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Category: Religion and Philosophy
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This blog is not meant to be any disrespect to any mental illnesses or religions, but however is a mixture of humor and my own beliefs on the subjects.
Today we look at Wicca and Bi-Polar disorder.
On a serious note, some people who have bi-polar disorder actually BELIEVE that they
have magical powers, exhibit paranoia and have a sense of superiority and a thought that they are invincible.
I have highlighted the parts that caught my eye in red and added my own commentary
between the parentheses in bright yellow.
Mania In Bipolar Depression
Uploaded by Sk8erD00d (668) on Jun 19, 2005
excerpts:
Bipolar depression, also known as bipolar disorder, manic depression and manic-depressive illness, is a form of a depressive illness in which mania and depression alternate. It is a disorder that affects over 2 million (1.2 percent) Americans and usually begins during adolescence (American Medical Association [AMA], 1998). It is often not recognized as a serious disorder, but in many cases it causes difficulty in occupational, educational, social life, and other important functioning.
A person who has bipolar disorder swings between two extreme emotional poles- depression and mania.
"In mixed mood states (also referred to as dysphoric mania) pronounced symptoms of both depression and mania either co-exist or alternate during different periods of the day." (Daly, p.1157, 1997). However, typical bipolar patients alternate mania and depression with euthymania (normal mood) in between the two (Gorman, 1998).
During the manic phase of bipolar depression a person undergoes changes in mood, distorted thinking and behavior. Euphoria is extremely common early in a manic episode. During mania, irritability is common, and any form of frustration becomes unbearable. Rage may be overwhelming if other try to restrain the manic behaviors. For example, "When you try to inhibit or criticize him, he will get angry, perhaps violent." (Cammer, 1969, p.45). Also, the person may experience a pressure to socialize or a sudden preoccupation with success, wealth, power, and fame (Mondimore, 1995). The person will have an inflated self-esteem thinking they are uniquely talented and attractive and "nothing can dent your self confidence," explains the AMA (1998, p.48). Along with this, this overconfidence may become the basis for delusional thinking.
The way overconfidence can be linked with delusional thinking is commonly by way of paranoia.
(those who try to keep you pre-occupied can make you vulnerable to a binding spell from enemies...etc)
For example, the maniac believes that their phone calls are so important that their phone is tapped.
75 percent of maniacs have delusions (AMA, 1998). During the delusional state, people may feel immune
to any kind of restraint. (such as placing binding spells on people hundreds of miles away from yourself)
According to the AMA, "if you are manic, you truly believe nothing can
stop you" (p.49). In severe cases people can hear voices inside their head. They may also believe they are
God, that they have been elected to a high political office or they have solved a universal mystery.
Some people even believe that they have magical powers.
(like using it to re-direct hurricanes to annihilate sex offenders etc..)
Activities such as running up a large credit card bill or having promiscuous sex with random people married
or not are not uncommon. Unfortunately, mania makes it hard to distinguish fact
and fantasy; therefore it may result in lies and deceit. (like re-directing hurricanes and administering
binding spells, possibly also claiming to lift beds up from hundreds of miles away)
References
American Medical Association. (1998). Essential guide to depression. New York: Pocket Books.
Cammer, L. (1969). Up from depression. New York: Simon and Schuster.
Daly, I. (1997) Mania. The lancet, 4 , 1157.
Dewan, N. (1999, July 1). What is bipolar disorder? Clinical Reference Systems. (Infotrac No. 55838862).
Gorman, J. (1998). The Essential guide to mental health. New York: St. Martin's Griffin.
Mondimore, F. (1995). Depression, The mood disease. Baltimore:
The Johns Hopkins University Press. (1995-2000). All About Bipolar Disorder [Online]. Mental Health Net
and CMHC Systems. Available: http://bipolar.mentalhelp.net/ [2000.April 10].
And now for the Wiccan part.
Bi-polar disorder victims may fall into this religion.
