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Hi I have afew Questions to ask to anyone how will reply.
but first I will get so back ground so you know where i stand and why i ask the questions.

I was raised a Nazerine(Christian) and wanted to be a missionarty. I worked at a India Boarding school as a dish washer. i watch co worker put down the culture and heratiage of the kids. I hated what they where doing so tryed to stop them from saying deminning thing to the kids (who were Navajo and Hopi mainly). I realized that because of fear, prejustice, and just plan ignoreice they were distorying a chance to witness to them. I truly believe that a person has the right to there own believe and culture. its not my place to shove it down there throats or scrare them in to believeing my way or hell. it tics me off!! any way I realized that I dont now much about any other religian or culture. so I started reading books and asking question. i learned that asking Christians about other relegians is very unuseful I learn a name and why its wrong that does not tell me any thing and the same with books they get or start over my head or there christian author warning of the danger of...

So you see my delema? I dont want to change anyones mind or critize, jugde... I would love just the basics of what you believe.

Do you have a Bible (is that the right term?)?
what is it called?
Do you believe in a God (s)?
where does your "Bible" come from? who wrote it?
how old is Wicca?
do you have Bible storys like christians?
Am I being offencive?

I hope its ok to post this here. Again I am sorry if i offend anyone that truely was not my intent. Lee <img src="/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />
ps if i posted this twice i am sorry i am new at posting <img src="/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

Lets see....

there is no Bible persay in Wicca. We have a couple of writings that we hold close but there is no one text that defines our religion.

Personally,I believe in a Universal source that is both God and Goddess. I believe that there is a duality in life as well as deity. As above, So Below. OTher Wiccans incorporate the Goddess alone or maybe with the God as a secondary deity, and still others work with whole pantheons (specific groups of Gods & Goddesses - such as Egyptian, Celtic or Greek)

Wicca as a religion was started in the 1940's & 1950's by a man named Gerald Gardner. It is based on practices older than that, however.

We dont have "Bible" stories but we do use mythology from all over the world to learn from. They are used sort of the way bible stories would be I guess, to teach life lessons etc.


As far as being offensive goes, I believe that actually wanting to learn about something is never offensive. It only becomes offensive when you use that knowledge or lack of knowledge to harm someone, or when you choose to remain ignorant of something after it has been explained. You dont have to agree but you do have to be respectful

Thank you for respecting this forum by asking.

your welcome. so is the Universal source 1 Deity with bot male and female energy/quilitys? is at the duialit your talking about?
And can you explane pantheons?

So in Wicca, it is like everyone believes in there own believe and theorys? whats right for one is or maybe wrong for some one else and thats ok? or Is it more like Denominations in christianty where if you Baptist you believe one way and Nazerines believe another and both side agree to disagree because you believe in the same basic princepals? or is it more like Caltholics believe that they are the only right religian and prodestins believe the are and the religous battle begins...?

You said that there is no Bible but you hold a few text close, what are they? I have heard of a Book Of Shadows?
Is that in Wicca or witchcraft... or is it the same?

oh boy i could ask questions all day but i think ill stop here for now. thank you for replying. Lee

Hey! I'm Rae, the Pagan editor here, and I can field a few of these.

A "pantheon" historically was a temple dedicated to all gods and not just one. The word now is used to refer to the groupings of gods that are associated with various beliefs system. For example, Zeus, Apollo, Aphrodite and all the Greek gods are the Greek pantheon. Shiva, Durga, Kali and Parvati are all part of the Hindu pantheon. I hope that helps explain it.

Fiona wrote a great article about what a Book of Shadows is and you can read it here

oh what a great idea to have a book of shadows!!! i read in to Candle magic and the Wiccan Rede. so let me see if i am undersanding this. Spells are kind of like prayer in rhyme asking God for help or favore with something. and all Wiccan follow the Wiccan Rede which is like a code of conduct.

so do you woship the candles like aGod and each color candle is a different God(ess) or do they repercent a God (ess) or do you use the energy from the candle and colors to combimed with you energy for what ever the purpose?

