Re-Integration into the Wiccan Religion

I was honored to be accepted into a 366 day course on Wicca, being taught by someone I've been acquainted with online for about 8 years, who is a 25+ year practicing Wiccan and a former coven member of a Traditional sect of Wicca.

I began the course just over 4 weeks ago and already my opinion of Wicca has done an almost 180. While much of what we are learning so far in this course I had already known, its many smaller things that are opening my eyes.

For one thing, I've been meditating wrong lol. Well...sorta, anyways. I was always taught the idea is to "clear your mind". Anyone who has tried this KNOWS how difficult this is. You tell your mind to empty and all it wants to do is fill up with thoughts. Learning how to meditate properly has helped immensely.

This course is also teaching me how to patiently call out to a God...something I had not taken into consideration because I felt I didn't need one. I was perfectly content living life paying homage to a Goddess. In at least a week to a week and a half I have been regularly reciting a prayer to both the Goddess AND God in hopes of opening the lines of communication TO the God, while trying not to neglect the Goddess. I've even gone into "Creative Visualizations" to talk to the Goddess but interrupted by a male figure. Now I'm not sure if this is an attempt at communication FROM the God, but looking back, I feel as though I'm pushing away while trying not to look to closely into what I'm experiencing. I feel that to accept these images and "conversations" with this male figure at their face value; that it is indeed the God communicating, then it's too easy and I'm just accepting anything at random that pops into my head. But I also feel that I may be pushing away the God at the same time, to maintain my close relationship with the Goddess...a form of self-sabotage. It's a bit confusing for me as to whether or not I should embrace this male figure entering my "Creative Visualizations".

Anyways. We are now on ethics and I'm understanding the Rede in a much better light. I am also understanding that not everything that is touted as "Wiccan" is set in stone and is not accepted by ALL Wiccans (for instance, Doreen Valiente, a prominent figure in Wicca, didn't even accept the Threefold Law, calling it "poppycock". Well done, Doreen lol). I think for the most part I maintain my stance on the Threefold Law (despite what some "HPS"'s want to ascribe it to). To me this law is little more than a means of maintaining control. There are already plenty of religions that thrive on control. Wicca, I believe has evolved from that.


In any event, I am fairly convinced I may re-integrate myself into Wicca. I understand that not all Wiccan "Liturgy" must be adhered to, as liturgy is not scripture -- laws set in stone. Despite some tiny, minute, and probably not all that integral to the religion bits of information I don't agree with...Wicca does sit well with me. I kind of knew this day was coming, it was just a matter of when.

Come next year, welcome the re-label of "Wiccan Witch".

(note, my practice of Witchcraft will remain unchanged).

Wicca - According to "Got Questions.org".

I was surfing the net looking for a prayer I once had called "Faith" (a difficult task, it seems to be becoming), and I came across "GotQuestions.org" and their take on Wicca. I haven't done a review and correction in a while so I thought I'd take a stab at this one.

1) In the first paragraph of their description of Wicca, they make the comment:
"there are many websites and books claiming to teach "real" Wicca, but the truth is, there is no consensus among Wiccans as to what the religion is all about".

The same can be said about Christianity considering how many denominations there are including Catholicism, Protestantism, Baptist, Presbyterian, Anglican, Christian Reform (and the list goes on). Is there any real "consensus" as to what Christianity is? I mean, there's a basic structure there that they all follow the bible, and believe in Jesus...but other than that, is there a "consensus"??? It's not that shocking that there are lots of different ideas on how to approach Wicca. It has the basic structure that they believe in dual consorting deities, conducting rituals, observation of seasonal holidays based on the life of their deities, etc. Both have structure, but that doesn't make either invalid because of it.

2) "The reason for this is that Wicca...is only about 50 years old".

And?? Christianity at some point was only 50 years old too (well, 70+ at the time of this post). Did that make it invalid as a religion? What about Judaism? Or Hinduism? ALL religions that are in existence today (with the exception of new ones being created today) were all 50 years old at some point, and are just as popular and strong today as they were then. It's hardly an argument at all to say age determines validity, especially when, like I said, all religions were 50 years old at some point in history.

3) (And these are all so far in the FIRST paragraph. Amazing, huh??)
"Wicca is a belief system that [Gardner] cobbled together"

Again, and Christianity isn't "cobbled" together from previous belief systems INCLUDING Pagan ones? There's a lot of evidence supporting the fact that Christianity borrowed aspects from other religions to form itself. There's nothing wrong with "borrowing" aspects from different systems. So long as people follow it, it's legit.

4) "Some Wiccans are polytheists, worshipping more than one deity, while others worship only  the "God" and "Goddess""

Um...that STILL makes them polytheists as was just stated...polytheism denotes the worship of more than one deity. Wiccans who worship a God and Goddess are still worshipping more than one deity, hence polytheist.

5) "Gaia" is not necessarily "nature". Gaia (or "Gaea" as spelled in the article) is seen as a Goddess, just as any other deity.

6) "Wiccans generally promote moral relativity disdaining labels like..."right" and "wrong""

Wiccans don't disdain the labels right and wrong. They believe doing wrong is just as deplorable as anyone else. They definitely can determine what is right and what is wrong, however they don't embrace the concepts of good and evil being sourced by deities.

7) "Wicca has one law or rule, called the Rede: "Do what ye will, harm ye none""

First, it's not a rule, it's a guideline. No one's "bound" by this law as though it were the "Ten Commandments". Wiccans acknowledge that harm is inevitable, but try to strive to live as harm-free a life as possible. Does this mean Wiccans are pacifists? Hardly. Does this mean they're knife-weilding maniacs? Pfft, that's a definite NO! It means...while acknowledging that harm cannot be avoided, practitioners will try to do their best to be as harm free as possible.

8) The Threefold Law
I've heard one describe the Threefold Law as something that practitioners of Traditional Wicca must do, whether good or bad...so someone does something good, that good should be returned to them three times, and if they do something bad, its returned to them three times. Make sense? No. Not one iota...and both Trad. Wiccans and the author of this article don't seem to understand basic physics or personal morality. The individual who described the Threefold Law seems to think that it's their place to exact the Three Times issue on another. Who has that right?

It's an illogical concept, and I really am tired of reiterating over and over the logical fallacy that IS "The Threefold Law".

9) "One major factor...is the purported use of spells and magick"
Wicca has as much to do with spells as Christianity has everything to do with building tables. What I mean, is...to say that the majority of Wiccan time is casting spells is like saying the majority of a Christian's time is building tables. Neither is true. Spell use isn't a "major" factor to Wicca...it's not even a minor factor. Anyone can cast spells, they don't need to be Wiccan. Hell, you can be Christian and still cast spells...religion is irrelevant.

As for "magick"...1) Wiccans don't deliberatly misspell magic...that's done by simpletons who think they need to misspell words in order to tell the difference between stage, sleight-of-hand magic and the magic Pagans do. If you need to misspell words in order to tell the difference between one thing and another, you have issues you need to work out before you can continue as a Pagan. 2) Magic (no "K") isn't the stuff you see on tv. It's not "wave your hand and what you want is in front of you". Christians do magic all the time...only they call it "Transubstantiation". Turning bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ is a magical act, however much Christians may wish to deny it.

10) "witches who practice magic prefer to call themselves 'nature witches' or 'white witches' to further distance themselves from Satanists"
No one legitimate calls themselves a "nature" Witch or a "White" Witch for the fact that magic is a neutral force (something ANYONE can tap into...not just Wiccans or Witches). The idea that someone could be a "nature" Witch implies they are natural at their craft. Everyone needs study. Period! And "White" Witches imply there's a such thing as a "Black" Witch (not referring to race here)...people who work only positive magic and people who work only negative magic. Regardless neither is possible. You could think you're doing something positive, but end up having negative consequences...and someone could do something someone else would see as "negative" and end up having positive results. It's happened!

