This week has been a conjunction of many paths into one theme: spirituality. I received an email inquiry regarding my Wiccan background and beliefs, and then another query about a recent journal regarding my spirituality and BDSM connections.
I think it is good to inventory one's previous, assumed, current and potential beliefs and influences. I also liked the depth of the questions that were asked regarding my Wiccan traditions and beliefs. So here goes... (with the caveat that the opinions and knowledge procured are based solely on my personal research and experiences of teaching the Unitarian Universalist course, Cakes for the Queen of Heaven for the past 15 years).
1. What drew you to follow Wicca?
My introduction to Wicca was through the SCA (Society of Creative Anachronism) as a teenager attending local college classes. As part of the SCA organization there was a "sorority" that was known as the Womyn of Ariadne. I was drawn to their energies, their faire items, and their philosophies regarding a female deity. At the age of 15 I became an initiate of Diana, and at 16 was formally initiated into the Dianic coven of Ariadne. I finally found the answers to the questions I sought as a young child of 7, querying the patriarchal Protestant based churches and their leaders regarding the concept of only One True God and the conflicting message of God's love and God's wrath for those who did not worship according to the One True Way - yet there seemed so many different "true" ways... As a young 7 year-old girl I was disdained, dismissed and discarded as unable to fully understand the complexities of such a magnificent concept as "god". As a 16 year old female, I was finally able to understand the miracle of my own divinity as reflected in the image of the Goddess and the Goddess within all of us - male and female - the interconnected web of life of the Goddess' green earth and the cycle of birth, death and rebirth in her turning seasons.
2. In the scope of world religions, how old is the Wiccan practice?
With regard to Western culture, the Wiccan tradition when viewed from the perspective of agrarian cultures is the origin of the mythological belief systems of something greater than ourselves imbued with magical powers and those powers were reflected in the mystery of the female and the female body. It is hypothesized that the female figures found in archeological digs are as old as 8,000 - 10,000 years old. The Goddess of Laussel was carved in the wall of a limestone rock shelter in the Dordogne, not far from Lascaux approximately 25,000 years ago. This particular goddess depicts 13 notches in a curved horn (of bison?) representative of the crescent moon. She has engorged breasts and an enlarged belly with a hand over the umbilicus - all theorized to represent the power of the creative cycle of the female and the connection of her gestation to the 13 lunar cycles of the year. In Asian cultures, we are familiar with the Buddhist, and Tao traditions that are over 3000 - 5000 years old, and in the Indian mythological Hindu system, there are all female deities with equal and sometimes greater powers than those of male deities that date as far back at 8,000 years.
When one reads the patriarchal religious texts such as the Christian Bible, the Muslim Koran, and the Jewish Torah, one reads of the destruction of the goddess religions and her tribes as they were conquered by the invading tribes of the male God of War. That may seem a harsh statement and probably rubs a few people in an uncomfortable way - but when one reads these texts as oral histories similar to that of Odysseus, one finds the story of how the new male god "Jehovah" empowered his people and their tribes to conquer and defeat the older, female-worshipping tribes of Ba'at. Some of the favorite stories regarding Abraham and Sarah are pivotal reinforcements of the authority of the new male god over the female goddess as marriages were formed for peaceful alliances and the traditions of the female worshipping tribes were eradicated in favor of the new traditions of the male god's traditions and new laws.
Over time, of course the polytheistic belief systems of the world powers at the time that Christianity, Islam and Judaism were forming were slowly infiltrated by these new religious ideas until by about 300-400 AD Rome was declared a Christian state. This fractionism continued until finally the Roman church, or Catholicism as we know it today, was consolidated as the most powerful religious organization in Northern and Central Europe. At the same time, Islam was developing in the Eastern European and African continent and Taoism, Buddhism and Hinduism were gaining similar power in the Asian continent. In the meantime, the American continent had its own tribal systems whose histories have been eradicated, but were thought to be similarly based in matrilineal or polytheistic concepts as the original Goddess traditions of Central and Northern Europe that existed prior to the Catholic church.
As the two religions started to co-exist, the Goddess images that were initially defiled and banned, along with her feast days and celebrations were blended into the traditions of the new Christian traditions in the appearance of Mary, the Mother of God, around 900 AD. Additionally, the great cathedrals built in the middle ages were constructed on ancient goddess sites of worship and gathering, and there are many carved images of the ancient goddess and her symbols in many of these cathedrals. For instance, Sheila Na-Gig, the Celtic Goddess of Birthing of Humankind, is carved in the keystone of the arches of many Irish Catholic churches. Her open vulva is rubbed for good luck and her image is similar to that of the Hindu goddess Kali, found in India.