Its ok i know some one out their reading this has got to be laughting at my ingnorence. <img src="/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />lol

I work with candles sometimes, but to me, the candle isn't the Deity, it's a tool to help me focus my intention.

Colors have certain psychological associations, like blue is cooling and healing, green is manifestation, red is vibrant energy, etc. So, depending on what I'm trying to do, I might pick a certain color to help me keep a certain mental and emotional focus. I use the burning flame as a visual aid for meditation, and I also view the smoke as being a vehicle to help carry my prayers to the Goddess. A lot of religions burn candles and incense for the same reason.

What I call doing a ritual some people call prayer, and some people call it casting a spell. I've run into people who get that it's the same thing but different, and I've met people who utterly invalidate my spiritual practices because they are different from theirs. I'm sure you've met both kinds of folks too.

The sacred text I was referring to are things like The Charge of the Goddess or the Wiccan Rede. Things that someone might copy into thier Book of Shadows.

Candles, statues and other things like that are not worshiped at all. As Rae said, they are tools we use to focus our energy. For example if you were lighting a candle like you would for a prayer at church, then everytime you looked at the candle or took the time to light the candle you would be focusing your energy on the thing you were praying about.

When I speak of duality I mean the balance of masculine and feminine in everything including Deity. For me that is the balance of God and Goddess. Wicca is an interesting religion because there are a variety of beliefs. But for the most part there are a few core beliefs that are followed by most Wiccans. These include the Wiccan Rede, "an it harm, none do what you will" and a belief in God and Goddess, and a belief that the four elements/directions have energies that we can call on and work with.

Many of the articles in my section called Basic Wicca can answer some of those questions more fully

cool but just so you know i and Nazerine and we dont light candles in church. this does however explane why Catholices do. the Glossory is very helpful. ok here is a sticky question. do Wiccans believe in Sacafies (anamal, human) or does that go against what you believe or up to the indaviudle? BTW i am dyslesic so for give the spelling i haven't figured out the spell cheack!

Sacrifice? That sounds scary! I have sacrified the occassional candle. I like to write prayers, thoughts, things I didn't get to say, etc. on a piece of paper then burn them outside and watch the smoke carry them where the need to go.

Harm none. Sacrifice would harm people and animals.

As for spell check, I type in Word, spell check, then copy & paste in this here little box <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Cool thank you i will try that. I have always heard that Witch are Wiccans and they do sacrifices. but after i read the Wiccan Rede I did not think so but i had to ask anyway. what about Blood oaths and drinking blood? do you do anything with blood?

No witch or wiccan I know would ever perform a sacrifice! and highly doubt they would be involved in anything related to drinking blood. Yuck.

The only time anyone I know would ever use blood, it would be their own and no more than a drop or two. On rare occasion this is done to solidify a connection to oneself. For example, if someone were to make a wand or athame and wanted to give it a strong connection to themself they might use a drop of blood in the handle. However, this is done rarely and with EXTREME caution. Think of it as giving away a piece of yourself. You wouldn't want someone you didnt trust ABSOLUTELY to have possession of that.

the only thing I have ever sacrificed is my free time so that I can teach and write. Though I have tried to kill off a few bad habits! *wink*

SkinnyDipir is right, When we say harm none we mean no one, not even ourselves. This also means physically, mentally or emotionally.

cool one hundred myths down more to go so far the only thing a Christian would find "wrong" is that you dont (looking for friendly terms)worship and believe Jesus is the only way to get to heaven and the christian Bible is the only truth. I dont know where they get Devil worship and murder. do you believe in the devil and hell? and if you dont believe in the devil how can you worship him. sorry. i get to thinking and type at the same time. but it is a good question.

lol thats the point I try to make! We don't believe in the devil or hell.

Wicca is more about making the life you have NOW better and finding balance, not about where you go when you die

And I think there are a number of Wiccans who think that Jesus was a great man and a wise teacher.

Also... I am going out of town for a long weekend.

