#Buddhists have tried pagans have tried Wiccans have tried

[nerianasims]

I just saw, with my own two cursed eyes, the phrase "synagogues recruiting."

My own MOTHER hasn't said one word about wanting me to convert to Judaism since she herself converted. "Recruiting" is not a thing Jews do.

[thenightling]

"Generational Karma" is NOT a thing, kids!

Ugh, Facebook Witchcraft groups again.

Last night I saw a meme that listed off "Signs you have bad Karma." And one was "You have Toxic parents."

So you're telling abused children that it's their own fault they are abused? That the reason they have bad parents is because they did something to deserve it?

When I voiced my horror at this idea someone (I managed to refer to them without swearing, go me!) commented with "Generational Karma is a thing."

Okay, Generational Karma is not Buddhist or Wiccan, or even Neo Pagan.

If you Google "What is Generational Karma" you get a social media answer saying that it's Karama carried by your very DNA and your soul. The fact that it mentions DNA should be a clue that this has no basis in any actual spiritual belief.

Even modern Wicca pre-dates the notion of "carried in your DNA" Karma.

So here's what I said about generational Karma being "a thing.

No, it's not. Not really. "The sins of the Father" is a mostly Christian concept to punish entire families for the offenses of an ancestor. If your great grandfather robbed a bank, little Timmy shouldn't be punished for that.

Generational TRAUMA is a thing, not Generational Karma. Generational Karma, as a term, was invented by the TikTok generation to justify hating the children of the wealthy. It's the sort of mindset that lead to children being executed or tortured / abused to death (See Marie Antoinette's son) during the French revolution for who their parents were.

Don't ever justify something so monstrous, it's the same sort of reasoning Christian people have used to hate Jews. "They killed our savior. That crime is carried through the generations." And it has also been used against women. "Women experience menstruation and birth pain because of Eve's original sin."

How DARE you use that here and pretend it's real! That's the sort of justification for burning a child at the stake with her mother because the mother was accused of witchcraft.

"Generational Karma" is the most anti-Witch thing you can believe in! The concept of “Generational Karma” fundamentally contradicts a major tenant of Karma, which is personal accountability. You can’t take “personal accountability” if you think your good fortune is built into your DNA because your great aunt donated to a children’s hospital in the 30s, or that your parents abused you because your great grandfather stole a cow. _________________

Update: A Meagan Rothwell responded on the Facebook post where I saw this nonsense. She tried to claim that the concept of generational Karma goes back thousands of years and that I obviously never suffered in my life, and that's why I don't believe in it. WTF?! How does that even make sense? It's BECAUSE I've experienced bad things (quite a few actually) that I don't pretend it's the result of generational Karma! That strips me of agency, it removes accountability from anyone who wronged me. It's a dangerous concept because it conflates actual Karmatic beliefs with things like divine right (of kings to rule), and "sins of the father." It takes things like the Christian notion that Eve passed on the "Original Sin" and that's why women bleed and experience pain during child birth. The Christian idea of inherited guilt has also been used for antisemitic purposes such as blaming present day Jewish people for the death of Jesus. Generational Karma doesn't just explain away suffering as a sort of deserved / inherited curse, it also justifies billionaires like Elon Musk as deserving of their good fortune because of some wonderful goodness innate in his family line. The concept of Karma goes back thousands of years, not "generational Karma". Generational Karma bastardizes and twists the notion of Karma into a possibly politically influenced justification for things like caste systems. In fact if you Google "Generational Karma" The first things that come up are a Quora thread and a Reddit thread. There's no wikia on it at all. And the Reddit explanation of it is debunked in the very first comment. The next search result after that is using it to describe traits passed from the mother in the womb, actual medical traits, not spiritual Karma. Generational TRAUMA is a thing, and yes, you can inherit genetic traits, but not "negative energy because your great grandfather was a bad person." It doesn't work like that. a major aspect of the belief in actual Karma is self-accountability. When I tried to talk to this person directly about it, she told me I obviously don't believe in reincarnation (just like she said I have obviously never suffered.) That's a gross simplification of the concept of reincarnation if you justify things like disabilities (which she did), or child abuse or billionaire wealth hording as punishmetns and rewards for past lives. Also that felt like changing the goal posts, we had been discussing generational Karma, as in passed down the blood, not as a result of past life transgressions. She was changing the goal posts and then denied that's what she was doing. She was so insulting and rude that I finally blocked her (after caliing her a monster in my frustration at the things she was saying.) The first definition of Generational Karama that comes up when you Google it is one that describes Karama as being carried in your genes and DNA, which tells me the author doesn't know how genetics works. The concept simply can't date back thousands of years because the discovery of DNA is still pretty new. Again, Karma dates back thousands of years. The idea of divine punishment or reward for who your family is- that is ancient, I'll give you that, but it was never called "Generational Karma" nor was it tied in the original teachings of Buddhism or Hinduism. It's a dangerous idea that can justify abuse, and keep men born to wealth and comfort in power because "it must be deserved." Here's where the argument happened: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2230198120480118/posts/2967040823462507?comment_id=2967149033451686&reply_comment_id=2967220753444514

[aerial-jace]

How did you get into kemeticism?

Im always curious abt different religions and spiritual practices esp in the case of people who werent raised in the practices they currently take. You could say I'm trying to figure out my own beliefs as well.

Short answer: I'm a lifelong nerd.

