Arcana

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Everything posted by Arcana

  1. I was merely trying to point out where the use of the term for something other than Wicca could be disrespectful, and stated in my post that I do not think she meant to be. Based upon her age and her explanations in her writings, I have come to the conclusion she is young, probably received most of her education about Wicca from books and the internet rather than training from a coven or other Witch, and probably has a lack of understanding of the traditions of the Old Ways/Craft of the Wise/Wicca/Witchcraft. The use of the term Craft of the Wise is an even older reference to the practices of the religion (along with the term "Old Ways") used before the use of Wicca to define the religion, beliefs, and practices. The etymology of the word Wicca and what it means is still a topic of debate, even among Wiccans and Pagans. I would suggest reading this article: http://www.twpt.com/witchbyanyothername.htm Which I think goes into the complexity of the origins of the name well enough, and would be essentially what I would have to explain. Here are some other links concerning the etymology of the word "Wicca." After going through these sources, you can see that the answer to your question that Wicca means "wise" or "wise one" is not so easily answered with a simple "yes" or "no." http://wiccanhistorian.home.att.net/bos/et...ogyofwicca.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witch_(etymology)
  2. Entitling the discussion as "THE Craft of the Wise" that would specifically refer to Wicca. And I quoted how in her first post she WAS specifically referring to Wicca. Perhaps the topic changed as it went along, but I was responding to the first post, which was referring specifically to Wicca. I am not saying that Wicca "claims" such a title. But it is understood in interfaith Circles that "The Craft of the Wise" refers to Wicca. I asked around among other groups and other ministers, and this is pretty universal in understanding. I am not sure why pointing out that this is something, as far as I can see, is understood universally is being criticized. And I think she originally started off as a discussion as Wicca, and being pointed out where she is not referring to the philosophies as such caught her in a pickle, so she tried to digress and said it meant any religion. That is my opinion, anyway. Other organizations will also refer to what they believe and practice as The Craft, such as Freemasonry. So I was not implying that Wicca owns the name The Craft...I am pointing out how the thread started and referring specifically to that. And I think the original author twisted things around and then called it Wicca. Then being called on it, backpedaled, and the rest of you missed the point and are using the concept of Universality, saying it isn't specifically one thing or another. And this leads to another point: this is the TRAP (to use your term) of eclectism, universality, and the New Age concepts, to mish mash beliefs together without giving credit and respect to the sources of where the concepts and ideas come from, or taking the mixture and claiming it to be a form of a religion, when essentially it is a concept that is unique to the individual mixing the beliefs together. So instead of trying to define it as one religion, or using the name of a religion that has a history, tradition, and recognizable beliefs and practices, just claim it as individual, and credit the sources where the individual derived inspiration from. Otherwise, I would put it in the category of something akin to plagiarism, which is disrespectful. It Wicca is understood to be "The Craft of the Wise" then give respect to that term instead of twisting it all around and making it apply to ALL religions. Why not just use another term, since this one is already being used? I would invite you to re-read the very first post, and see what I am talking about.
  3. Alright, but are you aware of that another term for Wicca, specifically, is Craft of the Wise? It is what, generally, Wicca means. To use this term and say it is not specifically Wiccan is, and I asked other Wiccans, disrespectful. It would be like saying something was [insert religion name here] but you did not specifically mean that religion. Since Craft of the Wise is another, very specific term of Wicca, we can't even come up with a comparison to make the point you are using a specific term non-specifically. What made you use the term? And are you aware it does mean specifically Wicca? This another misleading "fact." We are going to look up some specific references, but Zen is a Chinese philosophy. Samurai is Japanese. Samurai may use Zen when it came to Japan, but not in combat because it is a passive philosophy. I am seeking specific references to support my claim on this. I did a research paper on the Samurai for my Asian art class, so I will track that down. My Buddhist and martial arts friends are also not agreeing with you (I am sharing this discussion with others of my church. ) So when I get the facts together I will let you know. I have no issues with universal concepts of religions (obviously!) but I also strongly believe in giving respect to the traditional religions of the world, and honoring their beliefs and concepts without mixing them together and/or without giving them honor to their specific religion. I think you are mixing terms and philosophies here and justifying using them in your own personal definition, without honoring or respecting the traditions and religions themselves. And giving misleading information. I certainly do not think you mean to offend anyone (at least I hope not!) but in using terms nonspecifically when they are accepted as being specific, it may be something you may want to at least reconsider how you use such terms, so you are not offending anyone. Give me some time to get those facts together. I think here in your first post you WERE specifically using Wicca as Craft of the Wise. Which is what I was responding to.
