what is the differ. between wiccan and pegan?
120891
a wiccan is basically a witch, a pegan believes in little round wooden things
547323
You need to learn allot more about our religion, wicca is not all about spells, and you should not use them for gambling.\n\nwicca is a religion and it is about worshiping the God and Goddess.\nand i do not recomend using voodoo dolls, you need to learn about the law of three, and i think you should read then "Wiccan Crede"
659784
Wicca, An alternate name for Witchcraft,many of us prefer to call our selves Wiccans rather than Witches & practice Wicca rather than Witchcraft, because the words do not carry the negative stereotypes attached to Witch & Witchcraft.In general we, are practitioners of folk Magic & other forms of witchcraft as sorcery.They signify an organized religion w/ a set of beliefs,tenets,laws,ethics,holy days & rituals.Some believe that Wicca is derived from the Old English terms wita which means"councilor",or wis which means "wise".Wicca is Old English for "witch",as is the Old English term wicce.It is not evil,most small minded people seem to fear what they do not understand,we forgive them their "sin".
214135
"i have choosen my path for pagan whis is celtic what is next?"\n\nYour next step is to start reading through Celtic Pagan websites, and trying to meet other Celtic Pagans for guidance.\n\nHere are some recommended websites:\nhttp://imbas.org/\nhttp://www.adf.org/core/\nhttp://www.keltria.org/index.htm\n\nI highly recommend that you join the forums and discussion lists of these organizations, and read through their reading lists.  Stay far far away from DJ Conway, OBOD, and Wicca - none of which is authenticly Celtic.\n\n"i need to fine god and goddess right? "\n\nNot necessarily.  There's no rule in reconstructionist Paganism that you have to limit yourself to the worship of only one God and one Goddess from the pantheon you've dedicated yourself to.  Perhaps you've confused Celtic Paganism with Wicca.\n\nHere are some links on the Celtic Pantheon(s):\nhttp://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=celtic+pantheon&btnG=Google+Search\n\nAnd here's an article on why Wicca is not Celtic:\nhttp://home.comcast.net/~uberrod/text4.html\n\n"do i also have to find my lenage like find if i am a star or a bubble or a monkey?"\n\nHuh?  Lineage is a Wiccan concept, which is again not Celtic.  I'm not sure where you're getting this star/bubble/monkey business.  Sounds like you've possibly got some really strange ideas of what the phrase "Celtic Paganism" means.
128712
First, you need to learn more about Wicca.  Different denominations have different beliefs and structures, and you need to find which is right for you.  Some have covens, some do not.  It all depends on which direction you go in.  And trust, me there are plenty of directions.  \n\nwww.witchvox.com is a great website.  Also check out\nhttp://www.witchs-brew.org/\nhttp://www.witchology.com/\nhttp://wiccanet.us/\nhttp://www.bewitchingways.com/wicca/wicca.htm\nhttp://www.wiccan-refuge.com/\nhttp://www.witchway.net/\nhttp://www.betwixt.org/\n\nSomeone else talked about SilverRavenWolf, who is a popular Wicca author.  You'll find her stuff often at places like Barnes and Noble.  Personally, I think she is a money grubbing nut.  Her books are about her particular brand of Gardnerian Wicca that she developed.  Her covens all have to swear loyalty oaths to her... and buy all her books.  I personally think shes a freak... but I know people who have found her to be a great stepping stone into the path.  I just wanted to tell you this to give you a realistic idea of the divisions within Wicca/Neo-paganism.  It's not all happy fluffy earth worship, there are real debates and real ideological differences.  Like any group, we have our share of greedy selfish people, strong opinions about our paths, and general weirdos. Every religion has its nuts and charletans, the key is for you as a critical thinker to identify and decide how you feel about them.\n\nAs far as books, here is a short list I would recommend\nThe Power of the Witch by Laurie Cabot (old and a little kitchy, but the author is great at hitting the emotional draw of Wicca)\nThe Spiral Dance by StarHawk\nDrawing Down the Moon : Witches, Druids, Goddess-Worshipers, and Other Pagans in America Today by Margot Adler\nWicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner by Scott Cnningham\nWhen Someone You Love Is Wiccan: A Guide to Witchcraft and Paganism for Concerned Friends, Nervous Parents, and Curious Co-Workers by Carl McColman\nContemporary Paganism: Listening People, Speaking Earth by Graham Harvey\nThe Triumph of the Moon : A History of Modern Pagan Witchcraft by Ronald Hutton\n\nOr if none of these seem right, you may be more of a Neo Pagan.  I personally draw my belief system for Assyrian mythology and various practices of various pre-christian Mediterranean religions, with a couple of elements Wicca in on the side.  What myths or regions speak to you?  Learn and find out how to draw them together.  \n\nIf you find yourself ready to find a coven or a nesting or a group of some kind, then find a local new age store in your area and ask around, or check about on-line.  Go to a gather or an event and meet people.  Sometimes getting in can be a bit difficult, because wiccans don't proselytize so people can take a while to find us.  But its worth the time and effort.