But Rae, the Pagan Editor will be around and I am sure she can answer some questions. I also highly recommend reading some of the material on her site. Much of her information compliments what you can learn on my site.

ok thank you. not to bash Christianity (because that's what i believe)or offend any Wiccans, but i think we could learn from ya'll. not once has anyone put down or tried to convents me that i should be Wiccan. Every one has been very polite and respectful and i thank every one from the bottom of my heart. I know some of my questions could be sticky if not offensive oh I found the spell check Yea.
not to get off subject but Skinnydipr did you know that the spell check in your tool bar work in the box? that may be easier than copy paste. of course i haven't mastered that yet but im getting there.

Devil doesn't exist exept maybe in our own minds.

Blood in body good. Blood out of body bad.

I didn't know about that spell check... still looking, could be the browser. I use Avant and am pretty lazy about looking for things.

Honest questions are never offensive to me. Getting to know individuals for who they are is what I like to do. You are fun.

p.s. I don't belive in any hell other than what we create for ourselves. We are here to learn, not judge. And belive me I am a major work in progress!

Wiccans and Pagans don't try and convert people. It's just not part of our spiritual beliefs. We will teach people who come to learn, but the idea of going out and attempting to get people to abandon their faith and convert just isn't part of the picture.

when you put it that way it sounds like:
knock knock Hi my name is Lee and How would you like some Christianity or maybe some God and i have a very nice Bible im sure you will love that i will give you for free.
I think this may be concerted blasphaous. but truely i have been looking for christian dropshiper and some of the sites are just this bad and worse the first thing they want is money!!! I (not God/Jesus/ Holy Spirit) will save your soul from hate for the miracalous prise of $50.
it reminds me of the Bible story of when Jesus tore down the Temple!!! It makes Christians look greed and stupid lame!! Sorry off track but just so you know some of us are not that way. i would hate for anyone to think of me that way.
ok back to learning! what is The Charge of the Goddess? and is the Wiccan Rede a book or Poem. By the way I like the Poem. I dont know who the name are or if they are names but i like it just the same but that will be my next questions
who are they or what are they?

The Charge of the Goddess is a poem, written by a woman named Doreen Valiente. You will also find adaptations and variations on her work done by other people.

The Wiccan Rede sometimes is a phrase used to refer to the main tenant of Pagan/neoPagan/Wiccan spiritual beliefs, which is summed up as "An it harm none, do as ye will." As Fiona mentioned, it refers to not only not harming onesself, but all life and creatures, on emotional, spiritual and mental levels. The Wiccan Rede goes with The Law of Three, which is expressed as the belief that all energy you put out into the universe will come back to you threefold.

Although I don't consider myself a Wiccan, I do try to adhere to the Wiccan Rede and the Law of Three in my life.

I liked the Wikipedia page on The Wiccan Rede. If you read there, you'll see it's both a belief and a poem with that title.

ok. i got another question... what is Magic and why is it spelled like Magik (dont think i spelled that right but spell check gave the first and nothing to the second) and can you give an example?

i got two books today!!! one is the truth about witchcraft today by Scott Cunningham so far i am on page 19. and A charkra & Kundalili workbook. I am a Reiki Master and i believe this is the same thing that Jesus instucted His decipals to do by laying on of hands of course my church does not believe in touch therapy. so i am underground you may say they know it and we agree not to being it up unless they do. I was not taght that Reiki was a Religain in and of it same of was for one only and not the other. the only reason i bring it up is that i have notices that some of the site talk about Charkras and auras and you guessed it I have more question and i dont know any one that pracices it here because my teacher moved and i was her only student at the time. so...*BIG SMILE*
What side gives and which side takes? right= give and Left= take unless it is the back side right? i havemy note from my class but i write worse then i type and tend to right backward or get the concepts backwards. and the Chakra's go bottom to top going conception up through the stages of life. Right to Being, right to have, right to feel, right to love and be loved, right to speek, right to see, right to know. did i put them i the right order?leave some out? I use Rieki no myself and i pay more attene to my breathing and trying to relax and feel were the energy goes... this book i have is a bit other my head. I dont even know what Kundalini is?

my hubby thought it was a mispelling of the proper name for the first part of... he is not use to my unique ways of thinking or all this new words (of course my brain likes to play dancing letter) and process info and looking at the world. altho his is just as off the beaten path as i am we have been together 2 year and just now opening up and trusting each other with inter thought and feeling on a deeper level. its wierd in a way i did not thing he would understand me so I kinda did my Quest underground until one day i said some thing about some thing i learned and he thought nothing about it an contributed to the convertation!!! WOW he can talk for hours and know we can debate and challege each other!!! balanced at last (An alll the Angals sing).

