Wiccan...

I was Wiccan quite a few years ago. Contrary to what others have said here, Wiccans do not worship the earth. Wiccans see a divinity in nature and observe holidays and rituals which observe the seasons and the equinoxes ans solstices. They generally recognize that their gods and goddesses, as well as their rituals, ritual objects, etc. are all just symbolism and act as a way to relate to nature. There are different kinds of Wiccans as well, depending on a persons preferences, issues, etc. Also, some are solitary and some prefer to groups with others to do ritual. There is nothing Satanic about it, as you'd have to be Christian to believe in Satan in the first place. Of course, there is a lot of religious history of Christianity taking pagan symbols and making them out to be Satanic in order to condemn them. It's also hypocritical since early Christians used the pentagram to symbolize Christ's wounds. If you choose to explore Wicca, I'd suggest books by Scott Cunningham. Also, be prepared to be treated differently if people see you wearing a pentagram or sharing your beliefs. Prepare to endure some really stupid accusations and a severe double standard regarding freedom of religion. Remember, if you are in a workplace, it's perfectly fine for people to have Christian symbols on display, but pagan symbols are a no-no. You will encounter a lot of hypocrisy like this. There's nothing evil about respecting nature. It's not worship. See, since Christians deal with their beliefs through worship, they assume that everyone else does too, and many of them can't wrap their heads around the idea that it is possible to relate to something outside yourself without worshiping it.

I had to pick a religion to study for my course that I have just completed. I chose Paganism, which in the end, was a great choice. I realised how much I had in common with their beliefs. I am somewhere inbetween Buddhism and Paganism. Paganism is a very free and easy way of life. I agree with others comments about people being very "one-eyed" about the slander that was passed around in the early 1900's. Pagans are peaceful people and would never dream of doing anything harmful to another living spirit. Rumours can be very nasty and it is best to form your own opinion on this one. Do your research. Overall this religion is great and does not deserve a single piece of the "bad press" that it receives.

for the most part I don't advertize my faith to people so it isn't a problem with those around me. I live in an area that has a large population of pagans and yet there are many who still believe in the stereotypical or believe that they must be Satan worshipers etc. It's sad but it does happen. There are some great sites on the web for doing research into Wiccan and Paganism. A good site to start out at is Witches' Voice: http://www.witchvox.com/ It has a lot of great information on Wicca and Paganism that can help you. For myself I consider myself more Pagan then Wiccan although Wiccan is a more well known word or label. I'm a Solitary Practionioner, which means I work alone and not in a group or coven. The nice thing with it is that you decide what rituals, beliefs and traditions you will follow. You are your own guide. You choose what you want to do and that allows you to make it more personal for you.

Before I start talking about Wicca, I will explain that I am not personally Wiccan, but am "Pagan", so my religion falls in the same general family of religions as Wicca. Some of the beliefs I have are the same as those of Wiccans, and some are not. My experience with Wicca has been through both my own study and through the fact that I have often attended general "Pagan" rituals, or been part of general "covens" that don't restrict themselves only to one branch of paganism, so I have known a great many Wiccans, and been involved with their practice. Wicca is one religion that is part of a the set of "pagan" religons. It is fairly "new", having been first written of in the 1950's or so, but the traditions it is based upon are much older. Basically it draws from the pre-Christian religions of many cultures, including but not limited to Celtic, Greek, Roman, Egyptian, and Norse traditions. It also draws from folkloric "witchcraft" traditions. The most commonly held Wiccan beliefs are: Respect for the earth Adherance to the Wiccan Rede: "An it harm none, do what ye will." Worship of usually one central God and Goddess, often referred to as the Lord and Lady, though many Wiccans believe in individual gods as well, or say that the God and Goddess are part of some greater "Creator" Celebration of holidays on the "Wheel of the Year", basically the celebration of the turning of seasons and the natural cycles Usually the practice of "magic" to achieve goals in your life, healing, etc. This is greatly misunderstood, and should not be confused with the flashy magic seen on tv or movies. There are Wiccans who practice their faith independantly, and Wiccans who practice as part of a group or coven. The fact that many Wiccans don't make their faith widely known makes it hard to count how many there are, but I've known quite a few. As for how Wiccans are treated, it depends. I've talked to Wiccans who have never really had a problem with religious intolerance, and some who have had a lot of problems with it. I think it depends on both where you live and how you present yourself.

A Wiccan is a pagan; a witch. Yes, the Bible does condemn it. It's basically worship of the earth. The different spirits that inhabit the earth and the body. I used to be Wiccan, but I was still in the initiation month when I converted to Christianity. It can be very very dangerous. The power is very real, and in the wrong hands it can be devastating. A friend of mine who is Wiccan was telling me about this friend of hers who had asked her to put a love spell on some guy that she had a crush on. My friend didn't want to, but she did it. The guy ended up stalking her friend and almost raped her because of it. If she hadn't noticed him stalking her, she wouldn't have been able to fend him off. Every Wiccan that I know is treated alright. But I can't say that Wiccans in general aren't treated bad because of their beliefs, because I don't know every Wiccan. Hope that helps!

Wicca is an initiatory Tradition, started out by Gerald Gardner, which came to public knowledge following the repeal of the Witchcraft act in 1951. the Tradition draws on Classical Paganism and from ritual magic groups, like The Golden Dawn and The Freemasons. there are two Wiccan Traditions, know as Gardnerian, the original form, named after its founder and Alexandrian, named after Alex Sanders, who started an offshoot. some Gardnerians will not aknowledge Alexandrians as fellow Wiccans. I suppose that's their right, as their form is the original form. in order to be a Wiccan you train with a Coven that can trace it's lineage through initiation back to Gardners Coven. following some training, you can then be initiated into the Tradition. then you are a Wiccan, and have taken initiation to the 1st Degree. after more training within the Coven you can be initiated to 2nd degree, or 3rd degree, which would make you a high priest/priestess, and able to run a Coven without the input of the Coven that intitiated you (second degree may sometimes run a Coven under guidance of their mother Coven) so. Wicca is a Modern Pagan initiatory Tradition.

There was a discussion here about this awhile ago. I have a page of many links to Wiccan sites that I will send to you by PM. My boyfriend is also into this. He too is a solitary practicer. I myself have been thinking of going into it also. I see nothing evil about it. There is a motto my boyfriend says all the time. Its "Do as you will but harm none".