Wicca is the largest of the Neopagan religions. Wiccans have great reverence for the
Earth and for their Goddess and her consort, the horned God.(the "Great Horny Toad" of nude rituals)
Their main rule of behavior is the Wiccan Rede which forbids them from harming people,
including themselves, except in some cases of self-defense.[3] (well so much for the
re-directing of hurricanes to kill sex offenders! )
Other characteristics of Wicca include the ritual use of magic, a basic code of morality,
and the celebration of eight seasonally based festivals.
Some Wiccans see the Goddess as pre-eminent, since she contains and conceives all;
(this smells like a certain Counselors belief that I know of)
the God is the spark of life and inspiration within her, simultaneously her lover and her
child.[15] This is reflected in the traditional structure of the coven.[16] In some
traditions, notably feminist Dianic Wicca, the Goddess is seen as complete unto herself,
and the God is not worshipped at all, though this has been criticised by members of
other traditions
(YEA!!! what about Equal rights oppurtunity here?! did they even SEE if a man could try
to bear a child?)
A more polytheistic approach holds the various goddesses and gods to be separate and
distinct entities in their own right. Pantheistic systems may conceive of deities not as
literal personalities but as metaphorical archetypes or thoughtforms.[20] While these
conceptualizations of deity—duotheism, polytheism and pantheism—may seem radically
different from each other, they need not be considered mutually exclusive:
Some Wiccans may find it spiritually beneficial (or magically practical) to shift among
one or another of these systems, depending upon time and circumstance.
Beliefs in the afterlife vary among Wiccans,[25] although reincarnation is a traditional
Wiccan teaching. Raymond Buckland said that a soul reincarnates into the same species
over many lives in order to learn and advance one's soul,(COOL! than I can have
immortality AND with magic, thats worth celebrating!)[26] but this belief is not
universal. A popular saying amongst Wiccans is "once a witch, always a witch",
indicating that Wiccans are the reincarnation of earlier witches.(wait a minute! are you
saying you Wiccans cant get along and believe in one doctrine? yet you have MAGIC
to KNOW the truth? SOME crystal ball YOU have!!!)
Despite some belief in it, Wicca does not place an emphasis on the afterlife, focusing
instead on the current one;(thats what I thought!!! you KNOW you have to value
THIS LIFE since its the ONLY one you get!! WHERE is your FAITH in reincarnation ,
oh magic ones?) as the historian Ronald Hutton remarked, "the instinctual
position of most pagan witches, therefore, seems to be that if one makes the most of
the present life, in all respects, then the next life is more or less certainly going to
benefit from the process, and so one may as well concentrate on the present".[28]
Magic
Wiccans believe in magic that can be manipulated through the form of witchcraft or
sorcery. Some spell it as "magick", a term coined by occultist Aleister Crowley, though
this spelling is more commonly associated with the religion of Thelema than Wicca.
Wiccans cast spells during ritual practices inside a sacred circle, in an attempt to bring
about real changes )
(and so they stand their waiting for this magic to really happen,
and they wait...and wait...and wait....hahahahaha!!) ,
(which are further explained in the
"Ritual practices" section).
Common Wiccan spells include those used for healing, for love, for fertility, or to banish
negative influences.[30]
(WAIT A MINUTE, STOP THE PRESSES!!! didnt we just read above that you cannot place a spell of harm
on anybody?and is it not true that NEGATIVE influences is a matter of perception?)
Many Wiccans agree with the definition of magic offered by ceremonial magicians.[31]
Aleister Crowley, for instance, declared that magic was "the science and art of causing
change to occur in conformity with will",(and he later admitted that ALL Of his magic
was actually to sensationalize and get more people to come to his shows etc...)
and MacGregor Mathers stated that it was
"the science of the control of the secret forces of nature".[31] Wiccans believe magic
to be a law of nature,(SHUCKS , and I thought the Wiccans spells could RE-DIRECT
hurricanes, not just use the weather as a SOURCE, darnit!) as yet misunderstood by
contemporary science.[31]
Other Wiccans do not claim to know how magic works, merely believing that it does
because they have seen it work for them.[28]
Many early Wiccans, such as Alex Sanders and Doreen Valiente, referred to their own
magic as "white magic", which contrasted with "black magic", which they associated
with evil and Satanism. Some modern Wiccans however have stopped using this
terminology, arguing that the colour black should not have any associations with evil.