As the Christian church grew in power and consolidated its belief systems in cities, the outlying, rural areas often held strong to their agrarian traditions of worshipping seasonal cycles and the changing phases of the moon with the female and male deities - and thus they became known as "pagans" - something akin to city folk calling country folk heathens, or hicks. Despite the peaceful coexistence of the God/Goddess cultures, as the power of the Catholic church became corrupted, it was the confluence of the printing press, the new Pope Innocent VIII, and two German Dominican priests who authored the Malleus Mallificarum (Hammer of Witches) which began the period of the Inquisition, whose ultimate goal was to consolidate wealth and power into one united church, the Catholic church. They took the path of least resistance: the elderly, the uneducated, the widowed - women and men, but mostly women. Using the tactics of division, they instigated fear, used propaganda, jealousy, division and fear to turn husband against wife, daughter against mother, and neighbor against neighbor. These tactics continue to be utilized in today's world with the examples of xenophobia, genocide and terrorism in the name of the same God of the Bible, the Torah and the Koran.
As the Renaissance period evolved, the Wiccan traditions were sufficiently suppressed as to be considered occult and underground. There they remained for well over 500 years, with occasional emergences. The Goddess traditions and practices remained with the nomadic tribes of Eastern Europe and were symbolized in many forms, including cards (Tarot and playing), and even in the many church rituals of the Catholic and Jewish faiths - such as Communion and Bar/Bat Mitzvah. The crafts and traditions were also preserved and many of the symbols and initiation rituals of the Masons can be traced to ancient carvings of Goddess worshipping traditions. In my opinion there were two works that coincided with a growing movement in England to create Wicca as we know it today in its many forms. Robert Graves', The White Goddess, and George Frazer James' The Golden Bough helped to promulgate the neo-pagan traditions. In the 1950s, Gerald Gardner combined parts of the Masonic traditions and rituals along with the mythologies promoted in The White Goddess and The Golden Bough to form the Gardnerian Wiccan practices - acknowledging male and female divinities (Priests and Priestesses). With the advent of the womyn's movements in the 1920s through the 1980s, Dianic Wiccan practices emerged, focusing solely on the female deity and traditions of the Roman Goddess, Diana. Additionally, as in all traditions, factions form and opinions clash, and Alex Sanders, a former Gardnerian Priest, broke off to form a less-stringent hierarchical Wiccan tradition now known as Alexandrian Wicca.
But I digress, as I so often do. In terms of the age of Wicca - it depends on whether one considers the earth-based agrarian religious rites as a form of Wicca, or chooses to distinguish them based on their focus and source of divine inspiration. For myself, Wicca is a religious practice whose focus of divinity is internally sourced within each and every living being, and whose essence has a feminine energy. The counterpart to the Wiccan energy, and equally as old, is that of Druidism, an energy that I feel is more masculine. Throughout the practice of Wicca, there have been sects that have chosen to incorporate both the male and female energies and imbued their gods/goddesses with the directive energies of masculine (outward) and feminine (inward). Additionally, there have been those that choose to honor these energies separately. I think Wicca is as old as the human recognition of some form of divinity - of some form of intelligent design - and that the original human form that represented this divinity was perceived to be the female, with her seemingly magical powers to create new life. Additionally, the cycles of a woman closely resemble the cycles of the 4 seasons of the earth: child, maiden, mother and crone relating to spring, summer, fall and winter. Something that powerful, must also be able to bring death - as thus the worship of a Goddess was formed.
3. What ancient religion or faith does Wicca have its roots in?
I think I'll refer you to the above paragraphs for that answer. I think the simple answer is that the ancient religion upon which Wicca is based is that of the female form. There is a very powerful, one-woman play, by Carol Lynn Pearson, called "Mother Wove the Morning". The first act depicts a paleolithic woman who laughs at the absurd thought that there is anything but a Mother God. She ends the act asking the question, What is this "faaa- thuur" you are talking about? This play outlines in approximately 15 acts the shift of our deity from female to male and the correlating disempowerment of the female in favor of the male in prominence throughout the world cultures.
4. Do any modern-day religions have their roots in the Wicca beliefs?
Good question. I know the Unitarian Universalist church is one that recognizes the divinity and truth present in all major religions, and considers Wicca one of the major religions of the world. Also, many indigenous cultures have religious practices that honor female deities - including Hinduism. Off-shoots of other religious practices also recognize the feminine face of god: Kabbalism, Gnosticism, and some of the more liberal interpretations of Islam and Christianity.
