The "Extremes" in Wicca?

Has anyone else ever noticed that sometimes our religion is misrepresented by people who go to extreme? It isn't solely our religion. In American politics there are those who are extremely liberal and those who are extremely conservative. It seems to me and many that because of these two extreme ends of the spectrum being unwilling to compromise, the "stalemates" in our governmental system occur.

No, I am not here to give a speech on politics. It is just a comparison. :) Anyway, what I was saying, it seems that we as Wiccans are misrepresented or represented badly by those who go to the extreme ends. On the one end there are those Pagans that are what could be considered "modern-day hippies". You know the stereotype: treehuggers, everyone is a vegetarian, being skyclad is an everyday uniform, and they are all smoking dope and being "away with the fairies." Then on the other end, those who are classed as "goth" or "dark". They constantly flaunt their "power", wear excessive amounts of spiritual jewelry (such as a pentacle ring, pentacle necklace, pentacle earrings... all at once), typically super feminist-manhaters.

Before I start getting hate mail, let me just state that I do not agree with these stereotypes, but they are out there. What I am trying to get at is that we shouldn't let either of these extremes be the solo "face" of our religion in the public eye. We have to represent ourselves proudly and honestly without the "extremes" taking over. Those who constantly go around flaunting their "power" are not true Wiccans. Neither are those who go around smoking dope day in and day out to get in touch with "nature." These people are fake. The problem is, in the public eye, these are many of the people using the honorable title of Wiccan, when it is not their's to claim. Because of this, those who are true Wiccans that honor that title by loving the divine and respecting nature, abiding by the law, and teaching those who desire to be taught our ways (insteading of flaunting "the mysteries") are frequently looked at as if  we are crazy druggy tree-huggers.

I am not one to complain. I am not one to dwell on the things that upset me-- in fact, I am extremely optimistic. But this is a topic that needs to be addressed. True Wiccans everywhere need to honor that title. It needs to be defended and taken back from those who slander it and do it injustice in the public eye. We need to represent our religion and our values in the beautiful light that it is deserving of. We need to give the God and Goddess a good name. Opinions are very touchy subjects because they are neither right nor wrong. Nobody will agree or disagree completely with another. But I feel like this needs to be addressed. I would like to hear your opinion on pagan misrepresentation as well. Thanks for reading and Blessed Be. )o(

Choosing a Pantheon

For many, including myself, this was--perhaps to you the reader, still is--a headache inducing topic, especially if you are a "Type A" personality and require structure (I know I do.) When I first started exploring Wicca, I knew  immediately that it was for me. After reading a couple of "Wicca 101" books, I began to start molding my personal beliefs to this structure. 

The first aspect many turn to is the choice of pantheons, or group of deities from a certain culture. Some Wiccans do not make use of pantheons, instead choosing to work with the God and Goddess alone. Although I respect this, it wasn't for me. I saw the God and Goddess as archetypes-- a sort of description of all deities through the ages (sort of how the words mankind and womankind are used to describe all humans through the ages.) 

I had always loved mythology, so the names, faces and stories of deities from many cultures were already known to me. My first pick were the deities of Egypt. I was intending to go to college for Egyptology--since I was six years. In fact, I was heading to college this year to study this field. I worked with these deities for a few months. I resonated with them, I enjoyed working with--make no mistake, and I still find myself very close with Hathor-- but something wasn't resonating as it should. It took one of those "divine is going to slap you upside the head" moments to realize this.

I had received several scholarships and financial aid for attending college. My major was Egyptology. I was all packed and ready, when two days before heading out, I was informed by the college that my finances were cut by several thousand dollars (this wasn't the first time that the financial office was giving me trouble either.) I couldn't make up these funds in the allotted time. I felt like the world and the gods had given up on me. In fact, what they were doing was steering me in the direction I truly needed to be in....

The following day (my eighteenth birthday) I was sitting on the couch and having a good cry. Lo and behold, within two hours I saw a documentary on the Celtic peoples of Ireland and Wales, my mother uncovered an old book she had packed from our previous move concerning Celtic history and religion, and I discover a local school that I could afford to attend.