There seems to be debate on the spelling of magic vs. magick. I just stick with magic, changing the spelling does not change the meaning for me. Reiki would be considered a form of magic. Magic is not the evil thing some make it out to be. When I hear my Christian friends talk about prayer in a group, singing in church, candles burning, the positive energy... that to me is magic. Positive energy flowing.

I feel the same way as Rae, she said this well. If I had to describe myself I would probably be a pagan witch.

"Magick" is an Olde English spelling, hahaha..... Really, it is, and some folks use the term to separate the spiritual practice from "magic," the performance kind, which is what a magician does with cards.

I can't talk much about Reiki, although I have friends that practice it. I was taught that if you are right-handed, energy flows in through your left hand and out via the right, and that it's reversed for lefties, but my sister who practices acupuncture says that sometimes you find people whose polarities are reversed.

I consider myself a witch and an alchemist, spiritually. I chose to indentify with the term witch, because so many people have such stigma about the word and so many bad pre-conceived notions. Recently, I found a community that uses the metaphor of alchemical transformation for spritual growth, and I've been enjoying my work with them.

I have a quick question about the blood thing... I understand not wanting to give away any piece of yourself to a place where you cannot control it, but do Wiccans believe in donating blood and/or organs? I realize that with Wicca and Paganism (unlike more dogmatic religions), every practicioner makes their own choices on things like that, but what is the general attitude?

Megan,

I've not heard of nor encountered any religious stipulations against medical procedures and practices occuring in Paganism or Wicca. I've met people that had objections to something specific, but those were always personal choices, not something stipulated by the belief system.

<img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
LOL, my children would definitely agree with that one! (Although, I do tend to think about dialysis, when taking out the blood temporarily to cleanse it is a good thing...)

This thread is very interesting! I never knew there was so much I didn't know about Wicca. I think people (including me) get most of our ideas from movies and shows like "The Craft" and "Charmed" and even "Buffy" (I do miss that show). It's hard to know what is accurate.

hi Megan, that is another Question i as going to ask. The geranl way of thinking in my religain is blood donating with in family and friend is fine same as organs like kidney part of a liver,pancess or a lobe of a lung that will save someone is ok but.. taking a organ from someone you dont know or do know that has died is alittle inke. but if it was someone that i loved i am not sure i could stand by and watch them die when there is blood or an organ right there that could save them. as for myself i would rather die then pray that someone die so i cant live. and i would take a blood transfution from someone i dont know if there was no family or friend that could donate. and i was a blood donater until i have to take insulin. im Chirstian (Nazernerne) so this probly does not answer your quistion. sorry

ok i have been readingthe truth about Whitchcraft today by Scott Cunningham. and in the first page of chaper 5 under Ceremonial Magic it says: "Its based on Sumerian, Egyptian,Indian and Semitic magic, with Arabic and later Christain thought. Freemasonry also contributed to its structure..."
Im fasanated!!!
1) Is catholosism a blend of Wicca and Christianity?
2) Is the Freemasonry the same as the Masonic Lodge?
3) Is it a religian or part of Wicca?

I have my Dads masonic lodge Bible so I thought it was a Chirstion Club but my church said it was demon worship which i found insulting and funny seens the Masonic Bible is a Holy Bible and is the same word for word as there own Bibles!!!

Are Masonic Lodges part of Freemasonry? Yes, they are descended from that tradition. However, you'd do best to talk with a Freemason about their traditions.

Is Freemasonry Wicca? No, I wouldn't consider Freemasonry to be a part of Wicca. In fact, I'd consider Freemansonry to be something you could believe in alongside a religion, however, it's really oriented towards Christianity.

so what is shape shifting, astro projestion, and can you really float on air?