5. Were you religious growing up? If so, what religion did you follow before becoming interested in Wicca?
Yes - I was desperately religious - wanting to ensure that I found the one true way. I have always had this sense of being driven to find a purpose in life and to follow THE path - whatever that was. My family is not particularly religious, and it was only after I started studying and following the beliefs of the Jehovah's Witnesses that they decided to join the local Methodist church. I would say that living in the Southeastern United States, and its "bible" belt, influenced my original concepts of "god" as a male figure, often wise, angry and somewhat bi-polar with extremes of wreaking havoc in the forms of floods or unselfishly sacrificing his only son (where was the daughter?), in order to save the rest of an undeserving and unworthy creation, called "man" (where was woman?). Here's the run-down of my religious affiliations prior to becoming a Witch at the age of 16:
Baptist (Eastern Tennessee - went to be "saved" at least 5 times during one summer since I obviously must not be doing it with pure mind and heart as nothing significant happened - no angels sang, no bells rang, no lights blinded me... nothing - nada.)
Lutheran (father's family) - attended funerals, weddings and went to Christmas, Easter and Thanksgiving services at the local family Lutheran churches.
Jehovah's Witness (first major boyfriend was the main influence) - studied with his family and friends. Started practicing and isolating myself from my family and family traditions, like birthdays and holidays. This worried my family - and thus we started attending the....
Methodist Church. I attended confirmation classes, bible school classes and youth group events. Until I discovered....
Wicca. Age 16. I then met and married my first husband, a strict Lutheran, a misogynist and strong patriarchal conservative - which caused me to abandon the Goddess and sink into major depression. When I divorced him, I was in a relationship with my current husband whose encouragement to explore myself and my traditions allowed me to bring the Goddess back into my life.
6. What are some of the more popular fallacies about Wicca, and how do you dispel them?
Most of the fallacies concerning Wicca come from the practices of the Inquisition. Witches do not typically wear conical hats, though we do wear capes as an honor of the traditional garb of the pagan practitioners of the "old country" ways. Witches cast spells and do utilize potions - yet they are no different from the rituals of intention we utilize with marriages, births and deaths, or that of wearing perfume and cologne to intice lovers.
The script that was outlined in the Malleus Malificarum was designed to force women (mostly) to confess to crimes against the church, and as such, the questions were phrased in such as way as to be "yes" or "no". As a woman continued to resist, other means of torture were applied. The term "third degree" is a direct result of the Inquisition practices - so that the most resistant woman (or man) would finally confess to practicing against the interests of the Church.
In particular, witches do not worship a "devil". In fact, this is a direct inheritance from the Malleus Malificarum, and as such, the "devil" is a Christian concept, the "evil" archangel - the fallen child. Witches do not recognize a "devil" in their deity system -though we do acknowledge the importance of balance of energies - whether they are assigned good or evil. Wise witches know that good can be evil, and vice versa.
Not all witches have pointy noses and warts - though some of us do. The best way for me to dispel these popular fallacies is to be genuine and authentic with those I meet and to answer questions directly and honestly when asked. I don't impose my Wiccan beliefs on those around me - and I think that living the values of Wicca are the best way to dispel all fallacies about Wicca.
Also, some witches are shapeshifters and can utilize shamanic energies to transverse space and time through ritual. These individuals are a lot like "shamans" of other traditions - and would be considered the "healers" of the coven. But witches do not use brooms to fly upon. The broom has origins of association with being a symbol of "healing" when it was outlawed to practice "medicine" if you were not a man ordained by the church and thus by the University. Herbal healers were often targetted by the Inquisition as witches, so it became necessary to establish some form of communicating that herbs and healing were availble - so healers would place a broom next to their door. Additionally, there is some assoication with brooms and houses of prostitution.
Sex and wicca are intertwined. No - witches do not practice orgies - though they celebrate the beauty of human sexuality without shame. The naked body was sacred to the Goddess as it reflected the divine beauty of her creation. Thus, witches would gather in groups around fires and unclothe (or go sky clad) in song and dance.
In general there are only two rules for Wiccans:
Above all, do no harm.
and
What you put forth in the world will return to you three-fold (or ten-fold).
Using these two principles, one can choose to direct one's energies and efforts in any directed purpose. Oh - also, be careful what you ask - for you will receive it.
