Questions (tradition, beliefs, myth, experience, pray)

[Milamber]

If I can add my thoughts to this one also:

There are many male Wicca's out here. I'm one myself And I am proud to call myself a witch. I do worship both the God and Goddess, occasionally as seperate entities and occasionally as one entity together. On most occasions, I find myself relating to what I think of as my patron deity, the one specific aspect of the God which I can identify with and communicate with more easily. This aspect makes it much easier for me to pray. It is often the God I call upon when performing workings.

Again, Magic tend to be different for every wiccan out there. Personally, I do not use such things as candles (or if I do, its only for the flame as a point of focus), athame's, chalices, etc. I find they get in the way. As has been noted, magic can be thought of as prayer, a simple request for a higher power to assist you or another in some way - similar to how other religions would pray to god for something.

A circle does not just exist on the floor - I prefer to think of it as a bubble surrounding me, and any others whilst performing a ritual (especially if doing something involing more use of energy such as an energy raising) A "circle" is used to help contain the channeled energy you are working with, and keep bad influences (malignant spirits, negative forces) out.

Thats my feelings anyway

[Feathers in Hair]

Whoops, I almost answered this, but then I remembered that I'm a pagan, but don't follow Wicca. Would you like opinions/ thoughts from others who use similar techniques, though?

[Jaiket]

Originally Posted by FeathersinHair

Whoops, I almost answered this, but then I remembered that I'm a pagan, but don't follow Wicca. Would you like opinions/ thoughts from others who use similar techniques, though?

If that question is for me, yes, please do.

[Feathers in Hair]

Okay! Will do so happily once I return from apartment-hunting!

[Draka]

Okay, a couple answers from me now...

As for magic and spells the terms can used interchangably for me. Both can be considered prayers that go beyond thought and words to use of symbolic actions as well to enhance are intent and purpose. We concentrate on the deities that we are asking help from, or we are in essence asking that the forces of nature that we feel so intune with to bend to our will.

A cast circle can be not only considered as protection to keep out negative spirits and entities, but also a personal bridge between two worlds, "a time that is not time in a place that is not a place", this is the sacred space that we set aside to commune directly with the Divine and spirits around us that we invite in. As was mentioned this not just a circle drawn on the floor or ground, some veiw it as a bubble and some as a cone of power with the energy collected and gathered at the peak and filling the cone during the ritual for our use and to fill us with the power itself.

Just a couple points from me because every one else has done so well in their descriptions. Hope this helps some.

[Circle_One]

If magic is different for every wiccan, how do you know you're all talking about the same thing?

Magick itself is not different to each Wiccan/Pagan/Witch. Magick, as Unedited said, is a force, an energy (which is why it can neither be black nor white as well.). The way it is viewed by each Wiccan or Pagan can vary greatly, but it in itself is not different.

You've defined spells as being like a prayer. Praying has always mystified me, what do these spells entail? Why candles?

Spells are somewhat like prayers and are used to create needed change in one's own life or the life of a loved one. But while prayers are a petition to an external Deity to create the change, most Wiccans believe that Deity is present in everything, including ourselves. Spells, then, are the channeling of our own divine selves, our own energies, to create the change. Candles and such are used as focal points or for added energy. Some Deities simply prefer the candles.

[fabbers]

Originally Posted by truthseekingsoul

I read into it a little and as far as I can see Christians have never tried to destroy wicca or wiccans. Have I missed something?

BTW there are countless religions besides Christianity, what attracted you to wicca?

ok. first yes they have tried to destroy wicca and it is succeding. first when christians from europe came to the americas they tried destroying the pagan religions of the american idians and convert them to christianity. the wiccan pentragram the sign that represents the five elements, earth water fire spirit ect, and the sides are exactly the same representing all beings being equal, yin and yang, male and female, amon and isis, ect. the christians have turned the pagan sign into a devil sign. hitler did the same with the swaztika.

[Saw11_2000]

I know male wiccans.

[Jaiket]

Originally Posted by fabbers

ok. first yes they have tried to destroy wicca and it is succeding. first when christians from europe came to the americas they tried destroying the pagan religions of the american idians and convert them to christianity. the wiccan pentragram the sign that represents the five elements, earth water fire spirit ect, and the sides are exactly the same representing all beings being equal, yin and yang, male and female, amon and isis, ect. the christians have turned the pagan sign into a devil sign. hitler did the same with the swaztika.

Originally Posted by Wicca Overview

Wicca is the most popular Neopagan religion, originally founded by the British civil servant Gerald Gardner, probably in the 1930s, although it was first openly revealed in 1951.

This was posted by Maize, and sourced to http://en.wikipedia.org.

If this is incorrect I apologise, I don’t know a great deal about Wicca as you may understand from my starting this thread.

If it is correct then you’re statement is completely inaccurate. Since Wicca would not have existed in colonial American times.

Oh, and Hitler and/or the Nazi party never turned the swastika into a satanic symbol.