I am Pagan. I am Wiccan...eclectic solitary if you wish to get technical about it.... I am a "Witch". What do all those descriptions mean? Pagan literally means "country dweller", but is often used to describe those who do not worship the "christian" god. Some people refer to me as a"neo-pagan", wich means that I am looking at the way people worshiped before the introduction of christianity and applying it to modern times. But I just same I'm Pagan. Wicca IS a legally recognized religion, although it was not so in the US until 1977 (I think that's right). That's pretty funny when you think about it, considering it is older than christianity. The name "wicca" is relativly new, but the religion is thousands of years old. The modern wiccan has a great respect for nature and honors the "turning of the wheel" (changing of the seasons) and most wiccans I have met have been active in some form of enviromental conservation and are against war....what most people call "tree hugging liberals". I for one though, am a strong supporter of our military and believe in protecting our citizens no matter the cost, but I am among the few in that attitude of most wiccans. They are peace-lovers and you have nothing to fear from them. Wiccans do NOT kill animals or harm people! They are members of PETA, Save the Whales, Save the Rainforest, Save __________. They put the earth first because without mother earth, we have no home! We must take care of ALL her inhabitants to protect the eco-system and embrace its biodivirsity, not tear it asunder. ANYWAY...(stepping down of my soapbox), wiccans are not evil and do not worship the devil. Wiccans do not even believe in the devil as the devil is associated with christianity. They are GOOD people, you WANT to be friends with these people! They are non-judgemental (when it comes to your own belief system anyway!) and will let you be who you are, they won't try to convert your soul! Wiccans believe in the "law of three" (what you put out your get back multiplied by three--good or bad) and in the "rede" (if it harm none...do what thou wilt)....so if you meet anyone who says they are wiccan, you have nothing to fear...well, except they may get you to sign a bunch of petitions ;D Eclectic solitaire, this just means that I pull from many different pagan traditions and that I chose to work alone and not with a group (coven). Witches are not broom flying, evil hags with warts on their noses who turn their enemies into frogs (although some of wish we could at times--sigh). That pretty blond you see every morning at the coffe shop....she COULD be a witch....especially if she has a shirt that says "Save_______________" on it...... One of the old spelling of witch is wisacre meaning "wise one". A witch in olden times was basically a healer--the physicain and midwife of the villiage. They were knowledgeable about herbs and their uses. It truly saddens me the number of "witches" that have been killed over the centuries because of ignorant "christians", just think where we could have been today had the "wise ones" been allowed to live and practice their medicine. We may have killed someone who could have prevented plagues or cancers....Some think is was a plot the men thought up to "put women in their place". The Salem Witch Trials have been blamed on people trying to gain others property! I have been studying different types of religion for the past 15 years or so. Religion is a fascinating subject! Did you know that almost all religions have a "savior" that was "born of a virgin" was"crucified" and "reborn"??? Apparently Jesus was not the only one (or the first!) to do this! It was happening thousands of years before his birth. Here are some interesting links: Pagan Origins of the Christ Myth ReligiousTolerance.org |
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| I feel everyone has the right to worship as they choose. I have friends of many faiths, and friends without any "faith" at all...I love them all the same. Who am I to judge? To reach our potential and be who we were meant to be, we each must follow our own path.... |
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