Common Misconceptions
If reading the FAQ has still left you with the feeling of what if... please read below. Carefully. Below are some of the more common misconceptions concerning both Witchcraft and Modern Wicca. Some are still seen as fact today, even though there are gross inacurracies in the stories.
1. All witches are women: False. Witches are everyone, regardless of race, sex, creed, religious background, sexual orientation, etc.
2. Witches sell their souls to the devil for power: False. Coming from a strict Christian background I can tell you that NO ONE can sell their soul because it's not really theirs to sell. And any "power" that a Witch might have is actually personal energies.. not power. The same energy you use everyday to get out bed in the morning to get ready for school or work.
3. All witches have red hair: False. I happen to have dark brown hair. And I know many Pagan folk with blonde hair as well as red.
4. All witches are fat, ugly women: False. There's plenty of Pagan folk that are gorgeous, men and women, who are as skinny as rails!
5. All witches own black cats, which they call familiars: False. One, we usually call them 'pets' not familiars. Two, many of us (myself included) are allergic to cats. I tend to lean toward the canine persuasion as I'm not as allergic to them. And there are plenty of Pagan folk who don't even own pets.
6. Witches fly around on broomsticks: False. This is ludicrous. If we could do that, we'd never have to worry about layovers at the airport. Brooms have two purposes in life, sweeping and being jumped over. This idea probably spawned when some frightened child witnessed a group of witches or Pagan folk jumping between the balefires (over broomsticks I might add) during Mabon, a common celebration. The hieght that they reached was how tall they wish the crops to grow.
7. Wiccan intiations take place over a relative's grave: False. I can't help but say it... eeeeeeeeewww!
8. Halloween is named after the Celtic Lord of the Dead known as Samhain: FALSE. (I'm going to try to explain this without being sarcastic as this is very personal to me)Samhain (or Sawan) was a character out of Celtic lore, though he was a very minor hero. The only thing ever written about him was that Balor of the Evil Eye stole his cow. But he never was a "God of the Dead" or "Lord of the Dead".
9. Wiccans and Pagans hate all Christians and anything that deals with the Christian faith: False. Nothing could be further from the truth! We don't hate anyone, for any reason. We respect all people from all walks of life as well as equal respect for all religions. And yes, we have feelings just like everyone else. However, we learn to control our feelings instead of being controlled by them.
10. Wiccans and Pagans try to turn people away from Christianity: False. Modern Wiccans DO NOT go around telling people that they need to join us in order to be "saved" or whatever. We will never come knocking on your door. Unless you seek us out, we may not even speak of our philosophy to you. We respect any path that you choose to follow, because that is your decision to make. Your religion is none of our business. We will NEVER tell someone else how to worship. That is THEIR CHOICE.
11. Wicca is an ancient religion that is older than Christianity!: True and False. Let's first deal with why it's False. It is false because before the 1950's there was no such thing as "Wicca". Oh, sure. The word it's based on was somewhere out there in the ether. But there was no religious philosophy by that name. Modern Wicca is a collection of religious practices that date to antiquity, and has enjoyed it's fair share of changes ever since hitting the main stream. No two Wiccan philosophies are alike.
12. All Witches are Wiccan: False. Witches can be anyone, regardless of faith or background. Just like not all Jews are Hebrew, and not all Hebrews are Jewish.
13. Wiccans & Pagans worship nature: False. We respect Nature. There's a difference. To worship anything means you're groveling at the feet of that which you are worshipping, like unworthy swine. In Wicca, that's an insult to Divinity. Wiccans/Pagans commune with the Divine and we have quite personal relationships with the Divine forces that we share our lives with.
14. All Pagans are vegetarians: False. Some eat beef, some don't. Some eat chicken, some don't. Some are vegan, some aren't. Everyone has a different preference.
15. Wiccans worship the devil: False. Although the Greek God Pan was/is often confused for the Christian devil, they are certainly not one and the same. Also, it is said that the physical features of the 'devil' are actually based on Persian supreme god Ahuramazda.
16. Wiccans and Pagans worship statues as deity: False. While a statue or two can be found on altars they are not there to be worshipped. They are there merely as focal points, just as the Virgin Mary is a focal points for Catholics.
17. Wiccans, Witches and Pagans are all into the Gothic culture: False. While there are many people within the Gothic culture that are any of the three, there are a great many more who aren't.
18. A Book of Shadows is where witches keep their spells: True and False. While spells can be found in a Book of Shadows, it is up to the individual keeping the book as to what actually gets put in it. Usually one can find rituals for each holiday, recipes, poems, thoughts, as well as notes along with spells. Though some solitary practitioners choose not to keep a BOS at all and create their spells spontaneously, and keep other information in a regular note pad.
19. The Book of Shadows is made of human skin: False. Some are paperback, some are hardcover, and others are leather-bound. And more than likely earlier BOS's were kept on parchment paper.
|
