Wicca and you (rituals, moral, beliefs, myth, pagans)

[Draka]

Originally Posted by Seeking Knowledge

Thanks Mike and Draka -
I guess another question would be how has wicca changed your life?
Of course, I am just starting the learning process and have a million questions.

At the risk of sounding strange here (though I guess that's normal for me):

It has given me peace where there was chaos,
compassion where there was heartache,
understanding where there was confusion,
security where there was instability,
love where there was emptiness.

I was going through a very VERY rough time in my life when I decided to dedicate myself to Wicca. I was contantly depressed over losing my children. I was essentially homeless (crashing at various people's places). There were times I didn't want to live. One day, I found myself in a Barnes and Noble's Booksellers and I was perusing the religion section for books on Buddhism (just liked to learn about different beliefs). Anyway, I came across the section on Wicca. Not knowing really anything about it I picked up a book and started to read a bit on what Wicca was. The beliefs were many of the basic beliefs I had had since very young. It made sense. So it became the first of a library of Wicca books I now own.

Since I dedicated myself to following the path of Wicca it has helped me become more centered and given me the strength to accept certain things in my life and try to move on and better myself. I have since...gone to college, held supervisory positions at a few jobs, found love again, have a stable home, have a beautiful 19 month old son and another baby on the way.

It gave me the spirituality and purpose and drive to survive that I just didn't have before in my life. When everything makes sense and "clicks" into place in your mind and your spirituality then it helps to balance, center, and sort out your life. It fulfills me...a part of who I am.

[Rochelle0913]

I am wiccan, so yes it plays an important role in my life. I do try to harm none. I try to live selflessly in order to do that. I try to avoid bad karma, to be forgiving, and not hate anyone no matter what they do to me. That is challenging.
The most challenging things I have found though, are factors of being solitary. Wicca isn't exactly the most popular religion, and a lot of people who say they are wiccan, are merely attracted by the idea of having magical power.
In wicca, you learn through experience, there isn't anyone telling you what to do, no one to confess to except yourself. There isn't even anything telling you what god or how many gods/goddesses to worship. You are independent and have to watch your own *** and deeds.
There is a lot of discrimination towards pagans, it is almost something you have to hide. You can't tell someone is wiccan by looking at them. I have uberly long hair, but i don't dress goth or anything, so it is pretty easy to hide for me. People, especially, people ascribing to major religions like christianity look down on pagans. We are viewed as sinners who have separated themselves from god and will burn in hell for it. I found a southern baptist congregation on the web that had little soundbits from church services. The pastor said to take the wiccans down to the basement, chain them to a hot furnace and poke them with a hot iron while singing religous songs until they accept jesus christ as their savior. It is frightening what people will do when they feel justified.
It is a lonely religion, but it is safer that way.

[Draka]

Originally Posted by Rochelle0913

I am wiccan, so yes it plays an important role in my life. I do try to harm none. I try to live selflessly in order to do that. I try to avoid bad karma, to be forgiving, and not hate anyone no matter what they do to me. That is challenging.
The most challenging things I have found though, are factors of being solitary. Wicca isn't exactly the most popular religion, and a lot of people who say they are wiccan, are merely attracted by the idea of having magical power.
In wicca, you learn through experience, there isn't anyone telling you what to do, no one to confess to except yourself. There isn't even anything telling you what god or how many gods/goddesses to worship. You are independent and have to watch your own *** and deeds.
There is a lot of discrimination towards pagans, it is almost something you have to hide. You can't tell someone is wiccan by looking at them. I have uberly long hair, but i don't dress goth or anything, so it is pretty easy to hide for me. People, especially, people ascribing to major religions like christianity look down on pagans. We are viewed as sinners who have separated themselves from god and will burn in hell for it. I found a southern baptist congregation on the web that had little soundbits from church services. The pastor said to take the wiccans down to the basement, chain them to a hot furnace and poke them with a hot iron while singing religous songs until they accept jesus christ as their savior. It is frightening what people will do when they feel justified.
It is a lonely religion, but it is safer that way.

How did I know exactly where to go to find what you were talking about?

This is funny! http://www.landoverbaptist.org/audio/wiccantrap.mp3

Alright people...please be aware that this is from Landover Baptist site. It is fake, but still funny as all get out!

[Rochelle0913]

That is funny. It creeped me out the first time I found it. It definitely made me laugh, and hopefully it is fake, but there are some INSANE religious zeolots.

[Draka]

Originally Posted by Rochelle0913

That is funny. It creeped me out the first time I found it. It definitely made me laugh, and hopefully it is fake, but there are some INSANE religious zeolots.

It's fake. Landover Baptist is a fake church/site that is meant to poke sarcastic fun at other such churches that are "overboard" such as the Westboro Baptist Church. Look around their site some more and you will realize just how made up it all is. Not to mention that it is supposedly in a town called "Freehold, Iowa". I'm in Iowa, born and raised here, there IS no such town. It is all made up.