7. How large is the Wicca following in the US and around the world?
That depends on who you ask and what you consider Wiccan. I have heard statistics that state the Wicca is the fastest growing religion in the US today. I am not sure I would concur with that statistic. I think it is gaining popularity and has certainly received a lot of acceptance with the teenage and under-30 populations as a result of popular shows on television and teen-centered books. If one considers the Goddess centered traditions, I would say that Wicca has a concentrated following mostly in feminist-centered and earth-based traditions of Europe and the Americas. You can pretty much find a group of Wiccans holding a meeting in most any town these days - the internet has helped other Wiccans meet and congregate using Craigslist, Facebook, and My Space. I couldn't guestimate the number of practitioners because it is still an unorganized religion - and will probably remain that way for the same reasons it has resisted being eradicated. The divinity is recognized within each person - rather than outside of the "self", the divine is "inside" and reflected in all - thus, there is no recognized hierarchy as such.
8. How do you most often practice your faith?
These days I do a ritual on the 8 major holy-days. At times I have done full moon, new moon and holy-day gatherings over the years. At the moment, it is just the 8 major holy-days. I do not have a coven I practice with at the moment - though I may eventually change that.
9. What are the holidays associated with Wicca?How are those holidays celebrated? Can you describe for me a recent celebration you personaly were involved in or led?
Using the cycle of the earth, there are Four major dividing points: Solstices (Summer and Winter) and Equinoxes (Fall and Spring). Then there are the mid-points between these, centered around planting, harvesting or resting the fields. In brief (very brief!)
Beltane (May 1st)
Fertility: Rites of Spring. Traditions include jumping the fire of spring with one's lover and celebrating the awakening of the earth with dancing around the May pole.
Summer Solstice/Litha (June 21st)
Fullness: Harvesting the warmth of the earth and the celebrating the bounty of the Mother in full bloom and vegetation. The turning of the year toward darkness as the longest day of the year and the shortest night passes.
Lammas (August 1st)
First Harvest: Coming together and gathering the grains of the summers, storing and harvesting the bounty. Typically the start of "fair season" in agricultural and rural areas. Time for communities to travel and share stories, crafts and foods.
Mabon (September 20th)
Fall Equinox: the putting to sleep of the final harvests. Sheathing the fields. This is the time when the Goddess would begin to sleep, and the fields were rested. The corn stalks of Halloween are a remnant of the symbols of the holiday. It was a time of reflecting on the changing cycles of the seasons.
Samhain (Halloween) (October 31st)
The Witch's new year: the end of the final harvests and the coming of winter winds. This is the time when the veil between the Summer land (death) and the earth is thinnest, and we can connect with those who have passed into the Summerland over the course of the past year. A final feast and a sacred time of gathering for the coming darkness of winter and its rest.
Winter Solstice/Yule (Christmas) (December 21st)
The birth of the sun - the longest night of the year and the shortest day. Greens were usually brought in to freshen and mask the smells of fires and wet winter days of northern Europe. Celebrations of the sun's return and its promise were created to brighten the soul's psyche during this darkest time of year.
Imbolc (Ground Hog Day) (February 1st)
The mid-point of the dark march of night, and in northern Europe the sun's emergence on the morning's horizon. A time of gathering the remnants of old candles and making new ones to keep the light going. Fires are lit, and the tradition of animal sightings and familiars is honored with the stag, the groundhog and the rabbit - animals of sustenance when the fruits and vegetables of the land are almost diminished.
Ostara (Easter) (March 20th)
The spring equinox - planting of seeds, birthing of lambs and greening of barren trees. The earth awakens and is reborn. Another year of bountious blessings begins.
The last holy day was Samhain, and I celebrated this in a solo ritual of lighting candles for each of the directions and elements (East/Air, South/Fire, West/Water, North/Earth, and Center/Spirit).
I then reflected on the deaths this past year of the individuals in my life. They were my grandfather and two patients I had as a nurse. I wrote words and images to capture their essence and then released them to the fire, transforming their energies and releasing their earth bound energies to the greater universe should that be so needed.
Then I cast a tarot reading and recorded it for the coming year. I then sang a few songs and chants and then released the directions and dowsed the candles.
10. Are Wiccans really witches? Where did that belief come from?
Yes. However, male witches are not warlocks. That comes from television. Witches are also called Crones (a wise woman who has reached her second Saturn and gained the wisdom of the Goddess as she has traversed the path of child, maiden and mother to arrive at crone). It is theorized that the term "witch" comes from the middle or old English "wicce", which means "to bend" - and in bending the shape of one's mind and perceptions, thus shifting reality. The other attribution is to the word wyce, or "wise". One who listens to the earth, its energies and seasons, and acts with intention and honor: a witch.
I think it is good to inventory one's previous, assumed, current and potential beliefs and influences. I also liked the depth of the questions that were asked regarding my Wiccan traditions and beliefs. So here goes... (with the caveat that the opinions and knowledge procured are based solely on my personal research and experiences of teaching the Unitarian Universalist course, Cakes for the Queen of Heaven for the past 15 years).
