In the Burke county, North Carolina school system, is it legal to practice wicca?
107968
Yes!  Your right to practice any religion you want is protectected by the first ammedment.  If any government agency (a pulic school system, for example) bans the practice of a certain religion, you can sue them big time!
1167420
There is Wicca.  You can start there and decide which path you want to take.  For the written word I would look for Scott Cunningham and Raymond Buckland.  Both are wonderful for descriptions and simple to more involved rituals.  With Mr. Cunningham I would start with the book "Wicca for the Solitary Practitioner", as for Mr. Buckland I would suggest "The Complete Book Of Witchcraft".  Another really good author is Starhawk and the book entitled "The Spiral Dance".\n\nAnd you can go from there.  You are correct that there are MANY different religions under the umbrella of Pagan.  You will discover which is right for you, it will just seem right.   If you are looking for an on-line study course I would suggest Circle of Stars.  It is a yahoo group with a bunch of wonderful people for teachers and mentors.  I wish you luck on your path and the brightest of blessings.   :)\n\nSo I'm not the only Pagan around...glad to see you all.  :)
931957
A very good question.\n\nI don't see any problem with parents teaching children their religion.  I would be very upset if someone told me I couldn't teach my children Wicca.  This actually happened to two divorcing Wiccans out in Indiana.  A judge decreed it wasn't "mainstream" so they couldn't involve their son in any of their ritual work or teachings even though both parents were Wiccan and neither of them said anything about their religion.  The son was too young to participate anyway, so the parents hadn't been involving him in ritual work, but the judge didn't care.  Fortunately it was overturned, but guess where I'm never moving!\n\nTeaching religion in school is a completely different thing.  Children shouldn't be ostracized or made to feel "wrong" because they don't follow the majority religion.  I know a lot of Christians (sorry, not trying to pick on them, but they do seem to be the squeaky wheels) object to prayer and God not being allowed in schools, but I don't think many Christians would be comfortable with their children taking classes in the significance of stones, crystals, candles and herbs for the use in ritual magick.\n\nSo, I have no problem with people teaching their children what they believe.  It shouldn't be allowed in school, however.\n\nBlessed be!\n)O(
611338
I'm Wiccan, Celtic Generational Tradition.  My family, on my mothers side, have practiced Wicca for hundreds of years with PROOF to back that up!  While most now days are Gardierian there are traditions that date back before that, in some cases hundreds of years.  To make a blanket statement that we can't is a fabrication. Most of those in a generational tradition do not advertise or promote or even, in some cases, come out and say they are Wiccan because of harassment and persecution.  Those things still go on today because of the small mindedness of religions and what some of them teach.  There are traditions in Europe who can prove they go further back than some religions.  While, no days, there are many posers or people who claim to be Wiccan to be 'different' a large chunk of us out there are neither.  We take our religion just as serious as those of other religions do.  It is a part of who we are not just something we do.
1033036
As usual, people completely ignore the question to push their own agendas, as opposed to just ANSWERING THE FREAKING THING.....\n\nAnyways....\n\nTo become an ordained HP legally, considering that Wicca and Paganism don't recognise a head of church (just heads of their own covens) your best bet would be to go to the Universal Life Church website for ordination, and send away for their ordination packet.  It has the info and paperwork you would need to file with your local government to be legally recognised as clergy.  \n\nThe only other option would possibly be getting in with the Covenant of the Goddess, but it's a bit harder with them, and I'm not sure how close you are to them.\n\nGood luck on your journey. :)
20446
I don't know if it is legal or not. It is however not professional at all. As a parent I would be going to the school board with this, as I think that a kid needs to be treated with respect.
1000584
At the risk of receiving another letter from an offended practitioner of the Wicca religion, I'll offer this historical and Christian perspective on it with the disclaimer that it does not apply to everyone who calls themself a Wiccan.\n\n\nWicca Spells - What is Wicca?\nWhat is Wicca and what are Wicca spells? While it is rooted in ancient pagan beliefs, the Wicca religion, as it is practiced now, is only about 50-years-old. Wicca is a belief system cobbled together in the 1940's and 1950's by Gerald Gardner from a variety of religious traditions and beliefs as well as Freemason rituals. Since Gardner published several books espousing his system of worship, many offshoots and variations of Wicca have sprung up. \n\nThere is no particular agreement between Wiccans, or "wise ones" concerning what they believe and worship. Some worship the "Goddess," some worship the "God," and some worship both. Others worship nature. Some Wiccans say they embrace Christian doctrine, while others reject it. Most promoters of Wicca believe in reincarnation. \n\nOne thing most Wiccans agree on is the fact that Satan is not a part of their pantheon and they vehemently deny Satan-worship as one of their practices. This is because they disavow the notion of moral absolutes. There is no such thing as good or evil, because it is all relative. Wiccans have only one law that they bind themselves to, called "The Rede." It simply states, "Do what ye will, harm ye none." In other words: "Do what ever you want to as long as no one gets hurt." The Three-fold Law governs consequences, and is a law of returns that states, "All good that a person does to another returns three-fold in this life; harm is also returned three-fold." \n\nWicca Spells - Mind Control\nWhat about Wicca spells? Not all Wiccans practice witchcraft (which they call "magick" to set themselves apart from illusionists and magicians). Magick is to Wicca what prayer is to Christianity. Wiccans claim that the practice of magick is simply using their minds to control matter, while Christians call upon God to heal people and to intervene and work in their lives. Because the Rede forbids harming others and the Three-fold Law sets forth consequences for those who do, Wiccans view themselves as "white witches" or "nature witches." \n\nWicca is basically a religion that is about minding your own business and living peaceably with your neighbors and environment. Wiccans are eager to draw parallels between themselves and biblical Christianity for the sake of earning credibility, but what does the Bible have to say about this religion? You won't find the word "wicca" in the Bible, so let's evaluate the beliefs in light of what God says about them. \n\nWicca spells are idolism - Romans 1:25 says, "They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served created things, rather than the Creator…" Who wants to settle for second best? In Isaiah 40, God paints a very cool picture of how much greater the Creator is than His creation. If you are worshipping anything besides the Creator, you are just spinning your wheels.