I've never done astral projection and I've never actually floated on air, so that's about all I can say there.

As for shape-shifting, I once had a profound experience, while wide awake, where I had the distinct bodily sense of turning into a wolf. I don't know how to explain what happened exactly that day, as it's not something I can openly discuss, but I think shape shifting is valid and some people probably can learn to do it at will.

One of my tattoos also carries a distant meaning of "wer-" like in werwolf, as told to me by a fellow student when I was in graduate school. This Chinese girl was asking me what my kanji tattoo meant, and was surprised I knew a primary and secondary meaning for it. She then told me this third meaning.

so in shape-shifting you physicaly change in to a wolf? or you just feel like one? that confuses me? and if this is not open to decusion i understand.

well, I didn't see myself change, as I said I was wide awake. However, the physical sense and utter sensation when I closed my eyes was that I was a wolf. Like I said, it was hard to describe, but I was awake, I wasn't alone and I wasn't sick, or on drugs.

is it some thing you wanted to do? or did it just happen? and why?

I don't know why it happened, I didn't mind that it happened, and I wouldn't mind if it were to happen again.

I'm hoping that if I continue to learn and grow spiritually, that I'll be able to look back on the experience and see what it was trying to teach me.

This happened to a friend of mine...She felt herself turning into a large bird, and though she was unable to identify it specifically, she knew she was looking for prey....

She now feels that it might have been an inner-body manifestation of a previous Life...
But I am not attempting to suggest anything in that vein to you....Just a thought.....

intresting i never thought about it that way. i lived in az for a while and there were somethings that i just could not explane that i saw, felt...some of them i had a peaceful, calm feeling and other scared the fertlizer out of me. and then some it what like ok whatever. i have had wierd thing happen all my life even "Superstions" that have not taught or pychological base to them.

I had a very "strong dream" once when my MIL was in the hospital. We had not spoken in the last year since her & FIL took my son and his cousin on a road trip and decided they were not going to bring them back. She was dying of cancer and in the hospital not going home. Hubby asked me to go see her before she died, I told him I already had the night before. I had "dreamt" I was in her room speaking with her and told hubby how long her hair was, how much gray was showing, described her fingernails, etc. He looked at me stunned for a moment, then decided he wasn't surprised after all.

Wow they took your son and nephew? ouch i would not talk either. when i was 5 i was sitting on the couch with my dad and he was asleep. MASH was on tv.(this was 2wks before he died) on the tv i saw dad walk out the front door for a walk i beged to go with him but he made me stay with my mom. I hear the sirions and say something wrong with dady she tells me nothing wrong and the phone ring and it the next door neighber calling to tell mom that dad collaps in front of there house in the street. mom runs out of the house and i follow her the emts are working on him but i know that hes not going to make it. toweeks later it played out the same wayexcept that i tell mom exacly what is going on right before it happen and i remember telling my dady dont leave me wont come back. he thought i was being overly emotional. he was a rail roader and was go alot so i pitched a fit everytime he went out of town. I was also every attached to him. maybe i knew before i saw it on tv. at that age i was scared of the backend of the trailer and I would screem muder and cry for days if any one but dad asked me to go back there with him or made me go by my self. and it was nothing if me and mom went in to a story and i would "see" some thing and if she did not go with me I picked her up and carried her out!! (i was about 100 pounds at 5 years old and she was about 75 pounds at the time). i did that one time and ever scence then when i say would sayleave she knew the next thing that came was i pick her put and we leave. she never ask why i did it but i think she understood that there was some danger taht i could see feel what ever and the terror was real. i had a preacher tell me one time that it was the devel and when i asked why the divel would protect me he truned all kinda of colors of mad. but said nothing. i have always thought that it was Gods way of protecting me. the gas station i picked my mom up and ruan out. was held up not 10 min. after we left i didnt know that until later when my mom and aunt were talking about it.. its kinda the secert that everyone knows and ecxcepts but does not talk about. i think i have repessed the gift becasuse i thought it was a curse. maybe thats one reason the church irratace me most of the time. im fine with God and Jesus,Holy Spirit, but the bible and the waythe church repesses and ignore what they cant explane or twist it out of context...?

