Merry Meet & Welcome to the Spiral Stair
Frequently Asked Questions
Here we hope you will find the answers to some of the more commonly asked questions about Wicca and Witchcraft. If, however, you have a question that is not listed below please contact us with the question and we will update you when it is listed along with the others. Thank you!
What is Modern Wicca? Modern Wicca is an earth centered religion that recognizes a dual deity, not to be confused with two seperate deity but one with both male (God) and female (Goddess) aspects. These aspects are known throughout the world by a great many names, and these names are used to distinguish between the different characteristics of these aspects. Esoterically speaking, Modern Wicca is a polytheistic, multi-faceted, non-organized relgion which has changed dramatically since the times of Gerald Gardner. Wicca was founded by Gerald B. Gardner in the 1950's along with rituals and spellwork written and compiled by Aleister Crowely, friend and later initiate of the Second Order of the Golden Dawn (by Mathers, S. L. MacGregor; founded 1888 by Westcott, Dr. William Wynn).
What do Wiccans believe? Wiccans see the sacred as inherent in Nature which is usually thought of as Mother Earth and Father Sky. There is no 'middle man' in Wicca between the devotee and the Divine, meaning each individual is his/her own priest/ess. There is no need to confess their sins to priest (like in Catholicism), as not only is there no one to which they MUST confess to, but in Wiccan/Pagan beliefs there is no concept of 'original sin', or sin itself. However, if one chooses to do evil or ill, then they must first find forgiveness from themselves and then from the Divine in order to be forgiven and choose to live their lives ethically. They also see the Divine as immanent (within Nature; ex: "Thou art Goddess") and transcendant.
They do not vituperate (speak of it with extreme language) the Bible as some may think, but actually regard it as one of the many world's spirtual, philosophical systems, though less appropriate to some of their main beliefs but not respected any less than theirs or any other religious beliefs. Some believe in reincarnation while others do not. They respect all religious beliefs and in return only expect the same for theirs.
What is Witchcraft? It is, what has come to be known as, the Old Religion. Le Vecchia Religione as it is in Italy. Also, the religion of Witchcraft embraces the mythic tales of the Wheel of the Year, which represents the changing seasons and Holy days.
It is so confusing to try and pin down what Witchcraft actually is. There are some that say that it is a religion. Whilst others will say that it is the embracement and the use of natural and personal magicks. To me, it is the blending of the two.
Are Witchcraft and Modern Wicca the same thing? No, they aren't. While elements of Witchcraft can be found in Modern Wicca, they're not twin images of each other. They are similar, and at the same time, different. No one really knows what the Old Religion was all about. The only pure Witchcraft left is Stregheria, which is Italian Witchcraft. It's pure because it's remained traditional and unchanged for centuries. However,
Modern Witchcraft and Modern Wicca are exactly the same thing. How? When Gerald Gardner was practicing with the New Forest Coven he saw something that was dying out. Witchcraft. He couldn't bear to see something as beautiful and enlightening as this just pass into the shadows. He felt the need to revive it, and bring it back from the brink of extinction. He took things that he learned from Dorothy Clutterbuck, things written by Aleister Crowley, mixed it with ceremonial magick, as well as Qabalistic ritual and voila! But in order to make it more appealing, Doreen Valiente edited his original Book of Shadows here and there. Only there was one problem. Gardner wanted to bring it out to the masses, but knew that the word "Witchcraft" had some rather nasty connotations and it would more than likely scare people away. Somewhere down the line he ran into an old English word 'wicce', which meant 'wise one'. He changed the name from Witchcraft to Wicca and the rest is history! Gardner himself was no saint and just as flawed as anyone else. However, being that he was first, and maybe the only person to ever want to revive such practices he deserves more respect than he is getting from many in the Pagan community.
Can I be born a witch? Whatever you do, please don't let this idea go to your head. The answer is a 'yes' as well as a 'no'. Everyone is born a witch (notice the lower case), and it matters not what your religion is or used to be. Everyone is born with abilities and knowledge, with skills and talents. I would tend to think of being born magickally inclined as learning how to swim. On one hand, you'll be sitting on the stairs all of your life, just hanging your feet over the edge. Fear of what could happen if you venture out will keep you in the shallow end with your protective waterwings. However, some of us will shake off our waterwings and dare to test the waters of the deeper end. Most people stay on the safe side of magick... they never go near it. And just as everyone is born with the ability to swim, we are all born with the ability to work magick. But if you don't dare to do something with that ability, either from fear or just lack of knowledge, it becomes useless. Like swimming, magick takes training, and with that training you need a teacher or else on your first try you could end up sinking. You can NOT be born a Witch, however. Witches are made, because Witchcraft is a choice, not a privelege, and a lifetime devotion to learning and practice is required.