As for the "Satanist" comment...Wiccans don't have to "distance" themselves from Satanists...because there's nothing to distance themselves from. They don't have to worry about accidentally slipping into Satanic spirituality because the two systems are so different and opposed.

11) "Wiccan spells are idolism"
Idolism implies the worship of a thing. Casting a spell is no different than saying a prayer, so prayers would be considered idolism too. You don't worship anything when you cast.

12) "Wiccan spells bring false hope"
I could say the same for "Christian Prayers".

I find it interesting how Christians think the quotes they provide have anything remotely to do with Wiccans, Witches and Pagans. First, the bible has nothing whatsoever to do with Wiccans because Wicca is a 20th century religion...created centuries after the bible. Witches in the bible are nothing like the Witches of today. Witches described for condemnation in the bible are people whose sole purpose was to poison the mind and work malevolence for personal pleasure. Witches of today have little interest in controlling people (we'll leave that to proselytizers). Witches are more interested in being helpful and benevolent (though, I CAN'T speak for EVERY single Witch out there).

Comparing Authors During the Education Process

An interesting thought. Recommending someone read two books: A well written, fully factual book, written by a highly recommended author and a shoddy, fluffy book with lousy history (if any) and condescension by a questionable author.

Now, the question is asked by someone, should they recommend a BEGINNER read the shoddy book AND the good book. In all honesty, I don't think a beginner should read the shoddy book BEFORE the good book, because they won't be able to discern why it's a bad book, and might inadvertently start liking the book (especially if it's a teenager, reading one of $RW's books).

While I think it's actually important to read shoddy books as well as the good books, I think one should read the good, highly recommended books FIRST.

I didn't read Silver Ravenwolf until within the last couple of years (and I'll have been a Pagan for 15 years this February). I'm glad I didn't or else I might have to unlearn all I'd had learned from her books. I'm perhaps a quarter of the way through the book I have (I think it's "to stir a magic cauldron" or some other such nonsense), and it's very marked up. It's a PDF, so it has a number of yellow marks, citing notes I've written, correcting the mounds of incorrect information and misconceptions.

But I digress. Should a beginner read a crappy book AND a good one. No. I think this kind of...assignment should wait until after the year and a day process. I think in the beginning one should focus on learning what whatever craft or religion they're interested in is first before delving into differentiating crap and nonsense. Focus is best spent elsewhere in the beginning, though I do think it's a good idea, later on to read the crappy books, just to understand why they're crappy (and if you're lucky enough to have one on PDF, you can mark the hell out of it to prove to yourself you've been well educated).

Seeking Personal Education: Is It Realistic??

When you first encounter a Pagan system like Wicca, how does one go about starting? Well, typically I suggest to ANYONE that they should
-Read all the reliable information they can from reputable sources (so books from authors like Adler, Sabin, Cunningham, Buckland, Hutton, etc)
-Join forums to ask questions in real time with people who have practiced for many, many years.

Now, there are those who HIGHLY recommend you learn from teachers or join groups, rather than go with the suggestions I mention above. But there's a big problem with that. How readily available are teachers to novices and newcomers to Paganism?? They're about as available now as they were a century ago. There are STILL only a handful of teachers taking on students out there...and because everyone is scrambling for a teacher because of suggestions like this, they can only take on so many at a time. So, say (for example) there are 10 teachers out there and for every teacher there are 15 students, and there are 500 students looking for teachers. The number of students being taught at this time is 150, leaving 350 students without a teacher! What are THEY supposed to do? I mean, if it's SOOOO important for novices to learn from teachers, are they supposed to sit idly by while they wait for their turn with teachers?

Groups and covens are no better either. Covens don't just admit people because they asked to join or filled out an application. Covens are intimate gatherings of people. The people who are a part of covens have been part for YEARS and their fellow members are as close as family. So they're not necessarily in a rush to replenish the ranks.

You also run the risk of joining a coven with horrible ethics and ideals. Few covens practice together for the spiritual fulfillment that is supposed to come with gathering together. There are probably more groups out there with negative intentions, such as power trips...they only join so they can quickly move up the ranks and become Queen (or King) bee and dictate to their followers (talk about reeking of fundamentalism and extremism). Many also gather just so they can cast spells (of which they have scoured the internet for).

I am in no way trying to say that groups and teachers are impossible to find and therefore a waste of time utilizing. There are certainly groups and teachers out there that are more than happy to accommodate newcomers...I'm just saying that it's more practical AND more realistic for newcomers to do their homework first, especially BECAUSE it takes so long to join a group and be taken on by a teacher.

There are so many people who stress seeking a teacher and joining a group, however **I** stress that it's far MORE important for one to read all they can, so they are better prepared when they DO get the teacher or join the group they want. I only speak about this from my OWN experience as a solitary. There are so many people who were priviliged enough to find a teacher or group to join, but not all of us are that lucky. Solitaries are just as valid as group ordained practitioners...we've just had to work much harder.

"Element Encyclopedia of 5,000 Spells" by Judika Iiles

Many people seem to have a misunderstanding when it comes to this book. I bought it a few years ago, thinking it would be a good investment for me, but found it was only useful for me to press plants, but that's beside the point.

Before turning it into my plant-presser, I looked it over. Some people may have the misconstrued idea that the spells provided in the book are meant to be "Wiccan" in some way, including the "cliche" harm none nonsense littered through the book.

The author warns at the beginning of the book, that the spells provided were gathered from sources around the world, and from various times in history. The spells may not reflect the ethics of today, and that's where people seem to get the idea that it's not a good book.

We tend to forget that Witchcraft and spells are not the same around the world and throughout history as it is here in the West and in this day and age. There were times when people used, less than ideal ingredients for their spells, because that's what they had/have on hand and that's what they saw as successful. The spells provided in this book reflect this. It's perfectly ok for someone to not want to use the spells in this book because of what items it calls for...sure one or two might call for animal urine, or the ear of a dog, but that doesnt mean you can't find a substitute for those items, especially in herbal form (if anything, Mullein kind of feels like a dog's ear).

We also seem to forget that it was perfectly normal to use animal parts in plants some hundreds of years ago. We didn't see killing animals as inhumane because it was a regular part of life (it kind of still is, but the average person doesn't do it themselves on a regular basis, for the simple fact that we now have supermarkets that stock the meat after it's been butchered, so regular townsfolk don't have to witness the slaughter of the cow). So to kill a fox for it's tail to be used in a spell, or it's tooth, meant nothing. We had no "Conservation for the Protection of Animals" and whatnot back then...it wasn't considered inhumane.

So we can't really give flak for the spells we find in this book because they're historical spells; spells used historically by ancestors. Should we condemn them because of what they did, through which we have founded modern medicine? One should be careful before condemning anything and look at the historical value first. It may seem unethical for today, but it wasn't hundreds of years ago.

Herbs for Health: Completed

I'm finished my course. I completed my exam at about 12:30 this afternoon with 89%, giving me a 93% overall course grade.

I'm so glad it's over, and I'm so glad I did so well. I always knew my nervousness was unnecessary but regardless, it's done, and I should receive my certificate in a couple days.

This course was long, sometimes confusing, but all-in-all, I think it was worth it.