What an amazing gift you have! That is something I have never been able to understand about Christianity (no offense intended to you at all bubbles, I respect your beliefs entirely). If we are created in God's image, wouldn't we have some of those gifts? The only bad would be if it was used for bad. Another one, astrology, God created the heavens and the earth, He put the stars there, he didn't do anything without reason. Is it bad to get insite from a reputable astrologer? I don't believe so. I do believe it is a serious weakness for somebody to live there entire life based on nothing but that, career, lifestyle, friends, spouse, etc.

It seems to me you have very strong instincts, and they have helped you protect yourself and your loved ones in the past. I just can't see anything bad in that.

I also think it is good to question everything, life is about learning. You can't learn if you don't question.

Keep questioning and keep sharing <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

what i question is if Wicca and Pagans do Not Worship the stars but only try to learn and gain understanding fom them then what makes them any differnt from the Wise men that followed the north star to find Jesus. and i do understand that some or part of Wiccans and Pagian believe in Jesus and God and some Dont which is a BIG differnce but as far as the lighting candle, or insence, and believeing that herbs and oils, and touch can heal. di truely dont see the problem. but the bible says you shall not suffer a witch to live but are the witches of that day or the pagians for that matter the same as the ones to day and for that matter are we sure that the word for witch is not an idtim for there culture for some thing else and not just translatter wrong. for example there is a verus taht says dont let something go to the dogs (i cant remember what the versus is or where but) we thought it ment bow bow bark bark dog and dog was slang for a male hooker. as in slept was male or female hooker... do me a favor read the story of sodem and gormora where it talks about lot and his family and read from where the angels come to town until lots daughters get pregnet and let me know if the moral of the story convad to you is that Guy men are going to hell? i am just curious because that is only a very small part of the story and to fouse on just that...it wrong!!! I am starting to believe that I just thought i was reading the bible..now i am really reading it and in a very differnt light...

When I was taught how to really read & study the bible it was by my friends who are Jehovah Witnesses. They were the ones that taught me to question, question, question. Also they taught me that messages were repeated at least 3 times in the bible, and to use other bibles to gain understanding when the language in the bible you are reading is confusing. The basic principles are things that parents should teach, other things seem to vary a bit from religion to religion, culture to culture, and person to person.

I have several bibles, and I have several books on witchcraft, pagan & wiccan traditions.

I read everything and love it here where I can ask questions and occassionaly attempt to answer one.

cool im still working on the right church am i am begining to believe the way my dad did. God is everywhere and in everything but churches want nobrian standglass people with money. God dwells in heaven and earth is His foot stool and I gladly worship where i please. of course my dad did say that there was nothing wrong with catolics the only differnce is the priest doesnt know that the collor goes in back. i think thats where i get my dry scence of humor that gets me in trouble. at the Time he was talking to a cathlic priest!!! and the man and the sister rolled with laughter if i had said it they would have been offended highly!!! btw i hope i didnt offend any one. sorry

Your dad sounds like a smart man, and very funny. No one church has a monopoly on god, he is everywhere and has many parts to his personality. I don't think the bible shows all of him at all. There is so much more. I never felt anything in a church othere than fear, but put me at home with my family, outdoors planting flowers, watching a baby be born... that is when I really FEEL.

the bible says that there is only one true God, then says have no god before me does this mean that other gods is like makeing a statue of a cow and believeing the statue of the cow is God is wrong or that there are other Gods out there that we should not worship? and If God is the only true God then do we all Worship the same One true God but diferent aspects. the Bible has Hundered of names for God to show differnt ascets. God of Love God of Pleace... and the word for God and the word used for Holy Spirit are Nutral no male not female... so i wonder if seence Jesus was male if the just assumed that They were also male and it could not have hurt any that men world the world too? so in polytheology it it really more then one God or Differnt aspcept of God?