Elaborating a bit: Reconstructionist paganism has been in my radar in some form of another for a long time. I don't even really remember how exactly I got to it, but it is related to my general interest in archaeology and religion. It was fascinating, particularly for a recently deconverted Catholic, to know that there were people out there pulling from what scant written and material evidences we have of the religions the Catholic Church tried to stamp out in order to try and reconstruct it.

Kemeticism was something I clicked with after a lot of poking around. I'd previously tried out Buddhism but I could never quite click with the karma-based ethics, particularly for what it implies about meat eating. I've also tried on Hellenism (Greek reconstructionism), Religio Romana (Roman reconstructionism), Ásatru (Norse reconstructionism), and so on. I was never Wiccan though, not out of any snobbery for its lack of antique pedigree but because the duotheistic theology of the one God and the one Goddess always got me like :///

What ultimately drew me to Egyptian reconstructionism was the way in which their system of theology conceives humanity. Humans are considered to be responsible alongside the gods of upholding Ma'at, truth, justice, and the order and continuous function of the cosmos. This goes from the big things like the continued regularity of the cycles of nature to more mundane things such as keeping harmonious relationships between people.

To me this strikes me as an idea that resonates not only with ideas I already held with regards to environmentalism and ethics and such but it also resonated with one particular idea I held on to from practicing as a Buddhist for a while. The idea that the separation between self and other is illusory because all living beings depend on each other.

Plus, I was already predisposed to vibe with the aesthetic thanks to my lifelong fascination withe the Pharaonic period.

[jotun-appologist]

Never cared for Hellenic Zodiac because I’m not Hellenic, and I self admittedly have prejudice against the hellenic world (mostly the Romans. Only group I hate more Is Christian  (insular) Ancient roman empire. Pre and post schism.) due to several past lives worth of trauma that I was supposed to have released centuries ago. Gaul isn’t a thing anymore. I’m not in tribal ireland being burnt at the stake anymore. But I still feel it.

I’ve tried to overcome it, but the best I can do is turn it to humor. I’m mostly fine with the Greeks, It’s just ancient Rome. Modern italians are by far more bearable. I know it’s popular in history and anthro sphere to obsess over the hellenic world, and I know Hellenic paganism, and Hellenic craft has a large holding in most of the witchy community, but I’ll be honest, I see lots of influences from judeo-christian Kabbalah related angel numbers, to Hindu/Buddhist Vibrations and Karmic debt, to the mediterranean/middle eastern evil eye, all because Wiccans (as they tend to do) appropriated it. I know I’m just ranting and noone is gonna read it, but

I feel like wicca is kinda why no one takes the craft serious anymore. YOu turn all religions into the celtic triple goddess, but it was a celt specific thing, then don’t get why others are upset that you said Morrigun, Hel, and Hecate are the same goddess? 

I just, I’m tired and pissy

[peaceheather]

Do you believe that there's a god? Or some sort of meaning to everything?

I do and I don’t. It’s hard to explain.

I tried to be Christian, and it didn’t work; too many inconsistencies and hypocrisies in the faith that I saw practiced around me. I know there are plenty of good, genuine Christians out there! I just can’t participate and feel right, for myself. Immense respect for some of the Christians I’ve met, though.

I tried being Wiccan for a while, and I liked that but I lapsed. I do think that seeing the Creator of All as feminine did a lot to help my personal growth, as did the tenet of personal responsibility for your deeds and errors. Honoring the earth, recognizing the balance between masculine and feminine, etc. However, I couldn’t get behind the idea of negative thoughts attracting negative energy in the case of people who are victimized and traumatized. It sounded too close to victim-blaming for me. And nowadays people think more in terms of spectra than in terms of binaries, so I’m moving away from the idea of a binary between the Divine Masculine and the Divine Feminine.

Nowadays I’m vaguely Buddhist flavored, in that I think compassion is one of the highest ideals we can aspire toward. I’m not vegetarian, I couldn’t tell you and Buddhist holidays or boddhisattvas, hence the “vaguely”, but I like the saying I read somewhere that claims Christianity teaches that you should be a good person, and Buddhism teaches you HOW. Christianity says pray, and Buddhism teaches HOW to pray through meditation.

But I’ve gotten a lot less “woo” than I used to be, a lot less New Age-y. I used to go for crystal energies and stuff like that, and now I see them as helpful symbols that work with the subconscious mind to bring things into conscious patterns. That works for me. Wicca and paganism taught me that spells were “just prayer with props” and that still works for me, but I don’t actually perform them very often at all.

At the same time, the notion that we all belong to something bigger really resonates. I think that it may be an instinctive human craving, to belong to a tribe, a team, a nation, a faith, to have common ground with other people, that maybe goes all the way back to primates living in troops together.

For myself, I used to say that music was my first religion, and in a lot of ways that still holds true. I belong to and create something bigger than myself. I share breath in communion with other people, and I make something beautiful. I participate in a tradition that is far, far older than I am and will far outlive me when I’m gone.

You probably didn’t expect as long of an answer as this. Thank you for a thought-provoking question.

[spiritualspasm]

My Story:

My name is Kaiden. I’m a 24 year old trans man on his way to alignment and enlightenment. I come from a long line of mediums, and psychics, both male and female. I am also one of two male clairvoyants in the same generation, the other being my brother. This is a website I have started to teach and share and build a community of our conscious family. This serves as a blog of mythological knowledge, photographs I have taken, lessons, encouragement, resources and also as a type of book of shadows. I want to offer up an outlet of knowledge so I can share what I know with others. To introduce myself I shared my story below.