In other news, though...I can now perhaps continue with some other (free) courses I've neglected. Perhaps I just might re-start the Magicka School course Wicca Revealed...just so that I can get a fresh start. I've established a little "ritual room" somewhat in the closet of my spare bedroom, where I can perhaps put to practice some things I've learned (because we tend to have guests from time to time, I cannot take over the whole room, and there's really no reason for anyone to be in the closet). It has an altar set up as well as some drawers in which to store some stuff I don't immediately need. The next couple nights my husband works, I might just re-locate my books to the shelves that are in the closet (gives me something to do while he's gone...nights can get a bit lonely lol). I might also re-print the information from the second course "Wicca Advanced". I have the information printed, however it's much too thick for me to handle (I tried to make a small book, but it didn't work so well...I'll have to keep it 8.5 x 11). I say, education of any kind never ends. Let's just hope I can maintain some sort of discipline in study with this course as I did with the last.






Ma’iingan

Herbs for Health: Exam

Ohh, my goodness. I'm finally done my course on Herbs for Health. All I have left is my exam, and man, am I soooooo nervous about it. I can feel my little tummy just a-turnin'.

I've registered for my exam, and I really, really hope everything gets emailed to my "proctor" before the 13 (actually, the 7th would be better).

I'm actually a mix of emotions right now. I'm exited to get it done and to get my certificate that says I'm certified in minor natural healing. But I'm nervous because I hate exams...always have. This time it should be different because it's an open book exam, so if I am unsure about something I can refer to my books about it.

This course is really important to me, but I just wish it were easier for me to take the exam. It seems nothing is ever easy for me, I always have to jump through millions of hoops before I get anything, and this being no real exception. Though my proctor seems really nice, though we've only spoken through email...I'm hoping perhaps after my exam, she can help me in other areas I'm having trouble with...employment lol (after all it IS part of her job lol).

I just can't wait to get this all over and done with. Once it's finished, I can move on to other things (like perhaps FINALLY finishing the Wicca Revealed course from Magicka, and moving on to the next course...Wicca Advanced).

I'm sure some of you are wondering why I'm taking "Wicca" courses...well, it's to continue my understanding of the religion. The more I continue to study about it and learn about it, the more I understand and the more I realize what I didn't understand. It also helps that I have been reading and interacting somewhat with other Wiccans on a regular basis through Yahoo! Answers, that it seems they have helped me get a much better understanding on Wicca...almost to the point that I may reconsider not being a part of the religion.

BUT...that's not going to be for a while, so don't get too excited. Learning about things first, then deciding is generally how to do things. But at this moment, I'm focusing on my Herbs for Health course and getting my certificate after my exam (hopefully).

Wish me luck, and some positive, encouraging thoughts couldn't help either :)
Big hugs





Ma’iingan

Misinformed Assumptions and Making Corrections

There have been a lot of people who encounter people who see the pentacle as something evil. It's no secret that many people have the misinformed belief that the pentacle (or pentagram) is a symbol of the Devil, some sort of evil symbol or whatever. However, there have also been people who take the wrong approach to correcting someone who has this point of view. How is any situation going to be resolved if you fire back at someone with the same hate-filled attitude they're giving you?

Here I offer a solution to those coming at you with misinformed assumptions about your choice in jewellery, belief, whatever: Calm, quite, and rational approaches.

Situation 1: Wearing the Pentacle/gram
If someone were to walk up to you and ask you if you know what the symbol you are wearing means, you simply reply: "Yes, I do" and leave it at that. Should they continue with "Well, do you know it's an evil symbol?" You don't go off on a raging tangent about how you DON'T BELIEVE IN THE DEVIL OR BEING EVIL!!! That will just fall on deaf ears and lead to their own tangent about how you are A SERVANT OF THE DEVIL AND ARE GOING TO HELL!!!

How do you respond to someone who thinks the symbol you see as representing your beliefs as evil? Certainly not by yelling at them, that's for sure. Try the "calm, quiet, and rational" approach I stated above. If someone comes to you and says "Well, don't you know it's an evil symbol?", you reply "That may be your opinion (however misinformed), however I personally see it differently. You have your opinions and I have mine, and as I see it, it is a representation of the forces that sustain the life of this planet, as well as the Spirit. Now that spirit may be God...the same God you believe in; my own personal Spirit; or the living Spirit of the Universe. Take your pick".

Now, the conversation can go many ways after this...however, the key is to maintain that "calm, quiet and rational" approach to the situation. The other party may begin to get agitated, frustrated and may even begin to raise their own voice, BUT...maintain that calm, quiet and rational approach. Not once is it ever necessary to raise your voice. Should the situation become elevated to a shouting match with the other person, simply (in a "calm, quiet and rational" approach) state: "I no longer wish to participate in this conversation. You are becoming too agitated and do not see how it will help me to see your side. If you wish to continue this conversation, I advise you to calm down, otherwise this conversation is over." Should the other party get into a huff, you make an about-face, and walk away. Simple. The bigger person in this conversation is the one who kept their cool, and knew when to end the conversation. You can't get your point across when the both of you are shouting at each other...no one is listening. Both sides are trying to be right, while at the same time both being entirely wrong.

Situation 2: Saving Sheep
A woman walks up to you in a library, and takes note as to what you are reading and states: "You know...I can introduce you to a better book; a book that can open you up to a WORLD of salvation". How do you respond?

I can see many people's automatic reaction being "I don't need to read the bible, it's filled with contradictory information and was written by flawed men, not by God". This...really isn't the proper way to approach this situation.

Educating someone on their own belief system makes as much sense as that Christian lady educating you on yours. One person who encountered a person in a similar situation thought the best thing to do was to "educate" her on the history of her own religion. What good is that going to do to win her over to your side? If anything it'll make her defensive, and that tangent will come out again. Who wins a yelling match? No one...everyone around, including you and your opponent, will come out of this situation with sore ears and a bad headache.

No, the appropriate approach to this situation would be to say "No thank you" and leave it at that. However, not all situations are easily ended like that, and 9 times out of 10 they'll continue with you until you give in. The key here is to not give in. Stand your ground. It's your belief...don't let someone intimidate you...but remember the "calm, quiet and rational" approach.

If this woman continues with something like "but you're going down a road to the evil one, and I want to help you to get to heaven". You don't have to bite her head off and make bold statements...simply say that you have your own beliefs. While she may not agree with them, it makes no difference. Make it known that you don't want to be harassed/bothered about religion, that you've made your choice and wish to be left alone with it, as much as she would like to be left alone to hers. There's no need to "educate" her on the history of her religion or mention any "fact" that people were killed as a result of her religion (Paganism isn't so innocent either, you know). Again, if someone approaches you and you feel uncomfortable, there's no law that says you must stay and fight it out...you CAN get up and walk away.

Bullying isn't just a schoolyard thing. Bullying can happen anywhere, to any one...young and old. People harassing you about your religion are just as much a bully as that schoolyard kid. What do we teach our children when it comes to bullies? Typically we say to tell the teacher or someone in authority, however in the real world things aren't so simple. We also teach our children to WALK AWAY. It's no different from someone trying to "save a sheep".


Again (and I can't stress this enough), the key to dealing with a difficult person is to remain Calm, Quiet and Rational. And if someone just can't let you be...walk away. Why is it that so many people find this difficult?





Ma’iingan

Herbs for Health

I am taking a giant leap and taking a far more accredited course which can be a great benefit within and without my Witch craft. The course is called "Herbs for Health" and is offered at the "Alive Academy of Natural Health".

This course was suggested to me by my mother, who has taken the course herself, and has seen my growing interest in herbs, plants and their ability to heal and help people. I'm hoping to learn a great deal from this class, and once completed I will be the proud holder of an accredited certificate in herbal medicines.

