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Wicca
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"An ye harm none, do as ye will." Humans have worshipped goddesses since before recorded history, and while the style grew with age, Wicca is still alive today. Coming through the Burning Times in the 1600's, witchcraft re-emerged in the mid 1900's and has been growing in popularity since that time. Unlike the times when witches were burned or punished for practicing their Craft, now witches have rights. In the United States, Wicca is protected as a legal religion. Wicca is a earth religion, far older than Christianity and came before even the Greek and Roman Empires. It was a widely practiced religion, one which honored the spirit and life in all things, all the time. When Christianity was adopted as the official state religion by the Roman Empire, Wicca was forced into the background. As the Roman Empire grew, the number of Druids, priests, and priestesses dwindled.Witches
Someone who practices Wicca is sometimes called a Pagan. However, the word pagan itself means paganus which is Latin for "country dweller". More commonly pagan means one who observes or practices a polytheistic religion, or a religion of multiple Gods. The thing about Wicca, is that there is no one assigned God you need to worship. Practitioners of Wicca choose the deities they are going to work with- or are chosen by a deity. Wiccan's believe that in the beginning there was the female spirit, who created her other half- the male spirit. They are still known as One, as the All. Being both male and female, and equal in all ways, the Lord and Lady are in us all and in every living thing. In this light, you can work with the Hindu deities, the Roman Gods and Goddesses, The Greek Gods, Egyptian deities, Buddhist Gods, Asian Gods, or Celtic Gods and Goddesses etc... the important thing to remember is that in each of these cultures deities are viewed as simply a different facet of the All. The Lord and Lady.
Another common misconception about Wicca is that a devil is worshipped in order to gain the magical powers. This couldn't be farther from the truth however. The devil exists in the Christian religion, and not in the Wiccan one. The devil is in essence a negative energy, and the most important rule for a witch is to "Harm None." This involves the belief that whatever you do magically or not, will return to you three fold. Witches get power from within themselves. Every human has the capability of channeling the energy of All that Is. The Life force. Remember witches try to abide by a code of positive morality.
There are different kinds of witches :) British- This is based on what is believed to have been the practices in Britain before Christianity. Celtic- Looks to the ancient Celtic and Druidic deities. It also believes in the powers of plants, minerals, fairies, gnomes and elementals. Pictish- Solitary Scottish tradition, based on Nature and magic more than religion. Strega- Follows traditions from Italy. There are many different types of the Craft. Check out books in your local stores for more information, or look it up at online Wicca web sites.
Magic
Magic is something to be careful with. Remember that whatever you do, will return to you threefold no matter if it be good or bad. Therefore, you're always going to want your spells, rituals and tools to be as pure and clean as possible. Most likely, running them through a washer won't quite do it this time ;) You'll want to keep unwanted energies and spirits out of your area. Casting a magic circle keeps the unfocused energies you stir up by your spell work, inside the circle, and it keeps unwanted energy and spirits out of the circle as well. Keeping them away from you. In your magic circle you are safe, and only the things you invite in, come in. To cast this circle, first cleanse the area by taking a bowl of water and walking clockwise. Say, "I walk this circle once around to cleanse and consecrate this ground." Then pick up your bowl of salt and walking clockwise say, "I walk this circle once again, between the worlds all time can bend." Next walk with your burning incense and say, "I walk the circle thrice this time. For the protection of the Lord and Lady are mine." Now, you can walk the circle again, using a staff or chalk to trace a circle into the ground. You hold the visualization in your mind. This is one of the most important parts of magic doing, because protection is always very important. When you exit, trace a door out, and exit through that door. When you re-enter come in through the traced door, being sure to close it after yourself. When you are ready to take down the circle, you'll need to say "The circle is open but never broken." It's also a good idea to politely thank and dismiss any spirits and elementals that you've attracted. This could be said in, "May all the beings and elementals who've been attracted, be on their way, harming none." Magic starts inside you. Saying a prayer for instance, is a form of magick. However when you say a prayer often you are asking for something from your deity. In practicing Magick and Wicca, you work with your deity to achieve something. The Elements you use in Wicca are Earth, Air, Fire, Water and Spirit. These are also represented in the Pentagram. The Pentagram is the symbol of the Wiccan faith, and despite some beliefs, there is nothing demonic about this symbol. Each point symbolized an element, and many pagans wear the pentagram for protection or simply to express