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What is a 'witch'?
[.... or a 'pagan', or a 'wiccan'.....]

This is a short essay,  based solely upon my own studies, beliefs, experiences,
and personal knowledge.  What I say here does not necessarily apply to all others who
term themselves Wiccans or Pagans.... but it is fairly representative.


'What is a "witch"?  What is a "pagan" or "wiccan", and what do you believe? Do you do spells and put curses on people?  Do you worship Satan? Can you do "magic"?  Do you engage in sacrifices involving living creatures, and recruit members to your covens?  Are you a 'real' religion?'
 

These are questions often asked when we come 'out of the broom closet'.  I feel that mostly they
are asked by those who are curious and have open minds. (Closed-minded sorts have already made
up their minds about the answers.)  You will not find a simple answer here..... just try asking a
Christian person the same questions! Depending upon the person and denomination, you will get
many different responses to the same question.... who are you, and what do you believe?

Okay, I'll try to explain it quickly.... a 'witch' or 'Wiccan' is a person who follows a certain set
of beliefs.  We believe in a God/Goddess (some of us praise both male and female deities, some
choose only one deity).  We feel very close kinship with the Earth and all of life upon it.  However,
we do NOT worship trees, animals, plants, rocks, etc..... we simply realize that we are part of
Creation, and by admiring and caring for our fellow travelers on this planet, we also thereby worship our Creator.  This also includes, of course, our fellow human travelers.  Our celebrations and
religious holidays are most often tied to the seasons.  (If you are a Christian and study your
own religious calendar, you will find that your holidays are quite similar, although the religious
aspects have been removed from the nature aspects.)  I've found that most pagans/Wiccans
are involved in their personal lives with environmental causes, animals and pets, and conser-
vation activities.  This is in keeping with our respect and love for our Earth-centered God(dess).
Paganism is as old a faith as humankind, and far outdates modern religions.  This does not make it 'better'.  It does not make it 'inferior', either.

Who are pagans/wiccans?  We are just like everyone else.....  I, for example, am a middle-aged
female person who works for a living, with children and husband, pets, garden, a LIFE.   If you
passed me at the mall, you wouldn't be able to distinguish me from a million other people.
Most 'witches' or Wiccans are female.   I feel that the main reason for this is that we have felt
left out of modern Western religions because of their male-oriented Deity and practices.   If
you do any Web research on the topic at all, you will find this a constant theme, and often a
rather bitter one.  There are many male pagans/wiccans, however..... my own husband is one
such.

A word to you parents out there..... I am also a parent, of five children ranging from age 24 to
12.  I've noticed a great deal of interest lately among the teen folk about things pagan/wiccan.
I feel that the interest is probably genuine, and is also based on the very normal adolescent
instinct to find one's own way by rebelling against established culture/religion.  My own children
are finding their ways in this regard.  For this reason, I want you and your kids to know the
truth about our faith..... it is NOT evil, dark, a means to gain power over others or put hexes
on people, a way to get boyfriends/girlfriends or 'A's' without studying, or money that you
have not earned.  If you are a parent reading this, be at peace.  All I hope for is that you will
take an interest in your child's spiritual journeys, and try to guide them into good paths.... there
are 'bad' Wiccans/Pagans out there,  just as there are 'bad' cults of various other religions.
If you are a child reading this and seeking 'secret knowledge' or 'magickal powers'..... sorry.....
the only magickal powers you will find, dear, are through your faith and your own hard work.

Do we do 'spells'?  Yes, in a manner of speaking.  We do 'rituals', which are quite similar in
many ways to the more familiar liturgy and ritual of a modern mainstream church.  We do not
put curses on people (to do such would be to invoke bad karma upon ourselves, which we would
get back three times worse than what we dealt out.... the 'Rule of Three').  Of course, like any
other group of humans, we have those who try to use their God(dess)-given spiritual energy to
attempt to harm others.  (Just as a more conventional bad-minded person might pray for
God to wither his neighbor's lawn, or give his kids canker sores, or the like.)  Most traditional
religious folks feel that if you ask the Lord for such an evil thing, you will be punished. We
feel very much the same.  Our rituals are much like prayer.  We attempt to create a bond with
our God(dess), and give praise and thanks, and sometimes ask for favors such as healing, a
better life, more money, and all the other usual human concerns.  We feel that we have a personal
relationship with our Creator.  Many of you who are Christians will have no trouble understanding
this concept.....  you may have a similar personal relationship with your Friend, Jesus.

Do we do 'magic'?  Only in the sense that all prayers are answered, but not always in the form
we might wish for!  Being bound by the laws of nature and physics, we of course cannot change
people into toads, levitate and fly through the skies, or assume different forms.  Sorry, you
young folk out there.....   TV and movies are not real life!

Do we worship Satan, or the Devil, or whatever Evil Being?  No.  In fact, we do not believe in
such a being, nor acknowledge its existence.  We also do not believe in the modern traditional
concepts of Heaven and Hell.  ( Yes, we DO believe in an afterlife, however.)   So what keeps
us from behaving in an evil fashion in this life?   Karma, and also the Rule of Three.   We do
believe that whatever ill we perform, will come back to us in THIS life, and we will not prosper
from it.   It might be easier for you to understand this concept if you have children.....  If your
child was doing something bad (hitting another child, sticking a key into an electrical socket,
kicking the puppy), would you deal with the situation right then, or tell him that later on, he WILL
be punished?  Which choice do you think would help your child be a safer or a more ethical
being?  My own personal belief is that we all must exercise personal responsibility.  If we hurt
or harm, we must make it right.... and this ties in very well with Wiccan belief.

Do we do sacrifices?  Yes, but only in the sense that all of us sacrifice certain things in order
to gain other things.  For instance, we might give up some personal time to our family or to a
cause; we might forgo buying a new car in exchange for making repairs on our home or buying
our kids something they need.  We do NOT kill animals on altars as part of any worship
service  (although some of us are hunters and fisherfolk, myself among them, and we take life only to sustain our own... pretty much like other folks do.)

Do we attempt recruiting or conversions of others?  No, not in the sense that some faiths send
folks door-to-door to find new souls.  However, if you are friends with a pagan/wiccan person,
and ask about his/her personal religious beliefs, you will usually be told about it.  You might now
be sensing a bit of hypocriticality here, since I DID put this web page out there for you to find.
Am I trying to recruit you?  Yes, and no.  I'm here to try to explain why I and my brethren
have our beliefs, in a gentle and rational fashion.  If you choose to go elsewhere, I hope only that
your journey is a good and happy one.  (And I do NOT think that your fate will be an evil one,
should you choose another path.... the fact that you made it down this supposedly quick
essay says a lot for your curiosity, stamina, and desire for spirituality!)  My whole purpose with
these pages is to promote tolerance, understanding, and knowledge.  Period.

Are we a 'real' religion?  Yes.  I could give you some legal cites from U.S. courts, but why?
I believe that whenever a person believes in a Source/Power/God(s), whatever, higher than
him or herself,  and follows the precepts of that belief in order to be a better human being,
THAT is a religion.

Blessings to you.....

        Rhiannon
 

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