to Pagan/Wicca’s?
The following is a question asked on Yahoo Answers. The comments reflect the views of the individual and not the website as a whole.
Question:
dont you hate when someone gives you an evil eye or when some people are christain and pray really LOUD so that you can hear it? its really sad that people are so damn racists to others. I wont even lower myself to there level 
heck, my mother and father are christains and supports me 100%, I think thats cool.
Peace Out!
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People only do that when they know your religious choice. You can wear a pentacle openly and cause arguments and praying over you everywhere you go, or you can be a little more surreptitious. A lot of optimistic, new Pagans/Wiccans wear pentacles openly with the hope that people will ask them about it respectfully and they can then educate. And that’s a noble idea if it ever works like that. Hasn’t in my 20+ years on this Path. Everytime I dash into the grocery store on the way to the Sabbat wearing a pentacle, I get weird looks, people shuffling their children protectively away from me, etc, no matter how much I smile and try to look friendly. People are going to do what they’re going to do, and I do believe there are a lot of good folks who are genuinely trying to help me by praying over me. I don’t look for acceptance from others though. If they support me, great – if not, doesn’t bother me.
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i hate it when people think there religion is right and if your not part of it, then your a devil worshipper,i also hate it when people try to argue with me just cause I’m wearing a pentacle,i also hate it when people stab me in the back and tell the entire world that aim a Wicca ,i also hate when a priest comes up to me and throws holy water in my face,tries to hit me over the head with a crucifix and shove there religion down my throat,I’ll get back to you if i think of anything else,Blessed be,bright blessings
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yes i do, and to the people who say we are paranoid, WE HAVE TO BE PARANOID!!!! wiccans are often brutalized
read the news. idid a project on one article
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I had a Christian friend (he is dead now and I hope he is resting with his god peacefully) who always preached to me in the pub thinking I was either a lasped Christian or he was preaching to the converted. One day I told him I was Othinnist (now I am open to all the Aesir and Vanir, we grow up and change) and explained why I was, he was so amazed at my story he agreed that what had happened was very perfound and at that I should never change my faith, he respected my faith and never preached again.
As for the behaviour you describe, it is disgusting and would offend any non-Christian. I do find that Christianity and Islam to be the most intolerant of groups but not all followers are like that, in fact most of them are a lot less pious or strong in faith than any Heathen or Wiccan I have met.
I too wear Mjolnir with pride and am surprised how many people in th UK actually know what it is and why I wear it.
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I’ve never had that happen and I live in the Bible belt. If it did I would honest laugh, shake my head, and walk away.
How pathetic.
Most people have no idea what my necklace (Mjolnir) even represents let alone that it represents my religion. I have Heathen Princess on my messenger bag, my necklace, a sticker of Odin and Sliepnir on my truck and three shirt that allude to or outright state Heathen on it.
And no one has a clue. Makes me laugh. I’m a walking advertisement.
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Evil eye. Are you meaning the fact of just looking at you like you are evil or are you speaking of the actual evil eye? People can look at you however they like. You just have to learn to let them be.
It annoys me if anyones prays loudly. At that point they are just trying to prove that they are a religious person. I don’t care if they pray as long as it doesn’t interfere with my conversation. Now if I was in a church that’d be a different story. I’d expect it there. I don’t dislike christians and I don’t consider them racists. There may be some who are bigots towards other religions or beliefs. You have to be careful brushing all people with such generalizations.
You have the right to let people know your religion, since it seems that there are many who want to tell others about theirs. I however don’t feel it’s necessary unless someone engagings me in a religious conversation.
I’m glad your parents support you.
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well yes but I just ignore them,
Wicca (IPA: /ˈwɪkə/) is a nature-based religion popularised in 1954 by Gerald Gardner, a retired British civil servant.[1] He said that the religion, of which he was an initiate, was a modern survival of an old witchcraft religion which had existed in secret for hundreds of years, originating in the pre-Christian paganism of Europe.[1] The veracity of Gardner’s statements cannot be independently proven, however, and it is possible that Wiccan theology began to be compiled no earlier than the 1920s.[2]
Various Wiccan traditions have since evolved from that established by Gardner, which came to be called Gardnerian Wicca. These other traditions have distinctive beliefs, rituals, and practices. Many traditions of Wicca remain secretive and require that members be initiated. There is also a movement of Eclectic Wiccans who do not believe that any doctrine or traditional initiation is necessary in order to practice Wicca
Wicca is one variety of pagan witchcraft, with distinctive ritual forms, seasonal observances and religious, magical[4] and ethical precepts. Other forms of witchcraft exist within many cultures, with widely varying practices. Many Wiccans, though not all, call themselves Pagans, though the umbrella term Paganism encompasses many faiths that have nothing to do with Wicca or witchcraft. Wicca has also been described as a Neopagan or a Mesopagan path.[5] Because there is no centralised organisation in Wicca, and no single orthodoxy, the beliefs and practices of Wiccans can vary substantially, both among individuals and among traditions. Typically, the main religious principles, ethics, and ritual structures are shared, since they are key elements of traditional teachings and published works on the subject.
