What We Are


      Pagan/Wiccan

      Robert and I have been studying Pagan/Wicca since 1997. For me, personally, I'm not exactly sure what really drew me to this way, but I believe that it was my calling from the beginning.

      We firmly believe in the following written by Margo Adler:
      "We are not evil. We don't harm or seduce people. We are not dangerous. We are ordinary people like you. We have families, jobs, hopes and dreams. We are not a cult. This religion is not a joke. We are not what you think we are from looking at T.V. We are REAL. We laugh, we cry. We are serious. We have a sense of humor. You don't have to be afraid of us. We don't want to convert you, and please don't try to convert us. Just give us the same right we give you -- to live in peace. We are much more similar to you than you think.

      Paganism - is based on the worship of nature. Modern Paganism, or Neo-Paganism, incorporates twenty-first century knowledge with the traditions of ancient indigenous cultures. Pagans believe that no one belief system is correct and that each person should have the freedom to chose the path that is right for them. Paganism is usually non-centralized, non-hierarchial, and doesn't posses a strick set of dogma.

      The Pagan Federation statement reflects the basic principles of paganism:

    • Love for and Kinship with Nature: Rather than the more customary attitude of aggression and domination over Nature; reverence for the life force and it's ever-renewing cycles of life and death.
    • The Pagan Ethic: "Do what thou wilt, but harm none". This is a positive morality, not a list of thou-shalt-nots. Each individual is responsible for discovering his or her own true nature and developing it fully, in harmony with outer world.
    • The Concept of Goddess and God as expressions of the Divine reality: female and male, rather than the suppression of either the female or the male principles.

      The different types of Paganism.


    • Paleo-paganism: the standard of paganism, and pagan culture which has not been disrupted by "civilization" by another culture.
    • Civilo-paganism: the religions of "civilized" communities which evolved in paleo-pagan cultures.
    • Meso-paganism: a group, which may or may not still constitute a separate culture, which has been influenced by a conquering culture, but has been able to maintain an independence of religious practice.
    • Syncreto-paganism: similar to meso-paganism, but having had to submerge itself into the dominant culture, and adopt the external practices and symbols of the other religion.
    • Neopaganism: attempts of modern people to reconnect with nature, using imagery and forms from other types of pagans, but adjusting them to the needs of modern people. Since this category is the focus of alt. pagan, the listing here is more comprehensive
      • Wicca -- in all its many forms
      • neo-Shamanism
      • neo-Druidism
      • Asatru and other forms of Norse neopagansim
        (to name just a few)


      WHAT IS WICCA?


      Wicca is a neo-pagan religion, which is loosely based on the very ancient religion of witchcraft. Unfortunately, due to the witch hunts in Europe, most of that ancient religion died. But some aspects and traditions were passed down from word of mouth, and they are still being used today. Wicca is also an earth-based religion, meaning there is a deep respect for Gaia (mother nature) and all that lives within Her. The beauty of Wicca is that you can take whichever beliefs you are comfortabe with, and you can disregard those with which you do not agree with. It is, in all regards, an 'unorganized' religion.

      Wiccans believe in the duality of 2 gods: The Horned God and the Goddess. The Goddess reigns during the seasons of spring and summer. She represents life, growth, birth; whereas the God rules during the Fall and Winter, representing re-birth, renewal, and change.

      In the Wiccan religion, we too, live by the Rede, "harm none". But there is also a 'sub-law' which Wiccans abide by: The ThreeFold Law. This means that whatever actions you perform will return to you threefold. If you are mean to people, this will come back to you threefold. But if you are nice and helpful towards others, this will return to you threefold as well.

      Links to other sites on the Web

      The Pagan Community Council of Ohio
      The Witches' Voice
      A Touch of Magick
      The Pagan Federation

      © 1997 nevilles@ameritech.net

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