351806
Witchcraft is not a religion!  You do NOT have to be Wiccan to practice witchcraft! With that said, there are many types of magic that are forbidden in the bible, such as sorcery, trafficking in spirits, divination, poisoning, even ledger demain. However  there is one form of magic that is not taboo in the christian faith.  That type of magic is Theurgy, a type of magic in which you invoke the power of the divine and direct that power to accopmlish goals & aspirations.   A common form of theurgy is prayer, also healing circles, some pentacostal practices use a ritualized practice of theurgy which often results in strange occurances such as speaking in tounges, trance possession by the holy spirit, even siezure like activity.  This is all theurgy.  Witches use theurgy too, you dont have to "worship nature" to be a witch, you can worship or work with whom ever you want, to be honest! Including the Christian God, Jesus, Mary< the saints, pagan gods, ancestors, land deva's or land wights, what have you.  Theurgy invokes the power of the divine force,\nhowever you percive it.  If your perception of divinty is JHVH, or Jesus then you can practice theurgy and still remain a faithful christan.  You commit no sin in that aspect.  If you wish to practice other forms of magic that are taboo in the bible then confess your sins, do your penance, or simply ask God's forgiveness... He is supposedly a loving father after all... \n\nAs for the person who said "suffer not a witch to live"... You do realize that the bible was not originally penned in English? right?  It has been translated from hebrew to aramaic,  to latin, to german to english... and sometimes mis-translations occur.  The original intent of that statement was "suffer not a poisoner to live." Please try to educate yourself on your own religion before trying to force it down someones throat...
561825
I am pagan, not Wiccan....but since Wicca is a branch of paganism I'd love to answer any of your questions. Wiccans don't believe in Satan....which makes it kind of hard for them to be Satanists. The two main beliefs are harm none and what you do comes back to you threefold. As to which Gods/Goddesses Wiccans believe in, it depends on the person. I'd love to answer any more questions you have...so feel free to email me!
10120
people who follow wicca also believe heavily in karma. And would not do something bad in fear of having it done three times worse to you. Wiccans generally are peace and nature loving people who are just like any religious person, with the one exception that they do not try to push their religion on other people.
312547
If this is something that you do with your mom & grandma, you maybe confusing wicca with a family tradition of witchcraft which may or may not ahve a whole lot to do with wicca Family traditions are passed down through blood lineage where as Wicca is passed on through initiatory lineage so all of the information i have laid out may not help but since you did specify Wicca here it is... \n\nWicca is a new age initiatory mystery religion created by Gerald Gardner in the late 1940's In it's purest form it is an amalgam of Irish & British folklore & mythos combined with Masonic & Golden dawn style ritual & ceremonial magic... wiccans celebrate 8 sabbats & the lunar rituals also known as Esbats and many Wiccans perfom magic and rituals on 26 lunar occasions (both the full and the new moons) but not all covens have that kind of time to dedicate to thier craft. Wicca requires an initiation (at least traditional Wicca does) to become an inititate of Wicca you need to work with the group for at least a year & a day, some groups require the year and a day study before the pre initiation ceremony or "dedication" ritual and another year & a day study to be considered for initiaton into the first degree. There are 3 degrees of elevation after the first... there is the 2nd & 3rd and the "sublime" or "elder" status..if you are truly intersested in Wicca as a religion please find a vetted group of tradtional Wiccans to learn the real thing, not some watered down version of DIY ecclectic wicca that is available at your local bookstore... don't get me wrong there is alot that can be gleaned from books, and some books are better than others, but there is ALOT of misinformation out there. It is important to find a trust-worthy mentor to help guide you to the "good books" Meet with as many local groups as you can, try to find a good fit for you, attend as many meet & greets, pagan coffee's 'wicnics', open circles & rituals as you can; to get a feel for what Wiccans do. You may find that Wicca is not for you, but another branch of paganism better suits you. Wicca is an experiental religion, you have to be there