[32] (nah!!, they are just jealous that the Satanist APPEAR scarier at places like high schools. etc)
The scholars of religion, Rodney Stark and William Bainbridge, claimed, in 1985, that
Wicca had "reacted to secularization by a headlong plunge back into magic" and that
it was a reactionary religion which would soon die out. This view was heavily criticised
in 1999 by the historian Ronald Hutton, who claimed that the evidence displayed the
very opposite, that "a large number [of Wiccans] were in jobs at the cutting edge
[of scientific culture], such as computer technology."[28]
(thats right, computers are REAL, you can magically make a PICTURE of anything you want on
a computer with no potions needed, hell you can even talk to somebody across the world without
using strenuous braincrushing telepathic powers to do this!)
Morality
Main article: Wiccan morality
Wiccan morality is largely based on the Wiccan Rede, which states "an it harm none,
do what ye will". This 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.(here we go again, CAN YOU harm or NOT
harm with magic, this is getting me dizzy)[33] 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,
[34] similar to the eastern idea of karma.
The Five Elements
Wiccans believe in the five classical elements, although unlike in ancient Greece,
they are seen as symbolic as opposed to literal; that is, they are representations of
the phases of matter. These five elements are invoked during many magical rituals,
notably when consecrating a magic circle. The five elements are: Air, Fire, Water and
Earth, plus Aether (or Spirit), which unites the other four.[39]
Ritual practices
A black handled athame and a white-handled boline, two ritual knives in Wicca with quite
different purposes.
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, alongside their respective classical element; Air,
Fire, Water and Earth. Once the circle is cast, a seasonal ritual may be performed,
prayers to the God and Goddess are said, and spells are sometimes worked.
Tools
Main article: Magical tools in Wicca
Common tools in the Wiccan practice include a special set of magical tools. These
usually include a knife called an athame, a wand, a pentacle and a chalice, but other
tools include a broomstick known as a besom, a cauldron, candles, incense and a curved
blade known as a boline. An altar is usually present in the circle, on which ritual tools are
placed and representations of the God and the Goddess may be displayed.[42] 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.
(wolfwhistles!!! BOY DOES THIS SOUND LIKE A FUN RELIGION!!! no WONDER its
growing in popularity!!)
Looks like we will need this here wand for those cool nude rituals:
and dont forget the wild Wiccan witches too:
This practice seemingly derives from a line in Aradia, Charles Leland's supposed record
of Italian witchcraft.[citation needed] Skyclad working is mostly the province of
Initiatory Wiccans, who are outnumbered by the less strictly observant Eclectics.
[citation needed] When they work clothed, Wiccans may wear robes with cords tied
around the waist, "Renaissance-faire"-type clothing or normal street clothes. Each full
moon, and in some cases a new moon( how about forgetting the clothing so we can
keep the full "moon"...hehehe), is marked with a ritual called an Esbat.
Others form small groups of believers, called covens, groves, etc. Because of centuries
of religious propaganda and misinformation, many conservative Christians, and others,
associate Wiccans with Satanists even though the two belief systems are as different
as Christianity and Atheism.[57]
Although some have described Wicca as a twentieth century phenomenon—"the only
religion that England has ever given the world,"[67][68] many Wiccans themselves
disagree, claiming it stems from very ancient practices."[69] There is, however,
no archaeological evidence at this time to support these claims.
The 2001 American Religious Identification Survey estimated that at least 134,000
adults identified themselves as Wiccans in the United States, compared to 8,000 in
1990.[72]( ummm thats pretty BAD considering all of those fun nude rituals,
who said sex sells?)