From a young age I have always been able to see things and hear things and know things before they happened. I was told by so many people that I was an old soul. And indigo child they would say. I always had vivid dreams of people I didn’t know following me, asking me questions, haunting me with their lack of satisfied answers. I didn’t know what they wanted. I didn’t even know who they were.

I would always hear people talking. For years I would hear someone outside of my room in my childhood home whistling in the night. Neither of my parents could see or hear what I could. How could they protect me if they couldn’t see what I saw. They couldn’t.

Faces would appear out of nowhere. Footsteps without feet to make them would echo behind mine. And always, always people I never knew asking me their constant questions in my dreams.

When I was a baby in my grandmothers house my grandmother walked in to my room to find me holding my arms out, wanting to be picked up, babbling to someone who was not there. She grabbed me and left.

When I was three my mother used to have to sleep with me in a blanket fort in our living room to keep me from having my regular night terrors. One night I stared straight ahead and my mother out of curiosity asked what I was staring at in the dark. I was quiet for a moment before asking who that man was standing next to my dads seat at our kitchen table. Again there was no one there.

My mother had always encouraged me to share and thankfully ,unless it was necessary never told me no one was there. She instead tried to reassure me that they would not be able to hurt me.

A year later my grandmother found me staring off into space one day and asked what I was thinking of. I told her “I’m thinking of a long time ago when I didn’t know you and I spoke a different language.” How could a four year old come up with that out of nowhere and without context? She again was shocked but instead told me it was interesting and had me help make lunch.

Later in life she would tell us stories about how women and men in her line of the family knew when things happened before they happened or knew things had happened the moment they happened if it was far away.

My mother would tell me about all the things she had seen and heard in her life and my uncle would regale times when he had experienced supernatural situations.

Around the age of 11 my dad had my family start going to church. From then on I was brought up Lutheran. It was fine at first but the more I thought about it the more I felt like the Christian god wasn’t a good fit for me. I disagreed with a lot of what was being taught and said and in a way programmed into me.

This feeling only got more intense as I grew older and my perceptions of the world around me shifted. Once I hit 13 I discovered Wicca. I finally had a religion that fit Me.

It was a religion that was all about love and the earth and being one with nature and in turn also being one with yourself. It was a beautiful feeling and it started to answer a lot of my questions. I was enraptured. I found a love for tarot cards and crystals and candle magic and auras. Divination clicked hard and I was seeing progress daily.

I bought books, asked older wiccans( who I had no idea were around me until my eyes opened) about anything I could. At first it was all light and color and peace.

At 14, I found a teacher who could mentor me in Wiccan ways. They were more than eager and for a bit it was fantastic. They were the person who introduced the art of tarot to me and in an instant they realized my immense talent for it. It was raw, but it was there. In fact they saw a lot of that power and that’s when they started banking on it, knowing if they could nurture and rear it for their purposes it would be an immense help to them. Little did I know at the time, this help would be going to a much darker magic.

My life got increasingly more and more chaotic. My parents got divorced, I turned to drugs and other bad and harmful habits and I was diagnosed with Bipolar(thankfully very much treated). Under the misguided teachings of this user of dark magic I was introduced to Aleister Crowley’s Thelema.

Now normally there is nothing wrong with finding and exploring a new religion. But I was young and so naive and so bitter and this teacher knew that at that moment my anger and yearning for retribution fuled me. It was the source and outlet of my power.

So when they told me of this religion they enforced the law of thelama in my head.

“Do what thou wilt be the whole of the law.”

I could do whatever I wanted with no problem. That was what I heard from that. I heard from that statement that I could control and do what I wanted with no sacrifice or backlash. I began calling on dark things with only this piece of the law in my head. Just pure manifestation. Pure power. No consequence.

And no this is not what Thelema is. Thelema in and of itself is actually not bad. They just left out one key part, a critical second part of the law.

“Love is the law, love under will.”

You still needed to be safe. You still needed love in your heart and intentions to have no negative consequences.

I felt so powerful. I called on dark powers and forces. I got everything I wanted at first. But then what I thought I had wanted would turn sour.

My energy was taken. My life force was sapped. My brain was all fog and anger and sorrow. It felt like something was sitting on my back and I couldn’t see past it’s looming shadow. My requests to the darkness had been so intense that now they intensely took what little I had left.

I broke away but not after breaking down. I was so overwhelmed by the negative energy I had established about me that I had a metaphysical meltdown and all of my abilities were firing off in rapid succession and I broke down until I shut everything off completely.

It took 8 years to cleanse and heal and purge myself of all of the chaos that ensued in that time.

I didn’t start to revert to my mystic skills until I was in voc school when I had my first past life awakening dream and I was finally linked to a positive supernatural force with no bad intention. My first known spirit guide. I had met my best friend a year before the dream and since I Day one I could hear and rarely see her passed on family member. I could always spot them out.

I went on to four year school at the age of 21 and had been back on my ritual magic since age 19. At school I met my soul tribe all of which had their own supernatural talents and together we build our knowledge together. A small circle without the label free and moveable.

I have been speaking to teachers, gaining guidance and slowly but surely healing my past and clearing my vibrations for the future.

I am passionate about tarot cards, oracle cards, Hellenic paganism, crystal magic, and candle magic as well as spell bottles.

I mainly use Greek and Norse gods but the main focus is on the Greek Pantheon. After much searching I identify with Hellenistic paganism, although I also incorporate some Buddhist and Christian aspects depending on the mood time and need. I am in a constant search of knowledge.

This blog is meant for sharing that knowledge.

[jotun-appologist]

Modern Shinto at least seems a bit more chill.

