hello, im erin and im wiccan. i practice witch craft one of my best friends is greek orthadox. i recently revieled myself to her. she was fine with it actualy was interested too. though her family was not so accepting, they told her that demons suround my house and that i am practicing a sin.
magick (this is how you spell magick as in wicca magick.)is not a sin, i dont practice black magick and follow all the rules carfully. my family supports me fully and i even have circles once in a while with friends. ive been wiccan for about 2 years and absolutely love it, it just feals right.

sorry forgot to put this in my other post....

magic has no color..."black magick" and "white magick" don't exist, magic is magic and even if you did something bad with it, it wouldnt be considered black magic...still just magic....it would just be you and your self that was the bad one, not that "black witch" and "white witch" exist either, but just your intent that was "black". and really, most wiccans wont do anything that goes agains the rede "an it harm noe, do what ye will" but that is not even an origional wiccan law...and the wiccans that adhere to this very strictly are really afraid of doing any magic that would accidently harm anyone so they dont really do much magic at all. alot of wiccans and witches do all kinds of magic, but there is no such thing as black magic or white magic and most believe that they can do any sort of magic that they want as long as they can handle the consequences.....

kisses and blesses,
e.k.

thank you, doll, that site is a great place to go and see what religions are all about before you judge...i should have posted it earlier...but anyway, you are right, the "witchcraft" that is refered to in the bible has nothing to do with real witchraft and especially not wicca.

i would just like to add that one of those studies that have been done have proved that the line "thou shalt not suffer a witch to live" used to read "thou shalt not suffer a POISONER to live" and eventually the church came to think that it was the "witches" who were poisoners becuase they had such vast knowledge of herbs and magic...anywho, when they traslated that word in the bible, it got misinterpreted as did a few other things in the bible...

and im also adding, that witchcraft (not related to wicca) is something that i practice along with eclectic wicca so noone is confused if i start talking about it

kisses and blesses,
e.k.

I've been practicing Wicca since two christmases ago, and I love it. It feels right to me, in a way that Christianity never felt. There are many misconceptions about Wicca, and I'm glad that girly8124 put up a board about it. There is no black magick in the craft, although many people think there is. Wicca is a nature-based religion that is perfectly legitmate. There is no Christian devil, satan, or embodiement of evil in the Craft. There is nothing scary, intimidating or freaky about it. It is just a different way to become more spiritual. It is a beautiful religion that has been acknowledged as a legitamite religoin since 1994. I'm glad that someone brought this up as a topic.

Hey, everyone, sorry to randomly barge in here , but I suggest eveyone visit www.religioustolerance.org. I remember someone mentioned that witchcraft is against the Christian religion, as well as the first commandment. Wicca itself is not witchcraft, and there have been numerous studies conducted that prove that the bible's references to "witchcraft" have nothing to do with magick (more about this on the site I listed above). Also: the first commandment is: thou shalt have no gods BEFORE me, not besides me. This hints that other gods/goddesses do exist, and many wiccans have "God" as their patron deity. This is just a bit of info, and it really isn't biased, as I am Christian myself

quote:

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how do you know your god/goddess loves you if you have never seen nor felt it?

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who said that my goddess didn't love me? of course i know it and i see it and feel it every day. for me it was the same way with my goddess that it was with you and your jesus. if it wasn't for her and my relgion, i wouldn't be here (i'm not going to go into it, because i have discussed a lot of this stuff before in other threads). she is there when i need comfort and gives me guidance when i need it. the point is, though she loves me and will ALWAYS be there, i have to learn to take care of myself. we wouldn't learn anything from life if we just said, "okay, i'm just going to let god take care of it and not do anything....if it's meant to be it will happen, if it doesn't, it's not." that's not how it works. we come to this earth to grow and mature as spiritual beings and acheive enlightenment through learning lessons in each life that we encounter (for this it is because i believe in reincarnation). god/goddess is always there and with us and i feel it immensely every time i pray to them or hold a ritual in their honor...i didn't mean to make it sound like i have no relationship with god/goddess at ALL....the point was, god/goddess GIVES us the power to change our lives and make things happen beacuse it is WE who need to take responsibility for ourselves and our souls if we are going to grow and learn. we have this "power" in us because we are connected with her and have such a close relationship with her that she shows us how to find it and use it in what ways we see fit. so in a sense it's not "ours" but it is inside of us.

quote:

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how come christianity or any other religion wasn't for you? do ytou believe in anything that christianity teaches?