In the UK, census figures do not allow an accurate breakdown of traditions
within the Pagan heading, as a campaign by the Pagan Federation before the 2001
Census encouraged Wiccans, Heathens, Druids and others all to use the same write-in
term 'Pagan' in order to maximise the numbers reported. For the first time,
respondents were able to write in an affiliation not covered by the checklist of common
religions, and a total of 42,262 people from England, Scotland and Wales declared
themselves to be Pagans by this method.
There have been Christian assertions made that Wicca is a form of Satanism,
(yep, by those little pansy high school wiccan wannabes) despite
important differences between these religions,[86] such as the lack of a Satan-like
figure in Wiccan theology. Due to negative connotations associated with witchcraft,
many Wiccans continue the traditional practice of secrecy, concealing their faith for
fear of persecution. Revealing oneself as Wiccan to family, friends or colleagues is
often termed "coming out of the broom-closet".[87]
Differences with Satanism:
satanism as a cult was developed as an antithesis of christianity, an antinomic
judeo-christian heresy, where Satan is recognized as superior to Yahve/Jehova.
It has several differnt versions, from the Satanists of the Church of Satan, followers
of the teachings of LaVey and almost nihilists -and atheists-, to the "Devil Worshippers"
, or the people that form the Temple of Seth, or the Luciferians. There were attempts in
the previous centuries to develop something similar, true, and there are documents that
talk about "black masses" in France near the time of the Revolution, but this has little
if anything in common with contemporary "satanism". But by definition, Satanism can't
predate christianity, and even then, the developing of all the mythology about Satan.
See, to be a satanist you need to start by acknowledging the judeo-christian God.
Satanism is, as their followers explain, a religion that glorifies ego, without any further
moral barriers other than their own will.(Wiccan wannabes are scared to act on
"just their wants")
Let's note that for christianity, Satan's main sin
was pride (to consider himself equal to his creator). They use the inverted pentagram
(five pointed star) as the representation of Satan's head with it's horns, ears and beard,
or also the inverted christian cross. The Pentagran is a symbol widely used in ocultism.
On it's upside, it symbolizes the spirit imposing over matter... this can be well seen if we
inscribe a human figure inside. Upside down, this supremacy of the spirit is lost and the
senses rule, being this another symbolism satanists use. Among Wiccan, we use the
Pentacle, being it a five pointed star inscribed inside a circle. It symbolized the five
elements of nature: fire, air, water and earth, with the fifth element -that is,
spirit- located on the upper point.
Wiccan Wannabe role model:
2 myths that relate Wiccan religion to Satanism:
Lie Nro. 1: The Wiccan Rede is Satanic
The main excuse those who state this give, is a suposed version of the Rede that states
"Do what thou wilt" and equal this to the lack of acknowledgement of a sacred, higher
law. They also relate it with Aleister Crowley, who was called "the more perverse man
of his time". This is not only not true, but also maliciously distorted. The cited bit belongs
to Crowley, yes, but is taken out of context, and has little to do with what some
fundamentalist groups want it to say. You can find a version of the Rede in this pages,
and anyone who cares enough to read it can say it's far from the afirmation of the ego
which is "Do what thou wilt" without any adition. A shorter version of the Rede is
"Ain it harm no one, do what thou wilt" and some add "Except in thine own defence it be"
. This sets a moral stop quite important, which doesn't exist in the suposed version
given by the fundamentalists. This is plainly, to descontextualize a sentence and chop
it, devoiding it of it's original meaning.
Lie Nro. 2: The witches (wicca) perform human sacrifices
The truth is there are accounts, taken mainly from Julius Cesar's "Gaelic Wars"
describing human sacrifices done by the Druids. Inmediately stating that those
sacrifices were only done when in times of great need or calamities, being the victims
voluntaries and/or criminals. And even this is doubted by some schollars, considering
it an ancient version of war propaganda trying to show the enemy as evil. This is a
discontinued practice, not valid today at all. Anyone performing a human sacrifice
nowadays is not wicca, nor satanist: is a criminal, and whom you can only relate to
Wicca in the same way you can relate Charles Manson or Dave Koresh to the main body
of christianity. Let's tell the truth then: wiccan neither kidnap people to sacrifice, nor
eat raw children as many seem to think. ;).