Then there's the issue with Buddhist and Hindu people in india being different castes and not getting along

But I mean yeah. When I speak out about religious toxicity its always aimed at Christians. Literally any Christian hears that I'm pagan and they immediately decide it's their job to "rectify" that or to "save/fix" me. The Buddhist yogi who sells Spirituality magazines at my old community college was always willing to discuss away about religion and spirituality and anything under the sun. Dude loved that I always would strike up conversation, and wasn't all preachy like the 25 different christian missionary booths that would set up on campus. He was just super chill.

The muslim girls i used to hold doors for because we had a lot of classes together were always so fucking nice and never tried to convert me.

The Sikh guy in my highschool classes was able go piece together that I was really shy and would bribe me to talk with cookies, and he was intrigued by me always having some old mythology or witchy pagan book.

The sub everyone hated at my highschool was wiccan and she was always super super sweet to me. We would talk about Celtic goddesses for hours and discuss spirits we'd encountered

The Japanese exchange student I danced with one time had some deep conversations and he was the modern zen-shinto hybrid religion.

Every jewish person I've ever spoken to has been more than accepting.

Thats all here, not to say I haven't met Christians who weren't, but to point out that my experience lines up with the main concept of this post. But mormons are by far very very hard to put up with, cause yeah, I left the church and they're all very very pushy about it

Why is it bad to not like organized religion? I offer my peanut butter protein bar

BECAUSE PEOPLE WHO SAY “ORGANIZED RELIGION“ NEVER UNDERSTAND HOW MANY PEOPLES, CULTURES, AND BELIEFS THAT ACTUALLY ENCOMPASSES

LIKE OH YOU DONT LIKE “ORGANIZED RELIGION?“ PLEASE TELL ME YOUR CRITICISMS OF SHINTOISM AND TENGRISM, CAN YOU TELL ME THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BUDDHISM, HINDU-BUDDHISM, AND HINDUISM? WHAT ABOUT THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SUNNI AND SHIA ISLAM? OR THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A PROTESTANT AND A QUAKER?

THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THESE THINGS ARE ALL INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT, THE FACT THAT THEY ARE DISTINCT HAS MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, CHANGED THE COURSE OF HISTORY

ITS A GENERALIZATION SO BROAD AS TO BE COMPLETELY USELESS, ESPECIALLY WHEN MANY OF THESE THINGS DO LEGITIMATELY DESERVE TO BE CRITICIZED. BY STICKING THEM ALL INTO THE BUCKET OF “ORGANIZED RELIGION“ THAT YOU “DONT LIKE” YOU ARE NOT ONLY REDUCING AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF GLOBAL CULTURES TO A STEREOTYPE (WHICH IS RACIST) YOU ARE ALSO LOCKING YOURSELF OUT OF ANY SORT OF NUANCED UNDERSTANDING OR EFFECTIVE CRITICISM.

[fatecaster]

25 wicked Wiccan quotes that will instantly enchant you - Reblog

Find the original blog post at: http://ift.tt/2hiccLy

25 wicked Wiccan quotes that will instantly enchant you

Often life can drag us down to the point where we feel hopeless. Whenever I get to this point I look to something such as Wiccan quotes for inspiration. While many people will wonder how Wiccan quotes can have an uplifting effect, look no further than this list of inspirational quotes. Each one is from an informative Wiccan author or philosopher

#1- “We are not on this planet to ask forgiveness of our deities” -- Scott Cunningham

Scott Cunningham was a famed Wiccan author with a ton of knowledge on the movement. His thoughts on asking forgiveness from Gods always serves as a powerful reminder that we are divine and whole and not products of sin. #2 - “At heart we are all powerful, beautiful, and capable of changing the world with our bare hands.” -- Dianne Sylvan

Another famed author, Dianne Sylvan is a fictional Wiccan author whose quotes remind us that humans have a divine potential for change and inspiration.

#3 - "Therefore, let there be beauty and strength, power and compassion, honor and humility, mirth and reverence within you.” -- Doreen Valiente

Again, I firmly believe in the Wiccan principle of divinity with every individual, regardless of race or creed. And that power can be tapped into when we find strength in our divine nature, which must be discovered through inner soul searching.

#4 - "If you have time to breathe you have time to meditate." -- Ajahn Amaro

While not strictly a self-practicing Wiccan, Ajahn Amaro was a Buddhist monk whose teachings often align with the Wiccan movement. You can develop a stronger sense of oneness with our inner divinity through daily meditation. This allows us to tap into our own developing gift for the magickal arts.

#5 - "The death of fear is in doing what you fear to do." -- Sequichie Comingdeer

Another non-Wiccan author, Sequichie Comingdeer was of all things a Cherokee Native American. However, while pagan in his teachings, his thoughts on fear and suppression to the surrender of the will to the popular movements reflects my own thoughts on not living a life devoted to our own pursuits. While Wicca is an official religion, it's pursuit of inner divinity and magic comes from a reflection of the strength of the individual.

#6- "No one can give you magickal powers. You have to earn them. There is only one way to do this. Practice, practice, practice!" -- Donald Michael Kraig

Again, I love the idea of using meditation and practice to develop inner strength and wisdom. The idea of devoting time to pursuit the magickal arts provides a deep sense of calm and rhythm when in the midst of life's daily struggles.

#7 - "Magic is not always serious or solemn. It is a joyous celebration and merging with the life-force." -- Scott Cunningha ​ ​Going to author Scott Cunningham, the very idea of using the magickal arts to uplift our own troubled spirit is more than just rote rituals and boring religious practices. It's the act of celebration and become one with our divine nature explored through Wicca.

