Wicca 101

Forewords

I've freely admitted that I am in no way a Wiccan  but I still do know about it on a somewhat decent basis and I believe I'm not too biased to discuss the subject. I after all have only love and respect for the faith and the associated topics.

The reason I'm writing this part is simple, there's a lot and I do mean a lot of misinformation about Wicca  *cough* Silver Ravenwolf *cough*

I'll get to her in a minute...

The reason I'm not a Wiccan is simple; the teachings weren't what spoke to me. What did? A lot of stuff but primarily shamanism, ecstatic practice, philosophy of Gnosticism, Hinduism and Hermeticism.

What is Wicca? 

The most common misconceptions are that Wicca is a) What ever feels right and b) The religion of witches. Both of which are completely false. Wicca is a Neopagan religion founded on the teachings of Gerald Gardner and Alex Sanders, which is primarily focused around the veneration of the Goddess and the horned god. While it does include and often focus around magic and witches covens, there's something many people don't seem to understand well;

Not all witches are Wiccans, not all Wiccans are witches.

A witch is someone who practice witchcraft. A Wiccan is someone who adhere to the faith of Wicca, IE the goddess (or three goddesses) and the horned God as well as celebrate the Sabbaths. While many Wiccan do practice witchcraft/magic, it's not all of them that do. You can think of it in the same way as that all Christians are not faith healers.

Now another common misconception is that Wicca is ancient... Sorry to say but it isn't, not by a long shot. It was founded around 60-70 years ago at most, created by Gerald Gardner around the 40's and became public in 1952. What it is, is a revival of ancient pagan practices that also bear flavors of hermetic magic (Gardner was part of the Rosicrucian order after all).

Although some dislike getting the religion's very young age pointed out, it's important to note that being ancient does not make the beliefs and practices more true or legitimate. A religion is to be judge on what it teaches and how rather than age and membership. 

The term Wicca was, despite what some believe, chosen by Gardner, although he spelled it with a single c rather than two, making it 'Wica' and not Wicca. I have no information on who added the second C.

Now, the faith has obviously evolved into many, many traditions since the original coven was secretive and it's member oath-bound to secrecy about it's practices. There is some debate about what true Wiccans are, some saying only those of Gardner's lineage are 'true' Wiccans but it does apply to all of the faith's offspring. Generally one can split into two group; Traditional (where one has to be initiated and be a student in a coven) and ecclesiastic (where Wiccans are free to do as they please.)

What Wicca is not about

All of these were things I or someone I know have heard at one point or another concerning the religion.

Satanism.

This one pops up fairly often because of the modern representation of Satan and the fact that one of the chief two gods of Wicca are the Mother goddess and the horned god. Which in reality is mostly akin to Pan (rather than Lucifer) who was a nature deity, represented as a satyr. (A man which goat legs and horns.) Also, Wiccans do not believe in Satan and thus cannot be Satanic (Satanic witches do exist, contrarily as to what some might tell you...) So calling Wiccans as being worshipers of Satan is like calling a christian a worshiper of Zeus.

Wicca is one faith.

Not really, rather it's a collection of like minded faiths and groups that come from a common ancestor, that is Gardner's and Alex's teachings. There is not centralized organisation to it like the Roman Catholic church. Groups have sprang up, bringing new elements into the faith and creating their own branch such as Faerie Wicca to name one example.

It's evil. 

Considering the core motto of it is 'An it harm none, do what ye will' it hardly screams evil and bad.  There is the bible that speaks out against witchcraft but the original text referred to those who use spells and charms to control or harm another. This is especially important since Judaism has had a long history of magicians and occultism and so knew the difference between good and evil. Even in the middle age, people differentiated between witches/warlocks (who were seen as using their power for selfish or dangerous purpose) and the Clever folks, who were beneficial to the community.

As a side note; Witch is used in Wicca for both male and female. Calling someone a warlock is very impolite.

Sex.

 Now, here's the thing, most Wiccan are liberal about sex but it is not and has never been a focus of the religion, it is merely seen as something that is part of life and normal rather than Taboo. 