..
This blog is not meant to be any disrespect to any mental illnesses or religions, but however is a mixture of humor and my own beliefs on the subjects.
Today we look at Wicca and Bi-Polar disorder.
On a serious note, some people who have bi-polar disorder actually BELIEVE that they
have magical powers, exhibit paranoia and have a sense of superiority and a thought that they are invincible.
I have highlighted the parts that caught my eye in red and added my own commentary
between the parentheses in bright yellow.
Mania In Bipolar Depression
Uploaded by Sk8erD00d (668) on Jun 19, 2005
excerpts:
Bipolar depression, also known as bipolar disorder, manic depression and manic-depressive illness, is a form of a depressive illness in which mania and depression alternate. It is a disorder that affects over 2 million (1.2 percent) Americans and usually begins during adolescence (American Medical Association [AMA], 1998). It is often not recognized as a serious disorder, but in many cases it causes difficulty in occupational, educational, social life, and other important functioning.
A person who has bipolar disorder swings between two extreme emotional poles- depression and mania.
"In mixed mood states (also referred to as dysphoric mania) pronounced symptoms of both depression and mania either co-exist or alternate during different periods of the day." (Daly, p.1157, 1997). However, typical bipolar patients alternate mania and depression with euthymania (normal mood) in between the two (Gorman, 1998).
During the manic phase of bipolar depression a person undergoes changes in mood, distorted thinking and behavior. Euphoria is extremely common early in a manic episode. During mania, irritability is common, and any form of frustration becomes unbearable. Rage may be overwhelming if other try to restrain the manic behaviors. For example, "When you try to inhibit or criticize him, he will get angry, perhaps violent." (Cammer, 1969, p.45). Also, the person may experience a pressure to socialize or a sudden preoccupation with success, wealth, power, and fame (Mondimore, 1995). The person will have an inflated self-esteem thinking they are uniquely talented and attractive and "nothing can dent your self confidence," explains the AMA (1998, p.48). Along with this, this overconfidence may become the basis for delusional thinking.
The way overconfidence can be linked with delusional thinking is commonly by way of paranoia.
(those who try to keep you pre-occupied can make you vulnerable to a binding spell from enemies...etc)
For example, the maniac believes that their phone calls are so important that their phone is tapped.
75 percent of maniacs have delusions (AMA, 1998). During the delusional state, people may feel immune
to any kind of restraint. (such as placing binding spells on people hundreds of miles away from yourself)
According to the AMA, "if you are manic, you truly believe nothing can
stop you" (p.49). In severe cases people can hear voices inside their head. They may also believe they are
God, that they have been elected to a high political office or they have solved a universal mystery.
Some people even believe that they have magical powers.
(like using it to re-direct hurricanes to annihilate sex offenders etc..)
Activities such as running up a large credit card bill or having promiscuous sex with random people married
or not are not uncommon. Unfortunately, mania makes it hard to distinguish fact
and fantasy; therefore it may result in lies and deceit. (like re-directing hurricanes and administering
binding spells, possibly also claiming to lift beds up from hundreds of miles away)
References
American Medical Association. (1998). Essential guide to depression. New York: Pocket Books.
Cammer, L. (1969). Up from depression. New York: Simon and Schuster.
Daly, I. (1997) Mania. The lancet, 4 , 1157.
Dewan, N. (1999, July 1). What is bipolar disorder? Clinical Reference Systems. (Infotrac No. 55838862).
Gorman, J. (1998). The Essential guide to mental health. New York: St. Martin's Griffin.
Mondimore, F. (1995). Depression, The mood disease. Baltimore:
The Johns Hopkins University Press. (1995-2000). All About Bipolar Disorder [Online]. Mental Health Net
and CMHC Systems. Available: http://bipolar.mentalhelp.net/ [2000.April 10].
And now for the Wiccan part.
Bi-polar disorder victims may fall into this religion.
