Attacking Wicca

On Youtube.com, along with other social network websites, Wicca has been attacked, mainly by Christians, Atheists, and other Pagans. One of these self-proclaimed Pagans made constant videos on Youtube where he's attacking Wicca and particular Youtube Wiccans. This low-life piece of shit even made a video where he was suggesting that Wiccans are Nazis. While members of the Youtube Pagan community don't always get along, we all banded together and spoke out against the individual, this included the non-Wiccan Pagans. There were even members of the Youtube Satanist community who stood by our side and spoke out against this person. I'm so proud of you who spoke out against him. You know who you are. Since I'm on the topic of Attacking Wicca, here's a list of common attacks on Wicca made from Christians, Atheists, and other Pagans.

Christian Arguments Against Wicca

1. Attack: Wicca is Devil Worship.
Rebuttal: Wiccans don't believe in the devil.
Rebuttal #2: The Devil is an ancient Christian Scare Tactic.

2. Attack: Wiccans are immoral because they don't follow the 10 Commandments.
Rebuttal: The Bible doesn't define morality. Everyone has their own moral code.
Rebuttal #2: Wicca is more moral than many religions because it allwows it's practiciioners to do as they will as long as they harm none.

3. Attack: Wiccans will all have their place in Hell.
Rebuttal: What goes around, comes around. I believe in the Law of Reciprocity as a means of punishment. Hell doesn't make any sense. It's simply a mistranslated concept from Nothern European Paganism. (Hel-Norse Goddess of the Underworld)

Atheist/Secular arguments against Wicca

1. Attack: All Wiccans are Goths/Teenagers/Ill Educated/Drug Abusers/Obese and looking for a place to belong.
Rebuttal: This is a ridiculous over generalization. Recent studies show that Wiccans belong to all walks of life, they have an age range from infantile to elderly and usually have at least a high school education. Also, Wicca does not promote a certain style of fashion other than possibly ritual robes during gatherings and Sabbats. Wicca also promotes a healthy lifestyle.

2. Attack: Wicca is just another delusional belief system
Rebuttal: Is Wicca a delusional belief system because you don't agree with it or because you think that we don't agree with Science? Actually, Wicca agrees with modern science. For example, we agree with evolution. Most promote separation of Church and State. Many of us are scholars of science. We simply believe that Nature is special to us and is our Creator. We see that concept as manifesting through Duality. You can see duality all around us and is scientifically founded.

3. Attack: Magick doesn't exist
Rebuttal: Magick exists in many forms. It's basically what we call things that haven't been explained by science. Since there are plenty of experiences that cannot be measured, the need for the Magickal definition still exists.
Rebuttal #2: Magick is not supernatural, it's working withiin a Natural Universal Concept.

Pagan arguements Against Wicca

1. Attack: Wicca is not the Old Religion
Rebuttal: Wicca is a new evolution of the Old Religion.

2. Attack: Wicca is not Witchcraft
Rebuttal: Wicca is Witchcraft, it's simply a new way of attuning to Nature that takes Ancient Concepts and mixes them with Modern Archetypes. All religions evolve, Wicca is the evolution of Witchcraft. We are still attuning with Nature and honoring the Lord and Lady, just in different, modern ways.
Rebutttal #2: Wicca is the Craft of the Wise. The name is of the same origin and we walk the path of the Old Ones, we just have a better map.

3. Attack: Wicca promotes extreme femenism
Rebuttal: Some Wiccans promote extreme femenism, but most don't. In fact, most Wiccans promotes balance. It's up to the individual how they perceive that balance. As Wiccans, we honor the Lord and Lady. Some feel a calling to the Lady, some to the Lord, that is their perogative.

4. Attack: Wicca is too deluded with no set beliefs
Rebuttal: Wicca actually has better outlined beliefs than many other Pagan religions that existed before it. There are 13 Principles of Wicca. I suggest you read them.
Rebuttal #2: Wicca, although popularized by media in a somewhat negative or "fluffy" light, is a serious and well founded religion. We honor all paths that harm none and seek to find personal spirituality within an evolutionary concept.

5. Attack: Wiccans are sharing information that is to be kept secret.
Rebuttal: The only thing that kept information secret was fear of retribution from Christians. Now is the time to release the information back for everyone to access. We need to give them information and ethics of how to use it. That's where Wicca steps in. With it's clear cut opening of occult knowledge and ethics that are second to none. we bring forth a new evolution of Witchcraft

Chant to Rid Negative Energy

Here's a chant that I tried. I've found in on Bewitchingways.com.