As practised by initiates in the lineage of Gerald Gardner, Wicca is a variety of witchcraft founded on religious and magical concepts. As such it is distinguished not only by its beliefs, but by its practice of magic, its ethical philosophy, initiatory system, organisational structure and secrecy.[6] Some of these beliefs and practices have also been adopted by others outside of this lineage, often termed Eclectic Wiccans, who generally discard the institutions of initiation, secrecy and hierarchy, and have more widely varying beliefs. Some Eclectic Wiccans neither perform magic nor identify as witches. Within traditional forms of Wicca there are three degrees of initiation. First degree is required to become a witch and gain membership of a coven; those who aspire to teach may eventually undergo second and third degree initiations, conferring the title of “High Priest” or “High Priestess” and allowing them to establish new covens.[6] At initiation, some Wiccans adopt a craft name to symbolise their spiritual “rebirth”, to act as a magical alter-ego, or simply to provide anonymity when appearing as a witch in public (see Acceptance of Wiccans below).
[edit] Beliefs
Main article: Wiccan views of divinity
For most Wiccans, Wicca is a duotheistic religion worshipping a God and a Goddess, who are seen as complementary polarities, and “embodiments of a life-force manifest in nature.”[7] They are sometimes symbolised as the Sun and Moon, and from her lunar associations the Goddess becomes a Triple Goddess with aspects of “Maiden”, “Mother” and “Crone”. Some Wiccans see the Goddess as pre-eminent, since she contains and conceives all; the God is the spark of life and inspiration within her, simultaneously her lover and her child. This is reflected in the traditional structure of the coven.[8] In some traditions, notably feminist Dianic Wicca, the Goddess is seen as complete unto herself, and the God is not worshipped at all. Wicca is essentially an immanent religion, and for some Wiccans, this idea also involves elements of animism. A key belief in Wicca is that the goddesses and gods are able to manifest in personal form, most importantly through the bodies of Priestesses and Priests via the ritual of Drawing down the Moon (or Drawing down the Sun).
According to Gardner, the gods of Wicca are ancient gods of the British Isles: a Horned God and a Great Mother goddess.[9] Gardner also states that a being higher than any of these tribal gods is recognised by the witches as Prime Mover, but remains unknowable.[10] Patricia Crowther has called this supreme godhead Dryghten.[11]
Some Wiccans have a monotheistic belief in the Goddess and God as One. Many have a duotheistic conception of deity as a Goddess (of Moon, Earth and sea) and a God (of forest, hunting and the animal realm). This concept is often extended into a kind of polytheism by the belief that the gods and goddesses of all cultures are aspects of this pair (or of the Goddess alone). Others hold the various gods and goddesses to be separate and distinct. Still others do not believe in the gods as real personalities, but see them as archetypes or thoughtforms.[12] Janet Farrar and Gavin Bone have observed that Wicca is becoming more polytheistic as it matures, and embracing a more traditional pagan world-view.[13]
Beliefs in the afterlife vary among Wiccans, though some support reincarnation. Reincarnation is a traditional Wiccan teaching – Raymond Buckland holds that a soul always reincarnates into the same species,[14] though this belief is not universal.
[edit] Morality
Main articles: Wiccan morality and Homosexuality and Wicca
Wiccan morality is largely based on the Wiccan Rede: An it harm none, do what ye will, which is usually interpreted as a declaration of the freedom to act, along with the necessity of taking responsibility for what follows from one’s actions and minimising harm to oneself and others.[15] Another common element of Wiccan morality is the Law of Threefold Return which holds that whatever benevolent or malevolent actions a person performs will return to that person with triple force.[16]
Many Wiccans also seek to cultivate a set of eight virtues mentioned in Doreen Valiente’s Charge of the Goddess,[17] these being mirth, reverence, honour, humility, strength, beauty, power and compassion. In Valiente’s poem, they are ordered in pairs of complementary opposites, reflecting a dualism that is common throughout Wiccan philosophy. Some lineaged Wiccans also observe a set of 161 Wiccan Laws, commonly called the Craft Laws or Ardanes. Valiente, one of Gardner’s original high priestesses, argued that these rules were most likely invented by Gardner himself in mock-archaic language as the by-product of inner conflict within his Bricket Wood coven.[18][19]
Although Gardner initially demonstrated an aversion to homosexuality, claiming that it brought down “the curse of the goddess”,[20] it is now accepted in many traditions of Wicca.
A handfasting ceremony at Avebury in England, which occurred during Beltane of 2005.