  4. True now, but not a couple of decades ago. Some of us are guilty of still using them interchangeably. It is such now that a Witch is someone with natural abilities, and a Wiccan is one who follows the religious traditions and tenets. And then there is the issue of what defines Wicca and a Wiccan. There is the United States Federal government criteria that explains what elements Wicca has that makes it definable by the government for being a religion. There is the British Traditional Wica that defines what Wica is by their Traditions. There is the definition of what Witches of the British Isles use to explain what Wicca is according to those cultures. There is the definition of Hereditary Witches and their families that explain what a Witch or Wiccan is to them. And then you have the multitudes of people all over the world who read the Llewellyn Publishing books on Wicca and before they finished the book, they are already saying they are Wiccans for picking the book up! heheh So how do you find out what Wicca is? Well, honestly, for those of us in the Old Religions (and this is universal) we have "tests" of looking for "key words" and responses we look for in others when determining for ourselves if an individual is "one of us" or not. These aren't secret handshakes or passwords...they are something innate that the soul knows, and they are automatic responses to a "challenge" by another. They can be taught, like in Initiation, but largely, they are innately known. For myself, I am not even aware I "knew" what I was saying and doing until it was already being done. And if I used the same criteria to "test" my own students, I don't think even one would pass. (But I do require this innate knowledge of my lovers, people I marry, and my High Priest...which all tend to end up being the same man. heheh) But it cannot and will not ever be found in books or the internet. So no matter what, the Mysteries and the Secrets are kept hidden. It's comforting to me, but I know in this "fast food generation" it is frustrating for most students.
  5. Hello, all! I am greatly disappointed that I haven't been on the discussion forum until now and missed the previous posts to comment on. However, as Samhain is a major festival and I am a High Priestess, there were many things to prepare for the event, and time needed to recover afterwards and this is the first day I can catch my breath. I haven't had the chance to really fully dissect the posts and analyze them to to comment on. I scanned through them as much as possible, too excited and eager to really sit down and read and wanted to comment right away. heh One thing I notice that this is a discussion among mainly Wiccans or those who have experienced Wicca being Solitary, and there are some misconceptions on both sides...the Solitary Wiccans and the "devil advocates" on what the religion all entails. For even in this day of NeoPaganism where Wicca is more well known, all that seems to be known of it is what is found in the basic books at the bookstore and what can be found on the internet. This does not change, however, that it is a religion that has been "underground" for centuries (and I beg to differ on the arguments this is a religion started by Gardner and is only been in existence sine the 1950s...Gardner is another type of eclectic, even if the BTW fundamentalists (British Traditional Wica) will state otherwise very strongly)and it is a religion that has a strong tradition and philosophy that is continuing evolving and changing...yet present day NeoPaganism is missing many of the elements that, in my opinion, make it so unique. I have practiced and studied the many facets of the Wiccan religion, and I continue to study and practice the different traditions. I have been Wiccan since 1988. I have been a High Priestess since 1994. And I have led my own tradition since 1997. I am now the High Priestess of a NeoPagan Interfaith Church of all faiths, of a beginners and training eclectic coven for all ages, even children, and of an advanced traditional coven...still eclectic, but only for very serious Initiates and strictly Wiccan. I am not BTW because the Goddess Called me to public service, so I was not able to take the vows of secrecy required of a BTW, but I was trained for Initiation and I have the blessings of my High Priest and High Priestess who trained me. And this is all to say, I think I have some experience to back up what information I am about to share. First off, to explain, the title of High Priestess does not convey "better than" another. It is simply a job description to state I am the one in charge of designing rituals and ceremonies, I lead them, I am the "Mother Goddess figure" of the covens and church, and I am responsible, good and bad, for what occurs in these groups and the decisions made by the Board of Directors. Wicca is a religion that is based on having a central authority, and it is not a democracy. I have tried, in my early inexperienced years, to lead by democratic vote, and it takes away from what is important about the symbolism of the Goddess. And I have seen covens and groups destroyed by democratic processes. So the High Priestess is the central figure essential to the religion, I have found. And the position is not, to me, anyway, an ego trip, but one that is challenging and demanding that gives me a sense of responsibility, duty, and humility. And I deeply feel there is no way I could live up to this challenge without seeking out the strength of the Goddess everday, to honor Her as Her Priestess, for I did not choose this, I was Called. It has taken me years to learn to stand up and demand respect and authority, which was not easy for me. But it is for the good of the group as a whole. An amazing lesson. Can a Wiccan be a Mystic? Not all Wiccans are Mystics, but it can be a philosophy to follow for a Wiccan. Now notice that as a mystic it is a philosophy, not a religion. Also, Zen is a philosophy, and traditionally Wicca is NOT in harmony with the Zen philosophy. Zen is Eastern and passive. Wicca is Western and active. To use an Eastern term, Wicca is more Yang than Yin. To learn more about the philosophies of Wicca I would recommend the following books: 1) Wiccan Mysteries by Raven Grimassi 2) The Wiccan Mystic by Ben Gruagach 3) Philosophy of Wicca