My Spiritual Journey #3: Conflicting Views

In my last journal entry, I talked about being at sort of an impasse spiritually. I was dealing with conflict in myself, in my faith, and in my life in general. I think now, with all of the work I've thrown into bettering my life, spiritually and otherwise, I can finally say with conviction that I am a Pagan woman. I am always facing challenges to it, even in my own home, but I know I can back up a lot of what I believe with factual information, scientific theory, and personal experience.
So I guess some people in my little spiritual circle find it interesting that I have fallen in love with a man who is the perfect contradiction and at the same time the perfect compliment to me. Spiritually, we conflict on a lot of things such as whether or not what is written in the Bible in unequivocally true (his idea) or a compilation of stories that have been translated so many times one can't take anything said in the book literally (my idea). I don't deny him his ability to believe as he chooses, and he doesn't deny me mine, but he does like to challenge the things that I have learned to have truth to them. I know for a fact the Earth is made up of energy--he doesn't deny that, but he won't accept that humans have the capability to manipulate that energy because we are a part of it, not separate from it. That is, at it's core, the basis for many Earth-centered religions-- the use of the Earth's natural energy to bring about our own success or demise and that we are able to do so because we are a part of that energy. At the same time, he and I have the same warped sense of humor, he doesn't judge me for what I believe in and refuses to let me lose faith in it or myself, even if our being together could potentially get him in trouble with the local religious leaders only because I am pagan, and traditionally pagans are seen as "the Devil's right-hand" among the people with whom he worships. He knows better, and yet his faith teaches this and it conflicts with what he knows to be true.
Still, life brings new twists and turns, and my faith is constantly being challenged by it.

Questions from Readers

I've received several questions from Pagans of many paths, but one in particular I would like to share with you from a girl in her early 20s who is new to the Old Religion.

Question: "What does Wicca really mean? Does Wiccan mean something evil like people say or devil worshipping? Can you practice somethings out of the Wiccan faith and things from another? What is the difference between Wiccan and Pagan?"

Answer: Being Wiccan means you’ve associated yourself with followers of the Old Religions, which were typically followed by tribes and cultures in theRoman Empireprior to the forced Christianization of Europe that began with the rule of the Roman Emperor Constantius II, who openly persecuted non-Christian religious groups and sought to wipe the Old Religion from existence. This persecution and demonization of followers of the old polytheistic tribal religions was practiced openly until as recently as the 1950s. In many cities and town in theUnited States, being a Wicca is looked upon like Demon-worship, which it isn’t, but more on that later.
By becoming a Wiccan, you have chosen to follow a polytheistic path, filled with nature worship and an acceptance of all creatures on the earth; plants and animals alike. Wiccans seek to live in harmony with nature, but you cannot simply call yourself “Wicca”. The word Wicca comes from the Anglo-Saxon term Wita, which means “Wise Ones”. These were priests and priestesses of the Old Religion who studied for years to attune themselves with nature, who learned rites and rituals, learned to listen and speak to spirits of their ancestors. In other words, these people were spiritual leaders who spent their lives becoming one with that which they worshipped. Calling yourself a Wicca cannot be done suddenly—you cannot take the title of Wicca lightly, for it is a title given only to those who have sought knowledge in the Old Ways and committed themselves to nature and the study of it and all the magickal ways of nature, including worship of the Lord and Lady, or God and Goddess.
As far as to whether Wicca, Witchcraft, or Paganism is evil and/or devil-worship, the concept of such is purely Judeo-Christian. As my favorite author, Raymond Buckland said in his book Complete Book of Witchcraft, “The gods of an old religion become the devils of a new. This was the case here. The God of the Old Religion was a horned god. So, apparently, was the Christians’ Devil. Obviously then, reasoned the Church, the Pagans were Devil-worshippers!”(p.5) In other words, only mono-theistic faiths have a “supreme evil”. The Wicca believe in duality of nature—there is both positive and negative in nature, both growth and destruction, but neither is solely “good” or “bad”.
Because Wicca and Witchcraft are very specific and in-depth religions, like a lot of religions, I would not recommend mixing beliefs between conflicting religious groups, such as Wicca and Christianity. Both are very different, and in order to be a part of one, you cannot possibly be a part of the other, especially when one teaches that the other is Satanic, even though it is far from it.
Paganism is a generic term for all Earth-centered religious groups and belief systems. Pagan means that you believe in the existence of more than a single diety.
I hope this helps you along your journey.
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianization
Complete Book of Witchcraft by Raymond buckland

My Spiritual Journey #2: Challenges

Facing some challenges this week...
I'm afraid to go much further introducing my children to the path. I'm really unsure on how to relate to them, and from what I can tell, there's been enough inappropriate influence from former teachers and friends that I am afraid it's too late to teach them anything. I try and I get this look like I'm nuts. My oldest erupts into tears because her eight-year-old mind can't wrap itself around the idea that our family is different. Right now our home-lives are relatively unstable, and I feel that until we (again) have our own home with our own space, I cannot give my children the exposure to Wicca that I feel they deserve.
I've not written a spell in years. Last one I wrote backfired, badly. Yet again, I'm afraid to try it. Found some really beautifully written spells that obviously were given much thought, but would a list of such be an interesting read? Maybe, maybe not.
As far as the topic of divination goes, it fascinates me. I love my tarot cards, I've had them for years. That's the most experience I've had with divination.  Next project? Making a scrying mirror.
I've been taking some online courses through WSI or Witch School International (www.witchschool.com) as a sort of refresher. I have forgotten a lot of information, and I'm not entirely sure this is a path I should be taking, because for one, I don't really have the time to devote to reading and re-reading the passages. I personally think this is better if you've got time to really devote to it. I have to be able to do things at my leisure.
So, here I am, at an impasse.  Do I continue ahead and make myself go forward knowing ultimately I will be happier if I do? Do I take a few steps back, catch my breath, and re-think what I've chosen?
Until next time...

My Spiritual Journey #1: Back to Basics

I'd like to devote a few postings to my spiritual journey.
When I was fifteen, I became interested in the spiritual path called Wicca. For those who don't know Wicca is a derivative of Neo-Paganism that focuses on harnessing the natural energy of the earth sky water and air around you and worship deities that represent such. In it's tenants Wiccans do not under any circumstances claim to be "the one true religion" or anything like that. Wiccans practice their spirituality and don't preach that what they believe in is better than any other spirituality.  Wiccans are peaceful people.
Since then my interest in the varied Wiccan paths has become stronger. It became less of a belief in the commonplace form of Wicca and more of an eclectic Wicca filled with ideas that had come though my experiences, and things that I'd seen and felt involving the paranormal and supernatural. Unfortunately I hit a spiritual brick wall.
In the Spring of 2008 my family was ripped apart, and I lost all faith in anything including myself. It's been four years, and I'm still trying to find my way back. I've got books online I read, I still have my altar and all it's dressings which I've collected over the years. I'm just having problems really connecting to it and feeling close to it the way I used to. I want that back. I think that's part of the reason my kids are being overly influenced by the status quo; because they're not actually connecting to this beautiful world that I've experienced.
I want them to see that all spiritual paths are beautiful, and even though nobody can prove they're the "one and true" path, all should be accepted because as long as it brings happiness to the world, then noone is wrong.