Wicca 

"Monotheism is but imperialism in religion." -- James Henry Breasted

In coming to define my personal path, I found myself feeling somewhat like a "mystical anthropologist," in the spirit of Carlos Casteneda. I am heavily influence by the Reclaiming tradition put forth by Starhawk, but with more reliance on multi-culturalism. 

It is a world religion. It recognizes that no one path is the “true” path, and takes elements from a variety of world religions.

    The only law is this, the Thelemic law known to most Wiccans:

“An it harm none, do what you will.”  

This is nearly identical to the central Jain precept of Ahimsa:

"Cherish all life and do no harm."

   The simplicity of this creates the need for personal spiritual responsibility. Each individual must create their own set of values, based on the principles of cherishing life and not harming others.

       Some of the traditions that I draw upon are: Eclectic Wicca, Taoism, Hinduism, and Native American spirituality. The definition of “Pagan” is slippery and elusive, so I submit these tenets that a path should have to be considered Pagan:

1.        Animism: A belief that nature and the natural world are sacred and/or infused with spiritual energy – either in the form of a deity or deities, or as a pure energy (Tao).

2.      A belief that all things, seen and unseen, come about through the interplay of masculine/feminine forces, as in nature. This can be likened to the Taoist concept of Yin/Yang, or the Wiccan belief in the Goddess & God.

3.      A respect for diversity. All other deities are respected as diverse forms of the basic Yin/Yang. Other races and ethnicities are respected as brothers and sisters. Men and women are equally respected as incarnations of Tao/Yin/Yang. All living things are respected as brothers and sisters. 

There are no set practices. The individual draws upon different paths to create a set of practices that have meaning to them. Some practices might include:

• Meditation for personal growth & enlightenment.

• Observation of various holidays, such as the Sabbats of Wicca (which include solstices, equinoxes and cross-quarter days), which celebrate the cycles of the earth.

• Use of sympathetic magick for healing or other positive purposes.

• Use of psychotropic (mind-altering) plants and fungi for personal growth & enlightenment. These are referred to as "entheogens": things that help you "become the god within."

• Use of divinatory techniques such as Tarot, runes, the I Ching, scrying, etc.

• Ecstatic, mind-altering dance, chanting, or drumming.

• A vegetarian or vegan diet, as well as a cruelty-free lifestyle.

        I have followed this path for almost 17 years now. I was ordained in 1997 by my mother, Rose. I now perform handfastings for those in the Northwest Arkansas area.

[ Home ] [ links ] [ Wicca ] [ handfasting ]

E-mail me at [email protected]