Home | Community | Message Board


This site includes paid links. Please support our sponsors.


Welcome to the Shroomery Message Board! You are experiencing a small sample of what the site has to offer. Please login or register to post messages and view our exclusive members-only content. You'll gain access to additional forums, file attachments, board customizations, encrypted private messages, and much more!

Shop: Original Sensible Seeds Bulk Cannabis Seeds   Unfolding Nature Unfolding Nature: Being in the Implicate Order   MagicBag.co All-In-One Bags That Don't Suck   North Spore North Spore Mushroom Grow Kits & Cultivation Supplies   Kraken Kratom Red Vein Kratom   PhytoExtractum Maeng Da Thai Kratom Leaf Powder

Jump to first unread post Pages: 1
Invisiblejustcantstop
Slightly scattered
Male User Gallery


Registered: 04/05/09
Posts: 63
Paganism and Wicca
    #19992962 - 05/15/14 03:37 PM (9 years, 9 months ago)

Hi all.

I've used my share of drugs over the years, including psychedelics which expand the mind etc etc. But the most mind expanding thing I have ever experienced is not a drug at all. It is a spirituality.

I am talking about Paganism. It is the oldest spirituality in the world (notice I use the word spirituality and NOT religion) dating back about 23,000 years (late Paleolithic Era). It has been known for years as 'The Old Religion'.

Paganism is the collective word for a number of more specific belief systems including Witchcraft (Wicca), Druidism, Shamanism, Ancient Egyptian, and others. Its like using the term Christian to sum up all the different Christian beliefs.

Paganism has one main teaching. It is not weighed down by long texts, meaningless and outdated stories, or other dogma. There is one simple rule: Do what you want, but harm none. So basically you are a free spirit, to do what you will, as long as it doesn't harm anyone (or yourself).

When you look at the specific sub-sections of paganism such as Wicca, you come across more detail, but that is the basis of it. It is so beautifully simple.

I am specifically a witch. (and yes I am a bloke - male witches are still called witches, much to most peoples surprise). So I will talk about Wicca for the rest of this post.

Wicca is all about love. It celebrates everything in life. It is accepting, forgiving, understanding, patient, realistic, and useful. You can be male or female, gay or straight, black or white, big or small, sporty or a nerd, and Wicca will celebrate you for who you are in total and absolute love and acceptance.

It is a seasonal spirituality with 'Sabbats' that date back to when most people lived off the land. The sabbats include the Summer and Winter Solstices, Samhain (AKA Halloween), and others. Each Sabbat has different rituals. EG the Samhain sabbat is all about reaching out to the dead and making contact with them if you desire. But the sabbat rituals are not set in stone and so they are practiced to be relevant and useful for this current age. Christianity is so stuck in the past that it seems irrelivent to todays way of life. Whereas Paganism and Wicca are ALWAYS relevant.

Like all things, there are hardcore Witches who are very into 'ceremonial magic' and highly detailed technical rites. Then the other extreme are witches who take it light heartedly with a laugh here and there. Both are okay, whatever feels right.

The biggest topic though, For Witchcraft, is MAGIC (or Magick as it should be spelt). Believe it or not, MAGIC IS REAL, and IT WORKS!! Put it this way. Many people accept the principle of metaphysics - the idea that you can manifest events and things by your will alone. This is the same for magic. If you put ALL of your energy, ALL of your will, and ALL of your want into asking the cosmoss for something, YOU MAY GET IT! I only use the word may because 1) magic takes practice and doesn't work immediately, and 2) sometimes the gods decree that your spell would be negative in some way and intervene.

The difference is though, with magic, the stronger your willpower, the stronger your intent, the stronger your methods and rituals, the more likely it will be that your spell will work. So when casting spells, there is a ritual that goes along with it that you follow, which increases the intent and power of what you are asking for.

And don't even think about casting negative or hurtful spells, or even love spells to make others love you - Wiccans believe that all actions are returned threefold. If you do good, you get it back 3 fold, and if you do bad its the same. Wiccan's also believe in re-incarnation, although many believe that there is a period between lifetimes for communing with your loved ones and deciding which life you will insert into next.