Wicca is the largest of the Neopagan religions. Wiccans have great reverence for the
Earth and for their Goddess and her consort, the horned God.(the "Great Horny Toad" of nude rituals)
Their main rule of behavior is the Wiccan Rede which forbids them from harming people,
including themselves, except in some cases of self-defense.[3] (well so much for the
re-directing of hurricanes to kill sex offenders! )
Other characteristics of Wicca include the ritual use of magic, a basic code of morality,
and the celebration of eight seasonally based festivals.
Some Wiccans see the Goddess as pre-eminent, since she contains and conceives all;
(this smells like a certain Counselors belief that I know of)
the God is the spark of life and inspiration within her, simultaneously her lover and her
child.[15] This is reflected in the traditional structure of the coven.[16] In some
traditions, notably feminist Dianic Wicca, the Goddess is seen as complete unto herself,
and the God is not worshipped at all, though this has been criticised by members of
other traditions
(YEA!!! what about Equal rights oppurtunity here?! did they even SEE if a man could try
to bear a child?)
A more polytheistic approach holds the various goddesses and gods to be separate and
distinct entities in their own right. Pantheistic systems may conceive of deities not as
literal personalities but as metaphorical archetypes or thoughtforms.[20] While these
conceptualizations of deity—duotheism, polytheism and pantheism—may seem radically
different from each other, they need not be considered mutually exclusive:
Some Wiccans may find it spiritually beneficial (or magically practical) to shift among
one or another of these systems, depending upon time and circumstance.
Beliefs in the afterlife vary among Wiccans,[25] although reincarnation is a traditional
Wiccan teaching. Raymond Buckland said that a soul reincarnates into the same species
over many lives in order to learn and advance one's soul,(COOL! than I can have
immortality AND with magic, thats worth celebrating!)[26] but this belief is not
universal. A popular saying amongst Wiccans is "once a witch, always a witch",
indicating that Wiccans are the reincarnation of earlier witches.(wait a minute! are you
saying you Wiccans cant get along and believe in one doctrine? yet you have MAGIC
to KNOW the truth? SOME crystal ball YOU have!!!)
Despite some belief in it, Wicca does not place an emphasis on the afterlife, focusing
instead on the current one;(thats what I thought!!! you KNOW you have to value
THIS LIFE since its the ONLY one you get!! WHERE is your FAITH in reincarnation ,
oh magic ones?) as the historian Ronald Hutton remarked, "the instinctual
position of most pagan witches, therefore, seems to be that if one makes the most of
the present life, in all respects, then the next life is more or less certainly going to
benefit from the process, and so one may as well concentrate on the present".[28]
Magic
Wiccans believe in magic that can be manipulated through the form of witchcraft or
sorcery. Some spell it as "magick", a term coined by occultist Aleister Crowley, though
this spelling is more commonly associated with the religion of Thelema than Wicca.
Wiccans cast spells during ritual practices inside a sacred circle, in an attempt to bring
about real changes )
(and so they stand their waiting for this magic to really happen,
and they wait...and wait...and wait....hahahahaha!!) ,
(which are further explained in the
"Ritual practices" section).
Common Wiccan spells include those used for healing, for love, for fertility, or to banish
negative influences.[30]
(WAIT A MINUTE, STOP THE PRESSES!!! didnt we just read above that you cannot place a spell of harm
on anybody?and is it not true that NEGATIVE influences is a matter of perception?)
Many Wiccans agree with the definition of magic offered by ceremonial magicians.[31]
Aleister Crowley, for instance, declared that magic was "the science and art of causing
change to occur in conformity with will",(and he later admitted that ALL Of his magic
was actually to sensationalize and get more people to come to his shows etc...)
and MacGregor Mathers stated that it was
"the science of the control of the secret forces of nature".[31] Wiccans believe magic
to be a law of nature,(SHUCKS , and I thought the Wiccans spells could RE-DIRECT
hurricanes, not just use the weather as a SOURCE, darnit!) as yet misunderstood by
contemporary science.[31]
Other Wiccans do not claim to know how magic works, merely believing that it does
because they have seen it work for them.[28]
Many early Wiccans, such as Alex Sanders and Doreen Valiente, referred to their own
magic as "white magic", which contrasted with "black magic", which they associated
with evil and Satanism. Some modern Wiccans however have stopped using this
terminology, arguing that the colour black should not have any associations with evil.
