Can I get a hey from my fellow "alternative" religions?
I am Wiccan, but I also identify as a Kitchen Witch. If you are into holistic medicine or green witchcraft we should totes swap recipes/spells/remedies. <3
1) Get a small flat round quartz stone (One that's perfect as a skipping stone). 2) Cast your circle. 3) Meditate on what ever is making you feel stress angry etc. (any negative emotions) Take note of where in your body you are feeling the stress. 4) hold the stone in both hands with your thumbs on top. 5) imagine that stress moving from the place you feel it into and down your arms, into your hands and expelled into the stone. 6) set the stone down meditate for as long as you like and do your standard wrap up for spells. Don't touch the stone for a day or two.
In reality it's the meditation and relaxation techniques possibly coupled with a bit of a placebo to get rid of stress and anger.
Can I get a hey from my fellow "alternative" religions?
I am Wiccan, but I also identify as a Kitchen Witch. If you are into holistic medicine or green witchcraft we should totes swap recipes/spells/remedies. <3
"Holistic medicines" and "Remdideis"? I do hope that you are getting medical assistance from a doctor as well?
I think you are as insane as every other religion. Why do you think that your religion is correct?
"Holistic medicines" and "Remdideis"? I do hope that you are getting medical assistance from a doctor as well?
This would depend on what he means by holistic medicine.
From wiki "Holistic health is a concept in medical practice upholding that all aspects of people's needs, psychological, physical and social should be taken into account and seen as a whole."
"A different definition, claiming that disease is a result of physical, emotional, spiritual, social and environmental imbalance, is used in alternative medicine."
If the former this would (or at least should) include a doctors medical assistance. If the latter then it might not.
If the former this would (or at least should) include a doctors medical assistance. If the latter then it might not.
I could only see the second definition being used, considering the term "Medicine" was used, as apposed to "Health" or "Healing". Since they used medicine, I can only assume that it was a potion of some kind. Which won't work.
I consider holistic health as changing your every day to help you stay healthy and not NEED to see doctors as often. I of course see a doctor when I need to! Modern medicine and holistic health can walk hand in hand.
@fracell Actually, most polytheistic faiths are much older than many mainstream religions. Many of those who practice are just trying to get back to their heritage's roots.
"Potions" might not work for healing, but the power of potions and spellwork is much like the power of prayer. It helps the person performing the act feel better. I have always believed that half of a ritual's success is due to the practitioner's faith in it.
@fracell Actually, most polytheistic faiths are much older than many mainstream religions. Many of those who practice are just trying to get back to their heritage's roots.
Neh? Tell me, where exactly do you get your beliefs? I have not heard any modern Wikia belief that can't be traced back only fifty or so years...
"Potions" might not work for healing, but the power of potions and spellwork is much like the power of prayer. It helps the person performing the act feel better. I have always believed that half of a ritual's success is due to the practitioner's faith in it.
Prayer doesn't work either. The closest thing that you have to actual fact there is the fact that there is this thing called a "Placebo Effect", which I am sure you have heard of? So basically you are acknowledging that all your beliefs are essentially the value of a sugar pill?
Neh? Tell me, where exactly do you get your beliefs? I have not heard any modern Wikia belief that can't be traced back only fifty or so years...
Wicca is based off of much older faiths. Its hard to explain it in terms someone can easily grasp when they don't know much about the faith to begin with. I associate with Wicca because I believe in a God and a Goddess, the duality of male and female. My faith is actually closer related to what is considered "Green Witchcraft." The long and short of it is the earth is a living breathing being, omnipotent and sentient.
Prayer doesn't work either. The closest thing that you have to actual fact there is the fact that there is this thing called a "Placebo Effect", which I am sure you have heard of? So basically you are acknowledging that all your beliefs are essentially the value of a sugar pill?
You'll see in the part you quoted me on, I feel HALF of the success behind rituals and prayer is belief. However I also acknowledge that attempting to describe the power of prayer or ritual to someone who does not believe in the power of prayer/ritual is like trying to describe the color green to someone who is blind or trying to share your favorite song with someone who is deaf. You lack the ability to truly understand it, so you never really will. That's what faith is like.
Wicca is based off of much older faiths. Its hard to explain it in terms someone can easily grasp when they don't know much about the faith to begin with. I associate with Wicca because I believe in a God and a Goddess, the duality of male and female. My faith is actually closer related to what is considered "Green Witchcraft." The long and short of it is the earth is a living breathing being, omnipotent and sentient.