[edit] Ritual practices
When practising magic and casting spells, as well as when celebrating various festivals, Wiccans use a variety of rituals. In typical rites, the coven or solitary assembles inside a ritually cast and purified magic circle. Casting the circle may involve the invocation of the “Guardians” of the cardinal points: East (Air), South (Fire), West (Water) and North (Earth). This use of the classical elements is a key feature of the Wiccan world-view. Every manifest force or form is seen to express one or more of the four elements. Some add a fifth or quintessential element called Spirit (also called aether or akasha). The five points of the frequently worn pentagram symbolise, among other things, the four elements with spirit presiding at the top.[21] Once the circle is cast, a seasonal ritual may be performed, prayers to the God and Goddess are said, and spells are sometimes worked.
An athame (black handle) and boline.Many Wiccans use a special set of magical tools in their rituals. These can include a broom (besom), cauldron, chalice, wand, Book of Shadows, altar cloth, athame, boline, candles, crystals, pentacle and/or incense. An altar is usually present in the circle, on which ritual tools are placed and representations of the God/Goddess may be displayed.[22]. Before entering the circle, some traditions fast for the day, and/or ritually bathe. After a ritual has finished, the God, Goddess and Guardians are thanked and the circle is closed.
A sensationalised aspect of Wicca, particularly in Gardnerian Wicca, is the traditional practice of working in the nude, also known as skyclad. This practice seemingly derives from a line in Aradia, Charles Leland’s supposed record of Italian witchcraft. Skyclad working is mostly the province of Initiatory Wiccans, who are outnumbered by the less strictly observant Eclectics. When they work clothed, Wiccans may wear robes with cords tied around the waist, “Renaissance-faire”-type clothing or normal street clothes.
[edit] Special occasions
Wiccans hold a wide range of occasions with religious significance. Each full moon, and in some cases a new moon, is marked with a ritual called an Esbat. Wiccans also follow the Wheel of the Year and celebrate its eight festivals known as Sabbats.[23] Four of these, the cross-quarter days, are greater festivals, coinciding with old Celtic fire festivals. These are Samhain, Beltane or May Eve, Imbolc, and Lammas or Lughnasadh. The four lesser festivals are the Summer and Winter solstices, and the Spring and Autumn Equinoxes, which are referred to by some groups as Litha, Yule, Ostara and Mabon, respectively. The names of these holidays are often taken from Germanic pagan and Celtic polytheistic holidays. However, the festivals are not reconstructive in nature nor do they often resemble their historical counterparts, instead exhibiting a form of universalism. Ritual observations may display cultural influence from th
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I don’t hate it, I have to kind of chuckle. I think it’s a little bit on the funny side someone would have to pray that loud. It wouldn’t be racist but more religious intolerant.
As for Gardner’s book of shadow, that’s his personal works. Any Wiccan/Pagan will tell you, a B.O.S. is created by the person not by others. He chose to do his rituals in the nude or “skyclad, (lol).
My penacle is small, and my attire is normal, except durng rituals, and then I have robes.
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When I was wiccan the only time it ever annoyed me was when I would get into religious conversations with my mother. She’s a fundamentalist christian and nothing that anyone says is right unless it came straight from the bible. I have since stopped discussing religion with her and it has ceased being a problem. It’s one thing when strangers do it….they’re easy to ignore. It was different coming from my mother. Especially since my father (who is an ordained minister in the church and a college professor of biblical interpretation) fully supports my decision to follow a path other than christianity.
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Generally, I let someone get to know me some before I discuss my belief structure. That way they have to realize that I may not be like their view of it, but have to deal with a person that seems (at least) to have some common sense.
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I haven’t told anyone, so it hasn’t happened yet, but I wouldn’t get too annoyed.
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No…
Wiccans, seem to think everyone hates them. Really no. I do hold a disdain for those wiccans who burst out of the broom closest, IM A WICCAN!!! oh wow! Im an Occultist, but do I go around wearing freaky or hippie cloths and having an “Im Holier than thou” attitude… NO!
Anyone who is an adept or at a decent level, in wicca, knows who im talking about… not just the fluffies, and the mental cases.
Your religion is a personal choice.
If you dont like the attention, keep it to yourself.
Wear your Plate Sized Pentacle under your shirt… remember Gardner said that Clothing restricts energy, so wouldnt it protect better closer to yourself?
Wear more subtle clothing, since Wiccan uniform is nudity.
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… about an inch in diameter. This was in my study of Wicca period, found Gardnerian, didnt like it, joined an Alexandrian Coven, didnt like it, found Dragon tradition, did not like it. Found the true history of Wicca and researched Gardners influences, and became an Occultist.
Elder_Moon81: Yes, a Wiccans Book of Shadows is like a Grimoire in a sense, but usually looks more along the lines of a cook book.
Gardner did create his book of Wicca, along with his high priestess at the time, between 1949 and 1960. Though Wicca has no authoritive scriptures or set standards, being as how Gardner created Wicca, the Gardnerian Book of Shadows is seen by most as the “authoritive” book of shadows on Wicca if there is to be one.
I used to wear a pentacle too
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