In general, Wiccan are perfectly okay with homosexuality, bisexuality, transgenders and even polyamory. So long as everyone involved are consensual adults. 

Some coven do practice the craft in the nude but it is hardly sexual, they are simply doing it in as they were born. Things do not devolve into orgies.

No group of Wiccans would ever force someone into sex, if some do, then it's probably safe to chuck them up as a cult and get out of there. Some traditions involve sex as rite of passage but almost always offer a more symbolic 'joining ceremony' for those who are not comfortable with it.

Pagans are Wiccans

Nope, pagans are pretty much anyone that does not belong to one of the large monotheistic faiths; Islam, Christianity, Judaism. Although Sikhism, Hinduism and Buddhism aren't considered pagans nowadays. Wiccans are however pagans, which means very little in the end.

Are Wiccans afraid of going to Hell?

The answer would be no, since Wiccans and pretty much any non-Abrahamic faith does not believe in the western concept of hell. Telling a Wiccan that he or she is going to hell is on the same level as saying a Christian will go to Mordor. 

Small tangent on Silver Ravenwolf.

Silver Ravenwolf (SRW for short) is probably the most universally despised AND loved modern author about Wicca. The affection for her comes from the books she's written such as 'To ride a silver broomstick' and 'Teen witch.' as they introduced many teens to Wicca and paganism.

The problem...

Although her theology and cosmology is very flawed, that's not the most problematic thing, what is the problem is her religious bigotry, very shady ethics and her complete lack of research.

Some of her bits are even frighteningly pushing a cult mentality onto her works and students; Asking people to call her Mama Ravenwolf, Telling them over and over how nobody except her understand them, saying that nobody except magicians succeed in their dreams and saying that her students have entered a completely new reality and left their lives behind...

It is crystal clear to anyone who even only casually glance at one her work that she suffers from a terrible case of martyr complex. She loves to bring up the 'Burning times' IE the inquisition as sign that pagans (And especially Her) are persecuted... Despite the fact that the inquisition didn't actually kill millions and almost all of them were Christians, not pagans. That and women. So really, it was more of a tragic case of Misogyny and paranoia taken to the extreme. (During 400 year, about 40 000 to 100 000 person were killed. Which is about 100-200 person per year all across Europe.)

The biggest problem about her as compared to your average nut-job is that she is rather influential! Her terrible attitude and the overwhelming faults of her books are giving a horrible name to pagans. It also raise the problem that traditions and covens now need to reeducate new members out of the fluffiness, inaccuracies and corrupted morality of her books.

Some of her faults;

- She gets very basic information wrong (Meaning of symbols such as the pentacle, the dates of holidays to name a few)
- She make stuff up. (Tarologist, Balefire; the latter of which she never explained what it is)

- Talks against using 'black magick' as she calls it, yet includes all sort of curses, hexes and mind control spells in her books. Quite hypocritical of her.
-Her rampant religious bigotry against Christians in particular. (Calling them once born, and basically variants on muggles.) and saying that you should give them fake tarot readings because their mind can't handle a true one.
-Encourage teens to lie to their parents if asked about what they do. (Say it's angels, everybody love angels! paraphrased a bit here)
-Poor research (Using history that has been proven false decades before she published her books)
-Her books are condescending and talks down to the reader like they were idiots.
-Hostility toward criticism; Instead of responding to the critics, she has simply pointed fingers, calling people fundamentalists and called herself persecuted...
-She is guilty of making broad generalizations or lies; 'All witches are Wiccans  'All pagans believe in X' 'There are no satanic witches' and much more.
-She push magic as being the answer to everything, disregarding basic social, manual or intellectual skills to any situation, (Just hex that person you don't like instead of solving the issue yourself)

She also makes many claim that are downright hilariously idiotic;

"It is my personal opinion that most people are attracted to the Craft not by its religious content, but by its scientific and technological allure."

A religions is a system of faith, belief and moral values. If someone is not interested by it, why would they ever consider joining? This is not counting the fact that magic is not technology/science but mysticism and self-enlightenment. Also, Wicca has no monopoly on magic, nor does paganism for that matter but SRV constantly lies about all pagans being Wiccans.  

