WICCA / WITCHCRAFT / PAGANISM FAQ’S

So, I’ve seen many FAQ’s on several websites and will do my best to incorporate
all of the “classic” questions and some not so common ones also.

I am doing my best to incorporate all types
of FAQ's that I find. If you have a question you would like answered
PLEASE email me: and I will get it posted within a couple days of receiving it.

So then, some of the classics…

Q: So, aren’t you all a bunch of devil worshipers?
A: No, not in any way shape or form.
There are those out there who do call themselves “devil worshipers”
and that is what they are. They are not related in any way to
Wicca / Witchcraft and/or Paganism. Because in our religion
we do not have an “ultimate evil” it is fairly difficult to worship one.

Q: So then, if you don’t worship the devil, who then do you worship?
A: Well, that varies by tradition.
(By “tradition” I mean denomination, we simply call them traditions instead.)
Most who classify themselves as “Wiccan” worship the Lord
and the Lady, or the Horned God and the Great Goddess. Others
worship a pantheon, a specific set of Gods and Goddesses
specific to one culture (reference: Greek Pantheon; Zeus, Hera,
Ares, Aphrodite, etc). Yet others are what we call “eclectic” and
worship some deities from various cultures. Many people wil
also say that they do not “worship” per-se, as that entails a complete submission.

Q: Are all Wiccans / Pagans Witches?
A: No. Many Wiccans / Pagans worship their
deity/deities and that is it. They may attend ritual with others
of similar beliefs but that would be it for them. Others do that and
also cast spells. This is what makes a Witch. But also remember,
you can be a Witch, and not be Pagan or Wiccan.

Q: Spells!? That means they curse people?!
A: Absolutely not. Most if not all Wiccans /
Pagans believe in karma in one sense or another and are
mature enough to know that the karma backlash a curse would
entail is not worth the curse itself. Most Wiccans / Pagans follow
a sort of guideline, often called the Wiccan or Witches Rede
which in its shortened version says, “as you harm none, do as you will.”
Or, do what you want, so long as it hurts no one (and this includes yourself, animals and nature.)

Q: So what is a male witch called? A warlock?
A: No, a warlock in its original form means oath-breaker.
A male witch is just that, a witch. Being a witch
has nothing to do with your body parts.

Q: So how do I become Wiccan / Pagan / A Witch?
A: That depends on whom you ask. Some say
people are born into it, or you must be dedicated and initiated
into a coven by a certain degree priest/priestess only after a year
and a day of dedicated study. Others say you come to it
when you are ready and not before. What I say? Do what is best
for you at your time in life. If you feel you must be solitary go
to a bookstore or web site and get some books and start studying.
Or, if you feel you really must belong to a group/coven then
find one and see if they are accepting initiates (persons of little
or no experience they sometimes will teach).

Q: Well, I’m not a Witch but I want a spell done on someone anyway.
A: Think about what you just said.
How would you feel if someone did a spell on you? I and
most other Wiccans / Pagans / Witches out there will not do
something like this because of the karmic backlash. I refuse to
take karma positive or negative for a situation that is not mine.

Q: So you do spells. Does that mean you do sacrifices?
A: Do we sacrifice animals or people? NO!
Do we sacrifice our time to sit back and meditate and/or reflect
on our situations to find the best routes to take? Yes. This is
what I tell people about blood sacrifice: If you feel your situation
is serious enough to warrant the severity of a blood sacrifice
find your local blood bank and donate a unit of blood.

Q: Okay, so what exactly is Paganism / Wicca?
A: Again, depends on whom you ask.
As an anthropologist this is what I have to say:
Paganism is an umbrella term,
like Christianity and Wicca is a denomination of Paganism, like
Lutheran is a denomination of Christianity. In general, Paganism
and it’s subsequent denominations / traditions are earth
–centered religions which revere / worship both the male and
female sides of things. (Yes, there are some male only and female
only traditions out there, but they are a minority. This does
not mean we look down on them. Quite the opposite usually.)

Q: So do you have ritual orgies then?
A: No. This is a fairly common misconception as we do not have the
same sex taboos as some more mainstream religions. Just
because we follow the seasonal cycle and do not have rules
regarding pre-marital sex, homosexuality and other sexual issues
does not mean we all have sex with each other. Some groups do
enact the “real” Great Rite, but it is only between consenting
adults, who are already lovers and it is in the privacy of their
home. Not in front of the entire group, or in front of children or any other thing such as that.

Some not so common ones…

Q: I’ve seen that Wicca / Paganism / Witchcraft
is one of the fastest growing religions. How do you recruit new members?
A: As a general rule, we don’t. We believe that religion is a
personal choice that is yours to make and yours alone. If
someone is meant to be Pagan / Wiccan / A Witch they will find
their way to this religion on their own. Remember: You do not
see us handing out flyers to people on the side of the road,
rending out road-side billboards or other in-your-face tactics.

Q: What exactly do you do in ritual?
A: For us, ritual is our church service.
Each ritual is a little bit different, or a lot different, depending
on the holiday (or for us, a Sabbat) we are celebrating, or if there
is a particular issue we would like to pray about. Yes, we do
pray, just a little bit differently than most people would consider prayer.

Q: That really didn’t answer my question, how do I DO ritual??
A: That depends on if you are solitary (practice alone)
or part of a group/coven and which tradition you follow. A generic
step by step would include setting up your altar, casting the
circle, invoking the watchtowers and deities and doing your spellwork. The specifics will change from ritual to ritual,
depending on what spell or Sabbat you are doing.

Q: So if you are not devil worshipers or Satanists or evil, why do you all wear black all of the time?
A: For one, not all of us always wear black.
Some of us prefer the “Goth” image, just like some of us are into
mainstream fashion and others the gypsy image. Goths, just like any
other fashion trend, are part of
most any religion worldwide.
A common answer I find to this question is simple: black repels negativity.

Q: Even though you don’t worship the devil, you are still going to go to Hell!
A: *sigh* I find it hard to believe that I will
be going to a place after I die, which 1- I don’t believe in, in the
first place, and 2- I believe in reincarnation. Please refrain from
shoving your religion down my throat when I am doing nothing of
the like to you. You are willingly surfing my website. If you find
yourself unable to leave this website then here is what I suggest:
1- close down your internet explorer. If that does not work then
2- reboot your computer. If this does not work then
3- maybe it is a sign you are in the wrong religion.

Q: Do covens ever live together like a cult?
A: If they lived together like a cult it would be a cult.
There are some nature sanctuaries where a few people live
in their own houses on the land the sanctuary owns, but
a - these are rare and b - the people live there simply for upkeep
of the temple, land, etc. For an example of this go
to: http://www.elflore.org. They live there of their own will, and can move away if they so desire.

Q: Do you make your children go to ritual?
A: Only if they wish so. If they do not wish
so, many parents will either practice solitary or they will find a
baby sitter until the child is old enough to stay home alone.
If the child wishes to learn paganism, the parents will usually
teach their child the path they follow. Often around age
13 the child will go through a rite of passage and then choose whether or not to continue studies in Paganism or go on to a different religion.
Most, if not all or the Pagan parents I am in regular contact with
would readily provide their child religious instruction in any religion
including Christianity because they believe that to force their child
into any religion is a horrible thing to do.