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    [Historical claims with no backing warning, grain o' salt time--Amythyst]W H A T I S W I C C A ?An Introduction to "The Old Religion" of Europeand its Modern Revivalby Amber K, High PriestessOur Lady of the WoodsP.O. Box 176Blue Mounds, Wisconsin 53517(This leaflet may be reproduced and distributed exactly as in, withoutfurther permission from the author, provided it is offered free ofcharge. Changes in the text, however, must be approved in advance bythe author. Thank you!)Wicca (sometimes called Wicce, The Craft, or The Old Religion byits practitioners) is an ancient religion of love for life and nature.In prehistoric times, people respected the great forces of Natureand celebrated the cycles of the seasons and the moon. They sawdivinity in the sun and moon, in the Earth Herself, and in all life.The creative energies of the universe were personified: feminine andmasculine principles became Goddesses and Gods. These were notsemi-abstract, superhuman figures set apart from Nature: they wereembodied in earth and sky, women and men, and even plants and animals.This viewpoint is still central to present-day Wicca. To mostWiccans, everything in Natures -- and all Goddesses and Gods -- aretrue aspects of Deity. The aspects most often celebrated in theCraft, however, are thr Triple Goddess of the Moon (Who is Maiden,Mother, and Crone) and the Horned God of the wilds. These have manynames in various cultures.Wicca had its organized beginnings in Paleolithic times, co-existed with other Pagan ("country") religions in Europe, and had aprofound influence on early Christianity. But in the medieval period,tremendous persecution was directed against the Nature religions bythe Roman Church. Over a span of 300 years, millions of men and womenand many children were hanged, drowned or burned as accused "Witches."The Church indicted them for black magic and Satan worship, though infact these were never a part of the Old Religion.The Wiccan faith went underground, to be practiced in small,secret groups called "covens." For the most part, it stayed hiddenuntil very recent times. Now scholars such as Margaret Murray andGerald Gardner have shed some light on the origins of the Craft, andnew attitudes of religious freedom have allowed covens in some areasto risk becoming more open.How do Wiccan folk practice their faith today? There is nocentral authority or doctrine, and individual covens vary a greatdeal. But most meet to celebrate on nights of the Full Moon, and ateight great festivals or Sabbats throughout the year.Though some practice alone or with only their families, manyWiccans are organized into covens of three to thirteen members. Someare led by a High Priestess or Priest, many by a Priestess/Priestteam; others rotate or share leadership. Some covens are highlystructured and hierarchical, while others may be informal andegalitarian. Often extensive training is required before initiation,and coven membership is considered an important committment.There are many branches or "traditions" of Wicca in the UnitedStates and elsewhere, such as the Gardnerian, Alexandrian, WelshTraditional, Dianic, Faery, Seax-Wicca and others. All adhere to acode of ethics. None engage in the disreputable practices of somemodern "cults," such as isolating and brainwashing impressionable,lonely young people. Genuine Wiccans welcome sisters and brothers,but not disciples, followers or victims.Coven meetings include ritual, celebration and magick (the "k" isto distinguish it from stage illusions). Wiccan magick is not at alllike the instant "special effects" of cartoon shows or fantasy novels,nor medieval demonology; it operates in harmony with natural laws andis usually less spectacular -- though effective. Various techniquesare used to heal people and animals, seek guidance, or improvemembers' lives in specific ways. Positive goals are sought: cursingand "evil spells" are repugnant to practitioners of the Old Religion.Wiccans tend to be strong supporters of environmental protection,equal rights, global peace and religious freedom, and sometimes magickis used toward such goals.Wiccan beliefs do not include such Judeao-Christian concepts asoriginal sin, vicarious atonement, divine judgement or bodilyresurrection. Craft folk believe in a beneficent universe, the lawsof karma and reincarnation, and divinity inherent in every human beingand all of Nature. Yet laughter and pleasure are part of theirspiritual tradition, and they enjoy singing, dancing, feasting, andlove.Wiccans tend to be individualists, and have no central holy book,prophet, or church authority. They draw inspiration and insight fromscience, and personal experience. Each practitioner keeps a personalbook or journal in which s/he records magickal "recipes," dreams,invocations, songs, poetry and so on.To most of the Craft, every religion has its own valuableperspective on the nature of Deity and humanity's relationship to it:there is no One True Faith. Rather, religious diversity is necessaryin a world of diverse societies and individuals. Because of thisbelief, Wiccan groups do not actively recruit or proseletize: there isan assumption that people who can benefit from the Wiccan way will"find their way home" when the time is right.Despite the lack of evangelist zeal, many covens are quitewilling to talk with interested people, and even make efforts toinform their communities about the beliefs and practices of Wicca.One source of contacts is The Covenant of the Goddess, P.O. Box 1226,Berkeley, CA 94704. Also, the following books may be of interest:(Ask your librarian.)DRAWING DOWN THE MOON by Margot AdlerTHE SPIRAL DANCE by StarhawkPOSITIVE MAGIC by Marion WeinsteinWHAT WITCHES DO by Stewart FarrarWITCHCRAFT FOR TOMORROW by Doreen Valiente(This leaflet is distributed courtesy of:The WeirdBase Bulletin Board Service314-389-9973, 300/1200 baud) [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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