themselves. Summoning Fairies, Elementals, Spirit Guides, Spirit Animals, Totem Animals, Winds, Dragons, Tree Spirits, Gnomes, Deities or even Angels should be done with care. Research the best way to do this, and be careful to use respect and to always be cautious. There are many books available online or in book stores about Spells, Rituals and Magick. There are many different kinds of magick, some are: Color Magick, Candle Magick, Elemental Magick, Herb Magick. Food, Healing, Weather and Protection Magick. Angel, Scrying, and Dream Magick. Some rules to remember: Never do magick for another person without their permission. Never cast a spell to make another person do something- that's infringing on their free will. Be very sure you have positive intentions behind what you're doing. Remember that if you harm someone, it will come back and harm you three fold. Be very careful with love spells. Making another love you by "bewitching" them isn't good. Though it may work for a while it often ends in a less than positive way, and often the person will sense that you are messing with their free will. The best way to protect yourself is to simply do positive magick. That way, you'll attract positive things! Holidays
The Moon plays a large part in magic. Many witches honor the Goddess on every full moon, and these are called Sabbats. Every month there is a full moon, and each has a name. For instance, January is the Wolf Moon, and is a time for protection, and strength. The phase of the moon is also important though. For instance, the New Moon is about new projects. The waxing moon for building and growth, the full moon for your hearts desire. A waning moon is for banishing, while the dark of the moon is for meditating. Sabbats are the wiccan holidays. The word itself means to rest, and is Hebrew. Every year the story of the Lord and Lady repeats itself. Samhain (October 31st)- Halloween, and also the witches new year. This marks the death of the Lord and also the start of a new year. Witches hold ritual to honor the dead. It's on this day that the veil between the living and dead is the thinnest, and contrary to pretending to be scary monsters, zombies and eating a lot of sugar, this day is a solemn and important day for pagans. Yule (December 21st)- The Winter Solstice, and the Lady gives birth to the Lord. Wicca was around long before Christianity and many people who observe Christmas holidays, are sure to have gotten their traditions from their pagan ancestors. Druids for instance hung mistletoe. Yule is the longest night of the year, it is also the time when the Lord is reborn and light begins to return to the planet. Yule logs are often burned on this magical day as well. Imbolc (February 2nd)- The Lord is a small boy. The Lady is recovering from giving birth. This is a time to cleanse your home, and prepare for the coming season. Ostara (March 21st)- The first day of Spring, and the awakening of the earth. The Lord is seen as a growing youth. In the ancient times eggs were colored and eaten in honor of the returning spring. Rabbits, or hares, were also seen associated with the Moon, and with fertility and rebirth. At this point in time, the Lord and Lady are seen as innocent, and young. Many pagans and people alike, eat colored eggs and chocolate bunnies to celebrate.
Beltane (April 30th)- The Lord falls in love with the Lady, and the Lady becomes pregnant. They are united by hand fasting, and witches celebrate by dancing around a maypole, and wearing flowers in their hair. Litha (June 21st)- The Lord and Lady are at their peak during this Sabbat. Large bonfires were lit to promote purification, fertility, and love. In older times people would jump over the fire to encourage these things in themselves. The fire also represents the Sun and all it's strength at this time of the year. This is a good Sabbat to communicate with the forest sprites and faeries. Lughnassad (August 2nd)- The Lord begins to loose his strength, but he will be reborn by the Lady at Yule. Pagans often have feasts to celebrate how plentiful everything is. Mabon (September 21st)- Night and Day are equal on the Autumn Equinox. The Lord is preparing for his death on Samhain, the Lady is beginning to mourn. Food magick is good on this harvest festival day.
Spirituality-
Other things such as astrology, times of the day, days of the week, runes, herbs, stones, candles and such can be used to aide your magick. Colors and fragrances can play a large part in spell working. There are also other spiritual practices similar in nature to Wicca. Being open minded makes the world a friendlier place and while tolerance is something witches didn't get in the past it's more common now. Be tolerant of others religious choices. Some of their practices might appeal to you. You could find something in a unexpected place to make your ritual experience excellent. One of the great things about Wicca, is the involvement of other religious deities, and symbols into the Craft you choose. Tarot Card Readings, Reiki Healing, New Age beliefs, Feng Shui practices, Gregorian Chanting, Native American wisdom, many things can help you find a perfect mix of spirituality to make you a happy person. And happiness is the most important thing of all. :) There is a wonderful world of possibilities!
Credits to: Idiots Guide to Witchcraft, and the Little Big Encyclopedia of Spells. Credit also goes to the maker of the pictures. I claim no rights to the art work.
Web Page By FuzzyMoonFlowers
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