She also embrace a view on sexuality that is rather very, very far from what most Wiccans hold as she is strangely puritanical, saying this such as 

"The traditional colors for Mayday are red and white; representing the blood that flows from the woman when her purity is taken" 

Which means that a non-virginal woman is impure and that one cannot give her virginity but only have it taken. Yet it is pretty much accepted that sex is a sacred act in Wicca and many form of paganism.

In the end, she is hardly more than a hurt christian with a 'more persecuted than thou' attitude, a hatred toward anyone who disagree with her and overall a money grubber.

For those who wish to know more about her; here are a few very informative article and reviews;

http://www.beliefnet.com/boards/message_list.asp?pageID=1&discussionID=178164&messages_per_page=9

http://www.ecauldron.net/opedtarnishedsilver.php

http://wicca.cnbeyer.com/ravenwolf.shtml

The Wiccan Rede

Although I'm not a Wiccan myself, The Rede is a rather interesting and well written poem that both spell out the faith's ethics and give information about spell crafting. I'll also include a small explanation to each lines. 

*****

 1- Bide the Wiccan Laws we must In Perfect Love and Perfect Trust.
 2- Live and let live. Fairly take and fairly give.

 3- Cast the Circle thrice about to keep the evil spirits out.
 4- To bind the spell every time let the spell be spake in rhyme.

 5- Soft of eye and light of touch, Speak little, listen much.
 6- Deosil go by the waxing moon, chanting out the Witches' Rune.

 7- Widdershins go by the waning moon, chanting out the baneful rune.
 8- When the Lady's moon is new, kiss the hand to her, times two.

 9- When the moon rides at her peak, then your hearts desire seek.
 10- Heed the North wind's mighty gale, lock the door and drop the sail.

 11- When the wind comes from the South, love will kiss thee on the mouth.
 12- When the wind blows from the West, departed souls will have no rest.

 13- When the wind blows from the East, expect the new and set the feast.
 14- Nine woods in the cauldron go, burn them fast and burn them slow.

 15- Elder be the Lady's tree, burn it not or cursed you'll be.
 16- When the Wheel begins to turn, let the Beltane fires burn.

 17- When the Wheel has turned to Yule, light the log and the Horned One rules.
 18- Heed ye flower, Bush and Tree, by the Lady, blessed be.

 19- Where the rippling waters go, cast a stone and truth you'll know.
 20- When ye have a true need, hearken not to others' greed.

 21- With a fool no season spend, lest ye be counted as his friend.
 22- Merry meet and merry part, bright the cheeks and warm the heart.

 23- Mind the Threefold Law you should, three times bad and three times good.
 24- When misfortune is enow, wear the blue star on thy brow.

 25- True in love ever be, lest thy lover's false to thee.
 26-Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill: An ye harm none, do what ye will.

 *****

 1- A wiccan is to follow the wisdom and instructions given by the rede and do so truly
.
 2- This is the first part of the moral code, to live your life fully but without harming another. Help yourself but not at the expense of other, take what you need and give to those who need.

 3- By casting a circle three times, it makes sure it was done properly, as it is hard to fail three times. A proper circle is needed to keep negative influence out and contain the energy of the spell during the casting. 

4- By speaking in rhyme, it keeps the conscious mind occupied on the spell and prevent it from wandering else where while the sub-conscious work it's magic.

 5- Second part of moral teachings; always look at people openly, with love and understanding and do the same with your acts. It is also important to listen to both other's opinions and to what knowledge they posses. One must listen a lot but only speak when necessary and when you do one must have something to say.

 6- Deosil is old talk for Clockwise. When the moon grows from new to full, it is time to cast spells to attract things to you or another.

 7- Widdershin means counter clockwise. The best time for banishing negativity is when the moon wan from full to new.

 8- It is wiccan tradition to kiss the new moon twice.

 9- The full moon is the time when energy is the most abundant for spell crafting.

 10- The north wind represents winter, which brings storms.

 11- The South wind is spring, the season of love and growth.

 12- The west wind is autumn, when the veil between the world of the living and the dead is the thinnest.

