I'm Wiccan. Ask Me Anything!

[Anonymous]

OP, it would be awesome if you'd preface some of your (egregiously incorrect) statements with "some Wiccans". You're a point on a wheel that is a great deal larger than your professed practice(s), and the amount of misinformation on this thread is staggering.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are there any body/hygenic rituals? (i.e, like a Mikveh)
Do you ever use herbs to try to attain a different/higher state of mind while casting(?) a spell?

Not so much physical ones as spiritual. For example, the cleansing of your chakras is a popular ritual. Some rituals (especially ones devoted to the monthly full moon) are encouraged to be done skyclad, or outside and nude to better absorb the moon's rays.

I really like your clever use of language to ask this question! I did partake in a certain type of vegetation when I was in college and for a short time after and now very occasionally enjoy. I know some sisters who do regularly, and some who do not imbibe in any type of vices.

Didn't want to unintentionally offend!

Skyclad is now my new favorite word.

Signed,
-Catholic, who has really enjoyed this thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, it would be awesome if you'd preface some of your (egregiously incorrect) statements with "some Wiccans". You're a point on a wheel that is a great deal larger than your professed practice(s), and the amount of misinformation on this thread is staggering.

I'm someone who knows very little about Wiccan and I think she's made it pretty clear what she believes vs. what can be believed or followed. She's been up front about condensing the information and keeping it very simple and not going too deep.

I'm asking sincerely - would you mind sharing what is incorrect? Or what your experience is? Or start a new thread?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, it would be awesome if you'd preface some of your (egregiously incorrect) statements with "some Wiccans". You're a point on a wheel that is a great deal larger than your professed practice(s), and the amount of misinformation on this thread is staggering.

I'm sorry! I thought that I was being clear that what I'm posting are my own personal beliefs and that there is not an identical belief set between Wiccans. I will be more mindful to make this clearer in future posts. Thank you for pointing this out to me and please correct me on any information that I have incorrectly given. I do not claim to be an expert and know that I am very fallible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are there any body/hygenic rituals? (i.e, like a Mikveh)
Do you ever use herbs to try to attain a different/higher state of mind while casting(?) a spell?

Not so much physical ones as spiritual. For example, the cleansing of your chakras is a popular ritual. Some rituals (especially ones devoted to the monthly full moon) are encouraged to be done skyclad, or outside and nude to better absorb the moon's rays.

I really like your clever use of language to ask this question! I did partake in a certain type of vegetation when I was in college and for a short time after and now very occasionally enjoy. I know some sisters who do regularly, and some who do not imbibe in any type of vices.

Didn't want to unintentionally offend!

Skyclad is now my new favorite word.

Signed,
-Catholic, who has really enjoyed this thread.

Skyclad is my favorite outfit!

[Anonymous]

I'm not sure why, but something about the whole Wiccan/nature-lover thing feels forced and false to me. Like the people doing it are trying to be something they're not. It really does seem like some form of mental illness.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm not sure why, but something about the whole Wiccan/nature-lover thing feels forced and false to me. Like the people doing it are trying to be something they're not. It really does seem like some form of mental illness.

NP here. I'm not Wiccan, but I'm pagan in nature and observe the solstices. The change of season and the natural world actually exist. I can prove that what I worship exists.
I'm different than the OP in that I'm pretty agnostic. I've no clue how we arrived here and books written by men aren't going to answer that. But I've participated in many rituals and it's very much like any other display of faith. Describing a faith that literally harms no one and tolerates other faiths, even tho others they tolerate often actively make fun of or even persecute theirs, as mental instability, is really just shitty.

[Anonymous]

The only wiccan I know got committed to a mental institute and was stripped of her parental rights

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The only wiccan I know got committed to a mental institute and was stripped of her parental rights

Because mental illnesses don't happen to people in other faiths. Only Wiccans. :-\

I don't believe your one example proves anything other than you have a very narrow world view.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The only wiccan I know got committed to a mental institute and was stripped of her parental rights

PP who first mentioned the complicated relationship between mental illness and religion here.

It is also worth pointing out that there is a history, globally, of persecuting folks with non-mainstream religious practices. Sometimes this persecution seems just to most people, in that we as a culture generally frown on actual ritual sacrifice as animal cruelty and don't approve of children (including physically mature teenagers, who are still children in they eye of the Western culture in which most of us live) participating in certain adult types of ritual even within the mainstream. We wish to protect innocents from harmful practices, and when someone's spiritual practice falls outside of what we consider to be safe, sure, kids get taken away. I don't find pagan or Wiccan spiritual practice any more dangerous than any other spiritual practice. Certainly the ways certain religions relate to children are more dangerous, physically and psychologically, than the OP's lighting candles and meditation. There have also been issues in the Pagan community (which is about as specific as "the Black community" or "the gay community") involving sexual relationships with minors (sometimes teenagers who are physically mature but legally under age, sometimes pre-pubescent children. This is hardly a Pagan problem, though. Look at instances of child brides in conservative Islamic faiths.

