Wicca Author Answers Her Critics

As a practicing Pagan whose morals and ritual reflect Wiccan modes, as well as carry over views from my Catholic upbringing, I find that there is a serious need for open-minded conversation on both sides of this debate. However, here’s something that Catholics need to keep in mind when it comes to Wicca and other forms of Paganism: Wicca does not discourage or tout as false Catholic or Christian belief in any way. Most Wiccans will tell you that they don’t believe in the Christian Satan, and therefore do not worship him, and this is certainly true. They also do not worship the Christian God, which is the heart of Christian issues with Paganism and Wicca. Instead, they worship the God and Goddess, the masculine and feminine aspects of Divinity, and Wicca tends to use the Celtic face of Cernunnos or Pan for the God, and many Goddesses from Brighid to Hecate to Aphrodite and Hestia to represent the multifaceted Great Mother. Other Pagans worship other pantheons of deities, seeing them as the many aspects of the Divine that is manifest as the Earth and the Universe arounds us. Creation is not a thing seperate from Divinity, but a form through which the Divine is present with us and in us. Our Gods are well-rounded and individual, and our relationships vary from servants and devotees to family-like ones, such as my relationship with my Goddess, Nyx, and Her family. I have worked with the Christian God in some of my rituals on behalf of my Christian friends, crafting protective amulets or healing emotional pain for them.

The Rule of Three is the same thing as cause-and-effect, but taken with the approach that you will suffer repercussions, or recieve rewards, greater than your efforts. This really tends to be a matter of perception, but the heart of the belief and the teaching is the concept of personal responsibility and accountability. This is something that many Pagans see is missing in the modern world and in many forms of Christianity. Personally, I think that Catholicism’s practice of confession is certainly closer to the mark than some others, but it often is misused and undervalued, especially since, in my experiences in my 17 years in the Church, penances are more often prayers than attempts to reconcile the wrong done. Under the Rule of Three, you have to deal with the consequences directly, in one form or another, and this, when taken with a serious attitude and perspective, is a great teacher, and a healthy thought process for anyone of any faith.

As far as the common age group, yes, many new converts to Wicca are young teens, mostly girls, who are looking for themselves and a way to empower themselves. A good many of these teens come into the Craft with the belief that they can make others do what they want, they’ll be powerful, and they’ll get that cute boy on the football team to like them. When they find out that it’s much more serious than that, or that casting a love spell is taking someone else’s free will away and that has serious consequences – or when they face those consequences, they usually leave. The ones that stay often find a sense of fulfillment, purpose, and an intimate relationship with the Divine that they carry with them for the rest of their lives, whether they remain on the Wiccan path, choose another Pagan path, or even return to the religion they were born into.

Paganism saved my life. I was suicidal, disillusioned with my beliefs, and generally felt isolated regardless of my long-standing, healthy relationship with the boy who is now my fiance and my friends and family. I didn’t question the correctness of the Catholic beliefs, just whether I believed them. They didn’t resonate in my heart. They felt hollow and empty and completely disconnected from me. In my view of the system, there was no place for me and what I needed. There was no support. When I found Paganism, and when my Goddess came to me and claimed me, not as Her follower, but as her Daughter, there was a connectedness that went to my core. I still have troubles – as a college student, I’m still growing and learning and dealing with stresses – but I find much more strength in the quietness of looking up at the stars and the Full Moon and feeling my Goddess and the Divine in the night than I ever found in a church or talking to Elohim. My voice was lost and echoed in an emptiness when I tied myself to Him. Now, I don’t need to speak, because my Goddess is in my heart, and I in Hers.

You may find your home in the Church, and if that is so, then I am truly happy for you. But my home is under the stars.

The links on the books “Jesus Christ the bearer…” and “Cathlicism and other religions” are not working.

(I wonder if I qualify for the Papal book now I am in Ireland but I have friends in Northern Ireland who could take the delivery)

One of my friends has been Wiccan for over 30 years. Although the Bible makes it clear that divination and new age practices are wrong, as they do not accept Biblical salvation, honest and intelligent dialogue, based on respect and good will, should be taken for granted by either side. Ambassadors don’t barge into a country and impose themselves but cultivate good relationships with the people that they live with. In that way, Christians might earn the respect of certain people who might then come to appreciate more fully the person witnessing their Christian faith, ‘only using words if they have to’, backed up by prayer. There may be a time to say something but people are very sensitive about their beliefs and a little criticism goes a long way. I think ‘walking the walk’, and acting with consideration, is itself a testimony. When the Holy Spirit starts to speak to people in their heart, they suddenly become reflective and we may do better to stand back and act as a prayerful midwife in that opportunity.