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it wasn't for me because it didn't make me happy and i found no comfort in the christian god or the teachings of the church. for me i couldn't have a true relationship with god if all i could know about him/her was what they would tell me to believe. so i decided to look at it through MY eyes and read the bible and look at other relgions and other teachings. there are good things about all religions, but the one i have chosen is best for me. it is fulfilling and makes me feel happy. i have an intimate relationship with god/goddess and nature and that makes me more happy than i have ever been. i donb't believe my way is the "right" way but it is the way for me because it makes me happy and nurishes my spirit in the healthy way that any religion would for anyone else. there are things in the bible that i do agree with and i believe that jesus was a great man who was chosen by god to spread very valuable teachings to the world about love and peace and the way to the "kingdom of heaven" but i also believe he was a MAN and that the kingdom of heaven is a symbolic thing that we can find here on earth and within ourselves. i look at the bible very differently than others.

anyway, i want to say more but i have to go now, and i hope to get back to this. it's nice to see someone ask some sincere questions about this
kisses and blesses,
e.k.

hey erin
if you dont mind me asking... how come Christianity or any other religion wasn't for you? Do you believe in anything that Christianity teaches?
This may come out wrng and please forgive me if it does but what is the point in serving an allpowerful god/goddess if you not only rely on your own "powers" but you do not depend on them at all?
I know that without Jesus Christ I wouldnt be alive today. I was suicidal at one point and tried to take my life with a kitchen knife and I told God if he was real to prove it and at that very moemnt i threw the knife down becuz i felt no need to do this anymore
I know that God is all powerful because I have to RELY on HIS SURPREME power in order to survive. I will be the first to tell you that my life is not the easiest one in the world whatsoever i mean no friends my parents divorcing its pretty rough but I know I cna't make it on my own Believe me i have tried for so long but I realize that my power is meaningless
I know God lvoes me becuz i have seen his love in ym life... I never really had a father figure in my life unless you count my emotionally abusive father as one.
My point is.... how do you know your god/godess loves you if you've never seen nor felt it
God Bless!!!
Katie

i don't believe in those"magick" ..but i know one thing...GOD IS REAL AND HE EXIST...

(hey, guys, sorry i haven't been around in so long, been busy, but i am getting back to the boards i promise )

okay, in answer to your questions...
i was drawn to wicca and witchcraft because i longed for a more personal nature based pagan religion. i grew up in a christian house and used to try so hard for the sake of my family and acceptance at my christian school (note: not ever for mylself) but it is just personally not for me. i have learned alot about different relgions since then like hinduism and buddhism and various pagan religions, but wicca fit me perfectly and i am very happy with it.
just so you know, not all wiccans worship gaia, some do, some worship other names, but generally all gods and godesses are connected (sorry, i just thought i should tell you first). anyway, i don't believe that god/goddess is there to do things for us (and many wiccans don't). we take responsibility for our own lives and that is why we(at least i) use magic; to better our life and the lives of those around us. it's not about how our god/goddess is omnipitant and all-powerful, because of course they are...it's about what we can do and teach ourselves in life. god/goddess doesn't take care of our problems or take control of our lives. it's something we have to do for ourselves and that's why magic is important to us (note: we are intimately connected with god/goddess and there is a spark of their "all-powerful" power in us, though we will never have that pure untainted unlimited power, we have enough to take care of the things we need and want)

that's all i have for now, feel free to ask anymore questions if you are confused ...

kisses and blesses,
e.k.

Hey all THis post looked pretty interesting.
I am a Christian by my own personal choice and I respect all religions no matter what they are... However although I respect the religions and the people who practice them does not mean I believe in them. I believe in God, Jesus Christ, whom died for me because he loved me. My post isnt becuz I want to tell all Wiccans that they are going to Hell, that's not my intention please don't misunderstand it for that.
My question to the board is why were you drawn to Wiccan specifically? Have you tried any other beliefs?
One of my best friends is Wiccan and there is no problems between us because of our different religions. We do talk about why I am Christian and vice-versa and she knows that I will not stop caring for her because she believes otherwise.
To be honest, I don't really see why someone would use magick... If Gaia is all-knowing, omni-present and your goddess... why is it neccessary to use magick or magic? Do you not believe that your goddess can do all?(not trying to provoke a fight just trying to understand and get some feedback)
Anywayz, write back!!
God Bless!!!!!!!
Katie

Hey again!

All we need is a controversy and we can get this thread movin'!