Chant to rid negative energy

I see only pure reflected light
I am ridding all bad luck and negative energy
O Blessed Be

Repeat this and feel a warm sensation around your body and imagine white light glowing around your skin, it is sure to rid you of any bad thoughts or unwanted presence.

Results: I've only done this spell once before and it only worked for about an hour. Either I did something wrong, or this spell just doesn't work for me. Then again, I've only tried it once, therefore it may and it may not work for me in the future.

Heaven and Hell and Witchcraft, Oh My!

For a teenager who has Christian parents it's almost impossible for them to practice magick. This doesn't apply to all Christian parents, but it applies to most. The obvious reason why Christian parents don't want their kids to practice magick is because it's sinful and thus this sin will send them to Hell. Well fear not parents, because Hell doesn't exist.

The "Hell" that's mentioned in The Bible was actually a landfill, which today is now a public park. So in that case, I would like to go to "Hell" someday. If you think I'm making this up then go to the following links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hell_in_Christian_beliefs#Origins

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDbsOW0TNqU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sC7WJ6AX4bg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=em1kgcuV9bk

Here's a piece of an article that I found on the good old internet regarding Hell.

"It’s easy to understand why hell was invented (if quite late in the biblical record). Eternal damnation solves the sticky part of the problem of evil: Why do good things happen to bad people? Reserving a corner of hell for all who escape well-deserved punishment here on earth balances the moral ledger sheet. Justice is done. Otherwise, not only is life unfair; the afterlife becomes unfair as well.

The problem is, when we project our retributive logic onto a cosmic screen, we pervert the divine image. We predicate hell on the irreverent presumption that God’s appetite for vengeance—an all-voracious version of our own nagging hunger—must be satisfied. "She’ll get hers in hell," we say. That balances our ledger, but it turns God into a jailer.

The idea of purgatory makes perfectly good sense. I can imagine the utility of corrective punishment. But eternal hellfire demeans everything I believe about God. More important, it eviscerates the heart of Jesus’ gospel."

(Source: http://www.beliefnet.com/story/188/story_18822_1.html)

Oh, by the way, if you think that it's fair for someone to literally burn and be tortured for eternity because he or she is a sinner or a non-believer of your religion, then you are sick and twisted! Since I'm the topic, I might as well give you my view on Hell...and I might as well give you my view on Heaven while I'm at it.

To me, Hell is a word used to describe pain and suffering people face in this world. In most religions, not only is it fair for sinners and non-believers to suffer in this life, but it's also fair for them to suffer in the afterlife. But in reality, life isn't fair, and that's why so many good and innocent people go through Hell. When it comes to Heaven, it's simply a state of mind. People who are happy with their lives are in Heaven. However, while these people are in "Heaven", they do go through "Hell" at least once in their lives. While some people wait until they die to experience Heaven created by a god, some people prefer to create their own little Heaven here on earth and enjoy it.

Now if only I could practice magick and express my beliefs without my parents being judegmental and telling me what I can and can not do, I would be closer to "Heaven". I'm so moving out within the first 2 months of 2008.

The Wiccan Rede and The 13 Principles of Wiccan Belief

Wiccan Rede

Bide by the Wiccan Law ye must,
Be in perfect love and perfect trust.
Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill:
An it harm none, do what ye will.
Lest in self defense it be,
Always mind the Rule of Three.
Follow this in mind and heart,
And merry ye meet and merry ye part

13 Principles of Wiccan Beliefs

1. We practice rites to attune ourselves with the natural rhythm of life forces marked by the phases of the Moon and the seasonal Quarters and Cross Quarters.

2. We recognize that our intelligence gives us a unique responsibility toward our environment. We seek to live in harmony with nature in ecological balance offering fulfillment to life and consciousness within an evolutionary concept.

3. We acknowledge a depth of power far greater than that apparent to the average person. Because it is far greater than ordinary it is sometimes called ‘supernatural’, but we see it as lying within that which is naturally potential to all.

4. We conceive of the Creative Power in the universe as manifesting through polarity – as masculine and feminine – and that this same Creative Power lies in all people and functions through the interaction of the masculine and the feminine. We value neither above the other knowing each to be supportive of the other. We value sex as pleasure as the symbol and embodiment of life, and as one of the sources of energy used in magical practice and religious worship.