What holydays do Wiccan and or pagians celabeate? and why?

oh yea my Dad was in to symbol and puzzle-riddles in life. and he could hear a song off the radio and pick up any instument even one he had never seen and play it right back at you. they say when i was little i could play panio and gitaur (dads faverite) and i would sing any song i heard from the first time i heard it. the words just came like breathing or i could hear the next word in the music. tahts how i spent my childhood in my room singing all by my self.

oh i just thought of something organised relgion would not have been invented yet... or we can go way way back in time and see how many earths God made oh we could stand in front of God and talk and God can go with us to see the dinaours so they will be nice and we can play with them. here big lochy lochy i just want to see what you look like...

freebubbles you are a blast! Here big lochy lochy LOL.

My husband and son can pick out ever single instrument. They can do the same with seasonings in foods and hubby can pick up those subliminal messages that were big on the drive-in and move screens. They are both dyslexic, "The Gift of Dyslexia" is a great book.

I just looked up and am wondering if I am confused, or if we just posted to the wrong message.... I think time traveled from the time travel board LOL.

oops i was hoping know one would notice lol. i must be tired. i have read the gift of dyselxia it helped be understand alot about what i do and why. it just did not help my spelling...well it is better then it use to be!!!

oh yea what holydays do Wiccan/pagians celabrate and why?

Wiccans tend to follow a seasonal calendar of holidays that mark the changing seasons and the cycle of the Earth. An article I wrote for the Pagan site about Wicca does a pretty good job of showing the holidays:

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art18591.asp

thank you for the articales I read every one of them. i went in to Mobon and its a low carb diet...? anyways just thought i would let you know. I have a question in Lammas what is the Green Man and do you sacrifisy people and0r animals? I dont mean to offend im just confused!?!?!

Thanks for spotting that typo... one little number off and people wind up at who knows what article?.....

From your question, you sound like you've seen the movie THE WICKER MAN, starring Christopher Lee. Great movie as far as entertainment goes, but not very accurate as far as a portrayal of Paganism goes.

There is a very interesting story about the Bible and Pagans and it touches upon the subject of animal sacrifice. This was experienced and then written by a man I know named Oberon Zell-Ravenheart. It's called We Are The Other People and I think you'll like how it explains stuff.

I read the artical and i think i posted on another site and i do like the actical. I have not seen the Wicker Man, I wasnt sure if i was reading the actical right or not and i just wondered if the green man was a real man or ifhe was made of corn/ wicker or anamil?. Sorry somethings i just cant wrappe my head around so i ask questions.

Some people who say the Green Man is an Earth or Harvest spirit, some might say he was an icon representing the harvest. I was recently reading a book on Druids and there was a wonderful quote, "Ask any three druids and you'll get six answers." I thought that was a good statement about Paganism too.

i knew you had said before that most Pagans follow the Wiccan Rede so I kinda knew that the scarafing for animal or other wise was not done today but i was not sure about back years ago.

" see i remembered sorry i phrased the question badly and didnt chach it.

ok the computer stole the quote!!!so here we go again

The Wiccan Rede sometimes is a phrase used to refer to the main tenant of Pagan/neoPagan/Wiccan spiritual beliefs, which is summed up as "An it harm none, do as ye will." As Fiona mentioned, it refers to not only not harming onesself, but all life and creatures, on emotional, spiritual and mental levels. The Wiccan Rede goes with The Law of Three, which is expressed as the belief that all energy you put out into the universe will come back to you threefold.

If you read the Bible, there are a lot of animal sacrifices. There are no Pagan documents that have survived that record animal sacrifice, and yet, you'll find a lot of Christians who believe it not only went on, but still goes on.

I've learned that in Christianity, some Christians try and only read books with a Christian focus by Christian-oriented authors, but then they say that the books about Pagans and Wiccans produced under those conditiosn are utterly and absolutely true. So far, the folks I've met who've chosen to limit their knowledge that way are the only ones who seem really insistent that Pagans make blood and animal sacrifices.