1. What drew you to follow Wicca?
My introduction to Wicca was through the SCA (Society of Creative Anachronism) as a teenager attending local college classes. As part of the SCA organization there was a "sorority" that was known as the Womyn of Ariadne. I was drawn to their energies, their faire items, and their philosophies regarding a female deity. At the age of 15 I became an initiate of Diana, and at 16 was formally initiated into the Dianic coven of Ariadne. I finally found the answers to the questions I sought as a young child of 7, querying the patriarchal Protestant based churches and their leaders regarding the concept of only One True God and the conflicting message of God's love and God's wrath for those who did not worship according to the One True Way - yet there seemed so many different "true" ways... As a young 7 year-old girl I was disdained, dismissed and discarded as unable to fully understand the complexities of such a magnificent concept as "god". As a 16 year old female, I was finally able to understand the miracle of my own divinity as reflected in the image of the Goddess and the Goddess within all of us - male and female - the interconnected web of life of the Goddess' green earth and the cycle of birth, death and rebirth in her turning seasons.
2. In the scope of world religions, how old is the Wiccan practice?
With regard to Western culture, the Wiccan tradition when viewed from the perspective of agrarian cultures is the origin of the mythological belief systems of something greater than ourselves imbued with magical powers and those powers were reflected in the mystery of the female and the female body. It is hypothesized that the female figures found in archeological digs are as old as 8,000 - 10,000 years old. The Goddess of Laussel was carved in the wall of a limestone rock shelter in the Dordogne, not far from Lascaux approximately 25,000 years ago. This particular goddess depicts 13 notches in a curved horn (of bison?) representative of the crescent moon. She has engorged breasts and an enlarged belly with a hand over the umbilicus - all theorized to represent the power of the creative cycle of the female and the connection of her gestation to the 13 lunar cycles of the year. In Asian cultures, we are familiar with the Buddhist, and Tao traditions that are over 3000 - 5000 years old, and in the Indian mythological Hindu system, there are all female deities with equal and sometimes greater powers than those of male deities that date as far back at 8,000 years.
When one reads the patriarchal religious texts such as the Christian Bible, the Muslim Koran, and the Jewish Torah, one reads of the destruction of the goddess religions and her tribes as they were conquered by the invading tribes of the male God of War. That may seem a harsh statement and probably rubs a few people in an uncomfortable way - but when one reads these texts as oral histories similar to that of Odysseus, one finds the story of how the new male god "Jehovah" empowered his people and their tribes to conquer and defeat the older, female-worshipping tribes of Ba'at. Some of the favorite stories regarding Abraham and Sarah are pivotal reinforcements of the authority of the new male god over the female goddess as marriages were formed for peaceful alliances and the traditions of the female worshipping tribes were eradicated in favor of the new traditions of the male god's traditions and new laws.
Over time, of course the polytheistic belief systems of the world powers at the time that Christianity, Islam and Judaism were forming were slowly infiltrated by these new religious ideas until by about 300-400 AD Rome was declared a Christian state. This fractionism continued until finally the Roman church, or Catholicism as we know it today, was consolidated as the most powerful religious organization in Northern and Central Europe. At the same time, Islam was developing in the Eastern European and African continent and Taoism, Buddhism and Hinduism were gaining similar power in the Asian continent. In the meantime, the American continent had its own tribal systems whose histories have been eradicated, but were thought to be similarly based in matrilineal or polytheistic concepts as the original Goddess traditions of Central and Northern Europe that existed prior to the Catholic church.
As the two religions started to co-exist, the Goddess images that were initially defiled and banned, along with her feast days and celebrations were blended into the traditions of the new Christian traditions in the appearance of Mary, the Mother of God, around 900 AD. Additionally, the great cathedrals built in the middle ages were constructed on ancient goddess sites of worship and gathering, and there are many carved images of the ancient goddess and her symbols in many of these cathedrals. For instance, Sheila Na-Gig, the Celtic Goddess of Birthing of Humankind, is carved in the keystone of the arches of many Irish Catholic churches. Her open vulva is rubbed for good luck and her image is similar to that of the Hindu goddess Kali, found in India.