Utilizing time at the library I am better able to use my time and learn a great deal. I am almost ready to take my first test. My tests don't worry me though, it's my final exam. I am unsure of who I can get to oversee my exam, seeing as my course is being done on my own (correspondence, so to say). In all reality, I'm a rather shy person, and can't see myself going up to a random person (even a librarian) to ask if they can oversee me as I do my exam.

BUT....that's a few months from now, and I won't stress myself over something I don't need to worry about yet. I'll focus on my studies, and try to do the best job I can, to receive my certificate.

Wish me luck :)





Ma’iingan

Redundant Repetitious Corrections

Ok, so this might seem like a redundant repetition of what I've said before, but I find that the more you correct misinformation (however over-repeated), the more people will recognize it in the future, and perhaps correct it themselves, and I'm all about educating people.

I encountered yet another "article" on Witchcraft, this "Traditional Witchcraft". It's not necessarily the same one I found on such unnamed website (which will remain unnamed for reasons that I will not get into lest this turn into a rant, rather than an attempt at correction) which is available for reading in one of the posted articles....I'm not sure where this person got this "article". I'll link to the blog post so you can read it in it's entirety...here I'll just quote misinformation and make the necessary corrections:
http://www.paganspace.net/group/traditionalwitchcraft/forum/topics/traditional-witchcraft-found-the-article

Quote 1:
"Witches are not evil-doers, rather, they are the most moral, most aware and sensitive people you will ever come across"
--Sorry to burst the authors bubble, but to naively think that ALL Witches are "the most moral" or "sensitive people you will ever come across" does NO ONE any good. Witches are human. We are all prone to human faults and those faults include making bad choices. The difference between Witches and everyone else in the world, is that many of those Witches who make bad choices, use their craft IN those bad choices. A Witch who chooses to use their craft for negative, petty reasons are no less Witches than someone who chooses to use their craft more responsibly. It simply means they used their craft in less than honorable ways. It doesn't make them evil, but it doesn't make them the lead in the "Best Witch in the World" pageant.

Don't assume that because someone who chooses to use their craft for less-than-honorable purposes, means they're not a "Real Witch". What constitutes a "Real Witch" is someone who has taken the time to study Witchcraft, learned what it entails and how to use the craft to gain whatever purpose they use the craft for. No where does it say that, the moment someone uses the craft for negative purposes, means that person is no longer a "Real Witch".


Quote 2:
"Witches abide by a code of "Harm none, do as thou will"
--I could bang my head against a brick wall at this moment. This article is discussing Traditional Witchcraft, in a group that discusses NON-WICCAN Witchcraft, yet they choose to publish an article that states that ALL WITCHES adhere to a WICCAN concept. Anyone see the redundancy here? If you were to look at the other discussions on this group, there's quite the elitism hovering around against Wiccans, calling them "fluffy" and whatnot, yet again, they allow an article that clearly states "Witches abide by a code of "Harm none, do as thou will" which never existed before Wicca was invented.

Non-Wiccan Witches...do NOT "abide" by the Wiccan Rede!!!
(this one quote is perhaps what inspired THIS blog post!)

Quote 3:
"Witches tend to be pantheists"
--Again, this author seems to be lumping all Witches into this one broad category, instead of separating practices into their own separate categories where they belong. All Witches do NOT "tend to be pantheists". A Witches belief in a deity is purely personal...it's not based on their craft. Witchcraft is a craft, a set of skills developed after years of study and practice. There are no gods that are required to be worshiped in order to practice Witchcraft. This is why so many people mistake Wicca for Witchcraft...because people mistakenly (either intentionally or unintentionally) interchange the terms.

It is a bit of a relief that in the next sentence, the author FINALLY used the word "most" when stating "Most Witches in some fashion worship the Goddess and her consort, the Horned God", however I wouldn't have chosen the word "most" but would have said "some". "Most" would imply the majority of Witches.

Quote 4:
"Instead, Witches believe in a transient-like afterlife, sometimes called the Summer-lands, as well as reincarnation"
--Uh...no. Again, lumping us all into one category. Not all Witches believe in some transient after life. In fact, there are MANY Witches who don't believe in an afterlife at all!! Much less believe in reincarnation.


I can understand someone trying to define "Traditional Witchcraft"...however when you use elements of other religions and systems IN that definition, it's not Traditional Witchcraft you are defining, but some form of eclecticism. Traditional Witchcraft is traditional and non-religious. It's perfectly find if you want to be a Wiccan and incorporate Witchcraft into your practice, however, you cannot call it Traditional Witchcraft because of the modern Wiccan elements applied. Same as you cannot practice Christianity, incorporate Witchcraft into it and call it Traditional Witchcraft when it's not traditional at all.

Please be careful when trying to define Traditional Witchcraft, that you do not unintentionally lump all Witches as being Wiccan Witches (as this author mistakenly did).





Ma’iingan

Class Update

I figured I should probably update everyone on my latest classes I was so excited to take. I'm on my third of eight lessons and so far so good. I moaned when I saw the second lesson and it talked about "Knowing" myself. I dislike getting into "knowing" myself and my flaws because I don't feel happy about myself, so I drone on and on about the negative stuff...like low self-esteem, low self-image, etc, etc, and I hate acknowledging it because it brings out my depressive side and I end up in a bad mood for days (sorry to my husband and family).

However, now that that part of the class is out of the way, I can concentrate on the rest of my lessons. This latest lesson I'm on talks about ethics, and I think it's a good lesson. It makes the student determine a sort of ethic they should go by...if it's either something they borrowed from another spirituality they brought with them, or one they invented themselves. I think it's important for someone, even on this path, to determine their boundaries and how far they will go before crossing a line. Sure there are Witches out there who have no ethic and think that their craft is for whatever they want, willy-nilly. That's their perogative. I'm not one to tell people they have to do this, or have to do that. But I do believe we get what we give, so if your life is filled with negativity, perhaps look in the mirror and determine why. Perhaps you're taking far to much advantage of your craft without bothering to give something back.

Anyways, I'm really enjoying this class, and thinking I did good to pay for a one year membership to this school. I can't wait to finish this class then take my second spells class. I just wish that it didn't take so long for the other lessons to be put up (lessons are put up once a week, so I have to wait a week before carrying on to the next lesson. It's good in a way...causes you to really go into your lesson, and not just zoom through the course).





Ma’iingan

A Victory (of sorts) For Pagans

Finally..Paganism is being given the same opportunity as the other major religions in the world. A UK ruling has determined that Paganism shall make it's way into the school curriculum alongside lessons on Judaism, Islam and Christianity.

Naturally there are those who oppose this inclusion...claiming it will take away from Christian teachings, but I say too bad. The school syllabus already has 2/3's of it being taken up by Christianity, it should now be equally divided into four equal parts in order for each religion to get a fair moment in the curriculum.

Article can be found here:
And after double maths it will be...Paganism





Ma’iingan

Excited: New Class

I've signed up for a new class, and I'm so excited about it. It's the last "Witchcraft" course available at one of the online schools I am a part of. I can't wait to dive into it. I've never been so driven to finish a series of courses. Perhaps because this class was taught and presented so well, and the teacher is a wonderful teacher.

I took a BIG risk and paid for a one year membership to this school (which was only $10...that's a BARGAIN compared to other schools that ask for membership fees ranging from $29.99-$49.99) so I could take this class.  I couldn't resist the temptation. Normally I say not to pay for online schooling, as you get what you pay for, but I enjoyed the other two Witchcraft classes so much that I wanted to finish the series.