 13- The east wind represent summer, where new things comes and

 14- This is a reference to the Beltane fire which is composed of nine woods generally agreed to be; Birch, oak, rowan, willow, apple, hazel, hawthorn, vine and fir. Each with their own symbolic meaning, I won't get into here...

 15- This speaks about the Goddess' tree which should never be destroyed, much like any sacred item. 16- Beltane, one of the Sabbath is may 1st.

 17- Yule is another Sabbath and held on December 21st 18- Wicca has a very tight relationship with nature and thus it is part of their duty to respect and care for it.

 19- A reference to water based divination, although it could also speak about all form of divination.

 20- Magic needs a purpose, it is not something to be done for the hell of it or to fulfill selfish ends. 21- Always choose wisely who your friends are, people will know you by who you walk with.

 22- Never hide your love and friendship with others, one should embrace it fully.

 23- The three fold law is the law of Karma. Wicca say that everything you do comes back to you three times, both good and ill.

 24- I honestly have no clue about this one, I've heard it refers to an old good luck charm but I'm not sure. 

25- One should always be honest in love, and truly mean his vows. This might also apply to more than just relationships between humans but also in faith, magic and life in general.

 26- If it hurts nobody, including yourself, then there is nothing wrong or evil in it.But one should always consider the consequences of his/her acts.

The law of Karma

What is Karma

One of the most primordial and omnipresent law of the world is Karma.To it's simplest form karma is the law that everything you do will come back to you. Which is something nobody can deny and label as false.

Although there is a huge misconception as to what Karma is as many believes it is about your future incarnations, which is simply stupid. The effect of karma is ever present, even if one does not notice it. Every word, gesture or non-action bears it's results. And these consequences will affect you in some way.

Sometimes a simple kind word will influence someone's life more than you could imagine, like a bad comment can shatter one. A simple 'I love you' can change the entirety of your relationship with someone. And sometimes an innocent remark can spoil it. Often, you won't notice.

Things will come back to you one way or another, someone you helped could help you when you will be the one who needs help. Just like someone whom you've insulted can make you fall at the worse moment possible.

This is the first step to live as a good person, to acknowledge that everything you do has consequences and that sometimes a tiny thing can be The straw that broke the camel's back. 

Once you understand this, the whole world seems to make a lot more sense. If people just took a moment and thought of what their action would bring, the world would be a much better place...

What is magic?

What is magic exactly?

"Magick is the Science and Art of causing Change to occur in conformity with Will"
-Aleister Crowley.

That is the definition of what magic is as written by Aleister Crowley, surely the most well known occultist of modern times if not all time. Although the definition given is very vague and basically apply to every action one can do, it is fundamentally true.

Magic is simply to affirm your true self, to confirm your desires and will on the world. There are of course many ways to do it. When one pictures magic, one is bound to come up with the image of the old wise man in robe chanting around a circle old forgotten phrase to bring about whatever he wishes to happen.

And that image is true! Well, in part it is...

What many fail to consider is that the circles, the staves, the robes and even the chant themselves are not magic. They are merely tools. Belief and will have power and it is through these that we can affirm our existence. In the end, none of the tools are requirement to practice the art.

Now if these are not required, why use them at all? The answer is simple.

If you wish to build a sandcastle, you can do so on your own, but it's a lot easier to do it with shovels, buckets and other tools. Even easier if you are not alone.

This is why the rituals are used, they are crutches to help the magician work. It is easier interacting with physical representations than it is to just imagine it all in your head. You do not need to imagine the knife, imagine the circle and it's delimitation. Magic works with visualization and the less you have to do to keep the thing stable, the more you can concentrate on the actual work.

There are a lot of tools, but they are only that, tools. Focus, plural Foci.

When someone reads tarot, the cards are nothing more than paper/cardboard pieces with pictures on them. What counts is the symbol they represent in their various form and positions. They are a way for the reader to tap his sub-conscious. If one were to ascribe meanings consistently with regular playing cards, it would work just as well. 

How to do magic

Doing magic in itself is a contradiction in a sense. One does not do magic so much as he or she BECOMES magic. Magic is not something you work on Sundays with like minded fellows but something you become and live. 