As the Christian church grew in power and consolidated its belief systems in cities, the outlying, rural areas often held strong to their agrarian traditions of worshipping seasonal cycles and the changing phases of the moon with the female and male deities - and thus they became known as "pagans" - something akin to city folk calling country folk heathens, or hicks. Despite the peaceful coexistence of the God/Goddess cultures, as the power of the Catholic church became corrupted, it was the confluence of the printing press, the new Pope Innocent VIII, and two German Dominican priests who authored the Malleus Mallificarum (Hammer of Witches) which began the period of the Inquisition, whose ultimate goal was to consolidate wealth and power into one united church, the Catholic church. They took the path of least resistance: the elderly, the uneducated, the widowed - women and men, but mostly women. Using the tactics of division, they instigated fear, used propaganda, jealousy, division and fear to turn husband against wife, daughter against mother, and neighbor against neighbor. These tactics continue to be utilized in today's world with the examples of xenophobia, genocide and terrorism in the name of the same God of the Bible, the Torah and the Koran.
As the Renaissance period evolved, the Wiccan traditions were sufficiently suppressed as to be considered occult and underground. There they remained for well over 500 years, with occasional emergences. The Goddess traditions and practices remained with the nomadic tribes of Eastern Europe and were symbolized in many forms, including cards (Tarot and playing), and even in the many church rituals of the Catholic and Jewish faiths - such as Communion and Bar/Bat Mitzvah. The crafts and traditions were also preserved and many of the symbols and initiation rituals of the Masons can be traced to ancient carvings of Goddess worshipping traditions. In my opinion there were two works that coincided with a growing movement in England to create Wicca as we know it today in its many forms. Robert Graves', The White Goddess, and George Frazer James' The Golden Bough helped to promulgate the neo-pagan traditions. In the 1950s, Gerald Gardner combined parts of the Masonic traditions and rituals along with the mythologies promoted in The White Goddess and The Golden Bough to form the Gardnerian Wiccan practices - acknowledging male and female divinities (Priests and Priestesses). With the advent of the womyn's movements in the 1920s through the 1980s, Dianic Wiccan practices emerged, focusing solely on the female deity and traditions of the Roman Goddess, Diana. Additionally, as in all traditions, factions form and opinions clash, and Alex Sanders, a former Gardnerian Priest, broke off to form a less-stringent hierarchical Wiccan tradition now known as Alexandrian Wicca.
But I digress, as I so often do. In terms of the age of Wicca - it depends on whether one considers the earth-based agrarian religious rites as a form of Wicca, or chooses to distinguish them based on their focus and source of divine inspiration. For myself, Wicca is a religious practice whose focus of divinity is internally sourced within each and every living being, and whose essence has a feminine energy. The counterpart to the Wiccan energy, and equally as old, is that of Druidism, an energy that I feel is more masculine. Throughout the practice of Wicca, there have been sects that have chosen to incorporate both the male and female energies and imbued their gods/goddesses with the directive energies of masculine (outward) and feminine (inward). Additionally, there have been those that choose to honor these energies separately. I think Wicca is as old as the human recognition of some form of divinity - of some form of intelligent design - and that the original human form that represented this divinity was perceived to be the female, with her seemingly magical powers to create new life. Additionally, the cycles of a woman closely resemble the cycles of the 4 seasons of the earth: child, maiden, mother and crone relating to spring, summer, fall and winter. Something that powerful, must also be able to bring death - as thus the worship of a Goddess was formed.
3. What ancient religion or faith does Wicca have its roots in?
I think I'll refer you to the above paragraphs for that answer. I think the simple answer is that the ancient religion upon which Wicca is based is that of the female form. There is a very powerful, one-woman play, by Carol Lynn Pearson, called "Mother Wove the Morning". The first act depicts a paleolithic woman who laughs at the absurd thought that there is anything but a Mother God. She ends the act asking the question, What is this "faaa- thuur" you are talking about? This play outlines in approximately 15 acts the shift of our deity from female to male and the correlating disempowerment of the female in favor of the male in prominence throughout the world cultures.
4. Do any modern-day religions have their roots in the Wicca beliefs?
Good question. I know the Unitarian Universalist church is one that recognizes the divinity and truth present in all major religions, and considers Wicca one of the major religions of the world. Also, many indigenous cultures have religious practices that honor female deities - including Hinduism. Off-shoots of other religious practices also recognize the feminine face of god: Kabbalism, Gnosticism, and some of the more liberal interpretations of Islam and Christianity.
