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To: alt.pagan,talk.religion.misc,alt.religion.wicca,alt.magick.tyagi
From: tyagi@houseofkaos.abyss.com (lorax)
Subject: Re: Alt.Religion.Wicca Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Date: 6 May 1997 08:32:45 -0700

49970506 AA1  Hail Satan!  NULatix! (on the spot)

rain@linda.teleport.com:
:# Archive-name: religions/wicca/faq
:# Posting-Frequency:  monthly (full moon)
:# Last-modified: 9 June 1995 (URL's added November 1996)
:# URL:  http://www.pobox.com/~wicca
:# Anonymous FTP:  ftp://ftp.teleport.com/users/rain/wicca/arwfaq.txt

REVIEW of same, cc'd to Rain (hi there! ;>).

[snip]
 
:# 1.2)  What is Wicca and how is it related to Paganism?
:# 
:#      "Wicca" is the name of a contemporary Neo-Pagan religion, largely
:# promulgated and popularized by the efforts of a retired British civil
:# servant named Gerald Gardner.  In the last few decades, Wicca has spread
:# in part due to its popularity among feminists and others seeking a more
:# woman-positive, earth-based religion.  Like most Neo-Pagan spiritualities,
:# Wicca worships the sacred as immanent in nature, drawing much of its
:# inspiration from the non-Christian and pre-Christian religions of Europe. 
:# "Neo-Pagan" simply means "new pagan" (derived from the Latin _paganus_ ,
:# "country-dweller") and hearkens back to times before the spread of today's
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
you may wish to check into this further.  it may relate originate in 
other usage (such as 'bumpkin', a slander).


:# major monotheistic (one god) religions.  A good general rule is that most
:# Wiccans are Neo-Pagans but not all Pagans are Wiccans.  Please consult 
                              ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
:# alt.pagan or the alt.pagan FAQ for more general information on Neo-Paganism. 

1) "Pagan" here is inconsistent (s/b "Neopagan" or if you insist "Neo-Pagan")
2) probably soc.religion.paganism/FAQ is a better referral.

 
:# 2.2  What god(desse)s do Wiccans worship?
:# 
:#      Although some Wiccans focus on particular gods from particular world
:# mythologies, Wiccans may worship many god(desse)s by many different names.
:# Most worship some form of the Great Goddess and Her consort, The Horned
:# God.  Such duo-theistic forces are often conceived as embodying
:# complementary polarities, not in opposition.  In some traditions worship
:# of the Goddess is emphasized, although in others the Goddess and God are
:# seen as complementary co-equals.  The Goddess and God may be seen as
:# associated with certain things (such as the Goddess with the earth or
:# moon, God with sun and wildlife, etc), but there are no hard and fast
:# rules.  Some traditions worship the Goddess alone while others see
:# Divinity as essentially beyond human understanding, with "Goddess" and
:# "God" simply a convenient shorthand. 

more description here necessary as regards 'archetypes' and/or at least
the typical attitude of the Wiccan that the various gods are "personae"
or masks of the transcendant 'God/dess'.

 
:# 2.3  What tools and rituals do you use?
:# 
:#      Some ritual items are common to almost every Wiccan tradition, such
:# as the athame (ritual knife) and chalice (ritual cup).  Others may be used
                  ~~~~~~~~~~~~
I have heard Wiccans distinguish a 'knife' from an athame (ritual blade,
typically single-edged, but not always).  you might also mention something
here about pronunciation of 'athame'.


:# by some traditions but not others: bells, brooms, candles, cauldrons,
:# cords, drums, incense, jewelry, special plates, pentacles, scourges,
:# statues, swords, staves and wands.  

I'd add 'books' and place the first three in this order:  bells, books,
candles, ....


:#The meaning of these items, their use
:# and manufacture will differ among traditions and individuals. Usually a
:# Wiccan ritual will involve some sort of creation of sacred space (casting
:# a circle), invocation of divine power, sharing of dance/song/food or wine
:# and a thankful farewell and ceremonial closing.  Rituals may be held at
:# Wiccan "sabbats" or "esbats" (see below) or to mark life transitions such
:# as births, coming-of-age, marriages/handfastings, housewarmings, healings,
:# deaths or other rites of passage. 

you might also mention a 'Creation of a Cone of Power' and/or that the
'Circle' is typically considered to be a sphere, deriving from the
ceremonial magick tradition in which a circle was cast to secure the
magician within the names of YHVH and a d(a)emon in a circled triangle.

 
:# 2.5  What is basic Wiccan thealogy?

:#      Although it may be foolhardy to compare things as complex as
:# religions, people do.  Many Wiccans distinguish themselves from Satanists,
:# for example, in preferring complementary views of divinity to adversarial
                              ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
:# ones.  

I'd suggest this is awkward and substitute 'beneficent' or even 
'compassionate'.