Can I do magick? Here's a better question. Cause you'll have the answer to all of them. You don't need my help ^-^. Do you cook for sick relatives and friends to make them better? Do you pray? If you've answered "Yes" to at least one of these questions, then you've answer "Yes" to the question you just asked us. Magick is nothing short of enhanced prayer, whether it be by thought, word, or action.
What's the purpose of casting circles or performing in a circle? The entire art of casting a circle is to raise a barrier of protection around you and your working space; protection from outside, unwanted forces or influences (not just spirits). Just as Christians communicate with God in a church, circle casting is slightly more than creating sacred space whereever you may be, inside or outside. Almost like the Port-o-Potty of religious sanctuaries, to be so crude (as it can be moved from place to place). To perform ritual or magick inside a cast circle (if you do so choose) is not unlike communing with the Divine inside of a prayer circle, for that is all that it is. The circle is also used as a container in which to hold energy that's raised from within. Just like a jug contains milk. If there were no jug, the milk would go everywhere at once.
Do I always have to cast a circle? Yes and no. It's more of a personal preference. If you are doing something, such as raising the Cone of Power or performing a ritual that deals with spirits (like exorcisms) and you will need protection from outside negative forces, then I would say "Yes, please do." However, the only time I would say "No" is if you are doing something like pathworking/journeying, meditation, or simple spellwork (like prosperity spells). If you don't have a permanent altar then setting up alone could take up to half an hour, and then there's the magick involved. For myself, if it's a simple spell... and it usually is, I'll take my ritual bath and then go to a secluded room, light a few candles that I have hanging around and do it. Then I just clean up what I must afterwords. No muss, no fuss. But I do recommend practicing how to cast a circle as often as you can make time, because it is very valuable to your studies and you will need it in the future.
Is the Book of Shadows a Witch's Bible? No. What it is like a magickal diary. It contains anything from spell working experiments, incense recipes, to your dreams, poetry, etc.
What is a grimoire? Boy, you ask a lot of questions! Just kidding. A grimoire is another, perhaps older, word for Book of Shadows. Due to my need to catagorize everything, I would reserve my personal spells, poetry, thoughts, and rituals for my Book of Shadows, and my recipes for potions, soaps, candles, etc for the grimoire. In other words, Book of Shadows is to ritual workbook as Grimoire is to Cookbook. That's for me, it may be entirely different to someone else. Many Heriditary Witches will use 'Grimoire' in the place of 'Book of Shadows', other practioners will use the reverse.
What is folk magic? Folk magic deals with the use of stones, and botanicals for curing and healing (herb craft), grounding, and balancing. It aslo involves the use of complex rituals and medicinal applications to aid the work in progress. And many of these cures have been proven effective and utilized in modern medicine. So you can think of the scientist that discovers 'new' medicines, your doctor, and your pharmacist as modern day folk magicians. Folk magic holds it's roots in tribal Shamanism. For an excellent guide on folk remedies please see Amazon.com.
Do Wiccans/Pagans worship the devil? No. The devil is part of the Christian/Islamic mythology/belief system, and therefor has no place in the Wiccan/Pagan religion. Many people describe the devil as being an invention by the Christian church in order to instill fear in it's followers so that they would not turn against the church and return to their pagan ways of "worshipping". And by many Neopagans he is seen as a blasphemous parody of the ancient Paleopagan deities. However, the devil or Satan is just as real for followers of Christianity/Islam, as the many facets of the divine are for pagans, and therefor should be regarded with respect. For more information about this please see History Channel.com.
Are you a Satanist?No, actually I'm not. I'm a Spiritualist, though I don't like to label myself at all. I study different religions/philosophy and subscribe to only the parts that identify with or understand as truth while mixing it with what I was raised with.
Do Wiccans/Pagans practice in human/animal/blood sacrifices? That all depends on your definition of 'sacrifice'. Step back for a second, forgetting all that you know and all that you think you know. What does you intuition tell you about sacrifice?
There isn't any way possible to live one's life without the sacrifice of something. Sacrifice is inherent in life. For every change there is a loss, which is never ending for nothing ever stays the same. And there are animal sacrifices just as much as there are herbal and personal sacrifices.