#8 - "Good energy was never meant to be waisted on idiocy." - Silver RavenWolf

Another Wiccan author, Silver RavenWolf reminds us that while life can be full of people who on the surface appear crazy, we all have the energy of divinity and oneness to suppress the natural tendency to waste our potential. There's nothing more uplifting than becoming one with the spirit that enchants us.

#9 - "I have learned a great deal from other Witches, Wiccans, Odinists, Voodoo and Houdoo practitioners, Druids and many others who consider themselves Pagan. The one common thread is that every single person has been nonjudgmental. Isn't this what it's all about, acceptance? Are we not here to design our own spiritual path?" -- Arin Murphy Hiscock

I love this quote from Arin Murphy Hiscock, author of numerous Wiccan fictional books. Part of the joy of practicing Wicca is the act of finding inner strength and in our divine potential. One that is devoid of judgment and opposing opinions.

#10 - "We believe that we can connect with the God and Goddess and hear their voices, receive their inspiration directly and take responsibility for our own actions, without the intermediary of a pope or rabbi." -- Arin Murphy Hiscock

Again, Hiscock's quotes remind me that even in the midst of a society built on hallow lies, we can find strength in our own practice and religion by holding ourselves accountable for how we treat others. One that doesn't rely on religious authorities to tell us how to behave.

#11 - "We should educate people that 'Witch' is not evil but ancient and positive." -- Margot Adler

​Part of my spiritual beliefs includes the notion that no one is incorrect in their beliefs per se, but that the error is the indoctrinated enforcement of absolute truth. Part of this is reminding ourselves as Wiccans that we have an inner divine nature that can be used to bring positive force into this world full of chaos.

#12 - “Where once I prayed for forgiveness from a father God who held up huge palms and said “Thou shalt not,” now I find peace with a sister god who takes my open hands in hers and says, “You will.” -- Betsy Cornwell

Betsy Cornwell reminds us that while there is a father in the universe there is also a feminine form of divinity that is just as capable of being tapped into. One that is nurturing and healing and not forcing us to behave a certain way.

#13 - "Magic is natural. It is a harmonious movement of energies to create a needed change." -- Scott Cunningham

I love the idea that as a Wiccan we can create power from our own divine self to enact change in a world hell-bent on destruction and authority. That to me is the greatest power that we all are capable of tapping into.

#14 - "A witch is someone who has dedicated her life to learning about the connections between things. She studies the different cycles and her place in them. She learns how to use the energy in herself and in the world to make changes. And most of all, she tries to make the world a better place for herself and other people.” -- Isobel Bird

Again, when life becomes too depressing there is something deeply satisfying about learning to improve our surroundings without succumbing to the popular theories and movements of the times. One that is built off increasing our own positive energy so that we can help others improve their own lives.

#15 - “Wicca's temples are flowered-splashed meadows, forest, beaches, and deserts.” -- Scott Cunningham

Another great quote from Scott Cunningham, I love the idea that the very foundation of Wicca is built off serenity and inner strength found in a harmonious reflection of nature. Though we are all capable of caving into the demands of a society devoid of any true meaning, there is strength in knowing that Wicca allows us to tap into our own divine spirit.

#16 - "I put a capital N on nature and call it my church." -- Frank Lloyd Wright

While known primarily for his architecture, Frank Lloyd Wright was known for his own Pagan influenced religious attitudes. And while Wicca is known for its own reliance on inner divinity, there is peace to be found in what we call nature, which is essentially a reflection of our own harmonious relationship with the Earth.

#17 - “There isn't shame in having shadows - we all have them to varying degrees. it's simply a part of being human.” -- Timothy Roderick

​Timothy Roderick is a fellow spiritual writer whose own training has included time in practicing Wicca. His thoughts on having our own hidden secrets that he refers to as shadows remind me that we all have our own weaknesses that can be seen as a strength. This often helps me overcome my own bouts with depression in times of crisis.

#18 - "My religion speaks of the old ways. It is the perfume of my night, the sanctity of my day." -- Karla Bardanza

Karla Bardanza is a practicing poet whose thoughts on Wicca include the very notion of our connections to the old and new. While hard to find, her quotes often serve as a reminder of how our own practicing religion can help us find peace and harmony.

#19 - "The magic begins in you. Feel your own energy, and realize similar energy exists within the Earth, stones, plants, water, wind, fire, colors, and animals." -- Scott Cunningham

Another Scott Cunningham quote, this one reminds us that we can become one with the Earth and the divine force present in everything if we can find our own divine selves. Nothing is more relaxing than knowing when all else fails, we have our own divine nature.

#20 - “Consider the holiness of your hands. They are how you do your work on this earth; they are a microcosm of the hands of the Goddess, and can change the world as easily as hers can.” -- Dianne Sylvan

​Going back to the aspect of self-divinty, Wicca is the embrace of our own ability to create magic in the world just as the divine spirit can. This includes doing good work on the land and helping the world become a better place.

#21 - “Magick is the science and art of causing change (in consciousness) to occur in conformity with will, using means not currently understood by traditional Western science . . .” -- Donald Michael Kraig

Again, I find strength in knowing that just because the Western world has the attitude that their science can explain everything, there are still mysteries in the universe that only currently be explained through spiritualism and Wicca. This includes finding inner strength when everyone else sees only negativity.