:# Others may note their own comfort and embrace of ambiguity and
:# polytheism (many gods). Unlike the Jewish, Christian or Islamic
:# traditions, there is little emphasis on interpretation of "scripture" or a
:# revealed text.  Although many Wiccans may believe in some sort of
:# reincarnation, they may distinguish themselves from Buddhists in seeing
:# life as a journey or adventure without any desire to "leave the wheel" of
:# return.  

a tricky point here.  'reincarnation' is not a Buddhist idea.  this idea
(properly within the study of religions called 'metempsychosis') is also
known as 'the transmigration of souls', and has NO place in Buddhist
ideologies.  what is sometimes called 'rebirth' is a complex phenomena
misunderstood by the vulgar given the centrality of the principle of
'anatta/anatman' (no separate and continuing self) which is a part of
most if not all Buddhist lineages.


:# Like Hindus, Wiccans may pride themselves on their tolerance for
:# other paths, like Buddhists they may value personal insight and like
:# Taoists they may seek to align themselves more perfectly with nature. 

you might also say 

	 Like the religious of many cultures they find little
	 difficulties in merging a variety of spiritual pathways, 
	 today engaging in Circle with Wiccan covenmates, 
	 tomorrow celebrating the Seder with Jewish friends, 
	 the next day attending a Catholic Mass with family. 

(though you touch on this in 3.1 briefly).


:# 3.1  Can I be a Christian/ Jew/ Muslim/ Buddhist/ Taoist/ Astrologer/
:#         Druid/ Shaman/ omnivore/ whatever and a Wiccan?
 
:# monopoly on truth, divine revelation or enlightenment.  "Christian
:# Wiccans" probably face the largest skepticism, however, given the history
:# and ongoing reality of allegedly "Christian" persecution. 

there has got to be a better way to say this last.  how about:

	"Christian Wiccans" probably face the largest skepticism,
	however, given the historical religious persecution 
	by people who identify themselves as 'Christian'.

 
:# 3.2  What are "dedication" and "initiation" in Wicca?
 
:# "who initiated the first witch?"  Valiente and others assert that those
:# who choose to "bootstrap" a coven into existence (by an initial
:# initiation) or to use self-initiation may do so, citing the Universal
							   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
:# Declaration of Human Rights.  Self-dedications are also quite common among
   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
:# new practitioners and solitary Wiccans ("solitaries").

what is this?  if there is no 'official authority', then why is Valiente
indicating what "may" be done?  is this an official approval?  how
'universal' is this "Universal Declaration"?

 
:# 3.3  Do all Wiccans practice magic/k?
 
:# of efficacy.  Others may cast love spells or other curses but no, we don't
:# do it for strangers on the net and no, we don't confuse this with stage
:# magic. 

I think there may be exceptions to both of these statements.  in any case,
please provide a referral to alt.magick and/or alt.pagan.magick here.
the FAQ is at: 

		http://www.hollyfeld.org/amgfaq

 
:# 3.4  Is Wicca the same thing as witchcraft?
:# 
:#      The short answer is no.  Many cultures have a negative word like
:# "witchcraft," often viewing it as a malevolent, supernatural tool used by
:# the weak, old or malicious.  

it should be stated that many anthropologists have applied the term
'witchcraft' in this way, and that the translations of the names
for these supposed malevolents vary considerably.


:# Some people use the term "witchcraft" to
:# cover more general skills, such as counseling, the occult and herbcraft. 
:# Some Wiccans call themselves "Witches," capitalizing it as a gesture of
:# solidarity with the victims of the Burning Times, but this is a personal
:# decision.  Although many Wiccans today may cast spells and practice
:# magic/k, these are not considered an integral part of Wicca by all
:# Wiccans. Wicca is not traditional folk magic and all magic is not
:# necessarily Wiccan, anymore than all people who pray belong to any 
:# particular religion.

(cf alt.magick.folk?  alt.lucky.w?)


:# 3.5  What were "the Burning Times?"
:# 
:#      "The Burning Times" is the term used by many modern Neo-Pagans and
:# feminists to refer to the great European witch-hunts of the early modern
                                   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"European Witch-Craze" (cf. Trevor-Roper) (no "great") is better.


:# period, coincident with the time of the reformation and seen by many as a
:# crucial step in Christianity's crushing of the Pagan religions, driving
                                                                   ~~~~~~~
:# these underground.  Some authors claim as many as ten million people were
   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
:# killed in these hunts, while more recent scholarship puts the number of
:# documented deaths at 20-100 thousands, 80-90% of these women.  Sometimes
:# these numbers are doubled to account for non-judicial killings and deaths
:# from torture, suicide, etcetera.  Whatever the numbers, however, victims
:# of these hunts are perceived as martyrs by Wiccans today, with the lessons
:# of intolerance, misogyny and religious terror clearly noted. 

it is irresponsible to leave the reader under the impression that the people
who were killed *were 'witches'* or that witches of the type which exist
today were killed.  I think this should be completely revised with some
historical citation and the matter of 'what is a witch' either relegated to
the newsgroup or partially resolved as regards what *can* be demonstrated,
historically.
 