....You believe that the earth is a male and female as well as being omnipotent? I love the earth, being my home planet and all, but what makes it more powerful then any of the other planets? Is mars also omnipotent? If it is omnipotent, then why doesn't it just fix every problem?
"Wicca (pronounced /ËwɪkÉ/), is a modern pagan religion. Developed in England in the first half of the 20th century,[1] Wicca was popularised in the 1950s and early 1960s by a retired British civil servant named Gerald Gardner, who at the time called it the "witch cult" and "witchcraft", and its adherents "the Wica".[2] From the 1960s onward, the name of the religion was normalised to "Wicca".[3]"
Your religion is about as old as the nuclear bomb.
You'll see in the part you quoted me on, I feel HALF of the success behind rituals and prayer is belief. However I also acknowledge that attempting to describe the power of prayer or ritual to someone who does not believe in the power of prayer/ritual is like trying to describe the color green to someone who is blind or trying to share your favorite song with someone who is deaf. You lack the ability to truly understand it, so you never really will. That's what faith is like.
Sounds like a cop out answer.
"You see here, I hold the answer to life, the universe, and everything!"
"Great. Care to share it with me?"
"NO! YOU WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND!!!!!!!!!!!!"
?
Why can't you share it with me? Isn't scientific scrutiny supposed to be a good thing?
Care to share your beliefs more fully, or find a page that can explain it for you? It seems to me that your "religion" has almost as many sects as Christianity. I suppose pretending to have magical powers is common?
"Potions" might not work for healing, but the power of potions and spellwork is much like the power of prayer.
Yes it pretty much is exactly like prayer. You are basically asking for what you want through a spell. Though it might have a slightly higher success rate given the spell caster is also suppose to act in accord, in other words go out and make it happen for yourself.
Its hard to explain it in terms someone can easily grasp when they don't know much about the faith to begin with.
No it's not hard to explain to someone. Wicca as pointed out is a rather new religion. Many of the practices and beliefs do have links to a number of much older pagan religions. You can think of it as a sort of modernized hodge podge of pagan beliefs. It took the nice bits and dropped the nasty bits found in various pagan religions.
You lack the ability to truly understand it, so you never really will. That's what faith is like.
Saying you have to believe without any evidence in order to understand is just a load of bull.
By the way don't try and pull the "you don't understand" card with me, I do know Wicca and during my time studying it is in part where I got some of my name sake.
wow so called "religions" are getting weirder and weirder
What's weirder than a snake telling someone to eat magic fruit?
However I also acknowledge that attempting to describe the power of prayer or ritual to someone who does not believe in the power of prayer/ritual is like trying to describe the color green to someone who is blind or trying to share your favorite song with someone who is deaf. You lack the ability to truly understand it, so you never really will.
I understand it plenty from back when I thought it helped. I just realized that it dosen't do anything other than give some artificial comfort, like a kid's blanket or thumb-sucking.
@MageGrayWolf I think you misunderstood what I meant. If someone doesn't believe in the power of faith based worship, then attempting to talk about it to them is kind of like yelling at a brick wall. They don't believe so they think I'm insane for believing (from my experience).
You explained Wicca in a nutshell but everyone worships differently (once again, I'm speaking from my personal experience).
@314d1 The reason I'm not being more in depth is I really don't care to be. I had hoped that this thread would attract people who wanted to share their thoughts on being part of a earth-based faith and how it effects their lives. I didn't think I'd have to defend my faith and I certainly didn't expect to be questioned and scrutinized or talked down to, which seems to be the case.
In other words: I wasn't looking for a fight, I was looking to share thoughts. I don't think I'm going to get that here. It seems any time I try and talk about this on an internet forum, no matter the place, I leave disappointed. I really shouldn't have tried at all.
I understand it plenty from back when I thought it helped. I just realized that it dosen't do anything other than give some artificial comfort, like a kid's blanket or thumb-sucking.
I think ritual and spellwork can provide more than that. I feel that the reinforcement of the ideas of your goal through spellwork (like if a spell says you have to light a candle every day) helps you actually follow and attempt to achieve that goal. I think that goal's final achievement is due equally to your own effort and the blessings of a higher power.
I also understand that some people just plain don't believe in a higher power, and I think that they can achieve their goals as well. I for one feel strength in knowing the Goddess and God look after me and help me. Its not for everyone, but I don't expect it to be.
If someone doesn't believe in the power of faith based worship, then attempting to talk about it to them is kind of like yelling at a brick wall.