Anytime you eat chicken, beef, pork or any other creature, you are partaking in the sacrifice of that creature. True, you didn't see it killed or perhaps kill it yourself, but it doesn't blur the fact that that creature died to be your food. And another creature died to be that animal's food.
There is a difference in ritual sacrifice and slaughter. A ritual sacrifice would not only mean that the creature in question became nurishment for whomever, but all of its body would be treated with respect and/or used. For instance, whenever Native American hunted the buffalo, not only did they use the meat to sustain the life of their tribe, but they used the skins for clothing and to cover the tepees. The bones went for different purposes, like jewelry or medicine or use in shaman ritual. This practice is still being used through-out the world in various cultures. Slaughter is when the creature is killed, butchered and sent to grocery stores. Some of the skins might be used for things such as leather shoes, belts, and coats. But the rest is merely disposed of, as though it were meaningless.
Another example is if you have fresh herbs, vegetables or flowers growing in your garden and one day you decide to use some, either in a recipe or to make your house look nice. Once you've cut what you need, think about it. That plant just sacrificed a part of itself to you. It only takes a second to say, "Thank you".
When you bake a cake, the flour being a sacrifice of wheat, is now the container's sacrifice.
Anytime anything changes, that is a sacrifice. Along with personal time and family. Family is a difficult part of yourself to sacrifice, however not everyone has an open mind and we must make the decision to either subject ourselves to their criticism and cruelty or never see or speak to them again. Many of us have taken the latter, more difficult journey. That which is the greatest sacrfice.
But Wiccans, Witches and Pagans do NOT sacrifice humans for any reason at any time, nor does a true Christian, Jew, Hindu, or any other religious follower. At least not the ones who are sane.
If you've got magickal powers, why aren't you rich and famous? Again, you are expected NOT to use magick for financial gain or any other purpose other than what it's intended for. Those that abuse their gifts soon find themselves without. Magick is not about powers, or control. If you're doing it because you think it's cool or you want to make someone like you, you are doing it for the WRONG reasons. Try to keep in mind that 'power' is just another word for energy and nothing more. Energy is anything from the simple (yet complex) vibrations of the earth, to your own emotions. And everything is effected by that energy. And energy is caused by force.
For example: You purchase a brand new flash light. Alone, it's useless. You can flip the switch until the cows come home and it will never work. You buy batteries and put in however many that it needs. You flip the switch and it doesn't work. It doesn't work because the ends of the battery are charged differently. You need to find the corresponding charges and link them, then reinstall them. You flip the switch and it works! Had you not flipped the switch the flashlight would have remained off. But you exerted force upon the button to turn it on. That button exerted the force needed to pull the 'juice' into the body of the battery which turns into energy and that energy responds by lighting up the bulb. When the batteries grow low on fuel the light will dim because it's not getting enough energy.
What's the difference between black magick and white magick? There isn't. To put it more bluntly, there's no such thing as colored magick other than the facet of folk magick known as 'kitchen craft' (which is, like folk magick itself, green). It is green because of it's use with botanicals. If you really wanted to color code your magick, you can call it 'gray' because ANY magick that you do to do anything, such as, to get a job, find a new home, get someone to leave you alone etc. falls into the fine line of what is termed 'gray magick'. This is because what you are doing either purposefully or inadvertantly affects the life of someone, or something else. You must be extra careful in wording your spells (so if you want the jerk at work to leave you alone, you can word it to where he leaves you alone but finds a new, better paying job in another state). Remember that what ever you put out (in spells, thoughts, or prayers) be it either good or bad, will come back to you three times. This is known as the Law of Three, and is drawn from the knowledge of Karma. However, the Law of Three and Karma should not be confused as Wiccan belief because they are not. Karma is part of the Hindu/Buddhist belief system.
When anyone calls themselves a "white" Witch or say something to the effect of "Oh, I only do white magick," I admit I giggle just a bit. Not being hoity-toity or putting on airs, but I know where they're coming from. And I can remember what it was like for me when I first said those same things, and how silly I must have looked and sounded. Then I politely comment how I feel that it's not black or white, it's both because nature is both. It usually sparks an interesting conversation which could end in friendship. In my book, it's so much more polite than smirking and saying something to the effect of "You don't know what you're talking about. You're no true Witch". Please remember you were once a beginner in something yourself. How would you like it if someone called you an idiot to your face? Not very good, huh?