Another series I want to complete is the Spells series. It's only two classes, and sometimes (depending on the semester (yes, this school runs on semesters)) for the last class, you need to be a contributing member to enroll. I really enjoyed the first class, and want to take the last one, but I'll wait until next semester to sign up. I don't want to overwhelm myself again, like I did with my Spells/Tarot classes last semester.

Ohh, I'm itching to get started...but classes don't start until the 5th. I guess the wait just builds anticipation. I'm loving it. Here's hoping this semester goes smoothly. The class sounds like a good one.





Ma’iingan

About Gaining "Certificates"

Some people seem to think that the only reason people participate in online schools is to gain these "Certficiates" to flaunt around to people, thinking they know everything about Magic and Witchcraft. That's not always the case.

Sure, there may be some naive 14 year olds out there who think Witchcraft is all about what Charmed says it is and believe having these "Certificates" from these online schools confirms that belief, but not all who take these classes are these naive teenagers, and not all people want these certficates simply because they want to flaunt around their "knowledge".

I have taken classes from various online schools, such as WitchSchool, MagickaSchool and The Firefly Academy and received certificates from theses schools stating I have completed my classes. Why do I have these certficates? For my own personal records to state that I have taken this class, learned what they had to offer, and completed the class enough to warrant my gaining the certificate of completion.

There's nothing wrong with learning and gaining certification that you've completed a class. Why all the hub-bub?





Ma’iingan

Dare2Share: Witness the Wiccans

Ok, let's take a break and do some clarifications. In yet another forum discussion, I came across a site discussing Wicca and how to Witness to them. While, it appears they mean well...they STILL don't seem to get it. (this is gonna be long, so bear with me)

"What Willow Believes"

Everyone has the divine (or Goddess) within, and everyone has a "life-force"

-Well, duh. Think about it. Ok, well not everyone believes in some divine force, so this part is not necessarily true, however we DO all have a "life force", if we didn't, we wouldn't be alive, now would we?

One should develop natural gifts for divination or occult magic (often spelled 'magick' by occultists)

-Gifts for using divination are not a requirement for Wiccans (or anyone for that matter). Anyone can learn how to divine using various means. You don't have to be Wiccan, a Witch or any other occult practitioner in order to use divination. Magic as well (the 'k' really being a silly fad, is NOT necessary) is something that can be developed by anyone through practice, and again, doesn't require the practice of any occult practices to use...even popular religions like Christianity utilize magic, even if they wish to deny it.

Divine forces or nature spirits are invoked in rituals

-That's really dependant. Divine forces are invoked during particular rituals, say an Esbat or Moon ceremony, and the only reason why is the same reason the Christian God is invoked during Sunday mass...to honor them. Those who work other forms of magic, say spell work, may invoke (but don't have to) deities for assistance in their workings, but in this instance it is not a requirement. Nature spirits, again, are invoked based on desire or necessity, depending on what the task is. "Divine forces or nature spirits" are not necessarily always invoked...that and not everyone believes and/or works with them, so such invocations are really unnecessary.

The Goddess, as either a symbol or a real entity, is the focus of worship

-Yes, this is true. In Wicca, the Goddess AND God are the focus of worship. There's nothing wrong with this anymore than there is something wrong with the Christian God being the focus of their worship.

Nature and the earth are sacred manifestations of the Goddess
-Again, not too dissimilar from the Christian ideas of God. The Christian belief is that God made everything, therefore Nature and the Earth would be manifestations of the God...so what's the problem? The Goddess??

Everyone has his or her own individual spiritual path to follow
-In essense this is true for EVERYONE...even Christians. Not every Christian follows Christianity the same way, hence different denominations of Christianity (Baptists, Pentacosts, Catholics, Christian Reform, Presbyterian, etc). Everyone follows their "path" in their own way, determining what they feel is right for them. Wiccans are no different

Rituals and celebrations are linked to the seasons and moon phases
-As are Christian rituals and celebrations. While Sunday mass isn't necessarily linked to seasons or the moon, Church holidays are...for example, Easter comes (I do believe) 40 days after the previous full moon (little tidbit I bet you didn't know), hence why it's never on the same day or same week every year.

Meditation, visualization, invocation (calling on forces or gods/goddesses), chanting, burning candles and special rituals trigger a sense of the mystical which typically reinforces their core belief system.
-I really don't understand what it is they're trying to accomplish with these point form notes. This entire point here can EASILY be describing ANY Christian mass. Meditations take place during silent prayers; visualization happen during transubstantiation of the bread and wine; invocations come shortly before transubstantiation; many people chant when reciting the Rosary, candles are a BIG part of the Christian religion, and special rituals (say Christmas mass) ALSO "trigger a sense of the mystical which typically reinforce their core belief system".

About God:
Willow believes in a male counterpart to the Goddess, who could possibly be the Christian God or the God of Islam
-Uh, no, not necessarily. TRUE Wiccans do not subscribe to the Abrahamic deity belief. Their "Gods" manifest in pre-existing deities generally from Greek, Roman, Egyptian and Celtic pantheons...not Abrahamic, due to the animosity felt from and for the Christian religion. Anyone claiming they worship the Christian God while being Wiccan, is clearly confused about BOTH religions, and is thusly not practicing EITHER in a proper way.

About the Trinity:
Willow doesn't believe in the Trinity
-Not in the Christian sense of Father, Son and Holy Spirit/Ghost. She may believe in a Thricean Goddess, commonly associated in Hecate, Diana, Demeter, Selene or Persephone (manifesting in a Maiden, Mother Crone aspect).

About Jesus:
Willow believes Jesus was an enlightened man who should be honored just like Mohammed, Moses, Krishna, and Buddha, but he was not and is not God in the flesh.
-That depends. Many Wiccans don't acknowledge the existence of Jesus PERIOD, but a mere figmant of the Church's imagination, and a conglomeration of numerous pre-existing myths and legends all rolled into one (i.e. The story of Osiris and Isis).

About the Bible:
Willow doesn't believe in absolute truth but she considers the Bible a good book that she can oick and choose things from to help her follow her spiritual path
-Ok...somehow things got lost in the mix. Wiccans don't follow the Bible PERIOD. They don't use ANY part of the bible to "help (them) follow (their) spiritual path". This here is completely false!

About the Afterlife:
Willow believes in an endless cycle of reincarnation (birth-death-birth-death, etc) and karma(what you do here affects you in the next life). She does not believe in heaven or hell
-Finally, something somewhat accurate. For one thing, many Wiccans have a misinformed notion about karma. They see it as a rubber vs. glue type thing, which isnt Karma at all. But...Wiccans DO subscribe to the belief in reincarnation, however it's not necessarily endless. It's what is called a "Spiral Dance" in which they move upwards, until all has been learned, then they merge with the divine. The journey could seem endless, but does eventually end

About Salvation:
Willow does not believe in sin or a need for forgiveness, so she doesn't see a need for salvation. In her mind, being 'saved' would be to reach a point where one is free from the reincarnation/karma cycle.
-Salvation reeks of fundamentalism. "Believe this way or go to hell". Sin and salvation are guilt trips, not a release from something.

What the Bible Teaches


About God/About the Trinity:
God identified himself as "I Am" (Exodus 20:2) - meaning He is the self-existent (never had a beginning or end) eternal Creator of the universe. There is no Goddess
There is one God and yet three Persons (Isaiah 45:5; Deuteronomy 6:4; James 2:19). There are no other 'gods' or 'goddesses'
-Ok, then explain to me why it says in Exodus 20:3 "You shall not have other Gods before me"? He acknowledges the existence of other Gods, but demands his followers not put them before him. Just because he wants his followers to follow him only, does NOT mean there are no other Gods in the universe.