When you cast a spell that works, it is an AMAZING feeling. The better you get at it, the more intent you can put into it, the more effective your magic will be. I have cast spells for meeting new partners, attracting money, infuencing the weather, and many other things that have materialised often in freakish unlikely circumstances when there was NO chance of those things happening randomly.

Pagans and Wiccans GENERALLY believe in The Goddess. But it gets pretty complex if you look past that. There is also a God too. Paganism and Wicca are very much about duality. There is light and dark, good and bad, male and female, up and down, etc in nature. Both are needed to form balance. In ancient times, the Goddess was about fertility and growth, and the god was about the hunt and food. Different pagan faiths go into more detail with deities, with various different Gods and Goddesses for different purposes and situations. And when working magic you can alter which Gods you call upon. But if I'm summarising and generalising, it is the Goddess that is called upon most often. This makes complete sense to me - it is the female half that gives birth, so surely the divine being must take female form, because she made us!

Wicca acknowledges that we are ALL perfect and divine. That EVERYTHING happens for a reason. That karma is a real thing and will bite you in the ass if you deserve it. That every human is special and priceless. That all creatures deserve respect (there are many vegetarian Pagans, but Paganism also recognises free choice and that humans are designed biologically to consume meat). Most pagans that eat meat do it with ethics, only eating organic food, etc.

Not many people know it, but almost all of the major Christian dates and rituals have roots in paganism. When the Christians emerged they knew to convert all the millions of pagans they would need to try and make Christianity not too different at first, so that the country folk would be happier switching over. Things like Christmas, Halloween, Easter and other major Christian dates all have their roots in Paganism.

In the middle ages it is estimated that 9 million people were either killed, tortured or hurt by the anti-witch craft groups, mainly the Christians. It almost died out, and went underground for several hundred years, and was brought back around 1950 by a man who had pagan roots in his family. It is now back in force and is reported to be the fastest growing spirituality in the world.

And the notion that Pagans worship the devil is absolute rubbish. The devil is a COMPLETLEY Christian invention, made up to scare people into behaving right. The Pagans have a horned God, but he is responsible for the hunt and for providing crops and food for the folk. But the Christians turned him into a demon.

I don't want to offend the Christians on this forum, but the sad truth is that Christianity (or at least certain sub-sects of Christianity) rule by fear. Pagans don't believe in hell. For a pagan, hell is your own suffering in life if you do bad things. You pay for it in karma, instead of burning in brimstone for eternity. Catholicism treats women like second class citizens, abhores homosexuality, dislikes contraception, makes their practitioners celebate which is an un-natural state which some believe is the reason for so many cases of sexual abuse by clergy, is feircely anti abortion (even in situations like pregnancy from rape), and various other un-realistic and out-dated concepts and ideas.

I was raised as a catholic and went to a catholic school. Dont get me wrong - as individuals pretty much every catholic i know is well meaning and a good moral person. But catholicism is not keeping up with the times, and the most recent pope is yet another old school type who is very holy and wise, but is not doing enough to bring the religion into the 21st century. Other Christian doctrines like The Salvation Army are more progressive and are facing todays way of life, but lets face it - it is all rooted in the distant past.

Then there is the bible. The bible is a collection of stories that were designed to teach a majority un-educated and illiterate people morals. They were NEVER meant to be taken word for word. So now people have interpreted things like Homophobia from bible quotes. Wicca and Paganism celebrate love in ALL its forms, no matter what gender the lovers are. There are even some rituals in Wicca where sex is used in the magic, though this is totally voluntary and not very common. And when it does get used, it is with the HIGHEST levels of respect and integrity.

My God (my goddess) is a being of pure love and acceptence. She won't make me burn in hell forever if i do something wrong. Why would any god who created life and humanity control you with fear???? It makes NO sense. Everyone makes mistakes.

And another beauty of WIcca is that you don't need to attend a church or any special place to worship. You can do it at home. You can do it in your local park. You can do it on the train on the way to work if you really want to. You can be whats called a 'solitary' witch where you cast all your magic and worship on your own, or you can be part of a coven or group where you use group energy to enhance your magic. Both are totally fine and equally effective.

The moon is also a big influence in Wicca. The different phases of the moon have different qualities. Some phases mean you cast spells getting rid of things for example. The full moon is a VERY magical time and is often used in group magic. The use of trance is also fundemental to Wicca - inducing a trance through chanting, dancing, drumming, etc, can link you with the Gods and your higher self, and can help you effect VERY powerful spells.