#22 - “When your heart is broken, it’s easier to follow rules” -- Betsy Cornwell

Betsy Cornwell's quote serves as a reminder that while it's easy to become trapped in a masculine way of seeing only rules and order, there is beauty in chaos and self-will that can be expressed through Wiccan practices. 

#23 - “I am not, as it turns out, incapable of changing myself or my life. I am not, as it turns out, worthless. I am, in fact, one seriously badass Witch who holds in her hands the power to change the world. ” -- Dianne Sylvan

I love the notion that through the magickal arts we can become divine in nature and enact change in a world focused on rigid rules. Sylvan's quote serves to remind us how we can become divine if we find strength in our own selves.

#24 - “Therefore, let there be beauty and strength, power and compassion, honor and humility, mirth and reverence within you.” -- Doreen Valiente

​Which brings us to this quote from Doreen Valiente. While the magickal arts can often be seen as exotic and dangerous, there is strength in knowing we are good people capable of creating a better world.

#25 - “We are disconnected from nature, we are wounded from the Spirit outward, and that has caused the largest majority of the problems that plague the world today.” -- Dianne Sylvan

​Again, the relaxation that comes from Wicca rests in our own reliance on finding harmony in nature and the divine spirit of the natural world. This can help us to find peace when everyone else wants destruction.

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Conclusion

So let me ask you, readers, did you enjoy this list? Sound off in the comments below and share your thoughts! While it can be easy to feel distracted and depressed, remember that there are Wiccans out there who have felt just as you have. Find strength in this list of Wiccan quotes and know that you do have the power to improve the world. And your own sanity! Feel free to share this article if you enjoyed it!

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[ravenblackpublicationsllc]

So...You’re a High Priest/Priestess

Are you really? Here’s a question, have you ever puffed out your chest and arrogantly proclaimed so? Have you ever tried to use that title to intimidate people into doing what you want? Do you feel a rush of power as you say this? If you answered Yes to any of these questions…guess what…you’re not. Here’s why I say you aren’t. Being a Clergy in any facet is not an excuse to abuse others or to lord power over other people. You are fallible and you Do have to answer to higher powers. It matters not if you believe in them or not, they will lay down the karmic smackdown when you decide to be an arrogant prick. Did that word shock your senses? Prick. If you’ve ever used your title to intimidate someone who disagrees with you or whatever reason you have to attempt to abuse it, you are not Clergy. Yes, being a High Priest or Priestess is a form of clergy, it’s an all encompassing word, so don’t get your “I’m not Christian” panties in a bunch. Walk away from your soap box and listen.

Who am I? Why am I qualified to lecture on this topic? In comparison to the vast universe, I am no one important. I hold no other title myself, aside from High Priestess. It was not something I strived to become, it just happened. People turned to me for help or guidance. Many people of many faiths and irregardless of their path, I guided them in the way I knew best. I have protected others from rotten people that call themselves by many religious titles, christian, pagan, heathen, buddhist, ect. Becoming one of the leaders or guides as I see it, is not an excuse to hold power over other people. It’s not. Now, there are some of you reading who are angry right now and I’ll tell you why. It’s because I just made you feel guilty of your behavior.

Being a High Priest or Priestess is also not simply a title. Nor is it an excuse to stroke your EGO. That arrogance and Ego-stroking belongs in Satanism, not in Paganism or Wicca. If that’s your reasoning for taking on that title, perhaps you should venture more toward the Satanic path, where Ego is king and it’s all about you (in other words, you’re God).

To be a High Priest/Priestess, means you’re responsible to the community. Yes, there are times where someone is so off the beaten path of Paganism or even Wicca, that a little hard guidance and tough love is necessary. Over the course of 15 years as a practicing Pagan myself, I have watched as people with little to no experience, declare themselves a leader, a clergy and are only in it for the power trip. Guess what? There is no power in this position. You don’t suddenly become a God or Goddess, you aren’t suddenly gifted with every mythical power you have read about. What you are gifted with is the ability to help and guide others. To protect people from themselves (sometimes) and to help ensure the health of the community.

For too long, I have watched as our community has not only drifted apart, been torn apart but been poisoned. Every child with a paycheck and a Hot Topic in their town wants to be the next Nancy Downs. That isn’t what Paganism is about. It’s not sacrificing animals, hurting children or women. It’s about loving Mother Earth (who is female) and respecting all things she has created. It’s a matriarchal faith, where the Goddess is primary but the God is vital to help protect and create. Just because you buy a Pentacle and a spell book, does not make you a Witch, a Pagan or a Wiccan. There is so much more to it than that. It calls for more responsibility upon you. It means paying attention to the natural cycles of the earth, respecting nature, not forcing your will on others and harming none.

There needs to be a serious revamp an adjustment of who can and cannot be a High Priest or Priestess. If you have ever stolen, committed rape, murder, or pedophelia, you are never qualified to be any form of clergy. A position such as this, calls upon you to be of pure heart and intentions. Do not give the excuse that it’s “part of my faith” or it’s “the way I practice”. Absolutely not. Nothing in any one of the paths gives clearance for these crimes against man. Again I will say Harm None. Now, some of you are saying that “I don’t subscribe to the Wiccan Rede.” Well, karma is very real and it will catch up with you. It doesn’t matter if you choose Aphrodite as your Goddess, gratuitous sex and images are not what she is about. She is not lust, she is love, know the difference or get a dictionary.

