Incoming: Dumb Question

[Temeny]

My ex bestfriend from school was normal one day and then met some guy and took off to no where and I didnt see her for like a whole year. She showed up at my door one day out of no where and said she was a lesbian and wiccan. I know what a lesbian is and that was cool and I know wicca is like an earth god kinda thing ( I think) that brings me to my question:
What is Wicca??
Are you all wicca??
Why are you wicca??
If you could help me out here I would not feel so lost. I am totally open minded to everyones feelings and I dont want to offend anyone but I would like to know If someone will explaine it to me.
I use to hang out with these other people who said they where wicca but they where just stoners who where mad at the world and I dont think you all are stoners....

[Maewyn]

First of all...thank you for asking about Wicca, and not just shrugging to yourself and saying "all right, that's weird" and continuing on. :D

Second...I'll leave "what is Wicca" to the Wiccans, more or less, but you're on the right track with "an earth god kinda thing". :wizard: To satiate your curiosity, I'll say that Wicca is one religion under the umbrella term of Paganism (similar to the way Catholic is one denomination under the umbrella term of Christianity), and Paganism...well, every group has its pet definition of Paganism. Most Pagan religions are either Earth-based and hold Nature sacred above all (most traditions of Wicca fall into this category), or they aim to reconstruct the religion of an ancient place such as Greece, Rome, Scandinavia, Egypt, or the British Isles. Nearly all Pagan religions are either polytheistic or duotheistic--meaning they believe in many gods or two gods (usually a God and a Goddess). Most traditions of Wicca believe in a Horned God and a Great Goddess. Also, Wiccans practice witchcraft (though not all witches are Wiccans).

Head spinning yet? ;) The following link is a pretty clear explanation of Wicca: http://www.religioustolerance.org/witchcra.htm (Scroll past the ads and click on "Introduction".) Also check out the Witches' Voice at http://www.witchvox.com. The site has gotten complicated to navigate lately (hint: scroll ALLLLLL the way to the bottom for a sitemap), but there's some good information in there, as well as a section for newbies and people seeking information. Here's their FAQ to start you off: http://www.witchvox.com/basics/wfaq.html

Thirdly, not all of us are Wiccan. Most of us are Pagan of some stripe--I, for example, am a Druid, which is similar to Wicca in many ways; the main differences are that Druids are polytheistic and generally are more concerned with the sacredness of Nature and environmental causes than Wiccans and most Pagans. Others of us are seekers, like yourself, who have heard this word "Wicca" bandied about and want to know what it's all about.

Finally...everyone has his/her own reasons for becoming Wiccan (or any other sort of Pagan, or any religion, for that matter). Many of us were brought up Christian and find another religion better suited to the song of their heart. Personally, I left Christianity because I felt a deep connection to the Earth which was not encouraged there; I was also curious what happened to the old gods I'd read about in high school English classes. Did they die somehow, or just fade away? Or have they still been here all along? I've been a Druid for three years; others have been on the path for much longer. Some have been Pagan for 20 years or more.

I hope I've answered your questions well enough...maybe in too much detail. :shock: :roll: Like many Druids, I'm pretty long-winded. :zzz: I'm sure other wenches (and actual Wiccans! :) ) will chime in pretty soon.

Blessings to you, with hope that you find what you seek.

[emalia]

Why I became a non-Christian, or why I became a pagan of sorts..... A recovering Christian, if you will...

I should probably start with this... I truly believe that ALL "religions" are the same when all the fluff/stuff is boiled away. They all have a higher being or two, and personal standards that dictate you should be true to yourself, and good to others. To me, each "religion" is just a different path, or way of looking at things. Kinda like there are 31 flavours of ice cream, but they are all still the same base, just different garnishes.

The path that I chose when I was 11 years old, was based upon Lutherianism and Catholosism. It was what I thought I wanted to grow up with. Although soon following, I couldn't obide by the beliefs any more. I too questioned what happened to all the old beliefs. I couldn't believe that they were given up so easily. Then the church started a fund raiser for a new "Church" and I just couldn't understand why the need for a new building, when the bible taught that the church was the earth, and that God was in Everything... So why was a building so important??? Why couldn't we just worship outside? Why couldn't we keep a pastor? Why must we dislike others who don't have the same thoguhts and beliefs that we do if we are all God's children?? Why is God considered masculine? Why couldn't God be a Goddess??? My 7th grade teacher was shocked and couldn't supply a valid answer for any of these questions. So I stopped going to church, and lost faith in the "loving God" that they taught about. Until I was about 16 or 17.. I then started putting my own pieces of the puzzle together. I thought.. you know.. Why should I go to church, I can just do my own thing. No problem.. So I did.. I would wake each morning, and thank God for a such a beautiful day and tried to be a good person. (Notice I said good person, not good girl... ) Although the masculine thing still didn't sit well with me. Then I started reading about other "religions," and ways of life. I eventually carved a path that is mine. It is very ecclectic, and very personal (as it should be). I choose to have a God and Goddess, with a "few helpers", lower gods and goddesses, as I find it impossible for one entity to be responsible for everything. My path has very celtic roots, mixed with native american, Druidic, and some eastern spiritualism. But for me it works.

When I moved from home, I made a rather interesting discovery... When looked at in a certain light, I noticed many protection/blessing signs all around my house that I didn't put there. I know that my Ex-Fiancee' didn't put them there as he would have asked first, I know my sister didn't put there there because I asked... That leaves one person.. My mother... WOW!!! Ok.. that was a big chunk of bubble gum to chew. But explains SOOOO MUCH!

Things were still muttering along, still not quite where I wanted them to be, but working.. Then I read Mists of Avalon, and all the little pieces came together. It was in this book, and in part the movie, that opened my eyes to the it's all ice cream philosophy.

Looking back.. This is why I consider myself "a recovering Christian".. What I was taught, was not tolerance, not open mindedness.. but just the opposite. I was taught to convert others, and that there was only one way to be, and that was all. Kinda like a sickness, in which the only cure is open mindedness, and tolerance of one another.

My parents, mainly my mother, were of the mind to let me pick my beliefs and the rest will fall into place. Looking back, I now realize my mother has been a broom-closest case for a long time.. and will probably never officially come out. But it makes me very happy to consider the fact that the apple doesn't fall far from the treee inmany ways... But it truly explains so much to me.

[Nevada]

The ladies have explained it beautifully.....I also am Pagan but not Wiccan...sitting here just realized it has been over 2 decades...(dang I cant be that old) Fortunately I also had a very supportive mother and grandmother (once I assure her my soul was perfectly safe :roll: ) I also follow an eclectic path...my Rogue calls me his Kitchen Witch...in the end we all believe in something..just have a diff name for it or them (my apologies to any atheist present) reading is the best way to understand and ask lots of questions....just remember you may get 3 diff answers for the same question depending on who you talk to... :) --keep an open heart and an open mind