to feel the energy raising, to deeply meditiate, to commune with the Lord & Lady. It is difficult to describe, but the experience is invigorating. Although many Wiccans do have a high respect for nature & the earth, it is not the primary focus of the religion, the primary focus is on achiveing balance in yourself, the balance created by the god & goddess, the balance between the shadow self and the illuminated self. "Do as thou will as long as you harm none" is the Wiccan ethical ideal... it is the final line a poem entitled "The Wiccan Rede"... there is some debate on the origin of the poem, either it was written by by Doreen Valiente in the 1960's or Lady Gwynne Thompson in the 1920's it is the ideal, but not a law, rule, or tenent of faith... it is a goal to strive for, a sound piece of advice, but if it were the absolute law Wiccans would be frozen in place, unable to walk for fear of stepping on a bug, unable to eat for fear of harming a plant or animal... If we take it out of mundane context and use it in magical context only...it is still lacking, spells have a ripple effect... even if the original spell was not intended for harm, the ripple effect may have an unintended negative impact on someone, or something... If you are interested in learning the laws or rules of Wicca research the Ardanes ( the last link) if you would like to see the principles of Wiccan beliefs see the second last link. Wiccans do practice magic, and they do cast spells, and they do celebrate the Wheel of the Year... they also have normal lives just like anyone else... I still have to clean my house, get my kids off to school in the morning, cook meals, all in the normal fashion... but I do like to add a little magic to my mundane routine... so I place a little seasalt i
541822
christian religion follow god \nbuddism follow stons and pagans
159237
Goth is more a a philosophical/fashion movement.  Wicca is a religion.  Most refer to both men and women as witches but there are some good magic practitioners who refer to themselves as warlocks and I don't see any problem with it.  If you want to learn more I suggest you read something besides $ilver Ravenfluff though as she seems more interested in selling her religion than actually informing people.  I would suggest going here to get a good start wicca.timerift.net it's got a lot of down to earth and logical information on the subject.
590933
Wicca is a religion, just like Baptist or Catholic except those are Christian and Wicca is Pagan.  You know if you are Wiccan if you say, "Hey, I think I'll be Wiccan now." and you go out and buy a few Buckland books and charge yourself to the Goddess while standing nekkid in your bedroom.  \n\nIn other words, you DECIDE to be Wiccan, the same as Christians have to decide to be Christian.  Its not something you are born with, like magical powers or anything moronic like that.  \n\nGo read a book.\n\nIf you have dreams that come true it just means you have psychic leanings, which millions of people do.  It makes you "a psychic" not "a wicca".  There is no such thing as a person being "a wicca".  You're not born "a witch", either, it takes alot of hard work.\n\nGo to www.witchvox.com to get a grip on the reality of neo-pagan religion and magical phenomena.
293212
Wicca is just as valid a religion as any other.  For the most part, I regard Wiccans as good people.  They aren't perfect, but nobody is.  Being of a similar path myself, I know what they deal with on a regular basis, especially around here.
243515
No, being Catholic is nothing like being Wiccan.\n\nThe Wicca you describe is polytheistic. It worships many gods, none of whom is the creator of all things. These gods may or may not care about humans and may change their minds at any time. Norse and Greek mythology is full of this behavior.\n\nCatholicism is monotheistic. It worships one almighty God, who created all things visible and invisible. God is constant in loving us as we are and only wanting the best for us.\n\nCatholicism does not worship saints. Catholics and most Christians believe in the Communion of Saints where all saints are intimately related to each other in the Body of Christ, a family. When you die and go to heaven, you do not leave this family. Everyone in heaven or on their way to heaven are saints, you, me, my deceased grandmother, Mary the mother of Jesus, and Mother Teresa of Calcutta.\n\nAs part of this family, you may ask your family and friends here on earth to pray to God for you. Or you may also ask the Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint Andrew, or your deceased grandmother in heaven to pray to God for you. \n\nThere are many other reasons why Catholicism and Wicca are very different.\n\nWith love in Christ.