5. We recognize both outer worlds and inner, or psychological worlds sometimes known as the Spiritual World, the Collective Unconsciousness, the Inner Planes etc – and we see in the interaction of these two dimensions the basis for paranormal phenomena and magical exercises. We neglect neither dimension for the other, seeing both as necessary for our fulfillment.

6. We do not recognize any authoritarian hierarchy, but do honor those who teach, respect those who share their greater knowledge and wisdom, and acknowledge those who have courageously given of themselves in leadership.

7. We see religion, magick and wisdom in living as being united in the way one views the world and lives within it – a world view and philosophy of life which we identify as Witchcraft – the Wiccan Way.

8. Calling oneself ‘Witch’ does not make a Witch – but neither does heredity itself, nor the collecting of titles, degrees and initiations. A Witch seek to control the forces within her/himself that make life possible in order to live wisely and without harm to others and in harmony with nature.

9. We believe in the affirmation and fulfillment of life in a continuation of evolution and development of consciousness giving meaning to the Universe we know and our personal role within it.

10. Our only animosity towards Christianity, or towards any other religion or philosophy of life, is to the extent that its institutions have claimed to be ‘the only way’ and have sought to deny freedom to others and to suppress other ways of religious practice and belief.

11. As American Witches, we are not threatened by debates on the history of the craft, the origins of various terms, the legitimacy of various aspects of different traditions. We are concerned with our present and our future.

12. We do not accept the concept of absolute evil, nor do we worship any entity known as ‘Satan’ or ‘the Devil’ as defined by Christian tradition. We do not seek power through the suffering of others, nor accept that personal benefit can be derived only by denial to another.

13. We believe that we should seek within Nature that which is contributory to our health and well-being.

Rant: Thickheaded Militant Atheist Fundies

There are a lot of Atheists who thinks that Theists are delusional. That doesn't bother me because that's just their opinion. But there's seems to be a growing number of Atheists who "know" that all Theists are suffering from a mental disorder for the simple belief in a higher power. This includes the self-proclaimed Pagans/Neo-Pagans. Of course, for the Atheists who claims that theism is a mental disorder provides evidence. But their evidence of theism being a mental disorder is as lacking as the Christians' evidence for the existence of God. You can refute these Atheists all you like, but they'll still insist that we theists are suffering from a mental disorder, even the happy and rational Theists who live normal lives. Atheists such as The Rational Responders keeps insisting that we are mentally ill with such a arrogance. Meanwhile we have one Atheist in the entire world who goes as far as refer to every single Jew, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Unitarian, Pagan, and Deist as retards. Of course, theism and religion are not the same thing, but in the minds of Atheists such as The Rational Responders, they are.

It's bad enough that we have Christian fundies trying to control our lives, but The Rational Responders are doing th exact same thing by trying to put theism in the DSM as a mental disorder. Thankfully only a few Atheists are as retarded as the Christian fundies. In fact, the Christian fundies and the Thickheaded Militant Atheist Fundies are two sides of the same coin.

If you think I'm making this shit up, then do the research yourself, unless you're too lazy.

Yule, Yuletide, and Christmas

It's that time of year again, Yule. Also known as Yuletide, Yulefest, and other names. Yule is held on the day of Winter Solstice. Ancient tribes celebrated Yule (or the Winter Solstice) because it was (and still is) a turning point in which winter will eventually turn into spring. It's also the beginning in which the days will be longer. Since it was very difficult to survive the winter during those times, these tribes had a good reason to celebrate. But that's not the only reason why these tribes celebrated Yuletide. They also celebrated this holiday because they believed this was their sun god's birthday. Before the Julian calendar was invented, the winter solstice was considered the new year. While it's officially January 1st, some Pagans/Neo-Pagan's may still consider Winter Solstice the new year. For those who are living in the Northern Hemisphere, Winter Solstice is on December 21st or the 22nd. For those who are living in the Southern Hemisphere, Winter Solstice is on June 21sr or the 22nd. In case you're wondering, some people around the world celebrate Yule similar to how others celebrates Christmas. In fact, many Yule traditions and Christmas traditions are the same.

Christmas is actually the Christianized version of Yule, “which is essentially the symbology and traditions of Yule with the Christian story of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth superimposed upon it. Yule traditions include decorating a pine tree, burning a Yule log, the hanging of mistletoe and holly, giving gifts, and general celebration and merriment” (Wikipedia)". Some people may celebrate Yule in more traditional ways, while others may celebrate it in their own way.