Here is where some of my words contradict themselves, you are however, allowed and encouraged to pull that status card when you see someone who claims themselves Pagan or Wiccan and they are doing whatever they want. They are casting spells without thought, treating people in whatever way they feel is appropriate (using their Witch status to intimidate) or you feel they are far too young to understand what it is they are playing with. Your plastic Pagans and Dabblers and such. Or in the case of an event I went to a few years ago, they leave a public park trashed after a gathering. When they give the community a bad name because of their behavior. This is not an organized religion but there are still rules and if you are a “High Priest or Priestess” you are responsible for helping to enforce them. There needs to be order brought back to our community. Thanks to shows like Charmed and Buffy, everyone wants to be a Witch, without ever realizing that we have far more rules than any other faith. Just no one has bothered to enforce them because we get rebellion in return. Even the Satanic religion (organization) has rules they must abide by. They do not “do whatever feels good.” So why do we have a bunch of little Pagans who think that behavior is okay? Because there is no real leadership anymore.

So, if you’ve gotten this far, I do hope you consider my words seriously. That you see the plague spreading across the Pagan community and you are willing to do something about it. Also, that if you realize, you have not been a true Priest/Priestess, you correct your behavior. Another note before I leave you, having 2-5 years experience does not qualify you for that responsibility. You are in no way ready for that path. It also means you have to teach lessons (not just about herbs, spells and crystals) but real life and Pagan lessons. By that I mean if someone is fooling around with a Ouija board and they get a demon in their house, you make them clear it. Otherwise, they will continue to make irresponsible decisions and expect you to clean it up. Whatever spell they cast, you have to teach them that they are responsible for the results, magick is not a game. Are you ready for that responsibility? You have to ensure their safety and well being while in circle and even when they are not around you. You do that by advising them when you see they are stepping in an unsafe direction or giving them information on herbal cures for what ails them. No Christian Clergy have this level of responsibility.

If you have not stopped reading by now, congratulations, you have intestinal fortitude. I am fully aware that my words will anger some people and that in the back of their mind they’re thinking “Who the heck does she think she is? She can’t tell me what to do.” No, I cannot, you’re right about that. Just don’t bother to approach and speak to me in public and don’t contact me when you have nasty spirits walking around your living room. I will not help you. The Goddess will correct you, not me. Take into consideration what I am saying and please, let’s start making a difference in a small portion of humans. We all know, the world is already turning into a cesspool of ego and selfishness. Let’s none of us help contribute.

[nerianasims]

The only religious group I've encountered often, irl and/or online, among whom none of their group have ever tried to convert me, are Jews.

Christian Evangelicals have obviously tried to convert me an absolute ton (and also screamed at me as I'm walking past wearing loose jeans and a t-shirt that I'm a whore of Babylon, possibly because light skin + dark hair ping as Jewish to them.) But so, less rudely and less often, have Catholics and mainline Protestants. More than one Buddhist has tried to convert me. Muslims too. Hindus seem to have a group that is trying to convert people lately, because it's happened to me multiple times online.

New Agey people are as convert-happy as Christian Evangelicals, though they tend to be less personally insulting about it. Same with various types of pagans, Wiccans, etc. New Atheist types are both convert and insult, especially misogynistic insult, happy. And the most liberal of Christians, who are the Christians I encounter most often on a personal level -- yeah, some of them have tried to convert me too.

I have spent much of my life around Jews. My own mother converted to Judaism when I was in my 30s. But not one has ever even hinted at attempting to convert me. Not once.

[pomegranategay]

trans people who can't do hormones because of medical problems

trans people who can't afford to do hormones

trans people who don't want to go on hormones

trans people who can't do surgery/surgeries because of medical problems

trans people who can't afford to do surgery/surgeries

trans people who don't want to undergo any surgeries, or who want one type of surgery but not the other, for whatever their reasons may be

afab trans people who want to carry a child

afab trans people who want to freeze their genetic material so their partner or a surrogate can carry their child

amab trans people who want to impregnate their partner

amab trans people who want to freeze their genetic material so their partner or a surrogate can carry their child

trans people who don't want biological children

trans people who don't want children

straight trans people

non-straight trans people

trans people of sexualities that are often ignored, erased, dismissed, etc. so like, bi trans people, pan trans people, ace trans people, aro trans people, demi trans people, and so many more that i'm missing.

polyamorous trans people

trans couples

nonbinary people

trans people who identify with mogai genders

trans people who use neopronouns

dysphoric trans people

non-dysphoric trans people

trans people who identify with a cultural gender (for example, two spirit, māhū, hijra, fa'afafine, burrnesha, and others that i have missed)

trans people in countries where it's still illegal or very dangerous to be trans

atheist trans people

agnostic trans people

religious trans people (and i mean ALL religious trans people, not just christians/catholics. my fellow jewish trans people, muslim trans people, buddhist trans people, wiccan trans people, pagan trans people, and trans people of any other religion i haven't named here)

trans witches

trans people who wear religious hair coverings or religious clothes (yarmulkes, tefillin, tzitzit, tichels, sheitels, hijabs, burqas, abayas, veils, niqabs, tagelmusts, dastars, etc.)

trans people who struggle with any of a variety of mental health problems

trans people whose families support them

trans people who have been disowned or thrown out, or whose families don't support them

trans people who have gone through conversion therapy

trans people who have tried to "fix" themselves

trans people with eating disorders

trans people who knew they were trans all their lives

trans people who didn't realize that they were trans until later on

trans sex workers

trans people who do drag

trans people who chose to be stealth

trans people who choose to be out

trans people who can't be out

all fuckin trans people, y'all are fuckin lovely ❤️

trans rights babey :)

on this international transgender day of visibility, let’s take a moment for the trans people who aren’t as seen. 

trans POC disabled trans people trans people who can’t pass gender non conforming trans people older trans people trans people outside of the binary trans people who aren’t skinny trans people who didn’t always know they were trans

you do not have to be what everyone expects to be just as valid.

feel free to add on!