507418
Wicca is a henotheistic religion, which recognises its own specific gods, while not denying the existence of gods and goddesses from other pantheons. Wicca itself is a 'hard polytheistic' religion, meaning that Wicca see their deities as specific individual beings. The gods of Wicca are known as the Horned God and Great Mother, these are outer court references meant to be used as place holders for the real names of their gods until the Seeker is initiated and taught those names. \n\nWicca was founded by Gerald Gardner in around the 1930's, although the exact date is open for discussion, also open for discussion is whether Gardner founded Wicca entirely or whether it was an already existing spirituality which he merely re-introduced and re-invented, either way he is considered the founding father of Wicca. Gardner brought together Paganism with influences from many sources including the rituals and teachings of Freemasonry and Golden dawn resulting in a unique orthopraxic religion. Wicca embraces it's early Pagan roots in history, the history of Pagan faiths and the gods whom they followed and worshipped, Wicca also introduces eastern philosophy into it's primarily western path, along with this possibly one of Wicca's best known features, that of religious witchcraft.\n\nWicca is gaining much attention due to a change in peoples approach to religion and the increase in public awareness of the religion through media attention and with this attention there has come much change to the face of Wicca with many forms:\n\n\nWICCA:\nWicca is an initiate only mystery tradition, or more precisely a priesthood, where one can trace their lineage back to Gardner. Initiation is the only way into Wicca, and is carried out by a Wicca coven, initiation into a coven requires formal training after which initiation and a system of degrees is followed. \n\nWicca follows a strong set of doctrines, one who takes on the name 'Wicca' is also taking on these doctrines as well as practices and beliefs of Wicca, the title of 'Wicca' implies more than that you are a member of Wicca, but also that you have worked long and hard to earn that title. \nSeekers are those who wish to become Wicca however have yet to find a Wicca coven. Wicca covens can be hard to find let alone become a member of, often those whom are without a coven continue to study Wicca and surrounding subjects while seeking a Wicca coven to join. \n\nOften Wicca is described as 'Traditional Wicca' or 'BTW:British Traditional Wicca'.\n\n\nNEO-WICCA:\nNeo-wicca is a new phenomenon, which is usually wholly eclectic, however like Wicca there are various different traditions. Neo-wicca often learn on their own terms, from books and other sources, but have little or no formal training and no initiation into Wicca. The beliefs of Neo-wicca are generally similar to that of Wicca however the details can often vary greatly as it follows the new age idea of personal belief/spirituality over formal religious doctrine. Neo-Wicca have varied views of the divine, either following soft-polytheism seeing all gods and goddesses as one god/goddess, polytheism working with gods and goddesses from various pantheons or pantheism working with a single divine present in all.\n\nThe 'Neo' in Neo-wicca refers to the New Age approach taken by Neo-wicca that puts emphasis on personal spirituality or belief over the organized religion of Wicca. It also refers to a new take on Wicca, this has less to do with the age of the religion but the idea that this is a belief system which may have come naturally from Wicca if it was allowed to evolve in it’s own time, media influences have brought about Neo-wicca, it develops paralleled to Wicca, but is not part of Wicca. \n\nOften Neo-wicca describe themselves as 'Eclectic Wicca' or 'Solitary Wicca', although not actually Wicca. \n\n\nAlthough Wicca is heavily influenced or based upon witchcraft it
413149
Which Pagan path do you want to hear about? It is an umbrella term or a general name placed to someone who practices an earth based religion but no specific path beyond that.\n\nA short list of a few pagan paths so you can refine your search. This is not quite all of them and some can have variations within themselves as well.\nSanteria\nVoodum(the religion behind the practice of Voodoo)\nWicca\nAsatru(spelling may be off0\nOdin-ism\nSatanism\nDruidism\nBuddhism
274532
ok here's the low-down. spells that help people or dont do harm are usually in the white magic catagory. spells that harm people or are done with the intention of doing someone wrong are in the dark magic. black magic is that sort of thing that uses blood and is in the realm of Satanic worship/magic. this is part personal experience (not the satanic stuff...) and part listening to others. that pretty much covers the magic except that in the wiccan world  "love spells/potions" are illegal and those that make them are looked down on. as for the BIBLE's take on magic... it is the work of the devil is not accurate. "witchcraft" (in the biblical sense) is the work of the devil because it came from the main power other than God. this would be the Devil. so anyways God's work can be done by anyone. this means that what looks to be magic, say healing the lame (i mean the kind who cant walk, sheesh people!!) can actually be from someone other than the devil. still it's not good to get into that kind thing so i hope i have satisfied your curiosity enough that you do not need to delve deeper into that world. if you have any other questions send me a messege telling me about it so i can try and help and maybe even get some points in the process. *yay points!!* \nBryan