This year I'll be celebrating Yule like I did in previous years, which involes 12 days (from December 21st to January 1st) of giving gifts, gluttony, sleeping in, surfing the web, and playing video games.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yule

http://www.geocities.com/lavenderwater37/holidays.htm

http://www.geocities.com/lavenderwater37/holidays/yule.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gbla5lDGLU8

Rest In Peace Meaghan Ellis

When I first Meaghan Ellis I didn't have an opinion of her. At first, I thought that she was teenage girl living with her parents. I actually thought she was kind of cute. But then after watching one of her videos on Youtube, I learned that she had a husband and children. I had online friends who knew her and I've heard good things about her. So I decided watch a few more of Youtube videos and leave some friendly comments. Then one night while I was on Stickam, I learned that she died. Her death was a real shock to me and to everyone else because she died at the age of 18 and after giving childbirth. What makes this death even more trageic was that she died before Christmas...or Yule. Blessed be to Meaghan and all of her family. Blessed Be.

Labels; My Current Beliefs

Here's the funny thing about labels. One may consider him or herself one thing but everyone else may consider that person something else. I personally consider myself a Neo-Pagan based on my beliefs while others may consider me to be a Deist or something like that. Okay, first off, if you don't have an understand of what Paganism/Neo-Paganism is then click here. If you wish, come back here to read what my current beliefs are. Okay if you're still reading this then here's the deal. Just for fun, I'll write down some of my current beliefs and you decided whether if I'm a Neo-Pagan or not.

First off, I believe in a higher power that’s either one with the universe or at least apart of it. This higher power does not interfere with human affairs, nor reveal itself through holy scriptures. I also believe that any god that has human or animal characteristics is made up for one reason or another. However, I could be wrong about that one. The next thing that I’m going to talk about is the afterlife.

When it comes to the afterlife I'm opened to the possibility that there is an afterlife and I'm opened to the possibility that there isn't one. Some concepts of the afterlife makes sense to me, but most don't. One concept of the afterlife that does make sense to me is that souls go to another dimension after the human body dies. But sometimes, souls may be stuck between this world and the "otherworld" for various reasons such as punishment or unfinished business. Another concept of the afterlife that makes sense to me is the concept of the Summerland, which is the belief is that after one experiences life to its fullest and comes to know and understand every aspect and emotion of life after many reincarnations, their deity will let them into the Summerland. The Summerland also functions as a place of rest between incarnations. One concept of the afterlife that I strongly disbelieve in is the belief of souls burning and being tortured for all eternity. The soul is another concept that I want to write about.

While I believe in a soul, I DON’T believe that the soul is a little ghost that lives inside of us and takes up the form of the human self and wears clothes once the human body dies. I believe that there’s something more natural that you can consider a soul such as the human conscience. The last few things that I want to talk about are magick, Karma, and the threefold law.

Many people who practice magick believes that it can interfere with free-will but I don't see how it can. I will also like the point out that very few people believe that magick can break the laws of nature.

Many Wiccans and other Neo-Pagans believe in the threefold law which is whatever energy people sends out into the world (or Universe) will come back to them three times, this also goes for magick. I personally don't believe in the three fold law because it doesn't create a sense of balance in the universe. What I believe in is that what goes around comes around once and once only. I guess you can call it karma, although I'm not real clear of what karma is. I will admit, sometimes what appears to be "karma" (for lack of a better word) could be a coincidence. For example, If I punch you in the face and then I fall down and sprain my ankle, that's most likely a coincidence.

I will most likely write another blog entry about my beliefs.

Blessed be.

Introduction

Welcome my blog of Shadows and Mirrors. For my first entry, I'm going to give you a little taste of what you can expect in the near future

• Some of my entries will be taken from my personal book of shadows and from my personal book or mirrors.
• I will write about my experiences as a Pagan.
• I will sometimes talk about my beliefs
• Entries will be posted once or twice a week.
• I will talk about the different Neo-pagan religions such as Neo-Druidism and Hellenism
• Sometimes I talk write about spirituality is a general sense.
• Sometimes I talk write about other stuff.

That's all for now. I'll post my next entry sometime next week. I will either talk about my beliefs or talk about how I became a Pagan.

My name is Justin, (Ultimo J) Blessed be.