Lessons Learned from Witchcraft
As many of you may remember, I have been studying the Wiccan faith to gain a greater understanding of its beliefs and practice for my novels and short works of fiction. I have utilized witches and witchcraft recently in some of my works, and I have found a new avenue for character development with it. It’s been very interesting reading about the practice of folk magic, and it certainly has educated me on the subject (I take broom flying lessons on Thursdays). In the vein of exploration, I thought I would take a break from the instructional lessons and give you a glimpse into Wicca. Here we go…
First, I learned Wicca isn’t what I thought it was. I approached the subject with no skepticism, but an open mind and I found so much more than I expected. I thought I would uncover the conventional ideas expressed by our culture: dark-cloaked people, black cats, old grey-haired ladies with malice upon their faces, sacrifices and death spells, etc. Cartoons and movie have instilled in us such an impression that it is difficult to see around the pointed hats and bubbling cauldrons, as well as the kid with the scar on his head. Witchcraft is very common, very real, practiced by very normal people who have learned to harness the energy of the Earth. Their Rede, or set of rules, forbids them from doing harm to anyone and allows for free practice so long as it harms none. What I nearly expected and what I found were two different things.
Second, nature is imbued with power. This may be a little foreign to some, but after being infused with so much Christian doctrine, I do not find it strange at all. For Wiccans, everything has energy dwelling in it. That is how they can cast spells; they simply arouse the energy of the Earth, then direct it towards a goal. Rocks, especially certain varieties, have unique powers that enable the Wiccan to perform rituals and spells. I was certainly struck by the idea of nature seemingly being “God.” The Christian texts have sayings that strike at the notion of God being “above all, through all and in all.” To me, it certainly makes more sense to see the divine as a real and functioning part of this creation, and not some abstract entity realms away. The trees, the rocks, rivers, mountains, buildings, people, animals, all are part of the divine and a living expression of it. The divine in nature can also be experienced and touched; that amazes me. It is not distant, but very much a thriving part of all that is.
Third, Wiccans believe in reincarnation. Now, on this point many people divide; Christians especially do not want to believe in reincarnation. The Christian view is that life is lived once and once only. It is easy to follow that until you look at ancient documents and see how many faiths have ideas concerning the notion. The Hebrews believed the prophet Elijah would return again. The Christian texts speak of Jesus as being Elijah, and John the Baptist as him also. The Dali Lama is a reincarnation of past spiritual leaders. The list goes on. For now it is easy to say that for Wiccans, and many Eastern faiths, reincarnation is a very natural process. Buddhists believe in reincarnation, though they see the process in a negative light and believe enlightenment allows them to escape the cycle of reincarnation. Wiccans believe in a more positive approach to the idea; we simply return and return. Life is not something to be escaped, but something to embrace. I like the idea of reincarnation, although I have many questions and have seemingly found some loopholes. Let’s hope I don’t fall through one when making my return trip!
Lastly, natural energy can be harnessed. As I stated above, the energy of the world can be collected and used to achieve a goal. In most of the major world faiths today, you have to use prayer or some form of petition to bring about change. It is very taxing and will not always bring about the desired results. With prayer, the power is not in the person’s hands, but in the hands of the divinity to which they are praying. With Wicca, the power rests solely with the practitioner; they have the ability to harness the energy and send it forth to bring change. Of course, I see some loopholes here as well, but I think there is also a great chance of success. It is freeing to think one has the ability to create change. Personal power, it seems, is invested in the practitioner and not a distant entity. I might be more inclined to believe in the practice if I saw a witch make it rain, but for now I am open to it. After all, the energy is there; why not use it?
It has been an interesting time reading about the subject. What I listed here was only a sampling of what I have read. As I read more, I will try to pass it along to you all. Remember to never judge a book by its cover and never take someone else’s opinion; research it yourself and come to your own conclusions. Until then, remember, when flying on your broomstick, slower traffic keeps to the right.
As always, good luck writing.
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9 Comments
I look forward to reading the next instalment about your discoveries. By the way, friends have often told me that if I'd lived 300 years ago I'd have been burnt at the stake. (And I'm sure I did and I'm sure I was!)
A great book to read is, The Complete Magic Primer by David Conway. This is a book that changed my life when I was only 17 years old. I was asked to read it by a coven High Priestess from Shropshire. Interesting stuff :)
You say Writer, that in Wicca the person has the power whereas in religion the power is in a divinity, or god; How do the practioners know where the power comes from? Surely they cannot tell whether they are being used as a source by the divine power or evil? My experience is in prayer but asking to be used as a source.
An interesting article. I need more hours in a day to read.
I should say, straight off, that I graduate towards a more 'shamanic' 'view' - I struggle with words in this area because they explain so little. (Accessible influences would be Castaneda, Gurdjieff, Lao Tzu.) I've always believed Wicca to be of a similar nature.
There is energy everywhere. We know this because we have, for example, electricity - no longer 'mystical' or 'spiritual' because we can 'control' it. It is one kind of energy ('gravity' is another) but there are many. Most of them we've learned to 'filter out' - this is part of our conditioning from birth. If we truly want to perceive these other 'energies' (be we Christian, Wiccan or shaman) we must first challenge this conditioning. Our conditioning about Wicca, for example, has us thinking of broomsticks and burnings not the beautiful and powerful mysteries of natural energy.
In my understanding everything is energy - you, me, the desk, the sun, Woody... everything. Meaning, of course, that everything is imbued with energy - because it is energy. We, however, are not 'in-tune' with these energies (naturally, there are many exceptions, I'm generalising) but they are there.
I was never able to come to terms with the concept of a 'god' or 'gods'. It always seemed to me that a universal, omnipotent being would be utterly incomprehensible to us humans, particularly in our present state. Universal (or 'cosmic') flows of energy (or perhaps one great big rolling river of cosmic energy) has always seemed a simpler and more fundamental perspective.
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