in multiple Gods and Goddesses often taken from different cultures and time periods. Many Wiccans will work with 1 or 2 Deities, rather than worshipping the entire gamut.
I was actually wondering when you would notice this one. Is it bad that, that is the only reason I didn't already point this one out? I personally just believe that there is one god and goddess and they take on many forms and many names
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Posted: Sun Nov 25, 2007 1:07 pm
XxMabxx DragonLady2006 Phoenixfire Lune Soleil Fenrir Air of Moonlight Allow me to add something M: Wiccans can cast magick on someone without the "target" knowing F: Wiccan can not cast magick on someone without there knowing or approval. This is a voilation of there "personal rights". The same goes for animals, hence they can not speak. I'm confused....I think I missed it too.... When u do this, u mess with their free will, which in fact is doing harm. Would you want someone doing magick on u without your permission??
What if that messing of their free will is for their own good? Like healing? Or forcing a bad habit out of them? Or stopping them from harming others?
It's always circumstantial. Even a curse can be a good thing sometimes. No type of spell is ever "always good" or "always bad". Sometimes the best way to help someone is to hurt them. Adversity and strife is how one may learn many lessons.
Also, some magic is best affective if the person is not aware of it. This is especially true if the person doesn't believe in magic.
...On the wings of the Witchmother
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Posted: Sat Jan 05, 2008 1:07 pm
Thank you for posting this!
I'm rather new to actually studying Wicca, despite having similar beliefs since I was 10 or 11.
I noticed that some people in this thread noted that Wiccans believe in a Lord and Lady as opposed to many Gods and Goddesses. I've heard both across my studies, so I figured that both could be correct as long as you realize the importance of balance between Male and Female.
Someone educate me on this though.
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Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2008 4:38 pm
Phoenixfire Lune Soleil XxMabxx DragonLady2006 Phoenixfire Lune Soleil Fenrir Air of Moonlight Allow me to add something M: Wiccans can cast magick on someone without the "target" knowing F: Wiccan can not cast magick on someone without there knowing or approval. This is a voilation of there "personal rights". The same goes for animals, hence they can not speak. I'm confused....I think I missed it too.... When u do this, u mess with their free will, which in fact is doing harm. Would you want someone doing magick on u without your permission??
What if that messing of their free will is for their own good? Like healing? Or forcing a bad habit out of them? Or stopping them from harming others?
It's always circumstantial. Even a curse can be a good thing sometimes. No type of spell is ever "always good" or "always bad". Sometimes the best way to help someone is to hurt them. Adversity and strife is how one may learn many lessons.
Also, some magic is best affective if the person is not aware of it. This is especially true if the person doesn't believe in magic.
...On the wings of the Witchmother
As always...I agree with Phoenixfire Lune Soleil.
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Posted: Sat Mar 15, 2008 9:06 am
Another note on the "orgies" thing, I imagine people come across a version of the Great Rite in a book or online or something and jump to conclusions. As far as I know (and I'm no initiated Wiccan) the majority of the coven leaves the Circle and the HP and HPS complete the more intimate parts of the Rite alone. That's the way it goes in the Farrars version, at any rate. C e r e s
Thank you for posting this!
I'm rather new to actually studying Wicca, despite having similar beliefs since I was 10 or 11.
I noticed that some people in this thread noted that Wiccans believe in a Lord and Lady as opposed to many Gods and Goddesses. I've heard both across my studies, so I figured that both could be correct as long as you realize the importance of balance between Male and Female.
Someone educate me on this though.
Some Wiccans are Duotheists. They worship one God and one Goddess, whose names are oathbound. ( Some Wiccans are Soft-Polytheists. They believe that all deities are aspects of a God and Goddess. "All goddesses are one Goddess, all gods are one God." They might use the concept of another deity in their ritual, but still think of it as the same Goddess or God. Some Wiccans are Hard-Polytheists. They believe that all gods exist, and may worship several as well as the Wiccan God and Goddess. Technically, only the first applies to actual Traditional Wicca, while the others are more Neo-Wiccan concepts. Personally, I am a hard polytheist - but then, I'm not a Wiccan.
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Posted: Sat Mar 15, 2008 9:16 am
Phoenixfire Lune Soleil What if that messing of their free will is for their own good? Like healing? Or forcing a bad habit out of them? Or stopping them from harming others? It's always circumstantial. Even a curse can be a good thing sometimes. No type of spell is ever "always good" or "always bad". Sometimes the best way to help someone is to hurt them. Adversity and strife is how one may learn many lessons. Also, some magic is best affective if the person is not aware of it. This is especially true if the person doesn't believe in magic. I love my freedom, and I believe that free will is exceedingly important. I would rather shut someone in a dungeon and throw away a key than I would chain their mind in any way. For this reason, I find bindings to be highly, highly unethical. I would rather curse someone than chain their mind in any way. So, if a person was going to harm others, and I was faced with the task of defending them, then ethically I would find it less loathsome to attack than to make it so that they were unable to do something. That would mess with their free will. While I'm sure that there might, perhaps, be a circumstance where I would be forced to do that, I would try any and all other options first. I would try defensive magick, offensive magick, hell, I'd stab them in the head before I bound someone. These are my morals and therefore I don't expect others to share them, but I really do find it astounding how many spellbooks and websites will tout the Rede one minute and then provide a list of binding spells to restrict someone's free will the next minute. If messing about with someone's mind isn't harm, I don't know what is. I think that "bad" and "good" are always relative and subjective, so not always helpful in ethical situations. For example, if someone was in competition with me for a job, and I cursed them and their car broke down and they couldn't make a meeting, and I got the job by default, then I am profiting and from my perspective, the spell was a good one. (From the other person's perspective, it sucked a**, but there you go.)
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