Wicca does not look down on drug use, and there are witches that use ceremonial substances although it is very rare. This is more a shamanistic approach.

And it is more widespread than you probably know. There are dozens of covens in all the Australian cities. Some covens are closed. Some take new members after initiation rites. Some are open and you can come and go as you please. Some are female or male only. They are quite diverse. Many women like the female only covens as it takes any distraction of romance/attraction out of the picture, so they can focus on their magic and worship. And if your coven ever asks you to do something you don't feel comfortable with - you don't do it, and NOBODY will look down on you for that.

So in summary- Paganism and specifically WIcca celebrates ALL aspects of life, it is real and rooted in today and today's issues, it can help you manifest anything you want through the practice of magic, it is fun and in an easy going coven you will regularly find yourself in stitches of laughter, it is moral believing in karma and the rule of three, it is forgiving, knowing that nobody is perfect, and it is social and a great way to meet people, and it is not weighed down by heavy texts like the bible or koran that are totally out of date and irrelivant for todays society.

I have seen and done amazing things through Wicca. I have spoken with nature spirits. I have met my spirit animal and talked with it. I have had magical spells that had NO CHANCE of occuring happen, I have seen fires grow into huge whirlwinds in the middle of a trance circle, i have had my life saved by the Goddess. I have delved into the deep realms of another universe and had proper lucid conversations with the beings i met. And I met my beautiful partner through Wicca.

Until Wicca came along I was TOTALLY lost and my life had no meaning or destination. Now I travel every day with the unlimited and never ending love of the goddess, and the knowledge that she is always with me, and that everything happens for a reason, and that if i want something, I can cast a spell to make it happen.

Please feel free to contact me if you want more information.I am in Melbourne and can direct you to local groups. Internet searches will also give you lots more info and resources.

Wicca and Paganism are love. Pure love, light and acceptance. And once you delve into it, it will change your life forever!

Blessed be everyone and happy trails! :smile:


JCS


Extras: Filter Print Post Top
InvisiblezZZz
jesus
I'm a teapot User Gallery

Registered: 12/28/07
Posts: 33,478
Re: Paganism and Wicca [Re: justcantstop]
    #19993275 - 05/15/14 04:48 PM (9 years, 9 months ago)

interesting post :cool::thumbup:


however, true love is selfless. paganism and wicca seem more like a way to make a buck, not give a buck. spirituality is about being humble, and humbling oneself to higher teachings. it isn't about taking and getting what you want. it's about getting what you need.

we can do what we like as long as we don't hurt anyone, but this isn't just any chess board we're in, it is intricate, and sometimes doing what we want wont guarantee we won't hurt anyone in the process. this is why we need proper instruction, not just a book of spells.


--------------------
https://discord.gg/NHHd5y2Uyv


Extras: Filter Print Post Top
Invisiblejustcantstop
Slightly scattered
Male User Gallery


Registered: 04/05/09
Posts: 63
Re: Paganism and Wicca [Re: zZZz]
    #19993434 - 05/15/14 05:21 PM (9 years, 9 months ago)

Hi zZZz

Great and thought provoking response!

The whole thing behind spells and manifesting what you want could be seen as selfish and making a buck as you say. I should add that a true Witch does not cast spells for trivial things. But then again money is something we all want and all need, and my experience is that spells work in funny and mysterious ways (when they work which is by no means guaranteed). Like a money spell might come in the form of a cheque from an expired superannuation account that have tracked you down. I don't see a problem there.

The more religious side of Paganism and Wicca comes in the Sabbats, which I mentioned. There are about 10 or so Sabbats each year and that is when Pagans give thanks to their various Gods/Goddesses for everything they have and for the protection and guidance by the higher beings. The ancient pagans believed that everything, especially their crops and the hunting of animals, was controlled by the Gods, so the Sabbats were times to celebrate that and try and ensure future prosperity.

Also, true Witches are very careful about what they wish for. There is a fairly strict but unspoken code of ethics with spell casting. For instance it is TOTALLY forbidden to put a love spell on someone without their permission or knowledge. And Witches have to be prepared to get no outcome from a spell. When this happens there is always a reason, but more often than not the reason is hidden, for a while or even forever. Also like I said, spells can sometimes manifest in unpleasant ways - IE you cast a spell to acquire more money and it comes about by you being sacked from your current job and having no money for a month, until finding a new job that pays better.