In any case, your acquaintance may have legitimate issues but there are many documented instances of Pagan parents facing legal issues as a result of their religious practice being deemed by child welfare services to be dangerous to children.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not sure why, but something about the whole Wiccan/nature-lover thing feels forced and false to me. Like the people doing it are trying to be something they're not. It really does seem like some form of mental illness.

NP here. I'm not Wiccan, but I'm pagan in nature and observe the solstices. The change of season and the natural world actually exist. I can prove that what I worship exists.
I'm different than the OP in that I'm pretty agnostic. I've no clue how we arrived here and books written by men aren't going to answer that. But I've participated in many rituals and it's very much like any other display of faith. Describing a faith that literally harms no one and tolerates other faiths, even tho others they tolerate often actively make fun of or even persecute theirs, as mental instability, is really just shitty.

It may well be, but I find the "religion" very hippy and out there. I also don't believe that the people participating in the practice REALLY believe in what they claim to worship. It's like some unhealthy cult thing for mentally disturbed people and/or folks who want to appear holistic and earthy.

What exactly are you worshiping? I'm asking in sincerity. Trees, air, leaves, etc? What does this worship look like? Do you revere these things?

[Anonymous]

Where you lose me, OP, is when you start getting into being a witch. With all due respect, that's nutty.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The only wiccan I know got committed to a mental institute and was stripped of her parental rights

PP who first mentioned the complicated relationship between mental illness and religion here.

It is also worth pointing out that there is a history, globally, of persecuting folks with non-mainstream religious practices. Sometimes this persecution seems just to most people, in that we as a culture generally frown on actual ritual sacrifice as animal cruelty and don't approve of children (including physically mature teenagers, who are still children in they eye of the Western culture in which most of us live) participating in certain adult types of ritual even within the mainstream. We wish to protect innocents from harmful practices, and when someone's spiritual practice falls outside of what we consider to be safe, sure, kids get taken away. I don't find pagan or Wiccan spiritual practice any more dangerous than any other spiritual practice. Certainly the ways certain religions relate to children are more dangerous, physically and psychologically, than the OP's lighting candles and meditation. There have also been issues in the Pagan community (which is about as specific as "the Black community" or "the gay community") involving sexual relationships with minors (sometimes teenagers who are physically mature but legally under age, sometimes pre-pubescent children. This is hardly a Pagan problem, though. Look at instances of child brides in conservative Islamic faiths.

In any case, your acquaintance may have legitimate issues but there are many documented instances of Pagan parents facing legal issues as a result of their religious practice being deemed by child welfare services to be dangerous to children.

PP, you speak a beautiful explanation again. Thank you!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not sure why, but something about the whole Wiccan/nature-lover thing feels forced and false to me. Like the people doing it are trying to be something they're not. It really does seem like some form of mental illness.

NP here. I'm not Wiccan, but I'm pagan in nature and observe the solstices. The change of season and the natural world actually exist. I can prove that what I worship exists.
I'm different than the OP in that I'm pretty agnostic. I've no clue how we arrived here and books written by men aren't going to answer that. But I've participated in many rituals and it's very much like any other display of faith. Describing a faith that literally harms no one and tolerates other faiths, even tho others they tolerate often actively make fun of or even persecute theirs, as mental instability, is really just shitty.

It may well be, but I find the "religion" very hippy and out there. I also don't believe that the people participating in the practice REALLY believe in what they claim to worship. It's like some unhealthy cult thing for mentally disturbed people and/or folks who want to appear holistic and earthy.

What exactly are you worshiping? I'm asking in sincerity. Trees, air, leaves, etc? What does this worship look like? Do you revere these things?

It's hippy, but it's also historical. Earth based religions go back thousands of years. We have roots in the belief systems found in Ancient Greece or Rome, Nordic societies, Celtic cultures, some indigenous American tribes. It's no more a cult than organized religions are.

I personally worship the Creators and the natural world around me. I spend a lot of time in nature meditating under a tree or in a field of flowers. I garden. I clean up parks and rivers.

I absolutely believe in what I've talked about throughout this thread, and I think that my beliefs have influenced the kind of person that I am. I strive to be polite and nice. I try my damnest to follow the Wiccan Rede, which states "And as it harms none, do what thou wilt".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Where you lose me, OP, is when you start getting into being a witch. With all due respect, that's nutty.

That's fair. If you're not used to it, of course it's strange that a modern woman in the 21st Century is going on about casting spells and practicing magic. I don't find it strange because of how attached I am to it, but understand that anything out of the ordinary is often mistaken for the antics of crazy people. I can only hope that you perhaps listen to what I'm saying to try and understand me a little bit more, and perhaps lessen some of the stigma that you have surrounding this issue.