| Paleolithic Paganism |
| . . . . Continued from Home Page With the discovery of these cave paintings whch have been dated to be around 30,000 depicting a man with the head of a stag and a pregnant woman standing in a circle with eleven other people, it can reasonably be assumed that Witchcraft is the oldest known religion today. These archetypes are recognized by Wiccans as our view of the God and Goddess aspect of the "One Spirit" and predate Christianity by about 28,000 years. Witchcraft in ancient history was known as "The Craft of the Wise" for those who followed it were healers, in tune with the forces of nature, had knowledge of Herbs and medicine, gave council, and were valuable parts of the village and community as Shamanic leaders. They understood that mankind is not superior to nature, the earth, or its creatures. These wise kindred knew that what we take or use, we must return in kind to maintain balance and equilibrium. During the 15th throughout the 18th centuries, the mideval church created myths to convert religions to the church's way of thinking. By making the Witch into a diabolical character and turning the Old Religion's deities into devils and demons, the missionaries were able to attach fear to these beliefs which aided in the conversion process. Also, as medical science began to surface, me who engaged in initial studies had poor understanding of female physiology, especially when it came to their mentraul cycle. All unknown areas played well with the early church's agenda, lending credence to the Witch Hunters claims and authority. Fledgling medical professions stood to benefit because it took the power of the mid-wives away, giving it to the male physicians, thereby transferring the respect and power to them. Sadly, many of these misinformed fears and superstitions have carried forward through the centuries and remain today. Many who follow the ancient nature-oriented paths have adopted the name of Wicca as a psuedoname for Witchcraft, simply to escape the persecution, harassment, and misinformation associated with the names of Witchcraft and Witch. |
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