Every so often I will release
one of these posts so my readers can get to know more about me! If you ever have any questions or
suggestions, just let me know and I will see if I can share my answer.
As for this time, I’d like to
share one of the most important parts of me.
My spirituality. When I tell
people that I practice Wicca they automatically have this kind of smirk. Like I’m going through a phase like some
teenager in high school. Or I believe in
Santa. It’s irritating. They either make fun of my spirituality or
are scared of it. This doesn’t make me
angry, it just makes me sad. The media
has distorted and made words like ‘Wicca’, ‘Witch’, ‘Pagan’, ‘Spells’, or ‘Magic’
become something silly, evil, or ridiculous.
The truth of where those words came from is quite on the contrary. The beliefs that Wicca, Witches, or Pagans
follow come from practices held long ago – even before Christianity. To put it simply Wicca and Witchcraft is
nature-focused and believe in the energies around us.
So, I’d like to share some
myths about Wicca with you. Perhaps this
will help you not think I’m silly or scary.
I hope that these spark some ideas with writers out there as well! I’d love to see some realistic portrayals of in
books of Wicca today. You don’t have to
believe in it to think it’s interesting J Have fun reading and as always – much love to
you all!
1.
Wicca has no morals or rules. This is totally, 100% false. Wiccans follow the ‘Threefold Law’ or, the
Rules of Three. This states that
whatever energy one puts out into the world it will be returned to them three
times. That means if you do shady shit,
you’ll get shady shit right back. It is
frowned upon to ‘hex’ or ‘curse’ people because of this. Also, part of the 13 principles of Wiccan
Belief, which I will show you another time, is that Wiccans wish to live in
harmony with the earth and everything that encompasses. Sure, some Wiccans live outside these rules,
but then again, so do people of other religions.
2.
All Wiccans are Witches. Nope.
Not all who follow Wicca practice Witchcraft. This is because Wicca is not centered on
witchcraft, but instead is an earth based religion. A Wiccan can practice Witchcraft though, but
please remember this is not supernatural hocus pocus.
3.
Wicca is a fashion statement. Ugh.
This one bothers me the most. So
many think, especially younger people experimenting with Wicca or Witchcraft
because it ‘seems cool’ assume that it means you have to dress in all black or
in ‘goth’ style. In fact, when I was
looking up witchy hashtags on website online, tons of words like ‘goth’
appeared. If that style is your thing,
fine. Witches/Wiccans don’t have to be
hippies either. Those who practice don’t
have to dress any certain way. In fact,
I dress pretty normal with a bit of individuality.
4.
Wiccans/Witches worship
Satan. This is another one that just makes me shake
my head. Again, Wicca and Witchcraft is centered on nature and the earth. Gods and goddesses that Wiccans follow are
representations of energies in nature – love, freedom, womanhood, fertility, sex,
water. In fact, Wiccans don’t even
BELIEVE in Satan.
5. If
you want to practice Wicca or Witchcraft you HAVE to join a coven. I
won’t lie to you, there are Wiccans/Witches out there who believe that you do
have to be initiated into a coven first, but that is similar to ideals that
other religions hold as well. The
majority of Wiccans follow the idea that you can practice in ‘solitary’ or
alone with no need to join a coven or be initiated. You ‘initiate’ yourself in any way you want
to and you build whatever spirituality feels right for you. They do advise you to read up and learn as
much as you can first, as Wicca/Witchcraft should NOT be a fad.
6. You
need to spend lots of money to practice Wicca.
Sure,
you can hop on etsy and buy tons of herbs, potions, candles, and such, but you
don’t have to. And no, Wiccans/Witches
don’t buy these types of things because we think we are Harry Potter. Each tool, such as an herb or candle, symbolizes
or represents something. These serve as
something to help us focus our intent and energy on what we are wishing to
accomplish. Much like music with
meditation. You don’t need anything you
don’t want to use, and can find things that represent these ideas for you.
7. Wiccans
cast spells. Magic or Magic(k) is
performed by Wiccans who also practice Witchcraft. Many call them spells, but I also call them
meditations or blessings because of the stupid Hollywood connotation of the
word spells. That is also why many
Wiccans/Witches spell Magic with a ‘k’ – to separate the word from society’s
definition of it. For Wiccans/Witches,
spells and magick are natural. It is the
manipulation of energy inside and around you.
It is not paranormal, supernatural, hocus pocus, or Harry Potter. Think of it this way – you commonly hear
people say “That person just has negative energy”. People put off energy to those around them,
so why could this not be manipulated and changed through focus and intent? By focusing yourself and changing the energy
within yourself, you can change the world around you. Other religions ‘cast spells’ often, but don’t
see the comparison. Prayer, in a way, is
also a spell. After all, Wiccans/Witches
are just trying to use the energies in nature.
8. Wicca
is a cult. No. It’s
not. Wiccans don’t practice human
sacrifices, force or try to persuade people to join up and be converted, have
sex orgies, or even have a ‘leader’. In
fact, part of the 13 Principles of Wicca includes the following:
“We do not recognize
any authoritarian hierarchy, but do honor those who teach, respect those who
share their greater knowledge and wisdom, and acknowledge those who have
courageously given of themselves in leadership.”
9.
The pentagram/pentacle is
proof that Wiccans worship Satan or demons.
This makes me laugh. A simple
google search could show you that idea is just plain silly. The symbol of a pentagram/pentacle is so
distorted by the media that people automatically believe that is what it
means. It actually symbolizes elements
in nature – earth, air, fire, water, and spirit. Each point on the star standing for one. That’s it.
It’s not a sign of evil. People
have changed the view of this much like they have of Witches in the media. Sure, I enjoy the media’s ‘witch’ and even
don’t make a fuss when shows use the pentagram for their own purposes, but it
is fiction. People need to realize the
difference.
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