by Amber Laine Fisher As Wicca is a religion that requires and encourages independent and critical thinking, it is not necessary to agree with the philosophies of others. In regards to the discussion about magick and spells, etc. being disruptive to the natural order of the universe, a spell and magick are no different than praying. Is praying harmful to the natural order of things? Come on! A spell is simply an active prayer...where instead of passively praying for the Divine to answer your prayer, you are symbolically and psychologically indicating to the universe that you are willing to take the steps necessary to do the things necessary to help yourself, and you are asking for assistance from the Divine to provide the opportunities to make this need manifest. The discussion on both sides showed an alarmingly amount of ignorance about the ethics and process of spellcasting. On a beginning level, however, there is no difference in casting a spell than a Catholic lighting a candle in church for a prayer. Magick in Wicca should also not be confused with the Magick in Ceremonial Magick. Wicca does have some elements of Ceremonial Magic, but it is tempered by ultimately the religion and ethics of Wicca, so it does not at all fall into the category of Thelemetic or Crowleyian type magickal practices. There is no enslaving of spiritual entities. Wiccans are mystics in that Wicca is a Mystery Tradition, where it passes down the traditions and myths of the ancient Mystery Schools. Wiccans are magicians in that they do use magic in their rituals and religious practices. But neither the descriptions of mystic nor magician completely sums up as a whole what a Wiccan is or does. And even though the most known and most popular tradition of Wicca is American Eclectic and mostly made up of NeoPagan Solitaries, this does not change the fact of the tradition that Wicca is a Mystery Religion requiring Initiation into the Mysteries by way of ceremony to fully embrace that one understands the religion. It is an essential part of it. And this has been a matter of debate for a long time in the religion, even before NeoPaganism when it was a debate between BTWs who state that "only a Witch can make a Witch" and the Hereditary Witches who believe "one cannot make a Witch, a person must be born a Witch." Having been Initiated into the Mysteries (through many lives, for reincarnation is one of the fundamental beliefs of Wicca), and having Initiated others, and having been Solitary first, I can say that Solitary is only an introduction to the religion and it is not the religion itself. There are so many elements that require a coven to understand, that I personally believe that Solitaries are missing out on essential aspects of what the religion is about. I have also been Initiated into a Hereditary Tradition and trained for a year in BTW. So I understand the different viewpoints. The Mysteries have a reason to be kept secret, only because they have to be experienced in ceremony, like Initiation. You cannot teach them. And they cannot be simply read to be understood. There are also unwritten traditions and mysteries that are part of the soul...the Akashic Library, if you will...and can never be taught in a book. It really is a case of "either you know them or you don't." And recently I discovered this with a Tradition of Samhain that could not even be googled on the internet. I teach my students that Wicca is a very simple religion in philosophy, but in its simplicity it is very complex and multi-layered that even lifetimes cannot master the elements of what it is about. It is not about mastery, anyway. It is about evolving as a soul towards the immortality of the gods...and I think this means we evolve to become what are known as "spirit guides" to help mankind continue to evolve to greater harmony with Nature and the Universe. We do this by experiencing life's greatest challenges...not by living a "peaceful life." Having challenges in life teach us humility, teach us to develop faith, and create our character as a person and a soul by how we choose to react to situations. I cannot agree with the idealism that an advanced spiritual person means their life is peaceful, harmonious, and they have no challenges to face in life. I think that an advanced spiritual person is constantly dealing with the challenges of life in possibly extreme ways beyond the average person, and overcomes them by experiencing the emotions of frustration, anger, even hatred, but learns to overcome them through perseverance and spiritual devotion so they learn humility, faith, and understands the value of failure as well as success. And hopefully such a person develops grace and nobility because of this challenge and growth. And I agree with Magus, that the original poster has not fully experienced the effects of Saturn's return. To be challenged, to fail, to lose everything you hold most dear is very much a part of the mystical elements of Wicca as a religion (it is known as the Second Degree, and in other religions it is the Dark Night of the Soul.) And I think you need to keep in mind that the Goddess and Nature both have a very dangerous and scary Dark Side, as every soul does, and you cannot control Nature...not ever! The Universe and the Ancient Gods are older and ever more powerful than we can be as mortals, and we are at their mercy. And until you have a personal disaster in life to drive that fact home to experience that, you are still "naive." I know. I have been there. And if you do not want this, then Wicca and the Path of Magic is, honestly, not for you. If you want the way of Zen and the Path of the Mystic where all you do is meditate and find spiritual enlightenment and serenity without adversity, that is not Wicca. And you won't be taken seriously as a Wiccan, and you will experience a lot of challenges by Wiccans for stating to be of the Craft of the Wise. It is ultimately your choice, but please consider making it an educated one. The sacred use of tobacco in religious ceremonies of the Native Americans is NOT the same as having an addiction to cigarettes!
  6. Yes! Good book. I read it last summer, and then did quite a bit of research into the history of malaria and how the cure for malaria was discovered. It made quite an impression on me in a vivid way.