Love spells (highly popular with teenage girls.. been there, had the T-shirt.. ) are generally the most dangerous if aimed at an assigned 'target'. You're not Cupid, please don't aim your arrows at any one specifically. The reasons why are simple. One, you're bound to get more than you bargained for.. like a STALKER. Two, it's one of the worst forms of black magick (the only other brand of magick that deserves a color). Why? Because you are being selfish. Because you are attempting to control someone else's free will and you've violated the basic rule of the Wiccan Rede, that and a basic law of human decency. Whether you are aware of it or not, you are harming them.. and if you aren't careful, they could hurt you. Love spells should NEVER, NEVER, NEVER be directed at anyone specifically. Try writing a letter to your favorite deity about all the qualities you are looking for in a love-match. Be very specific and be careful what you ask for. If you want a jock, you may end up with one that only thinks about sports and not about you.. so be VERY specific. Then when you're finished, forget about it. Put the letter somewhere safe or whatever you feel should be done. Don't be disappointed if it doesn't take effect right away. For magick to work, it will wipe clean your old life and give you a new one.. so you might find yourself moving to another state or country!
What is a spell? A spell is a type of prayer, although slightly enhanced. Through meditation you are able to visualize clearly the outcome of your spell which will aid in it's manifesting. Because there is usually quite a bit of work involved in spellcasting, there is more energy built up. The energy aids the spell in the same way, but differently, than visualization.
Do you have to be Wiccan to cast spells? Of course not! But you need a general knowledge of how and why they work. If you cast spells with no more knowledge then how to boil water you're going to end up getting into trouble sooner or later. When a priest blesses the Holy Water, or when a minister Baptises a child they are performing magick (whether they know it or not). However, they've gone through training and study to know what they know.. you on the other hand probably read one book or saw a spell on a website. In order to bake a cake, you must first learn how to work an oven and the appliances. So for the purpose of educational purposes I recommend Spells and How They Work. While it may not go into great detail, it gives you a good base. And something is always better than nothing.
Are you a good witch or a bad witch? That all depends on how my day is going. If it's too cold and I'm feeling a bit weak and am dropping things all over the place, I'm a bad witch. But if it's a good day and I can stay focused and not drop incense all over the floor or make a giant mess, then I'm a good witch. Although I don't like to call myself witch nor Wiccan because I don't feel I'm deserving of that title yet. I am certainly not as adept as most, and doing two or three spells or saying "Hello Goddess" does not a Witch or Wiccan make. Nor does walking into a church and saying "Praise God!" make you a Christian, or chanting one mantra for one day make you a Hindu or Buddhist. Does walking into a garage make you a car? I didn't think so.
What's the difference between a pentacle and a pentagram? A pentacle is a symmetrical, upright five pointed star that is surrounded by a circle. Usually this is either cut into, printed, painted, or burned on a flat disk. A pentagram is a five pointed star with a singular point aimed upwards.
Isn't the pentacle a Satanic symbol? Not at all. The pentacle, sometime referred to as the Endless Knot because it can be drawn with one line (and quite easily I might add... it was how I learned how to draw a star when I was about 5 or 6), was first used as a symbol of imperial power in ancient Mesopotamia at the Ur of Chaldees at about 3500 B.C.E. It is often, and incorrectly, referred to as the Seal of Solomon (a hexagram or 6-pointed star; the Star of David). It was also once used to portray the Five Wounds of Christ by medieval Christians. Also in medieval times, it was used by knights as a protection against demons (called the symbol of Truth). It was during the Inquisition that the pentacle became associated with evil as the Greek Pan (Horned God of sheep, goats, beekeeping, and music) suddenly found himself equated with the Christian Devil, or Satan. Thus being labeled as the Witch's Foot. In the 1940's Gerald Gardner adopted the reversed pentagram (with two points up) to represent second degree initiation into what is now known as Gardenarian Wicca (one point up representing a third degree initiate). However, many Wiccans and Pagans have since worn it hidden under clothing or not at all due to the pentagram being adopted by Satanists and incorrectly referred to as a Satanic symbol in most modern horror movies, something they do not wish to be confused for. To most Wiccans and Pagans today it is a symbol of the five elements: Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and Spirit (Holy Spirit; the soul within all of us; Akasha). The circle connecting each points represents the never ending circle of life, reminding us that everything is connected. For more information on the pentagram please see the FUPA.