5. Were you religious growing up? If so, what religion did you follow before becoming interested in Wicca?
Yes - I was desperately religious - wanting to ensure that I found the one true way. I have always had this sense of being driven to find a purpose in life and to follow THE path - whatever that was. My family is not particularly religious, and it was only after I started studying and following the beliefs of the Jehovah's Witnesses that they decided to join the local Methodist church. I would say that living in the Southeastern United States, and its "bible" belt, influenced my original concepts of "god" as a male figure, often wise, angry and somewhat bi-polar with extremes of wreaking havoc in the forms of floods or unselfishly sacrificing his only son (where was the daughter?), in order to save the rest of an undeserving and unworthy creation, called "man" (where was woman?). Here's the run-down of my religious affiliations prior to becoming a Witch at the age of 16:
Baptist (Eastern Tennessee - went to be "saved" at least 5 times during one summer since I obviously must not be doing it with pure mind and heart as nothing significant happened - no angels sang, no bells rang, no lights blinded me... nothing - nada.)
Lutheran (father's family) - attended funerals, weddings and went to Christmas, Easter and Thanksgiving services at the local family Lutheran churches.
Jehovah's Witness (first major boyfriend was the main influence) - studied with his family and friends. Started practicing and isolating myself from my family and family traditions, like birthdays and holidays. This worried my family - and thus we started attending the....
Methodist Church. I attended confirmation classes, bible school classes and youth group events. Until I discovered....
Wicca. Age 16. I then met and married my first husband, a strict Lutheran, a misogynist and strong patriarchal conservative - which caused me to abandon the Goddess and sink into major depression. When I divorced him, I was in a relationship with my current husband whose encouragement to explore myself and my traditions allowed me to bring the Goddess back into my life.
6. What are some of the more popular fallacies about Wicca, and how do you dispel them?
Most of the fallacies concerning Wicca come from the practices of the Inquisition. Witches do not typically wear conical hats, though we do wear capes as an honor of the traditional garb of the pagan practitioners of the "old country" ways. Witches cast spells and do utilize potions - yet they are no different from the rituals of intention we utilize with marriages, births and deaths, or that of wearing perfume and cologne to intice lovers.
The script that was outlined in the Malleus Malificarum was designed to force women (mostly) to confess to crimes against the church, and as such, the questions were phrased in such as way as to be "yes" or "no". As a woman continued to resist, other means of torture were applied. The term "third degree" is a direct result of the Inquisition practices - so that the most resistant woman (or man) would finally confess to practicing against the interests of the Church.
In particular, witches do not worship a "devil". In fact, this is a direct inheritance from the Malleus Malificarum, and as such, the "devil" is a Christian concept, the "evil" archangel - the fallen child. Witches do not recognize a "devil" in their deity system -though we do acknowledge the importance of balance of energies - whether they are assigned good or evil. Wise witches know that good can be evil, and vice versa.
Not all witches have pointy noses and warts - though some of us do. The best way for me to dispel these popular fallacies is to be genuine and authentic with those I meet and to answer questions directly and honestly when asked. I don't impose my Wiccan beliefs on those around me - and I think that living the values of Wicca are the best way to dispel all fallacies about Wicca.
Also, some witches are shapeshifters and can utilize shamanic energies to transverse space and time through ritual. These individuals are a lot like "shamans" of other traditions - and would be considered the "healers" of the coven. But witches do not use brooms to fly upon. The broom has origins of association with being a symbol of "healing" when it was outlawed to practice "medicine" if you were not a man ordained by the church and thus by the University. Herbal healers were often targetted by the Inquisition as witches, so it became necessary to establish some form of communicating that herbs and healing were availble - so healers would place a broom next to their door. Additionally, there is some assoication with brooms and houses of prostitution.
Sex and wicca are intertwined. No - witches do not practice orgies - though they celebrate the beauty of human sexuality without shame. The naked body was sacred to the Goddess as it reflected the divine beauty of her creation. Thus, witches would gather in groups around fires and unclothe (or go sky clad) in song and dance.
In general there are only two rules for Wiccans:
Above all, do no harm.
and
What you put forth in the world will return to you three-fold (or ten-fold).
Using these two principles, one can choose to direct one's energies and efforts in any directed purpose. Oh - also, be careful what you ask - for you will receive it.
7. How large is the Wicca following in the US and around the world?
That depends on who you ask and what you consider Wiccan. I have heard statistics that state the Wicca is the fastest growing religion in the US today. I am not sure I would concur with that statistic. I think it is gaining popularity and has certainly received a lot of acceptance with the teenage and under-30 populations as a result of popular shows on television and teen-centered books. If one considers the Goddess centered traditions, I would say that Wicca has a concentrated following mostly in feminist-centered and earth-based traditions of Europe and the Americas. You can pretty much find a group of Wiccans holding a meeting in most any town these days - the internet has helped other Wiccans meet and congregate using Craigslist, Facebook, and My Space. I couldn't guestimate the number of practitioners because it is still an unorganized religion - and will probably remain that way for the same reasons it has resisted being eradicated. The divinity is recognized within each person - rather than outside of the "self", the divine is "inside" and reflected in all - thus, there is no recognized hierarchy as such.