I dont understand that either because Christians believed in sacrifices all through the bible until Jesus Died and is conciters the Last and Great sacrifies. what is the point on killing animal because you did something wrong? is nt that adding to your list of crime? if i had to kill something everytime i did something wrong that would stop me because i could not stand it...but i know people who would happyly do something wrong all the time sacrifising would be a hobby.

and now christians say every one else sacrifies animals ect.. and things it so horrable but wego around telling other that God Killed He ONLY Son for are sins and we dont believe in sacrificaly killing?

gee know wonder non-christians dont believe? that doesnt make sence at all when you put it that way!!!

Wow

You guys were busy while I was gone lol!

You have to admit, it's been a run of good questions. I'm glad the Wiccan expert is back.... <img src="/images/graemlins/rolling.gif" alt="" />

I think in modern society we often forget that we must kill to live. Even vegetarians are killing something to live. Life was lived closer to the bone back then.

So my own personal view is that because slaughter occurred frequently as a matter of course, that to make it ritualistic and to dedicate that sacrifice to some cause is a natural inclination of an attempt to show devotion to a higher power.

In Egypt, bread was baked daily and put on huge tables as "sacrifices" to the Gods. At the end of the day, all the bread was distributed to the poor. New day, new cycle begins. Wonderful, really. If only we did the same today <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

The end of animal sacrifice in religion seems to take step with mankind "furthering" itself along as an intelligent species. However, the truth could well be that we are not becoming more enlightened by this, but only avoiding nature, and our own essence. The butchering still occurs, only with someone else doing this for us, leaving us with neat packages in the store (along with pleasant music to listen to while we buy it).

Who is to say then that animal sacrifices are brutal? Is it much more barbaric not to honor the animal we eat by buying a wrapped commodity in a store that doesn't show us that we are as "red in tooth and claw" as any other carnivore?

ouch good point!!! i had a picture in mind that they left the animal to rot and just left it to on a altar or something. i didnt think about them eating it for surviveal and that was there way of showing respect.

Nothing was left to waste in ancient societies. Food was as prescious as anything else. I love the example of the Egyptian bread offerings.

Nowadays, when we share cakes and ale with each other during ritual, a portion is left as a libation to honor the Lord and Lady. Generally that bit of cake and juice (or whatever it is that day) is left out in nature to either feed the critters or return to the earth.


And you are right, Rae! This has been a great discussion with good questions and dialogue!

You know, I was thinking there was this one instance where I was with other Pagans and it was like an animal sacrifice....

I was at a Pagan gathering a few years back. It was in California and it was early summer. There had a been drought that winter, so it was really dry. Really, really dry. And the rattlesnakes were coming out early.

Now, it turns out rattlers are very, very territorial, so if you've got one someplace that's not so good and you try and relocate it, the snake will just return to it's old territory.

So, all that combined one morning when it became necessary for the staff at the retreat to kill a rattlesnake as it was hanging out right in the middle of what was a busy area with humans and human children. Now, being a diverse group of Pagans, there were immediately two strong reactions:

1) Wow, I'm sorry we had to kill that snake. We should do some sort of ritual to honor it.

and

2) Wow, I'm sorry we had to kill that snake. We should eat it, to make it useful and to honor it.

Essentially, you had a vegetarian and carnivorous interpretation of the same thing going on. In the end, a group of vegetarian Pagans went out into the field and held a ritual to honor it and bury a bit of it, and the Texas-based food service cooked that snake up good, and a group of meat-eating Pagans held a brief ritual of forgivness and thanks at a dining table and then sat down to eat.

So, I guess that's as close as I've come to seeing Pagans make an animal sacrifice.

that kinda like praying over a Sunday potluck at the church, the only thing is we go to the store and buy the food already killed!

how has your vacation Fiona?

it was beautiful and very relaxing, thank you for asking <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Rae, I think that is a beautiful thing, to take something that was necessary for the camp and make it a ritual of honor and forgiveness.

i agree!!

what is dive nation?
what is scarring?
and what is runes?
am not sure i spelled those right? sorry

also what is a coven and to be Wiccan do you have to go some where and join?

like you have to be Saved to be a Christian but you have to be a member of the church be for you are a Nazerine but anyone can go to the church.