[32] (nah!!, they are just jealous that the Satanist APPEAR scarier at places like high schools. etc)
The scholars of religion, Rodney Stark and William Bainbridge, claimed, in 1985, that
Wicca had "reacted to secularization by a headlong plunge back into magic" and that
it was a reactionary religion which would soon die out. This view was heavily criticised
in 1999 by the historian Ronald Hutton, who claimed that the evidence displayed the
very opposite, that "a large number [of Wiccans] were in jobs at the cutting edge
[of scientific culture], such as computer technology."[28]
(thats right, computers are REAL, you can magically make a PICTURE of anything you want on
a computer with no potions needed, hell you can even talk to somebody across the world without
using strenuous braincrushing telepathic powers to do this!)
Morality
Main article: Wiccan morality
Wiccan morality is largely based on the Wiccan Rede, which states "an it harm none,
do what ye will". This 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.(here we go again, CAN YOU harm or NOT
harm with magic, this is getting me dizzy)[33] 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,
[34] similar to the eastern idea of karma.
The Five Elements
Wiccans believe in the five classical elements, although unlike in ancient Greece,
they are seen as symbolic as opposed to literal; that is, they are representations of
the phases of matter. These five elements are invoked during many magical rituals,
notably when consecrating a magic circle. The five elements are: Air, Fire, Water and
Earth, plus Aether (or Spirit), which unites the other four.[39]
Ritual practices
A black handled athame and a white-handled boline, two ritual knives in Wicca with quite
different purposes.
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, alongside their respective classical element; Air,
Fire, Water and Earth. Once the circle is cast, a seasonal ritual may be performed,
prayers to the God and Goddess are said, and spells are sometimes worked.
Tools
Main article: Magical tools in Wicca
Common tools in the Wiccan practice include a special set of magical tools. These
usually include a knife called an athame, a wand, a pentacle and a chalice, but other
tools include a broomstick known as a besom, a cauldron, candles, incense and a curved
blade known as a boline. An altar is usually present in the circle, on which ritual tools are
placed and representations of the God and the Goddess may be displayed.[42] 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.
(wolfwhistles!!! BOY DOES THIS SOUND LIKE A FUN RELIGION!!! no WONDER its
growing in popularity!!)
Looks like we will need this here wand for those cool nude rituals:
and dont forget the wild Wiccan witches too:
This practice seemingly derives from a line in Aradia, Charles Leland's supposed record
of Italian witchcraft.[citation needed] Skyclad working is mostly the province of
Initiatory Wiccans, who are outnumbered by the less strictly observant Eclectics.
[citation needed] When they work clothed, Wiccans may wear robes with cords tied
around the waist, "Renaissance-faire"-type clothing or normal street clothes. Each full
moon, and in some cases a new moon( how about forgetting the clothing so we can
keep the full "moon"...hehehe), is marked with a ritual called an Esbat.
Others form small groups of believers, called covens, groves, etc. Because of centuries
of religious propaganda and misinformation, many conservative Christians, and others,
associate Wiccans with Satanists even though the two belief systems are as different
as Christianity and Atheism.[57]
Although some have described Wicca as a twentieth century phenomenon—"the only
religion that England has ever given the world,"[67][68] many Wiccans themselves
disagree, claiming it stems from very ancient practices."[69] There is, however,
no archaeological evidence at this time to support these claims.
The 2001 American Religious Identification Survey estimated that at least 134,000
adults identified themselves as Wiccans in the United States, compared to 8,000 in
1990.[72]( ummm thats pretty BAD considering all of those fun nude rituals,
who said sex sells?)
In the UK, census figures do not allow an accurate breakdown of traditions
within the Pagan heading, as a campaign by the Pagan Federation before the 2001
Census encouraged Wiccans, Heathens, Druids and others all to use the same write-in
term 'Pagan' in order to maximise the numbers reported. For the first time,
respondents were able to write in an affiliation not covered by the checklist of common
religions, and a total of 42,262 people from England, Scotland and Wales declared
themselves to be Pagans by this method.
