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

[Prima]

Whew, truthseekingsoul, you have the best questions...and good ones!

When it's described as any energy or force I can contemplate it. When described as a tool to alter a practitioners (or someone the practitioner knows) situation I find it difficult to accept.

Makes me think of the way MV describes chi, or was it tao? One of them anyway.

I can accept the all life and things 'have' energy. I see it as energy and that's it. Kinetics. What makes this magic malleable to Wiccans?

Think about this a bit more and see if you can see my point - that it's both! think about sunlight. Power, energy - but when harnessed, solar power (which I strongly support, by the way ) Or water. Or even the force/power/energy in your own food or muscles. And again, years ago most people didn't contemplate using solar power. Now, it's beginning to be a realistic option. Maybe one day magic will be actively used by everyone.

On a side note, have you looked at psi? try www.psipog.net (.com?)

I always strive to turn adversity to my advantage. I had a bit of a personal revelation in a sense today in fact with something that troubled me for a bit. Nothing religious but it has shown to me why people might 'feel' faith.

I'm glad that turned out alright for you.

But think about this...you said 'nothing religious' Not all Wiccans will agree with me, but here's what I think:

The Goddess is in everyone and everything. (This is similar to what Christians think, that God is in everyone. It can also be secularly translated as thereis good in everyone. It has been philosophically by Spinoza as thoughts and attributes. In other words, it's not a new idea) Therefore, the Goddess is not only in myself and of myself, She is myself. So when something amazingly good happens to be or because of me - was it myself or the Goddess? Well, both. The two are one and the same, inseperable. It's similar to the religion of self (similar to Satanism concepts) But I also use the word Goddess to mean that which is good. The word 'Namaste' - translated as 'the divinity in me recognizes the divinity in you'? Well, it's the divinity in me that is doing such good things. It's kind of an odd idea...but I'm happy with it, and I suppose that's what counts.

On another note, this is good for me, as it is for anyone who suffers from crappy self-esteem. Or self-respect. Whatever.

I can't think of anything to say to this, circles on the ground seem pretty redundant to me. But since no-one here has actively tried to convince me that Wicca is truth...

Well...duh. I've never understood the concept of "Because I believe it, everyone else should believe it, too!" In the words of Francesca de Grandis..."Well, dang it, I'll never get a cult started if you insist on having rights!"

Yeah, I'm actually not a big fan of circles. It doesn't work well with my work area, either (have you ever tried to clean salt or dirt off of an unsanded, unfinished homework desk? not a pretty sight! I figure, if it's in your head, it's good enough (usually)

Keep those questions coming...

[Feathers in Hair]

I hadn't seen the mention of chi or ki energy before (I must read closer!) but that's exactly what I equate it with. I use reiki, and the feeling I get when using that and consciously doing magic is the same. (Although, as Kreeden said, we all do it naturally, sometimes without knowing it.)

[Prima]

Yes, he mentioned chi. I don't equate magic with chi at all, but I haven't worked much with chi much. I think it's a little like psi...not like tao at all.