One cannot be a "Sunday morning magician" because unlike how some threat faith, it is not something that is done once in a while. To do magic is to confirm who you are, hence why one cannot do occasional magic without deluding himself. 

This is what differentiate magicians from simple dabblers or believers. One who hides in the dark is not a magician, merely a hypocrite. Magic is not practicing pagan faith, dancing naked in the woods or doing drug fueled orgies. Magic is living it, one who truly follow the words of Jesus would be as magical as one who practice the old ways of paganism.

The four powers of the Sphinx 

More of the stuff that Crowley wrote; To know, to dare, to will to be silent. These are the four thing to remember in magic, some could call them the cornerstone of the craft;

To know;

refers to the idea that the spiritual journey is one of knowledge -- and that knowledge is never-ending. If we are indeed "to know," then we must constantly be learning, questioning, and expanding our horizons. Also, we must know ourselves before we can know our true paths.

To Dare;

can be interpreted as to have the courage we need to grow. By daring ourselves to step out of our comfort zone, to be something that people see as "other," we are in fact fulfilling our own need "to dare." We are facing that which is unknown, moving into a realm that is far outside what we're used to.

To Will;

means to have determination and perseverance. Nothing of any value comes with ease, and spiritual growth is no exception. Want to be a competent practitioner of magic? Then you better study, and work at it. If you make the choice to evolve and grow spiritually, then you will be able to do so -- but it is, in fact, a choice we make. Our will guides us, and will lead us to success. Without it, we are stagnant.

To Be Silent;

>seems like it should be an obvious one, but it's a bit more complex than it appears on the surface. To be certain, "keeping silent" means that we need to make sure we never out other members of the Pagan community without their permission, and to some extent, it means we need to keep our practices private. However, it also means that we need to learn the value of inner silence. It is a rare person indeed who recognizes that sometimes the unspoken is more important than the words we utter.

An Introduction

Who is Nerathul?

The most important question and the answer is; That, would be me, I am and have been a student of occultism for a few years now, dabbling everywhere to find many things. As I write this, I am a 20 years old french Canadian that is genderqueer and bisexual.

The name Nerathul has no meaning, it was originally created in a roleplaying game for one of my many characters. Over time, people began to know me as such and the name eventually stuck.

He was perhaps my earliest characters and over the years became a sigil for things I wished to be. Strong, independent and smart although without being the holiest of holy. If anything, Nerathul was a bastard and he channeled all my teenage fears and worries that comes as a baggage when you grew up in a broken home with an absent father, an alcoholic mother and severe mental illness problems.

Nerathul is above all freedom, but a freedom that is unregulated and self-centered, which became one of the opposite of the creed by which I live by. A reminder that freedom without morals is just as dangerous as power without ethics.

What is this blog?

This blog is merely me, experimenting, philosophing and musing about life, the universe and everything by the way of magic (Or Magick, if you really insist. In reality, terms are meaningless.). I'll speak of what I read, what I see and what I understand. Understand being the key word. I am by no mean perfect and all knowing, I understand things in part, interpret them however I can, sometimes wrongly.

What you'll find here;

-Me talking about the occult

-Metaphysics and theory

-Sometimes spells and rituals.

-Occasional journal entries

-Talk about morality, even sometimes politics and grammar. Mostly around human rights that is.

What you won't find;

-The secret to life. (Free tip, there is none. The world is what you make of it)

-Spells & rituals to harm someone. I am a pacifist, I do not support any form of violence, physical, emotional or mental.

-A teacher, coven master or guru. I am not any of these, I cannot teach you only show you the path. Magic is the way of the true self, one cannot teach you that, only you can discover who you truly are. Magic is to express that true self, you cannot do so by copying your neighbor.

What I know about magic

I am and have been a practisioner for about four years in which I have tried many things, read even more and thought about an even greater number of. I do witchcraft, but I am not a witch. I do shamanism but am no shaman. 

To call yourself a certain things is often insulting to those who are. I can do shamanism, but it does not make me a shaman, I would be one only if I followed the path, was trained as such and held it's ethos. Doing magic does not make you a witch, wizard or anything. Just like building a chair does not make you a carpenter.