:# 3.6  What are the origins of Wicca?
:# 
:#      This is a matter of some debate within Wiccan circles.  Some Wiccans
:# see their inspiration and traditions as coming directly from the gods. 
:# Certain Wiccan mythology holds that Wicca has come down from the stone
:# age, surviving persecution in secret covens for hundreds of years.  Others
:# say that their Wicca is a long-held family tradition (or "fam trad"),
:# passed down through villages and grandmothers.  Aidan Kelly argues that
:# modern Wicca was largely pieced together by Gerald Gardner from Margaret
:# Murray, Charles Leland and other sources, with significant revisions by
:# Doreen Valiente (and others), beginning in 1939.  Whatever its origins, 
:# Wicca today is a vibrant, modern religion, open to change, creativity and 
:# personalization.

note: Kelly specifically states that Gardner's primary Books of Shadows
incorporated quite a bit of material from *CROWLEY* and other 
ceremonialists and masonics.  this should not be left out of any query-
response regarding 'wiccan origins'.


:# 3.7  What are the major traditions in Wicca and where do they come from?
:# 
:#      Aidan Kelly argues that all of Wicca derives from Gerald Gardner,

this is specious, while literally likely.  that is, Gardner got it from
syncretic fabrication, drawing from a number of sources inclusive of his
OTO (AC) connection, his connection to Old Dorothy and the Rosicrucian
or Theosophicals, possibly Golden Dawn connections, and drew extensively
from books like _The Key of Solomon_.  a great many Wiccan standards are
demonstrable masonic children.  all of this should be covered in the
'origins' section and generalizations such as the above should be avoided
on account of the tendency of the religious to perpetuate falsity for
the purposes of appearing ancient and therefore powerful or authoritative.


:# 3.8  What is the "Book of Shadows?"  Where do I get one?
:# 
:#      The Book of Shadows (or "BoS") is sort of a customized reference book
:# for Wiccans, containing useful information such as myths, liturgical
:# items, one's own writings or records of dreams and magical workings. 

there is little said here of the SECRECY FACTOR as regards the BoS, and
this should be made plain.  such Books are the correlate of the Masonic
Scripture and come to be revered despite their tendency to exclude
attribution or entirety.  this is in some measure likely due to the
childhoods of the people involved in Wicca (largely Judeochristian).


:# 3.9  What is a coven and how do I join one?
:# 
:#      The coven is the basic, cellular "congregation" for some Wiccans, but is
:# often very formal, selective and closed, aiming for an ideal of "perfect
:# love and perfect trust" among members.  Most Wiccans begin in less formal
:# ways such as attending festivals, public rituals, classes or more open
:# groups (often called "circles").  Many Wiccans probably begin and continue
:# practice as "solitaries," whether before, after or while a member of a
:# coven.  Solitary practice is a valid "tradition" in the Craft, but some
:# good places to find other Wiccans are on the net, at public Pagan events or
:# through occult, political or "new age" bookstores.

I would suggest mentioning the traditional ideas surrounding limitation
of NUMBERS in covens, how this is often limited to 13, associated with
the number of Moons in a yearly cycle, the Zodiac, and/or the Christ
and his disciples. ;>
 

:# 3.11  How do I learn more about Wicca?
:# 
:# Sticking around and reading this group is one way, as are books and local
:# contacts.  Below is a list of initial resources, beginning with the books
:# most frequently recommended, two historical books and a few well-respected
:# authors.  At least a few of these should be available through your local
:# library, and most are easily ordered through any local bookstore.  All
:# contain bibliographies and pointers towards other material. 

you may wish to emphasize that some Wiccans consider it to be a 
predominantly ORAL tradition (akin to Judaism and many other trads),
and that therefore books offer an unreliable and sometimes possibly
dangerous means of coming to the Craft, some instructors recommending
that they be avoided altogether.

 
:# 4  Resources
 
:# 4.2  Other Usenet Newsgroups that may be of interest
:# 
:#   alt.pagan           soc.religion.paganism       alt.religion.shamanism  
:#   alt.magick          alt.religion.druid          soc.religion.shamanism
:#   alt.mythology       alt.religion.asatru         talk.religion.misc
:#   alt.divination      alt.magick.tyagi            talk.religion.newage
:#   alt.tarot           alt.satanism                alt.pagan.magick

alt.magick.folk
alt.lucky.w

 
:# 5   Copyright and Distribution Notice
:# 
:# Doreen Valiente retains copyrights to all her copyrighted material, but
:# the rest of this FAQ is in the public domain as a service and gift of the
:# Goddess. We ask all who distribute it to keep it intact and attribute it
:# when quoted or reproduced elsewhere.

so quoted herein.

lorax (tyagi@houseofkaos.abyss.com)