Is Wicca a cult? No. Although there are those, in every religion, who lure people in with skilled psychological techniques. They use many methods including starvation, seperating you from outside influences (your family for instance), convince members to 'spread the word' and collect money in the name of charity but instead the cult leader (usually quite charismatic) keeps it for himself. All religions, at one time or another started out as being considered "cults" by those who weren't followers. Remember, in times of the Romans when Christianity was first gaining some attention, it too was refered to as a "cult". A horrific example of what a cult is and what they are capable of is the People's Temple. Every religion has some, or even a few people that make the whole religion look bad. Wicca is not immune to this disease and doesn't pretend to be. This is why a lot of us choose to practice solitary for fear of running into one. If you encounter someone who claims to be of ANY faith and says that you have to do anything that you don't feel comfortable with (like drinking, smoking, sex, eating, etc) and are forcing you to do so... RUN AWAY and call the police! These types of people are NOT who they say they are. Do whatever you must to get to safety!
Do you have ritual orgies? Ewww. No. Gods that's gross!! And anyone that says that you have to is NOT Wiccan or Pagan and you need to call the police IMMEDIATELY! That may have been common place back in the days of Julius Caesar, but when last I check we weren't the Roman Empire. Or perhaps we are... ooops, sorry. Political humour. ^-^ Yes, it's true. Some of Wicca's founding fathers.. and mothers... participated in ritual sexual acts. However, it was purely consentual between adults ONLY, and it was the 1960's.... remember, "Make love, not war"? Think about it.
Why do witches wear all black? Actually, we don't. I'm very fond of colors, and I know a lot of Witches that are as well. It's just a misconception. Like that stupid idea that all Goths wear black and exaggerated make up. It's not true, and anyone who says different really has no idea what they're talking about. But getting back to black clothing. A lot of us do wear black, though not all the time. Why? Well, for those like myself (horizontally cursed and vertically challenged) black is a very slimming color, and very flattering.
What is the difference between a warlock and a witch? Warlock is a Scottish term meaning "oath breaker" or "betrayer of trust", but very few people know of the influence Scandinavian languages had on the formation of the English language in both England and Scotland. (I'm not going to do all the foot work for you, please explore the interenet :) It's a treasure trove of intellect!) Now to followers of the Christian faith this definition would seem fitting when speaking of a male witch. However, when the church began it's reign of forced conversions, very few pagans actually 'converted'. So if one does not take an oath, than one can not break it. But we should mention that the term 'warlock' was also used to describe witch (male or female) who had betrayed their coven.
This is not the first word to take on multiple meanings, and certainly not the last. For more information on the word warlock please see Boudicca's Bard, an excellent reference! Also, we could go into grand detail about the word witch, but instead we're going to give you with another excellent reference. The American Heritage Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.
What is a male witch called? A witch. Of course, there are those that just prefer the term 'pagan' and that's just as good. Wicca is also another term for male witch, although that may confuse a lot of people.
Who or what is a Wicce? That is the term for a Wiccan in the feminine sense. Just like "le" and "la" are the masculine and feminine in French.. two words, one meaning.
What does the term 'pagan' mean? Trick question. It all depends on who says it and who it's being said to or about. If you're talking about the Webster's Version: It means any religion that is not Christian. This includes Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Paganism, Wiccan, the Non-religious, etc. And by Christian we mean Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh Day Adventists, Catholic, etc. This version was created by the church hundreds of years ago, and perpetuated by Old and Modern English elitists who wrote the more commonly used dictionaries, in the smear campaign to get more followers to the new religion, Christianity. Because farmers and other rural area people lived outside the metropolitain cities it took much longer for news, and even new religious practices to spread their way. And there were always the well-to-do nobility who looked at the 'country folk' with wuthering disdain. In their own twisted ways the rich had every reason to not like the pagan folk. They worshipped the wrong set of deity, they could neither read nor write, they dressed completely different, and they worked in the dirt. To them it seemed completely uncivilized. That's when 'pagan' took on yet another connotation, "someone who is godless, a hedonist, someone who has no religion, a heathen, a non-Christian, one who worships false gods, not Jewish, Christian or Muslim, etc". But in doing so it aslo added a new, negative meaning to the term 'heathen' and you will find (if you do your homework) that when you look up 'heath' and then 'heathen' in the Webster's Dictionarythat the definitions will seem slightly contradictory.
To discover the original meaning of the word 'pagan', one must dig into the past. Deep into the past. The Middle English word from which 'pagan' is derived comes from the Latin 'paganus'. The Latin meaning, 'country dweller'. This in turn is stemmed from the Latin 'pagus', meaning rural area or country. For mor information please see BBCi.