There have been Christian assertions made that Wicca is a form of Satanism,
(yep, by those little pansy high school wiccan wannabes) despite
important differences between these religions,[86] such as the lack of a Satan-like
figure in Wiccan theology. Due to negative connotations associated with witchcraft,
many Wiccans continue the traditional practice of secrecy, concealing their faith for
fear of persecution. Revealing oneself as Wiccan to family, friends or colleagues is
often termed "coming out of the broom-closet".[87]
Differences with Satanism:
satanism as a cult was developed as an antithesis of christianity, an antinomic
judeo-christian heresy, where Satan is recognized as superior to Yahve/Jehova.
It has several differnt versions, from the Satanists of the Church of Satan, followers
of the teachings of LaVey and almost nihilists -and atheists-, to the "Devil Worshippers"
, or the people that form the Temple of Seth, or the Luciferians. There were attempts in
the previous centuries to develop something similar, true, and there are documents that
talk about "black masses" in France near the time of the Revolution, but this has little
if anything in common with contemporary "satanism". But by definition, Satanism can't
predate christianity, and even then, the developing of all the mythology about Satan.
See, to be a satanist you need to start by acknowledging the judeo-christian God.
Satanism is, as their followers explain, a religion that glorifies ego, without any further
moral barriers other than their own will.(Wiccan wannabes are scared to act on
"just their wants")
Let's note that for christianity, Satan's main sin
was pride (to consider himself equal to his creator). They use the inverted pentagram
(five pointed star) as the representation of Satan's head with it's horns, ears and beard,
or also the inverted christian cross. The Pentagran is a symbol widely used in ocultism.
On it's upside, it symbolizes the spirit imposing over matter... this can be well seen if we
inscribe a human figure inside. Upside down, this supremacy of the spirit is lost and the
senses rule, being this another symbolism satanists use. Among Wiccan, we use the
Pentacle, being it a five pointed star inscribed inside a circle. It symbolized the five
elements of nature: fire, air, water and earth, with the fifth element -that is,
spirit- located on the upper point.
Wiccan Wannabe role model:
2 myths that relate Wiccan religion to Satanism:
Lie Nro. 1: The Wiccan Rede is Satanic
The main excuse those who state this give, is a suposed version of the Rede that states
"Do what thou wilt" and equal this to the lack of acknowledgement of a sacred, higher
law. They also relate it with Aleister Crowley, who was called "the more perverse man
of his time". This is not only not true, but also maliciously distorted. The cited bit belongs
to Crowley, yes, but is taken out of context, and has little to do with what some
fundamentalist groups want it to say. You can find a version of the Rede in this pages,
and anyone who cares enough to read it can say it's far from the afirmation of the ego
which is "Do what thou wilt" without any adition. A shorter version of the Rede is
"Ain it harm no one, do what thou wilt" and some add "Except in thine own defence it be"
. This sets a moral stop quite important, which doesn't exist in the suposed version
given by the fundamentalists. This is plainly, to descontextualize a sentence and chop
it, devoiding it of it's original meaning.
Lie Nro. 2: The witches (wicca) perform human sacrifices
The truth is there are accounts, taken mainly from Julius Cesar's "Gaelic Wars"
describing human sacrifices done by the Druids. Inmediately stating that those
sacrifices were only done when in times of great need or calamities, being the victims
voluntaries and/or criminals. And even this is doubted by some schollars, considering
it an ancient version of war propaganda trying to show the enemy as evil. This is a
discontinued practice, not valid today at all. Anyone performing a human sacrifice
nowadays is not wicca, nor satanist: is a criminal, and whom you can only relate to
Wicca in the same way you can relate Charles Manson or Dave Koresh to the main body
of christianity. Let's tell the truth then: wiccan neither kidnap people to sacrifice, nor
eat raw children as many seem to think. ;).
..
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