On the topic of texts and guidance - not just spells, as you said - there are more detailed texts in existance. But unfortunately when Paganism went underground for several hundred years, many of the texts were destroyed / hidden / etc as they guaranteed the witch to be killed if they were found. Since Paganism and Wicca have returned there are now more texts and books coming to light. But i wanted to make the point that these texts are relevant to today and all about love, in contrast to the bible for instance which is outdated and has been mis-understood/taken too literally.

I hope that makes sense!


Extras: Filter Print Post Top
InvisiblezZZz
jesus
I'm a teapot User Gallery

Registered: 12/28/07
Posts: 33,478
Re: Paganism and Wicca [Re: justcantstop]
    #19993636 - 05/15/14 05:58 PM (9 years, 9 months ago)

it makes sense.


paganism to spirituality is like what a caterpillar is to a butterfly. the caterpillar is merely a primal stage to the butterflies actual form. it is primal, an early stage, more simply just an undeveloped stage of spirituality.


--------------------
https://discord.gg/NHHd5y2Uyv


Extras: Filter Print Post Top
InvisibleNemodeus
Introvert

Registered: 04/01/14
Posts: 427
Re: Paganism and Wicca [Re: zZZz]
    #19994576 - 05/15/14 09:14 PM (9 years, 9 months ago)

My fathers side of the family are pagan and practice magick. I was really into it when I was a kid, but over time I moved away from the theistic side of it and started to see all the ritual and deities as methods of influencing and training the subconscious mind.

I know well that magick is real, I just believe it all comes from within and requires no intricate rituals or deity worship. It certainly helps in the beginning though.


--------------------
In an entheogen influenced moment of clarity I came to understand that reality manifests as a dream from the collective subconscious minds of all conscious entities. Nothingness made something because we collectively believe it into being, and physical laws given power by the reinforcement of conscious observation. Creation, destruction, and even time itself are but an aspect of ourselves and we of them. Life and death, simply illusions we face from a limited grasp of our own existence. We are one, all is eternal.


Extras: Filter Print Post Top
Jump to top Pages: 1

Shop: Original Sensible Seeds Bulk Cannabis Seeds   Unfolding Nature Unfolding Nature: Being in the Implicate Order   MagicBag.co All-In-One Bags That Don't Suck   North Spore North Spore Mushroom Grow Kits & Cultivation Supplies   Kraken Kratom Red Vein Kratom   PhytoExtractum Maeng Da Thai Kratom Leaf Powder


Similar ThreadsPosterViewsRepliesLast post
* Christianity is the fastest growing religion Luddite 2,251 6 10/08/06 07:11 AM
by niteowl
* Anonymous Christianity shroomydan 1,180 2 04/13/06 07:03 PM
by fivepointer
* christian person trying to spread the gospel to you, what to say?
( 1 2 all )
Psychoslut 2,686 33 04/27/06 10:43 AM
by kotik
* What does Christianity, 911 and The Federal Reserve all have in common?
( 1 2 all )
keystonelight 4,747 36 08/22/07 08:58 PM
by Middleman
* Christianity before Christ - Jesus, Horus, Krishna, and the sun MAIA 10,394 19 12/19/05 12:32 PM
by MAIA
* Christianity based off of Egyptian Mythology? kaniz 2,134 15 06/05/06 10:16 AM
by MarkostheGnostic
* Happy New Year, Pagans! Asante 803 3 11/01/06 11:51 PM
by FungusMan
* Christians
( 1 2 3 all )
robbyberto 5,788 51 07/05/07 11:10 AM
by Brian

Extra information
You cannot start new topics / You cannot reply to topics
HTML is disabled / BBCode is enabled
Moderator: Middleman, Shroomism, Rose, Kickle, yogabunny, DividedQuantum
676 topic views. 0 members, 4 guests and 1 web crawlers are browsing this forum.
[ Show Images Only | Sort by Score | Print Topic ]
Search this thread:

Copyright 1997-2024 Mind Media. Some rights reserved.

Generated in 0.023 seconds spending 0.005 seconds on 12 queries.