\n\n\nWicca spells bring false hope - Hebrews 9:27 says, "…Man is destined to die once, after that, to face judgment." God says we get one chance at life, and that is it. There are no do-overs. If we don't accept God's gift of Jesus in our lifetime, He judges us as unwilling to be in His presence, and we are sent to Hell. \n\n\nWicca spells bring disillusionment - Mark 7:8 says, "You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men". God is God, and we are not. We have a decision to make. Are we going to take God at His word and adopt His worldview, or not? Knowing God is hard work that takes a lot of discipline. Wicca is a religion that takes a pack of lies, ties it in a romantic ribb
955172
Don't know where Yuba county is, but look in your local phone book for women's shelter's and nursing homes. I bet the nursing homes would really like having the lap robes,
201531
I second Blue Nikki - find a UU church. Ours hosts a wiccan group. (link 1). Others do too.\n\nI also have a qustion - if you had chosen to be a Presbyterian, you'd join a Presbyterian church. If you had decided to become a Buddhist you'd join a sangha. Why don't you want to join a Wiccan group?
616565
Go to Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
1129397
Yes there are witches and wizards,only these days they call them Wiccans.These are people who use a specific form of witchcraft, with particular ritual forms, involving the casting of spells, herbalism, divination and other forms of magic. Wiccan ethics require that magical activities are limited to good purposes only.
1171154
you should contact the WV or NC department of education. Because you currently hold a license in another state they will probably grant you a temporary license until you complete all necessary coursework to satisfy their license. Some states do have reciprocity though so you should check into it.  \nBest of Luck!
883246
North Carolina  http://www.thedirectory.org/pref/search/704.htm
210423
Wicca is a religion that is based on Nature and its elements.  Its polytheistic, that means they have many Gods and Goddesses.  Wiccans are both male and female.  They are practicioners of Wicca.  Not all Wiccans practice magick, but many do refer to themselves as Witches.
997932
I don't know about specific laws in Maine, but in NC I believe the teachers can hold back a student without consent. If they want to hold your child back, it's probably for the best.
964317
I think it would be illegal under the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment. The school board is a public function. Having a prayer or some other religious observance centers out people who believe differently and it could even prejudice the proceedings against them. A person who leaves the room or just looks indifferent during the prayer might not get a fair hearing.
592774
it is just sad when the christian has the best answer...  Esp on the topic of wicca...but here goes nothing\n\nMagic is not color coded... the world just doesnt work that way...  the subjective "goodness-or badness" of a spell is based on the intent of the practitioner.  Is it evil to do a spell to put a murderer behind bars? Is it "harm" to bring a rapist to justice?  there is no "black or white magic" magic is energy directed to achive specific goals, energy does not have a color, directed or free...it is still just energy, power, chi, quintessence,Prana etc...\n\nWicca IS a religion, not just a hobby for the "college report" answer... i hope your professor gave you a d for that tripe...\n\nI am sorry but meeting with your coven three times a month for rituals and once every other week for classes, on top of "little c" craft sessions & ritual writing sessions, and open sabbats and the semi regular drum circle is a bit more of a commitment than a hobby, like collecting stamps or scrapbooking...not to mention daily meditations, and communing with the ancestors...If you are doing it correctly it is quite a bit more engaging than buying a few trinkets to decorate some pictures of your summer vacation...\n\nWicca is NOT the "path of light" that is utter crap... wicca is a balancing act... you have to balance the light with the dark, the god with the goddess, all aspects of self need to be explored while on the path to priestess & high priestess, including the shadow self...\n\nthe wiccan rede is not LAW it is simply a guideline to strive for...how & the heck are you gonna "harm none" you gotta eat to survive...if you want to take it out of the mundane context and apply it only to will working (magic) then when spell work is performed it has a ripple effect, what is "good" for you  may bring inadvertant harm to another...so if wiccans follwed the rede as law they would all be either ascetics living off of dirt, or frozen in place unable to do anything... for fear of causing harm\n\nThe Wiccan religion in an initiatory mystery religion founded by Gerald B. Gardner in the early 1950's. It incorporates elements of Masonic Ritual, British/Irish folklore. It is a religion that follows and Wheel of the year Wiccans gather together for 8 sabbats, as well as working during the lunar cycles (esbats) There are 4 levels of initiations in traditional Gardnarian Wicca 1-3rd degree then the sublime or elder level. it is said it takes a witch to make a witch however, Since the mid 1970's there has been a movement of ecclectic DIY wiccans, who have had no formal training beyond what they could glean from books. There are many groups out there that offer training, also many books & websites where you can get more basic information on the subject. some are \nhttp://beaufort.bravepages.com/...\nhttp://www.sacred-texts.com/pag/gbos/ind...\nhttp://www.sacred-texts.com/pag/index.ht...\nhttp://www.wicca.com/celtic/wicca/faq.htm