Blessed Be,

~Becca

it's alright breexox, no one said you had to respond to us anyway, and fyi..i know a lot more about the bible that some christians do, so please don't assume that just because some of us aren't christian that we have no idea what your talking about, i did anyway..i just don't agree with you and your interpretation of it. sorry if we scared you away, i didn't mean to, if i did, sorry...but you kind fo didn't say much for us to understand what you were thinking, i kind of wish you would have given more thoughts on the subjects you added to so as to get the full extent of it, and you would have been welcome to say any more opinions, but these are opinions and just that...just because we don't agree doesn't mean we don't understand.

hey, becca! welcome back! (even though i didn't know you before) not much has been going on in here, most of the time it is only two or three poeple talking back and forth (or maybe just arguing lately, if you noticed)...looking forward to some intelligent debate around here, this thread is pretty.....dead. anyways, wb, look forward to getting to know ya .
kisses and blesses,
e.k.

p.s.
i hit the one hundred mark with this post today!!! yeah!!!

alright not gonna post anything else on here cause im not gonna deal with trying to explain the Bible to people who obviously have no knowledge of it.

and about what that girl before me said about no one knowing about their religion until they die:

1) helllooo you have to have FAITH in your own religion and beliefs

2) doesnt it scare you that there are soo many religions out there but only one - if any- can be right so what if yours isnt??? cause i know it scares me and i know im being completely hypocrytical so dont even bother telling me because i just said that you have to have faith but sometimes having faith it hard

and if my language arts teacher saw that run-on she'd fail me

Welcome girly8124, SwirlingRipeLilies, babbyangel67 and all other Wiccans and non-Wiccans on this post!

Sorry I have been away for so long, but I have been doing other things. I am eager to jump back into the discussion!

Background info for other Wiccans on the site: I have been learning and studying Wicca as a religion for apporoximately a year, but have been interested in all that is Magickal for my entire life. I've played with candles and incense and dressed up as a sorceress for many childhood years, but only recently have i understood why I feel so comfortable doing those things. Wicca, as a religion, is the right path for me, and I thank Gaia every day for opening my eyes. (I would love to share with those, who are curious, my specific beliefs and tradition. Such as my refering to The All as Gaia and whatnot. Feel free to ask any questions that cross your minds)


SwirlingLilies, A while back I believe you asked some questions about Intolerance, and that theme has been apparent in this thread for a good while. I myself have been discriminated against many times for my beliefs and so i understand and sympathize with everyone that has felt it at some time, regardless of religious thoughts. I, however, have never experienced Wiccan/Wiccan discrimination first hand. I know that some Wiccans believe that they are somehow more 'authentic' than others by bloodline or whatever, but i tend to brush those assumptions away. I am very sick of ANYONE claiming senority over another when it comes to religion. I feel that none of us can really truly have proof of our beliefs until our deaths, so i feel that anyones religious beliefs are just as valid as anothers in the long run. I just follow what feels right for me, and do my best to get along with everyone else.

Well, tell me what I'm missing in this thread so that I can jump into the discussion!

Gaia bless!

~Becca

i saw that you wrote earlier about how we cant worship the same God because your religions is against witchcraft, but God is not just one religion.
by the way you put it you made it sound as if every other religion that the christian church dosent agree with, cant possibly believe in the same God.
But i think that every religions that likes can believe in God if they choose, i dont think that you must be in a certain realigion to think as God, as God is seen in other religions.

i respect your opinion, but i don't think you got me...it's okay though, i don't have to prove anything to anyone other than myself and you have every right to think what you want to. so i guess that's it...
kisses and blesses,
e.k.

actually...when i said that it is against the christian religion i was refering to the very first commandment

which states:

I am the Lord your God you shall have no other gods besides Me.

so when you say that you treat all gods the same

and by all gods you are saying there are more than one

which means

you are simply going against the christian faith and opposing what the Bible says

which in my book means it is against the christian religion

i just wanted to say that when i said that love and god and friendship and stuff is magic, i was talking about "magick" also....they are the same thing. most wiccans spell it "magick" becaus they want to make it look fancy or different, but i agree that a lot of young people who are into wicca these days are only in it for the "fad" and don't take it seriously. so i believe you when you say that your friend just wanted to look different, i just think ythat you shouldn't assume that everyone else is, because i know as for me i take my religion as seriously as anyone else takes theirs and it is important to me....i have a lot more thoughts on this and i would love to keep writing but i don't really have time right now....also when i said that witches believe in the christian god, i meant that most all of us see all gods as the same god, just in a different aspect. and i would also like to say that i don't think witchcraft is against christians and i think you are refering to the part in the bible that says, "thou shalt not suffer a witch to live" but the original translation was, "thou shalt not suffer a poisoner to live" i don't think people realise that the bible has been retranslated many times, and i don't believe that is in it's pure form anymore. my grandfather studies all aspects of the bible in all of it's languages including the original texts in their first translations and he has agreed with me on this that some words were changed to fit the churches needs at the time...or maybe just mistranslated.....i want to say more on this, but i would love to hear your opinion on this or any other persons for that matter.
kisses and blesses,
e.k.

and sorry for the grammar mistake

*your

just got caught up in the moment

when i said "magick" i implied wiccan "magick" as in the "magick" practiced in that religion

i did not imply magic which is different

because i do believe in love and faith and hope

which is magic

but i do not believe in "magick"