What does the term 'heathen' mean? Heathen, Anglo-Saxon for "heath" was used to define anyone who lived on the heather. The heather, if you've done your homework (is not the girl sitting next to you in Biology), is a series of low standing bushes with green leaves and pink flowers. But heathens converted to Christianity just as slowly as pagans so it wasn't long before the new definition emerged. Unchristian. For more informaton on both terms we highly recommend Article 6 by Dr. Kennis Wessel.
Do you worship nature? No. Neither Wiccans nor Pagans 'worship' nature, in a sense. We have, however, nothing but perfect respect for it (just as a farmer does to ensure a good harvest). That is why you will find so many working for organizations such as Green Peace. We commune with nature, for the Divine is inherent within it. You won't find us on our knees, bowing and chanting.."Oh mighty tree king. Great God of pine needles...". We don't worship nature. We love Her, respect Her, and take care of Her. Besides, throwing yourself at the feet of deity like you're unworthy swine just is not good manners. It actually insults them, because we're all a part of one family... and we are equals.
What are the Burning Times? The Burning Times, one of the most detestable periods in human history spanning from the 13th - the 18th centuries when accused "witches" were burned, tortured, raped, slaughtered, and hanged.. along with other atrocities. Although the persecutors involved claimed to be Christian, they indeed were not. A true Christian stands by their Holy pledge to uphold the teachings of Christ and the 10 Commandments (more like guide posts), two of them being "Love they neighbor as thy self", and "Thou shalt not kill", which means ANYONE. The latter being very similar to the Rede's "An it harm none". But the church became corrupt with those who would hide behind the Christian church to justify their evil deeds, in the pursuit of the "Almighty Dollar". Indeed, many people were brutaly murdered, many being accused simply because their neighbors didn't like them. The majority of those accused were women, but not thought of then as the spark that lit the flame of the Women's Movement. And many of these poor innocent souls were not witches at all, but true Christian followers. Of course there was a fair share of men being accused and killed as well. One being William Tyndale who, in 1536 was burned because he translated the Bible into English! The reason for his death is probably do to the fact that up until then the Bible was mostly in Hebrew and Latin, and the pagan folk, who were more concerned with tilling the soil than reading the latest literature (probably because they couldn't read at all) couldn't understand a word that the ministers and priests were saying. If one does not understand the language, one will never object. It is impossible to give an accurate number of those killed, for those that had graves were later destroyed and no death records were kept. Cats, thought to be witche's familiars were also killed, thus sparking a plague known as the Black Death. With no cats to kill the rats that ate from the garbage that lined the streets of medieval Europe, and no vaccines, the plague spread like wildfire. Now why is it that no matter how you word it, it always comes out sounding like "The House that Jack Built"? For more information please see, Spotlight Ministries.
How many witches were burned in England? None. Sound shocking? We'll say it one more time. None. They were hanged. It was illegal in England to burn anyone regardless of the charges against them. After the Witchcraft Act of 1736 repealed earlier English and Scottish statutes no one could even seek litigation against another on the charges of witchcraft, sorcery or conjuration. Even more so, no one could even pretend to be a witch under the revised Act.
Do Wiccans/Pagans hate Christians? No. While we do feel ill at ease with those that have no tolerance for our beliefs, we don't hate anyone for their religious preference. Or for any other reason. And a "Christian" isn't a Christian when they are damning the beliefs of others and trying to shove their beliefs down our throats. True Christians will live their lives according to Jesus the Christ.... not taking everything in the Bible verbatum.
I'm just starting out, and I don't know where to start. Can you help me? Well.. for starters, if it's absolutely possible, I'd start waking up in the morning to watch the sun rise. Take a cup a juice or what you prefer and a couple of slices of toast. Just sit outside and watch the sun rise. Look at everything around you, the trees, the grass, flowers, cars.. take in all the colors as the sun crawls slowly over the horizon. If you can, try to catch the sun set as well. Before you head back inside or to work, leave a little bread behind for the birds and other little animals that might be hungry. Go to your local library and see if they carry any books by Scott Cunningham, Starhawk, Phyllis Currott, or D.J. Conway. Cunningham's Guide for the Solitary Practitioner is an excellent book for beginners. If your library doesn't carry it, you may want to consider purchasing from either Amazon.com or AzureGreen.com.
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