8. How do you most often practice your faith?
These days I do a ritual on the 8 major holy-days. At times I have done full moon, new moon and holy-day gatherings over the years. At the moment, it is just the 8 major holy-days. I do not have a coven I practice with at the moment - though I may eventually change that.
9. What are the holidays associated with Wicca?How are those holidays celebrated? Can you describe for me a recent celebration you personaly were involved in or led?
Using the cycle of the earth, there are Four major dividing points: Solstices (Summer and Winter) and Equinoxes (Fall and Spring). Then there are the mid-points between these, centered around planting, harvesting or resting the fields. In brief (very brief!)
Beltane (May 1st)
Fertility: Rites of Spring. Traditions include jumping the fire of spring with one's lover and celebrating the awakening of the earth with dancing around the May pole.
Summer Solstice/Litha (June 21st)
Fullness: Harvesting the warmth of the earth and the celebrating the bounty of the Mother in full bloom and vegetation. The turning of the year toward darkness as the longest day of the year and the shortest night passes.
Lammas (August 1st)
First Harvest: Coming together and gathering the grains of the summers, storing and harvesting the bounty. Typically the start of "fair season" in agricultural and rural areas. Time for communities to travel and share stories, crafts and foods.
Mabon (September 20th)
Fall Equinox: the putting to sleep of the final harvests. Sheathing the fields. This is the time when the Goddess would begin to sleep, and the fields were rested. The corn stalks of Halloween are a remnant of the symbols of the holiday. It was a time of reflecting on the changing cycles of the seasons.
Samhain (Halloween) (October 31st)
The Witch's new year: the end of the final harvests and the coming of winter winds. This is the time when the veil between the Summer land (death) and the earth is thinnest, and we can connect with those who have passed into the Summerland over the course of the past year. A final feast and a sacred time of gathering for the coming darkness of winter and its rest.
Winter Solstice/Yule (Christmas) (December 21st)
The birth of the sun - the longest night of the year and the shortest day. Greens were usually brought in to freshen and mask the smells of fires and wet winter days of northern Europe. Celebrations of the sun's return and its promise were created to brighten the soul's psyche during this darkest time of year.
Imbolc (Ground Hog Day) (February 1st)
The mid-point of the dark march of night, and in northern Europe the sun's emergence on the morning's horizon. A time of gathering the remnants of old candles and making new ones to keep the light going. Fires are lit, and the tradition of animal sightings and familiars is honored with the stag, the groundhog and the rabbit - animals of sustenance when the fruits and vegetables of the land are almost diminished.
Ostara (Easter) (March 20th)
The spring equinox - planting of seeds, birthing of lambs and greening of barren trees. The earth awakens and is reborn. Another year of bountious blessings begins.
The last holy day was Samhain, and I celebrated this in a solo ritual of lighting candles for each of the directions and elements (East/Air, South/Fire, West/Water, North/Earth, and Center/Spirit).
I then reflected on the deaths this past year of the individuals in my life. They were my grandfather and two patients I had as a nurse. I wrote words and images to capture their essence and then released them to the fire, transforming their energies and releasing their earth bound energies to the greater universe should that be so needed.
Then I cast a tarot reading and recorded it for the coming year. I then sang a few songs and chants and then released the directions and dowsed the candles.
10. Are Wiccans really witches? Where did that belief come from?
Yes. However, male witches are not warlocks. That comes from television. Witches are also called Crones (a wise woman who has reached her second Saturn and gained the wisdom of the Goddess as she has traversed the path of child, maiden and mother to arrive at crone). It is theorized that the term "witch" comes from the middle or old English "wicce", which means "to bend" - and in bending the shape of one's mind and perceptions, thus shifting reality. The other attribution is to the word wyce, or "wise". One who listens to the earth, its energies and seasons, and acts with intention and honor: a witch.
- Location:Phoenix
- Music:Keali'i Reichel - Ka 'Opihi O Kanapou | Powered by Last.fm
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I also share with you the background of the Jehovah's Witnesses. However, I was raised as on in northern Michigan where they were even more conservative than in most parts of the country. I left them when I was 18 and went back after my first child was born at age 22 with my fiance. I left less than a year later permanently. I gave up on all concepts of God and spirituality for many years until I was 30 and began attending MCC in Las Vegas. I continued to research, read and learn until I found what actually made sense to me, which is a belief system that is still and always will be, under construction and consisting of many pagan traditions. I have been known to refer to my religious bent as "recovering Jehovah's Witness". LOL