About Jesus:
Jesus is fully God and fully man. He is the God of the universe (John 1:1, 14, 18; 8:58; 10:30. Compare Titus 2:13 and Isaiah 45:21), and His death on the cross completely paid for the sins of the world (1 John 2:2). What Willow sees as 'enlightened' was actually His power as being God. What separates him from Moses, Buddha, Mohammed, etc was that He came back from the dead
-How can Jesus be God, yet cry out on the Cross "My God, My God, why have you forsake me??" (Matthew 27:46) just before death? Again, not all Wiccans view Jesus as an "enlightened" man, or even a man to begin with, but a combination of different deity myths from history. Osiris came back from the dead after being killed by his brother.

About the Bible:
The bible alone is the word of God and is absolute truth. It is without error. It cannot and should not be added to or subtracted from (2 Timothy 3:16-4:4; Revelation 22:18-20), and it is also the ultimate authority on spiritual matters. Every word of it is inspired by God, so you can't just pick and choose what you "think" is true.
-If this is true, why does it say in Exodus 20:13 "Thou shall not kill", yet in Exodus 22:18 says "You shall not allow a Witch to live". Whether guilty or not it's still killing (or murdering if you like). That's a contradiction. How can you follow the law of God that says you shall not kill, yet go ahead and kill a Witch. OR offer a sacrifice of a lamb or whatever other animal God says is sacred? That's still killing, a contradiction. Either way, you are disobeying God. To say the bible is never wrong, is wrong in itself because the bible is FILLED with contradictions. You cannot ignora that. It's not the Wiccans who are picking and chooseing what they thing is true, it's the Christians. PLUS Wiccans never changed one word of the bible, yet King James changed numerous parts of the bible to suit his agenda...to justify the murder of countless people because of his fears. That and numerous "authors" of the bible, had numerous books either left out or taken out of the bible, simply because it didn't suit the theme.
Never wrong indeed.

About the Afterlife:
Those who trust in Christ alone as their only hope of salvation spend eternity in heaven; those who reject Christ spend an eternity in hell (John 5:24-30; Revelation 20:11-15). The Bible denies the concept of reincarnation (Hebrews 9:27-28
-Ah, but see, how can Jesus come back if his life was not reincarnated? He may not have retuned in a different body, but still came back from death. That's reincarnation. Also, how does one deal with those who ave never heard of Jesus? Do they go to hell simply out of ignorance? Or those who were around BEFORE Jesus? Are THEY swimming around in a lake of Fire simply because Jesus chose (and I say "chose" because it's apparent to Christians that Jesus is also God too, however improbable) to appear after their deaths??

About Salvation:
All people are sinners in need of forgiveness (Romans 3:23). Salvation is by faith in Christ ALONE on the basis of His death on the Cross (John 3:16-17, 36; 6:29, 47; Romans 4:1-5; Galations 2:16; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5)
Human nature determines that we make mistakes. Why do we make mistakes? To learn, not because we're bad. It was the "mistake" of Eve to eat from the tree of knowledge, but God is not innocent here either. He lied to Adam and Eve. If he had told them the truth, instead of keeping them in ignorance, perhaps we would still be in paradise. No. Everyone is not a sinner because it was not us who sinned.

Things to Remember:
Like Tara the Typical, Willow is extremely sensitive toward anything that sounds intolerant and/or judgemental, so approach with extreme caution! As well, she sees Christianity as an oppressive religion, so be sure to show her love and respect
--Judgement and intolerance disguised by love and respect is STILL judgement and intolerance. The way to get to a Wiccan is to understand where they're coming from and acknowledge their freedom to believe what they feel is truth to them, while still maintaining your own belief. Pushing upon them that your belief is right and theirs is wrong is a sure fire way to being "extremely sensitive". I mean, if Wiccans were to pressure Christians into thinking that Wicca is the one true right and only way, Christians would be rather sensitive too, don't you think?

Ask Willow what she believes about Christianity, because she might have a distorted image of what Christianity is. Try and use this as an opportunity to help her develop a correct understanding of true Christianity
--I ask Wiccans to do the same about Christians. The table turns both ways. Each have distorted ideas of each other. Wiccans see Christians as proselytizers, bent on converting everyone to their religion, whereas Chritsians view Wiccans as satan worshippers ignorant to their Devil worship. Both need to retract each other's claws and gain a better understanding of each other, because firing at each other constantly is not going to help anyone.

Don't confuse Wiccans with Witches, because anyone can practice Witchcraft, but Wiccans follow a strict code. Also, don't confuse Wiccans with Satanists, because mos Wiccan's don't believe in Satan or the Devil
--(**falls over in disbelief**) Wow, this one hit me with accuracy. Well, one in however many points here isn't bad I suppose.

Outline the strengths and reliability of the Bible (accuracy, consistency, fulfilled prophecy, etc) because Willow rejects it as unreliable
--See my outlined contradictions listed above. THAT'S why she views it as unreliable.

Stress your personal relationships with the Father through Jesus Christ and what impact that has on your daily life
--It won't do any good. Telling "Willow" you personal experiences will get her to convert just about as easily as Willow's personal experiences in Wicca will get a Christian to convert. If it's not right for someone, then it's not right for them.

Whether Willow knows it or not, she is in the grips of Satan, so like Sid the Satanist, be sure to cover your relationship and conversations with her in a ton of prayer
--This makes as much sense as any Wiccan saying Christians are in the Grips of Hades, however ignorant to the notion.

Italics from: http://www.dare2share.org/worldviews/wiccans/ (I do not own the information from this site, but wished to address the misinformation and shed clarity).

Real Witches

I found this little tidbit (ok, well it's not little but this will be fun) from one of the most dis-respected authors on Wicca: Ms. Silver Ravenwolf. She lists out the Do's and Don't's of REAL Witches. Let's go through them and discuss shall we??? (I'm surprised no one else has done this yet. I have yet to see someone pick apart Ms. Ravenwolf's Do and Don't list. Interesting).

Real Witches Do Not...

-Hurt people physically, mentally, spiritually or magically

Really, now?!?! Perhaps novices who come to "Wicca" directly from unrealistic sources such as tv shows and books that tell them that the Rede is "Harm None" (which is a bastardization of the actual Rede). Witches (and Non-Witches alike) harm things all the time...intentionally and unintentionally. There are many Witches out there who hunt for food, who kill mice, bugs or other pesky pests, or banish negative entities from their homes. If that isn't harm, then I don't know what is.

-Take illegal drugs

Let's not be so naive. There are NUMEROUS Witches out there who take drugs on a regular basis...perhaps the most popular being Marijuana, merely for the spiritual effects they believe it causes. For many it allows them to contemplate spiritual and philosophical meanings and questions (though most of the time they don't remember. Drug use to some is no less harmful than drinking, though many don't see any harm in that).

Let's also not forget those Witches who practice OUTSIDE the North American continent. There are LOTS of "Witches" who use what we would consider illegal (as well as legal) drugs to induce trance and euphoric states to assist in astral travel. Not all Witches conform to the laws of Man (or the US/Canada for that matter)

-Work Black Magic

My apologies to Ms. Ravenwolf, but there's no such thing as "Black" or "White" magic. Magic is a neutral force that remains neutral until intent has been determined. THEN it's more appropriate to call it "Black" intent or "White" intent. Magic is magic regardless of what you do with it. A knife isn't black because it stabbed someone, and isn't white because it cuts your Sunday dinner.

-Fly in the sky on brooms

Ok, I'll give her this one...however, I will say that the flying part is no problem...it's the landing that gets you into trouble (lol...little humor there). On a serious note, Witches never flew on brooms...it was perhaps an exaggeration based on perhaps people in the past stumbling upon a harvest ritual being performed in the woods or in a field, in which people were straddling brooms, jumping as high as they could. The height of the jump determining how high the crops would grow. A misunderstanding lead to the idea that they were "flying".