Your not going to get anyone to understand if you're not willing or unable to properly explain it. What you're saying does sound silly. You're basically saying that if someone doesn't believe in the power of belief without proof based worship, then they won't get it. Maybe you're not using faith by that definition maybe you mean the trust sort of faith. But still let's replace the word "you can't understand unless you believe in trust based worship, then they won't get it." That's basically what it sounds like what you're saying here. We have to first accept something as true before it makes any sense and that in itself doesn't make any sense.
You explained Wicca in a nutshell but everyone worships differently (once again, I'm speaking from my personal experience).
Yes I know, but if you can't explain your differences in worship then it's not really a point that we can discuss. We can learn and teach more about the basics of the religion, the basic beliefs, the misunderstanding, moral views. How a spell works from both the perspective of a believer and a non believer.
let's take the moral aspect. Basically you can do as you will but harm non. This basic statement is open for interpretation even among believers. So what's your take on this?
It's believe what ever a person does comes back to them in fold (some say 3 fold, some say 10 fold, some say it varies) This is a bit like karma.
In other words: I wasn't looking for a fight, I was looking to share thoughts.
When the two thoughts are at odds you have to expect a bit of arguing. That in itself doesn't prevent the sharing of those thoughts.
I won't quote the larger paragraph, but here's my answer to it: I've found that it is never really worth the trouble to talk to someone about spellwork, prayer, or faith when they are absolutely sure they do not believe in it. As I do not practice a faith that preaches prosyletization (sp?) it isn't important to me, not worth my time, to try and sway others, nor is it really worth my time to continue to talk about something to someone who doesn't believe in it nor wants to believe in it nor is genuinely curious about it. I don't like it when a Christian starts talking at me about Jesus, I pay the same respect to people regarding my faith that I prefer from others.
As for how I worship and practice as compared to, say, the generally accepted definition of Wicca, I'll do my best to describe it while still being concise.
For me all Gods are one God, aspects of a many faceted being who has appeared before mankind in many forms, dependent on what they needed, but because this God is omnipotent, he can also appear as a pantheon or several Gods, or work through several people at once. That last bit seems to be where I differ from Wiccans, and lean more towards the umbrella general word "agan."
This also goes for the Goddess. Take that whole paragraph and replace God and He with Goddess and She respectively.
I believe that the God and the Goddess are definitely separate beings though. Once again in line with Wicca.
The Goddess's preferred place of being is the earth itself, and everything is a part of Her. The God's preferred place of being is the heavens (the sky, the stars). I haven't given the planets much thought, however I suppose since they don't hold intelligent life (at least not in our solar system) I suppose they are just a part of the heavens.
I practice something that is known among pagans, witches, wiccan, etc. as Kitchen Witchcraft. The simple way to describe this is that everything in my home has a purpose both magical and mundane. Everyday life is a practice in ritual and faith.
A more complex way of describing it is best done by someone who i a better writer than I. If you really are interested I suggest any of these books by Ellen Dugan:
Cottage Witchery Garden Witchery Natural Witchery Garden Witch's Herbal Book of Witchery
Ellen Dugan has been the author among the many I've read that most lines up with my beliefs. She's a fascinating and fun read for anyone curious about Witchcraft in general. She has some campy books (the one about Cat magic and the one titled "How to Enchant a Man" but most authors, even the most well respected, do too.
Most of my "Alternative Faith" library consists of books on herbs and plants. I feel herbs and plants hold great power, and many of the magical and folk uses of herbs have roots in real medicinal value. For instance, mint is used in charms for safe and uneventful travel as well as strength. Mint's medicinal values are useful if you want to travel without event. It calms the stomach, and since many people complain about motion sickness (which I'm sure was always a problem, even in horse&buggy times) it can help ease the stress of travel. It helps with sinus congestion and headaches, which can be caused by being exposed to new pollen when travelling through an unfamiliar area. Easing headaches also helps people realize potential physically. Headaches can cripple some people.
That's just one example.
I will be here all day and night describing my faith and why I practice the way I do. However I feel many people who posted in this thread were being hostile and were not genuinely curious, nor did they want to share things with eachother. I hadn't posted to a forum in a while, and I feel this was a mistake. It certainly wasn't the right company to bring this topic up in, and I'm starting to find that it is never a good idea to discuss religion at all on the internet. I suppose because there was a whole section linked from the main forums page, which had so few links to sections, about politics and religion, that I might find positive company.
To be honest, I was hoping for something simpler and more fun than defending my faith. I work from home, I have a lot going on in my life, and I don't want something this time consuming added to it.
