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Wicca

19280560barefootWhat Is Wicca?

What is Wicca other than an age old religion originating in archaic times? Well imagine it is early evening and you are walking barefoot through a mighty forest. The moss is soft under your feet; majestic trees stretch their branches up towards a full moon. Imagine every four legged critter, every winged creature, each blade of grass, every flower, branch and leaf in that forest radiates a living light that is aligned within your heart. Imagine the forces of the Goddess enlightening your consciousness; and sustaining all living things as the moon guides you down a wooded pathway, towards the singing in a nearby glade. You see a circle of people invoking the powers of the Four Elements. From the South they call on the energy of holy fires to purify the soul, from the East inspiring winds to blow away the cobwebs and enhance good thoughts, from the North the majesty of the mountains and earth to inspire and sustain and from the West healing waters, oceans and streams to heal hurt emotions. They are immersed in luminous moonlight as they call on the force of the Great Goddess to illumine their way and help each living thing.

American Indians

Our bible is the wind and the rain, an American Indian woman told Herbalist Carol McGrath. In fact those words describe the Wiccan belief in a nutshell, for it is a belief system rather than a religion, an adoration of the Goddess, Mother Earth, and all her fruits. It is also a worshipping of the Green Man too, the God who depicts “The Wild”. It is in short, a spiritual process that nurtures great respect for all life’s manifestations. There is no getting away from it; we have lost contact with the sacred forces of the natural world, some of us believing only material gratification will bring us happiness. Wiccans believe that exasperated materiality is an illusion; therefore they cultivate their connection to nature for inner harmony and fulfilment. They believe there is only one great energy within each of us and we don’t have to be perfect to connect to it; that energy is the unconditional love of the Goddess, who the Wiccans consider the sustainer of all life.

Goddess Worship

Traces of Goddess worship date back to 5,000 BC, from the Pyrenees to Siberia ancient people saw women as sacred life-givers and worshipped them as priestesses. The Goddess names are many. Isis the Mystery Goddess of Egypt, Venus the Goddess of Love, Kuan-Yin the Buddhist Goddess of Compassion, or Kali the Hindu Goddess of death and rebirth. The names of the Goddesses are multi cultural but unique energy emanates within each Goddess archetype reflecting hope, preservation and healing on to all life. In fact Wiccans see life as a spiral form entering the soul system, somewhat similar to the human DNA pattern, but how you wish to travel that spiral form, can only be up to you.

Global Damage

Few of us can remain indifferent to how this planet is being damaged by egoism and material interests, by corrupt politicians, war and terrible cruelties against the weak, i.e. children, the old and animals. Perhaps now that we can see how humanity offends and destroys even its own kind, we might realize that it is time to accelerate our spiritual growth, and call on the luminous energies of nature to guide our way if we want to save this planet from catastrophe. Perhaps the time has come to stop defining people who have different spiritual opinions to ours as “crack pots”, or “weird”. Perhaps mainstream society is the real “nutter”, paying lip service to interminable wars, which create financial collapse, and its offshoot of violence, intolerance and stress related disease in increasingly high numbers. The Wiccans have often been misinterpreted, as their rituals are considered eccentric, but perhaps their refusal to integrate into mainstream society might prove to be a wise choice in such challenging times? In other words, we need to cultivate an open mind for spiritual expansion and growth, according to Wiccan philosophy. Wiccans do not allow themselves to become entrapped by fear and loathing of their own kind, nor do they pay lip service to corrupt “powers that be”.

Some Wiccans keep a very low profile. Would it surprise you to learn that your hairdresser could be a Wiccan, as could your super market checkout girl, your local dentist and the housewife down the way? Many Wiccans practice their beliefs in the privacy of their own circles, or on their own, preferring a solitary path to help humanity. Working invisibly to sustain others, they do not seek acknowledgement or fame; many just say their prayers alone in nature, certain that the joy of helping others to be happy and content is enough to fulfil their lives.

So next time someone you know makes a crack about ugly witches, remind them that witches were once the beautiful ladies and gentlemen who gathered herbs to help their sick neighbours not the monstrous crones and wicked warlocks modern day culture likes to depict. And next time you ask for a reading from a Wiccan Psychic know that your best interests are her priority, because she does not see you as separate from her, but rather one with all living things!