Another theory is that "Witches of Olde" would apply a concoction called a "Flying Ointment" to some...neither-regions...to induce the hallucination of flight. Some Witches actually thought they were flying while never leaving the ground.

-Eat babies or other ridiculous notions

Again, I'll give her this one. I think babies are cute, I'm not gonna eat one (I'll perhaps nibble on cute chubby baby cheeks, but that's as far as it goes). Ack...rumors...tsk tsk. I suppose it doesn't help when the media jumps on any opportunity to shed a negative light on Witches and other Pagans, when crazies do outrageous things (like killing children) in the name of their religion. Paganism has room enough to do without live sacrifices. Deities are now accepting of plant life and other non-living offerings.

-Kill animals or use animal blood or body parts in our magical workings. Witches respect animals and nature.

One can have respect for nature and still kill an animal. It would seem that Ms. Ravenwolf here is trying to make Witches pacifists in some form or another. As I said above, Witches hunt for food (generally)...many Witches are also happy omnivores, consuming meat every day. There's nothing wrong with that, as meat contains a large abundance of much needed nutrients and proteins. It's more harmful to deny your body that which it needs, merely because you find killing an animal to be distasteful.

As for killing as part of a ritual, that's true...Witches don't need to use blood or body parts of animals to complete work...there are NUMEROUS substitutes out there, that it's just not practical, however there are cultures and practitioners out there who DO do ritual killings, and these are perfectly legal.

-Tell fibs or big whopper lies

Oh really, Ms. Ravenwolf? So, if this is true, as you say, why is it in your books you condone your young readers to lie to their parents regarding practice? Hypocrit much?

Lying is a part of humanity. It is our thought that by lying, we either get ourselves out of trouble (when in fact, it gets us into far more trouble than the original lie was worth), or to spare one's feelings. Witches are not immune to the faulties of humanity. It's our curse as being pure human.

It's quite the conundrum. Lie and hurt someone mentally and perhaps physically (see 1) or lie and hurt yourself. Yes....conundrum.

-Call themselves "Warlock"

You know, I've never seen any actual, legit Witch call themselves "Warlock" (Warlock meaning "oathbreaker" and a term used to call a traitor). Most, if not all Witches, realize that this term is derogatory and insulting. Why bring yourself down by being derogatory?

-Get into sexual perversions. Sex is indeed respected in Witchcraft as an act of the expression of love and the celebration of life. But it is never forced upon anyone and should only be done between consenting adults with discretion regards to protection, privacy and other matters.

Sex IS respected. It is considered a natural act; and yes, it is done between two consenting adults. However, how it's done is up to the individuals. Certainly there are adults out there who take sex to a whole new level. Sex isn't always "making love"...sometimes some people enjoy a little rough sex now and then, and that's perfectly ok...so long as it doesn't get too rough, and each party understands the word "NO"

-Drink blood. That's just unhygenic, and has no purpose in Witchcraft.

Exactly, however...I'm not sure why this is in here, can someone clarify as to when Witchcraft crossed over into Vampirism? Cause that's news to me. Now as for USING blood in witchcraft (as opposed to drinking it), that's another story, as many see blood (and other bodily fluids) as powerful substances. I don't use blood (personally I have an extremely low tolerance for pain), but that's not to say ALL Witches don't use blood.

-Change their hair color in the blink of an eye

Well, this isn't entirely true. Hair color can be changed in as little as 10 minutes....that is...if you're using hair dye. No Witch can change ANY part of their body in the blink of an eye. That's a physical impossibility.

-Steal or take part in any type of criminal behavior

Well, if we were living in the 19th century (or even the beginning of the 20th century), Real Witches certainly WERE taking part in criminial behavior. It wasn't until the early 1950's when the last of the laws against Witchcraft were repealed. Up until then, Witchcraft was an illegal practice (at least in the US), however that didn't stop people from participating in it. In other parts of the world, Witchcraft is STILL an illegal practice, and grounds for punishment by death.

Today, many Real Witches participate in many illegal and criminal activities on a daily basis, some quite minor, others quite major. Many Witches speed as they drive to work, many Witches take illegal drugs, there are even real Witches out there who steal. It's naive to assume that a Real Witch is some fairy tale person who respects all and "Harms None"

-Pervert the symbols of any other religion

I've never seen a Witch "pervert" the use of another religion's symbol. If Ms. Ravenwolf is referring to Satanists using the Christian Cross upside down as a representation of their faith, then I'd have to say that no symbol is copyrighted to any one religion. The cross no more belongs to Christianity than the Pentacle belongs to Wicca. Anyone may make use of a symbol in any way they wish. It's based on personal interpretations and identifications. It's individual.

However I will agree that PURPOSEFUL desecration of a sacred symbol is just plain rude. Don't bring down our beliefs just because you're ignorant.

-Summon evil spirits, or demons

Many Witches don't believe in demons much less summon them. However, there are some who do, and I won't deny them this right to believe in such. *I* personally do not believe in demons, therefore I do not work with them (much less summon them).

-Worship Satan/believe in Hell

I have stated my opinion on Satan so many times It's becoming annoying to hear my own voice on the matter.

Witches don't believe in Satan; Witches can't worship something they don't believe in; the idea that Witches worship Satan makes as much sense as Christians worshipping Hades....etc

As for the concept of Hell, it's actually contradictory to the belief system from which it originates. For an all loving God to pitch his creation into a lake of fire for disobeying doesn't say much about that love. I know as a parent, I wouldn't eternally torture my child for disobeying me. Didn't the Abrahamic God say something about "forgiveness"???

-Coerce or brianwash people into joining Witchcraft.

People come to Witchcraft of their own free will. If there are people coercing people into "Witchcraft"...then it's not actual Witchcraft that these people are being coerced into in the first place, but some made up practice under the guise of Witchcraft. Witches have little use for brainwashing or coercing someone who doesn't want to be a part of the craft.

-Use Satanic Symbols

Again, a symbol is not copyrighted to any one religion. There really is no such thing as a "Satanic" symbol, as the idea of something being "Satanic" really means anything opposing the Christian belief (and this is according to Christianity, not me).

-Have to go through an initiation ceremony to practice Witchcraft

In essence, no one HAS to go through an initiation ceremony to practice anything. The point of an initiation (or a dedication for that matter) is to declare to both yourself and others that you have chosen to dedicate your life and yourself to a particular path or belief system. I have been a Witch (former Wiccan Witch) for just over 10 years and have NEVER done a dedication ceremony. I have never felt the need to. This is my practice, it's who I am, why do I need to do a long winded ceremony, just to say to myself "I'm a Witch and this is what I do".

-Become Witches overnight

Ok, fair enough. I'll throw Ms. Ravenwolf a bone and let her have this one.

One CANNOT become a Witch overnight. It took me close to 5 years before even thinking of labelling myself a Witch. For one thing, I was only at the beginning of my path and still didn't understand everything; the thought of using the word "Witch" scared me a little (I still had stereotypical thoughts in my head of what a Witch was). Once I began using the title I became more comfortable with it, and with what it meant. I continued on my search until this point. And I will continue from now on until I feel this path is no longer for me. It's 10 years later since starting.

-Attack people, but we may defend ourselves when attacked by others.

Retaliation is ok, so long as there is a good reason for it. Stolen IPod? Not a good reason. Someone started a rumor about you at school? Not a good reason. Boy/girlfriend cheated? Not a good reason. Rape? Yes, that's a good reason. Murder? Yes, that's a good reason. Get the picture?

