(Part 5) Vocabulary

Here's some of the more popularly used vocabulary of Wicca.


Vocab 1

Altar- Flat surface set aside for magical workings or religious acknowledgement.
Astral- Another dimension of reality.
Athame- A cleansed and consecrated ceremonial knife used in ritual work bu Witches.
Burning Times- Reference to a historical time when it is said that over nine million people were tortured and burned on the assumption that they were Witches.
Kabbalah- The ancient Hebrew magical system.
Consecration- The act of blessing an object or place by instilling it with positive energy.
Deosil- Clockwise movement.
Divination-The art of using magical tools and symbols to gather information.
Hand Fasting- A Wiccan or Pagan marriage ceremony.
Widdershins- Counterclockwise movement.
* Definitions from Silver Raven Wolf’s “To Ride a Silver Broomstick

Helpful Links

General Wiccan info sites:

Www.witchvox.com

http://www.paganlore.com/witchcraft_101.html

www.WitchSchool.com

http://groups.msn.com/SacredOakTree/yourwebpage8.msnw

Wicca 101(Part 4)

A Few Principle Beliefs In Wicca
(Note that I used Raven Silverwolf's book as a guide and used some direct quotes. I am only giving you so much information, but I will find sites where you can check out more about the topic which Im putting here, that way you aren't lost if Im not giving enough info for you.)

1. Attune ourselves with nature.
2. We believe that the higher power is manifested as masculine and feminine (hence God and Goddess).
3. "A witch seeks to control forces within him/herself that make life possible in order to live wisely and well, without harm to others, and in harmony with nature." *
4. "We do not accept the concept of 'absolute evil', nor do we worship any entity known as 'Satan'or 'the Devil' as defined by Christian Tradition. We do not seek power through the suffering of others, nor do we accept the concept that personal benefits can only be derived by denial to another." *
5. "We work within Nature for that which is contributoy to our health and well-being." *

( * denotes direct quotes from Raven Silverwolf's book 'To Ride a Silver Broomstick".




Some Diffrent Paths and Tradition

Ceremonial Witchcraft: Followers use lot of ceremonial magick, as in detailed rituals.

Eclectic Witch: Means that the person doesn't really follow any set Tradition and they learn and study from many magickal systems.

Gardnerian Tradition: Organized by Gerald Gardner in the 1950's. Publicized the Old Religion.

Solitary Witch: Someone who practices alone.

Wicca 101 (Part 3)

If you have kept up and gotten this far and you still want to learn more, then WELCOME!


I'll start off giving you a little personal "Homework". You don't need to turn it in or even tell me about your answers, this is for your personal learning. So this would be the first stuff to put in your BOS. It's good to write down the Questions too. Or, if you have a 3 ring then you can just print them out and stick them in there where you can answer them too! You're going to need resources to answer the questions you don't know. But that's the point, im just letting you know. Plus, the stuff I give you is all stuff I have done myself, so at least you know I did it too!


I. Ethics

The law of return: What goes around comes around.

What does this mean to you? How does it apply to your life? How does it apply to your magick practices?




Perfect love and perfect trust: It must be maintained between partners.

Define "Perfect love and perfect trust".
How do you know when to trust someone?
Who should you trust and when should you maintain secrecy?




Wiccan Rede: If you wish to become a Wiccan, it is important to understand the Rede.

What is the meaning of the rede?





II. Preparatory Understanding

Faith: You must fully believe in magick for it to work.

What do the phrases "Magick is afoot" and "Magic is all around" mean?





Will Power: Nothing can stop you from reaching your goal.

What are some possible obstacles to magick?
How can you overcome those obstacles?

Wicca 101 (Part 2)

If you really do want to learn and become part of Paganism and Wicca then you will need a Book of Shadows (aka BOS). This is where you will keep all the information you learn and collect. This doesn't have to be fancy (but it can if you want it to be). You can just buy a regular notebook with paper, one of those composition notebooks or a fancy hardbound one from an occult store. But what I reccomend you use is a 3 ring bound note book with divides and tabs. This way if one section of your BOS grows then you can add more paper in there whenever you need, or you can take things out and shift them around, and add extra sections as you learn more. You can start off with a regular sized one, but after a few years it might get full and you'll just have to get a bigger one. I know it's happened to me.

You should most definately check out books from your library on Paganism and Wicca. While I can tell you alot of things I can't write you an entire book about this subject so it's best if you fill in the rest on your own. Once you read one or two begginer books you'll be able to understand more and move on and be able to pick better books to continue your growth and learning. I CAN however give you a list of some books I own and have read as a begginer just so you have an idea.


To Ride a Silver Broomstick-By Silver RaveWolf

The Truth About Witchcraft Today-By Scott Cunningham

The Urban Primitve-By Raven Kaldera and Tannin Schwartzstein

The Learned Arts of Witches and Wizards- By Anton and Mina Adams


Those are just a few, and remember that not everything you read (especially on the internet) is accurate or true. There are some books and websites that try to hoodwink you or lead you astray.

Also, it isn't neccesary to be initiated to LEARN about Wicca, but it is appropriate that if you are going to practice and do spells that you are initiated. Wicca and Paganism in general are long never ending journeys of learning and knowledge, it's up to you to decide how far you want to go. If you do decide to be initiated you should know that before hand you must have a dedication ceremony. This means that for 1 year and a day you will be studying to be initiated. Usually there is a certain amount of knowledge you must know before you are initiated, but this is mostly for covens. Most Solitary Practicioners (someone who practices privately on their own and not within a coven), do self initiations. They still do the year and a day of study, but they just initiate themselves.

Remember that it is your choice only what you do. And if you do an initiation it is a big step and if you choose to turn away from it someday is like breaking a big promise.

http://www.pathcom.com/~newmoon/chants.html

There is a link to the Wiccan Rede and Law of the Three

Wicca 101

Wicca is an earth based belief system. It honors nature and the harmony between people and nature. It also embraces the male and female aspects of people.

A Wiccan is someone who believes and/or practices Wicca.

Wicca is derived from the ancient term Wicce, or witch. Many words that mean the same thing; Wise-woman, or wise person.

Paganism is an umbrella term. Wicca falls under paganism along with alot of others. Paganism is a very old religion/belief system and it is a little unclear when it actually started or how long ago. When Christianisty and Catholism evolved people who were Pagans now were considered "Heathens".

Under Paganism comes beliefs systems such as: Gypsy Magick, Italian witchcraft, green witches, kitchen witches, dragon traditions, celtic traditions, druidism, faery, and many more.

Pagans many times adopt and incorporate beliefs from many diffrent paths into one large collective belief for themselves. This is sometimes called ecclectic Wicca, or ecclectic Paganism.
It's ultimately whatever it is to YOU and what YOU believe and follow.


The main rule followed by many Pagans is a line from the Wiccan Rede:

"And Harm None, Do What Ye Will"
http://www.pathcom.com/~newmoon/rede.htm


The term Witch applies to males and females although sometimes males might be wizards. The term Warlock refers to a traitor.

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Death Is My Mistress...

Raven's Study Group
Death Is My Mistress...

Hello there all, I just want to say that I am using this blog more as a resource for learning more about Paganism, more specifically Wicca. So if you want to learn more about it then just read the blogs! They will be updated from time to time with new information to continue the lessons and learning. I hope that you enjoy it and get something out of it! Of course if you have any questions you can email me at: QuinnAngel00@yahoo.com