Posted on 09/28/2004 10:23:10 PM PDT by Horatio Gates
WICCA
A NEOPAGAN, EARTH-CENTERED RELIGION
The Wiccan faith is a nature-based religion and in many ways its ideals make it a close cousin to Native American spirituality. Founded in the 1940s by British civil servant Gerald Gardner, Wicca's components are based on ceremonial magic and seasonal days of celebration.
While Wiccans tend to believe that there is an omnipotent god or goddess that controls the universe, the relationship they have with that deity is much different from that of Christian religions. As opposed to having a god-worshipper relationship, Wiccans believe they have more of a partnership with the god or goddess, one where the deity needs them just as much as they need it.
Often mistaken as being a form of Satanism, Wicca actually does not recognize Satan, an evil deity who actually belongs more in the realm of Christianity and Islam than Wicca. Satanists and Wiccans actually have very different views about God, rules for ethical behavior and entirely different views of the universe.
Since Wiccans are very close with nature and are highly concerned about its preservation, they often prefer to perform their rituals outdoors. Wiccans follow the Wiccan Rede "A'in it harm none, do what thou wilt," meaning that as long as it harms no one, including yourself, one is free to do what one wishes.
Through Exploring Wicca readers will discover the roots of Wiccan beliefs, get acquainted with deity, explore Wiccan scripture, and learn to create sacred space. By following Lady Sabrina's simple, straightforward approach, anyone can learn to become a priest or priestess of the Wiccan religion.
Lady Sabrina is an initiated priestess of the Wiccan religion and the founder of Our Lady of Enchantment, the largest federally recognized Wiccan seminary in the United States. During the last 20 years, Lady Sabrina has taught more than 25,000 students worldwide how to develop thier personal power through Witchcraft and magick. She has appeared on major televsion talk shows and is the author of such path-breaking works as Reclaiming the Power,Cauldron of Transformation and The Witch's Master Grimoire (New Page Books).
The 13 Principles of Wiccan Belief:
1. We practice rites to attune ourselves with the natural rhythm of life forces marked by the phases of the Moon and the seasonal Quarters and Cross Quarters.
2. We recognize that our intelligence gives us a unique responsibility toward our environment. We seek to live in harmony with nature in ecological balance offering fulfillment to life and consciousness within an evolutionary concept.
3. We acknowledge a depth of power far greater than that apparent to the average person. Because it is far greater than ordinary it is sometimes called ‘supernatural’, but we see it as lying within that which is naturally potential to all.
4. We conceive of the Creative Power in the universe as manifesting through polarity – as masculine and feminine – and that this same Creative Power lies in all people and functions through the interaction of the masculine and the feminine. We value neither above the other knowing each to be supportive of the other. We value sex as pleasure as the symbol and embodiment of life, and as one of the sources of energy used in magical practice and religious worship.
5. We recognize both outer worlds and inner, or psychological worlds sometimes known as the Spiritual World, the Collective Unconsciousness, the Inner Planes etc – and we see in the interaction of these two dimensions the basis for paranormal phenomena and magical exercises. We neglect neither dimension for the other, seeing both as necessary for our fulfillment.
6. We do not recognize any authoritarian hierarchy, but do honor those who teach, respect those who share their greater knowledge and wisdom, and acknowledge those who have courageously given of themselves in leadership.
7. We see religion, magick and wisdom in living as being united in the way one views the world and lives within it – a world view and philosophy of life which we identify as Witchcraft – the Wiccan Way.
8. Calling oneself ‘Witch’ does not make a Witch – but neither does heredity itself, nor the collecting of titles, degrees and initiations. A Witch seek to control the forces within her/himself that make life possible in order to live wisely and without harm to others and in harmony with nature.
9. We believe in the affirmation and fulfillment of life in a continuation of evolution and development of consciousness giving meaning to the Universe we know and our personal role within it.
10.Our only animosity towards Christianity, or towards any other religion or philosophy of life, is to the extent that its institutions have claimed to be ‘the only way’ and have sought to deny freedom to others and to suppress other ways of religious practice and belief.
11. As American Witches, we are not threatened by debates on the history of the craft, the origins of various terms, the legitimacy of various aspects of different traditions. We are concerned with our present and our future.
12.We do not accept the concept of absolute evil, nor do we worship any entity known as ‘Satan’ or ‘the Devil’ as defined by Christian tradition. We do not seek power through the suffering of others, nor accept that personal benefit can be derived only by denial to another.
13.We believe that we should seek within Nature that which is contributory to our health and well-being.
Due to Weschcke's efforts these principles were later incorporated into the army's 'Chaplains handbook' for use in the U.S. Army. Shortly after this achievement the Council of American Witches disbanded, this due mainly to the difficulties inherent in reconciling differences among its many member traditions. The 13 Principles of Wiccan Belief lived on however, and today many American Witches continue to endorse it.
http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:-qK5dqWcbloJ:www.newpagebooks.com/book222.html+wiccan+religion&hl=en
For crying out loud! Kids throwing rotten apples = hate crime? Gimme a break.
How would you like it if Christian kids had this done to them by non-Christians? Suddenly, it's pretty obviously a hate crime. Any campaign of intimidation/harassment against a non-illegal group is a hate crime.
Blessed are the cheesemakers.
The term witch is actually a medieval mispronouncing of the word -- like they used to pronounce bit as wit.....
let me tell ya ! those suckers hurt and they were messy too.
It sounds more plausible than chasing a kid screaming "Jesus Hater."
I was just thinking that:>)
wicca is all about buying differnet colored candles and burning them while saying differnet "spells" . It is about collecting crystals and rubbing them. It is about burning incense and pretending like you think there are moon godesses.
It is, a bunch of quack that I participated in when i was 13.
I do not think it is a coincidence that i had a huge spell of bad luck right after that. It was like god was saying, hey silly look at me i am real and that is fake.
I never really believed in it but i liked candles. So in the end i stayed a christian and bought candles and learned to separate religion from cool candles.
Regardless of why these bullies are doing this if I was the Mom I would first go to the parents of the accused punks and make it clear that my kid is not going to be picked on by bullies who are IMO kids who have low self esteem and troubled lives whom they pick on others in order to make themselves feel good.
Calling the police right off the bat and yelling hate crime is a bit overboard in dealing with the neighborhood punks.
If they did use the term Jesus Hater it does not mean they are Christian kids regardless of what the parents practice.
Being a bully is a troubled youth and now a days can lead to harm beyond throwing a few apples.
Mom of the kid being picked on should nip it in the bud by maturely bringing it to the punks parents attention.
Bullie nowadays are not the same as bullies 20yrs. ago.
I have friends that deal with this with middle schoolers and the punks are brazen.
These bullies are usually from a home where Gramma is working and raising them because they had unfit parents, could have mental illness due to being exposed to drugs and the crap that goes along with that kind of lifestyle.
Just an example of what my friend is dealing with kids picking on her son and this is a charter school.
Threats started out as stealing lunches and bopping the smaller boys on the head and flipping the parents off who spoke up to now on bully saying he has access to lethal weapons and has nothing to lose by blowing someones head off.
Times have changed.
It's by ignoring Him (or replacing Him with our own gods) that we hurt Him the most. It's by accepting and loving His Son Jesus that we are redeemed for that sin, and for all others.
I don't believe it. "Jesus hater" just doesn't sound like something that would come out of a kids mouth. If there are bruises on this kid I think the police would be wise to look at Mommy witch.
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