Wicca is not Druidism
Wicca is not Witchcraft. Wicca is not Druidism. Witchcraft is an earth religion, a relinking with the life force of nature, both on this planet and in the stars and space beyond. In city apartments, in suburban backyards, and in country glades, groups of women and men meet on the full moons and at festival times to raise energy and put themselves in tune with these natural forces. Druidism is the system that all earth religions originated from.
As Traditional-Druids, we honor the ancient Goddesses and Gods, including the Triple Goddess of the waxing, full, and waning moon, and the Horned God of the sun, death and animal life, as visualizations of immanent nature and the many manifectation of the Un-Created One, the Divine.
Our religion is not a series of precepts or beliefs, but rather we believe that we each have within ourselves the capacity to reach out and experience the mystery, that feeling of ineffable oneness with all life. Those who wish to experience this transcendence must work, and create, and participate in their individual religious lives.
For this reason our congregations, called Temples, and Covens where seekers start their learning, are small groups which give room for each individual to contribute to the efforts of the group by self knowledge and creative experimentation within the agreed upon group structure and tradition.
There are many traditions or sects within Druidism, Paganism and the Witchcraft. Different groups take their inspiration from the pre Christian religions of certain ethnic groups (e.g. Celtic, Greek, Norse). Our form of Druidism comes from the traditional ancient worship and magick of the earliest peoples and Gods.
Wiccans, (Gardnerians and Alexandrians) on the other hand, are fairly new, following their cannons and dogma originated in the liturgical works of some modern personage (e.g. Gerald Gardner-an English government worker, and Alex Sanders-self proclaimed "King of the Witches", descended from Gardner). Wicca originated in the early 1940's and was invented by Gerald Gardner, from pieced together legend and ritual from the Celtic, ceremonial magick, ancient Egyptian, African and other world areas.
Many feminists have turned to Witchcraft and the role of Priestess for healing and strength after the patriarchal oppression and lack of voice for women in the major world religions. In Wicca, as opposed to Witchcraft, the male is still the dominant figure, as in Christianity, Jewish, Islamic, and other patriarchal religions - this is evident in their attitude and ritual form. Traditional Witchcraft places the female Priestess at the head as the leader.
There are many paths to spiritual growth. The Druidic form of Spirituallity is a participatory revelation, a celebratory action leading to greater understanding of oneself and the universe. We believe there is much to learn by studying our past, through myth and legend, through ritual drama, through poetry and song, through love and through living in harmony with the Earth.
Despite competition from twenty-first century’s 'life in the fast lane', the awesome spectacle repeated in the patterns of the changing seasons still touches our lives. During the ages when people worked more closely with nature just to survive, the numinous power of this pattern had supreme recognition.
Rituals and festivals evolved to channel these transformations for the good of the community toward a good sowing and harvest and bountiful hunting. One result of this process is our image of the 'Wheel of the Year' with its eight spokes: the four agricultural and pastoral festivals and the four solar festivals commemorating seasonal solstices and equinoxes.
In common with many ancient people, most Druids, Pagans and Witches consider the day as beginning at sundown and ending at sundown on the following day.
Unlike Wicca, which is fairly new (1940's), the roots of the religion called Druidism, Paganism and Witchcraft, are very old, coming down to us through a variety of channels worldwide. Although any general statement about Druidic practices will have exceptions, the following will attempt to present a basic foundation for understanding. Some of the old practices were lost when indigenous religions encountered militant Christianity and were forced to go underground for survival.
The ancient Druidic religions were almost lost when the practice of the rites were stopped and the old verbal traditions were no longer available to the community. But Druidic parents transmitted their traditions to their children down through the centuries. These survivals, along with research into the old ways, provide a rich foundation for modern practice.
Other factors contributing to the revival of Druidism, Paganism and Witchcraft are archeological and anthropological studies of the religious practices of non Christian cultures such as ancient Egypt, the works of metaphysical orders, and the liberalization of anti-Witchcraft (Paganism) laws.