Now I don't know about you, but this is divine interference if ever I've witnessed it. What had happened was, I was too afraid to look outside the boundaries and boxes that I had forged for myself. I never allowed myself the liberty to change what I wanted to "be" as who I was changed. It isn't that the Egyptian pantheon "rejected" me, but they knew they weren't the best option for me.

This story continues in how I discovered who my Patron Deities are (they choose you, you just have to figure it out) but that is a story for another time. What I was trying to get across is that choosing a pantheon is not easy. What I would suggest is to keep a Pantheistic viewpoint: they are the same deities, with different names and faces in each culture. So, start with whatever calls to you first, or if you have never studied any mythology look to your heritage and if this group isn't what is meant for you, they will show which culture's images are. 

Once again, I appreciate you taking the time to read this exhaustive post. Do you have an interesting story of how you found your pantheon? I would love to hear from you and hear your story. Blessed Be )o(

Pardon, But What is the "Wiccan Way?"

Although I am well aware that there thousands of articles, books, blogs, and "vlogs" concerning the "What is Wicca" topic, I feel obligated to begin my blog with my personal answer to this.

It is frequently stated that if you ask 100 Wiccans the same question, you will recieve 100 different answers. Why? It isn't because our religion is false or without structure--quite the opposite: the structure of our religion provides us with a way to experience the divine in a way that is personal and tailored to each practicing individual.
There are several branches of Wicca (of which I will post about as well) which can lead to even more confusion for the person seeking a basic answer, so here is how I personally see it:
--Wicca is a religion that provides structure and a way of practicing and honoring the Ancient Gods in the modern day and age. This structure is the "skeleton".
--Wiccan's are (typically) pantheistic-- believing that all the gods are the same under different monikers from culture to culture. This is expressed as the Goddess and the God. Every God and Goddess can be seen as the various faces these deities take on. They are the polarities of the life force--the all. The all pervading essence of life and the world and universe.  These 2 polarities can be seen as the "right and left" brain (continuing with my human analogy). They are equal and opposite and influence the entire being. The pantheon of deities you use then are the various necessary "organs"--is it odd to equate deities with bodily organs? I think they understand-- each is necessary for a specific function.
--Now, these beliefs are expressed by Wiccans through everyday honorings and workings with these deities, celebration of life and its milestones, nature and it's cycles, and (for most) performing what is dubbed as "magick". This is the use of world energies/divine, spiritual tools, and personal will to achieve a specific goal. These actions are called spells. This is similar to prayer, albeit the Wiccan takes action along with the divine to achieve the desired outcome. The honoring and actions then can be seen as the "personal appearance" of our anological human.

Some other more important points that concern "what Wicca is" include The Rede and  The 3-Fold Law. The Rede (in short) states "Harm None, Do as Thou Wilt." Clearly, don't cause intentional harm, pain, or suffering to someone without cause. I say without cause, because defending yourself is perfectly acceptable in my opinion, perfectly acceptable.
Unfortunately, there are many misconceptions about Wicca. This is due to the fact that Wiccans are also known as "Witches." Originally, this was not a negative or ill-intended moniker. It meant wise one, and was a title bestowed upon elders, religious leaders, and healers. When other religions invaded, they persecuted what they did not understand. Instead of taking the time to do so, they perverted the word "Witch" to be synonymous with "Satan Worshipper." This could not be further from the truth. Wiccans do not believe in Satan. Wiccans are not evil and do not cause malice. The Witch Trials was a mass slaughtering that became a political game for power and property. It was due to this that followers of the Old Ways went "underground" so to speak. Now, in today's day and age, Wiccans are able to come forth. We do not worship in exactly the same way our ancestors did (why would we need to? It is a new era, and therefore needing a new structure. If the Gods are being honored in a positive manner, that is all that matters.) but we honor the same ideals, values, and cycles.

To summarize, the" Wiccan Way" is a religion that puts one in touch with themselves and the world. It is a positive, life-altering religion that preaches balance, life, and love for nature, self, and the divine. I hope that if you read this exhaustive post all the way through, that it was helpful and informative, and makes a positive mark on your own spiritual path. Blessed Be )o(