-Blab to everyone that they're Witches"

It's one thing to tell a select few people that you're a Witch (especially those who are close to you, and whom you can trust); it's a complete other thing when you're telling everyone you pass on the street. It's ok to be proud of your craft. But it's not ok to brag. No one likes a bragger. For one thing, telling everyone and anyone is opening yourself up for a lot of aggrivation and "persecution" as many like to say. There are still lots of people in this world who are afraid of the word "Witch", as it stirs up imagery of the stereotypical Witch, hovering over a cauldron, green faced and warty, conjuring up her latest creation; a poison or malevolent spell. There are still many people not yet ready to understand what a Real Witch is...that most have no interest in hurting people purely for their own enjoyment. Keeping quiet isn't hiding who or what you are, it's being prudent and respecting what's sacred...and special to you.

-Always work magic

This isn't necessarily true. People are always working magic, either consciously or unconsciously. A birthday party yeilds magic in itself: your cake sits in front of you, aglow in lit birthday candles. You take a deep breath, close your eyes, and make a wish...then you blow out the candles hoping you get all of them in one breath. Now if that isn't a magical act, then I don't know what is. Magic isn't just rhyming off an incantation with lit candles and a sprinkling of herbs. Magic can exist in just about every act you do. Go through your day and think of all the mundane acts you do that could potentially be magical. You'd be surprised at how often one works magic on a daily basis...even if they're not a Witch!

-Practice a magical art such as a spell they do not fully understand.

This one I agree with. A REAL Witch knows that it takes time to learn something and that knowledge of something doesn't come automatically like unlocking a lock in the brain after reciting an incantation. One can practice spell work after they learn WHAT it is and HOW to work it

-Charge money to work magic or pray

I feel that it's unethical to "demand" payment for a service. It's a spiritual craft, not one that one works for profit. There is much debate on this topic. Many people feel one should be paid for time and service...but I'm ok with one accepting donations for that time and service. Yeah, supplies don't come cheap, but people don't go to Witches on a regular basis for a working. It's not meant to be a job, otherwise it looses it's mystique.

-Use their magic or other skills to show off

I feel this point should be directed at those who are too young to understand (particularly the teenagers out there who believe Witchcraft and magic are like Charmed and The Craft). Magic is not a toy or a game. It's a serious practice that deserve serious respect. If you have no respect for the craft, then why should it respect you? If you participate in something merely to gain friends, then those people aren't really your friends...they just like you because you show off. It'll back fire sooner or later.

**There are a few other points I found under the heading of "Real Witches Don't" that I'm unsure if came from Ms. Ravenwolf or not. But I'll post them anyways, because I have some things I want to mention in regards to them:

-Manipulate others, such as using love spells that manipulate someone to love the Witch or manipulating spiritual entities to do their bidding. Free will is always respected.

Uh...no, it's not. There are NUMEROUS Witches out there who don't always respect someone's free will; forcing their own will upon another at regular intervals. It may not be common, but let's not be so naive as to believe ALL Witches respect others. Some Witches are downright "Bitches".

As for manipulating spiritual entities...I suggest a look at my blog post here about the young woman who wishes to use a random spirit plucked from a grave site to do HER bidding. I rest my case.

-Always become Goths or Hippies. Witches respect various subcultures, but has no enforcement of how one should dress, what music they should listen to, etc.

Witches come in a varitey of cultures and lifestyles. Many are indeed Goths and Hippies; many are Satanists and Christians too. While not all Witches are these cultures, they're not NOT part of these cultures either.

...and my favorite:

-Have an official religious hierarchy.

**We don't need one. Witchcraft is not a religion!!!

Now....for the "Real Witches Do" part

Real Witches Do...

-Believe in God

Witches don't all necessarily believe in a God (Wiccan's perhaps, but not all Witches). Deity belief is an individual belief, not universal among Witches. There are certainly Witches who practice their craft without the aid of any deities. Many Witches are atheistic and don't believe in deities. There are some who believe in God, some even believe in multiple Gods, so the belief in a God varies among Witches. It's naive to assume that all Witches believe the same thing when all are individual.

-Respect other/honor all positive religious paths

Well, we certainly try, but then you have those hypocrits that cry out, "Respect my religion!!!" and then turn around and badmouth, disrespect, belittle other religions, especially Christianity, merely because they had a bad expreience with someone who didn't know how to properly practice the religion. Respect is a two way road. You can't get it unless you give it, and vice versa.

As for honoring all "positive" religious paths...no religion or path is negative or positive. Like magic it's neutral. What someone does with it is their choice...that doesn't reflect on the religion as a whole.

-Believe that we are all one

I don't necessarily see us all as one thing. We are all one race; one species yes, but we are also unique and individual. Our beliefs are just as unique and individual, so we are not all necessarily one.

-Believe in Prayer

Prayer is rather religious in it's context. Seeing as Witchcraft is not a religious practice, prayer is really moot. If you are a Witch who happens to practice Wicca or other belief system involving deities, then it makes sense for one to believe in the power of prayer, however, because there are also atheistic Witches out there, to say all Witches believe in prayer is erroneous.

-Follow certain laws

Sure, we follow certain laws...the laws set forth by the legal system in the countries that we live. However, Ms. Ravenwolf, if you're referring to the Threefold Law and the Wiccan Rede, this is incorrect. Not all Witches follow these beliefs (I know I don't). There are many more ethics out there that Witches believe besides the Wiccan Rede. Many Norse practitoners believe in the Nine Nobel Virtues; Satanic Witches follow the Eleven Satanic Rules; my personal ethic is stressing responsibility. We all follow whatever rules and ethics our individual traditions and paths dictate, as well as those of our own personal beliefs.

We all don't follow Wicca.

-Believe in Karma

Karma is an Eastern concept. A Real Witch doesn't necessarily have to follow the ethics of Eastern belief systems in order to properly practice their craft. Witches of the past had no idea about Karma, so how could they follow it? Much the same can be said for the Witches of today, especially those who try to keep their craft as close to those of their ancestors as they can. Most people here in the West have a distorted idea about Karma anyway. It doesn't even reflect the true nature of Eastern Karma. They turned it into a "Rubber vs. Glue" concept that isn't what Karma was intended to teach.

-Realize that to make the planet a good place to live, we have to live in harmony with others, and to do this, we work positive energy

Ah...in a perfect world where we all get along with each other and live in harmony, holding hands and singing Kum-Ba-Yah. HA! If only things were so easy. Regardless of positive work or negative...our world will still be as deteriorated and deplorable as always. We are animals. As such we are prone to attacking both ourselves and other species, just as other species are prone to attack us and themselves. We will NEVER live in the harmony we wish because of this. "World Peace" is a pipe dream.

-know that the art of magic is our greatest gift. if we work bad magic, spirit will take our gifts from us

I think this is a naive thought. Magic comes from within, not "Spirit". Our magic is the manipulation of surrounding energies. These energies are always there. "Spirit" isn't going to take that energy away because we choose to misuse it. That would GREATLY affect our plane and wouldn't work anyways. Not to mention the fact that, because Witchcraft is not a religion, the belief in a deity is not mandatory, therefore Atheistic Witches don't believe in "Spirit" and thus would work whatever magic they see fit at that time anyways.

This point doesn't make sense.

Real Witches work their craft in whatever way they see fit. Regardless of if they follow the ethics of "Threefold Law" or not; believe in a deity or not; lie or tell the truth, they are STILL Real Witches. One cannot determine who is and isn't a "Real Witch" based on a few distasteful acts determined by ONE (fairly unreliable) author.