As modern Traditional-Druids, we hold rituals according to the turning of the seasons, the tides of the moon, and personal needs. Most rituals are performed in a ritual space called a Nemeton, marked by a circle. If possible, we build Nemetons or establish Temple rooms in our homes to create this ritual space. Our Nemetons are in touch with the Goddess and God, and are permanently consecrated to use for our Festivals, Celebrations and rites.
Within our holy Nemeton, two main activities occur: celebration and the practice of magick (miracles). Celebration is most important at the major seasonal holidays, called Festivals or Sabbats. At these times the legend and form of that particular holiday are enacted and dancing, singing, feasting, and revelry are all part of the festivities. On these occasions we celebrate our oneness with Life.
Magick is more often performed at gatherings called Moon Celebrations or Esbats, which coincide with the phases of the moon. Types of magick practiced include psychic healing sessions, protection and retaliation, the channeling of energy to achieve positive results, and work toward the individual spiritual development.
Magick is an art which requires adherence to certain principles. It requires a conscious direction of will toward a desired end. When the celebration, teaching, or magical work is finished, the blessing of the Goddess and God is called into food and drink which are shared by all. Unlike Wiccans, we do not believe in or adhere to the "law of three" (not to be confused with the Triads) and the "Wiccan Rede" as described below, so we are free to work any kind of magick that we see fit, and to retaliate when we are attacked or threatened, with our arsenal of Spells and Magickal workings.
Wiccans (Gradinarian and Alexandrian) believe in the "Wiccan Rede", that it is an attribute of magick that what you direct your will toward will return to you three times. Therefore, Wiccans are careful to practice only beneficial magic. This threatening dogma rings of the oppression of the Christian church and its cannons (rules and regulations).
To create the circle and the working of magic, we may use tools to facilitate a magical mood in which the psychic state necessary for this kind of work can be achieved. The tools are part of a complete and self consistent symbolic system which is agreed upon by the participants and provides them with a 'map' for entry into unfamiliar psychic spaces. In the later advanced stages of development, a true High Priestess/priest finds that tools are not necessary for direction of the will and protection.
A primary tool, which is owned by most Druids, is a Sacred Dirk, Blade or Athame: a ritual knife. The Sacred Dirk is charged with the energy of the owner and is used as a pointer to define space (such as casting a sacred circle) and as a conductor of the owner's will and energy.
Other important tools are the symbols on the altar which denote the elements: earth, air, fire, and water. A pentacle (a pentagram traced upon a disk, like a small dish) is often used to symbolize earth and its properties, stability, material wealth and practical affairs. Alternatively, a small dish of salt or soil can be used to symbolize the earth element. During other workings a Solar Cross may be used in place of the pentagram.
A Sacred Ritual Sword is occasionally used by the High Priestess/Priest only, for the same purpose as the Sacred Dirk. Alternatively, a thurible of incense and a bell may be used to symbolize the air element. A candle is used to symbolize the element of fire and its properties, will, transmutation, and power. A Magick Wand is sometimes used for magicks where it is not appropriate to use the Sacred Dirk or Sacred Sword.
A bowl of water is used to symbolize the element of water and its properties: cleansing, regeneration, and emotion. There are many other minor tools which are used for some specific purpose within magical workings, but the tools described above cover the basic tools used in the practice of our religion.
Since these tools are the conductors of personal energies, as copper is a conductor for electrical energy, if possible, we provide some degree of training in psychic development to strengthen each student's and member’s ability to participate in the religious activities. Each individual decides what level of such training is useful for them.
We see psychic abilities as a natural human potential. We are dedicated to developing this and all of our positive human potentials. The energies raised by these practices and other religious activities are directed toward healing ourselves and the Earth, and toward diverse magical workings.
The Sanctuary is a teaching Order that offers complete, extensive, one-to-one training in the path of Druidism and its sciences.
Why Wicca Is Not Celtic v.3.2
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