[atheostic]

@the-library-alcove

1. ♪ I’m NOT culturally Christiaaaan! ♪

I’m culturally secular, thank you.

Like many (if not most) secular atheists, I was raised being taught about as many religions as my mom could get a hand on info about.

I have family members who are Wicca and family members who worship Candomblé.

I’ve had my Orixá de Cabeça divined by a Quimbanda priestess, been to a Buddhist temple on several occasions, taken university classes on Greco-Romano and Norse mythology & culture, celebrated a Pagan Summer Solstice celebration, and attended a South American equivalent of a Powwow to honour my Indigenous ancestors.

I’ve also been avidly studying comparative religion since I was 5 out of personal interest.

Just because I’m discussing Christianity does not make me culturally Christian.

And if you mean I’m “culturally Christian” because I live in a Christian-majority country, then Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, Wiccans, Sikhs, and Muslims in my country are all culturally Christian too by your logic.

2. I was talking about Christianity because the comment I was referencing was by a Christian.

Don’t worry, I know that God in the Jewish Torah and Muslim Qu’ran is pro-slavery too.

““If a man sells his daughter as a slave, she is not to go free like the men-slaves.” (Shemot 21:7)

“If a person beats his male or female slave with a stick so severely that he dies, he is to be punished; except that if the slave lives for a day or two, he is not to be punished, since the slave is his property.” (Shemot 21:20-21)

“Concerning the men and women you may have as slaves: you are to buy men- and women-slaves from the nations surrounding you. You may also buy the children of foreigners living with you and members of their families born in your land; you may own these. You may also bequeath them to your children to own; from these groups you may take your slaves forever. But as far as your brothers the people of Isra’el are concerned, you are not to treat each other harshly.” (Vayikra 25:44-46)

“except with their spouses and slave-girls. The practice of carnal relations is lawful with them.” (Surah 23:6)

“except from their wives and slave girls, in which case they are not to be blamed,” (Surah 70:30)

“Prophet, We have made lawful for you your wives whom you have given their dowry, slave girls whom God has given to you as gifts, the daughters of your uncles and aunts, both paternal and maternal, who have migrated with you.” (Surah 33:50)

3. It’s not a “gotcha argument” to do exactly what the person said I should do.

The person said “Read Exodus”. 

I did. 

And it literally has a section on how Jews can enslave other Jews. 

The Leviticus quote I gave, in turn, explicitly says “You can enslave the heathen that surround you and keep them as your property to pass on to your children.”

4. How is it a “word game” to quote an explicitly clear text verbatim?

The text explicitly says “You can own these people as property.” 

If you’re telling me that that’s not what the text means when it literally says that then I’m not the one playing word games, my friend.

5. I’m not the only one who says the text in the Bible is pro-slavery.

How Christian Slaveholders Used the Bible to Justify Slavery from TIME Magazine

Christianity: Atlantic slave trade and abolition from the BBC Religion & Ethics page

“…scriptural passages from the Old Testament books of Exodus, Leviticus and Deuteronomy which appear to denounce slavery actually condemn enslavement in certain circumstances rather than slavery in general.”

“…some clergy tried to push the idea that it was possible to be a ‘good slave and Christian’ and pointed to St Paul’s epistles, which called for slaves to 'obey their masters’, and St Peter’s letters (1 Peter 2: 18-25), which appeared to suggest that it was wholly commendable for Christian slaves to suffer at the hands of cruel masters.”

Slavery (Biblical Studies) -  Oxford Bibliographies

“The Hebrew Bible condones slavery, contains laws regulating it, and even uses it as a metaphor to describe God’s relationship with Israel. The New Testament, entrenched in the Greco-Roman world, accepts the fact of slavery, commands slaves to obey their masters, and even recounts the return of a slave to his master.”

What The Bible Really Says About Slavery by Greg Carey, Professor of New Testament, Lancaster Theological Seminary

“Don’t let anybody tell you that biblical slavery was somehow less brutal than slavery in the United States.”

“Slaveowners possessed not only the slaves’ labour but also their sexual and reproductive capacities.  When the Bible refers to female slaves who do not “please” their masters, we’re talking about the sexual use of slaves.  Likewise when the Bible spells out the conditions for marrying a slave (see Exodus 21:7-11).”

“Slavery did not accompany a particular racial status, as it eventually did in the United States, but the Hebrew Bible stipulates preferred treatment for Israelite slaves (see Exodus 21:1-11; 25:39-55; Deuteronomy 15:12-18). … Military conquest contributed greatly to the slave market as well.”

The Bible does not attempt to hide the presence of slaves.  Beware modern translations that use “servant” to cover up slave language.

“In the New Testament, Jesus frequently refers to slaves in his parables, the witty stories that marked his most distinctive teaching style.  He never addresses slavery as an institution, though unfortunately one of the parables assumes that beating a slave is acceptable (Luke 12:47-48).”

1. I was looking at the Old Testament, not the Torah, actually.

It’s not my fault if y’all can’t tell the difference between the two (despite liking to claim that they’re “not the same”.

2. If I’m culturally Christian for being raised in a Christian-majority society then so are Jews, Muslims, Sikhs, and Hindus in my country.

According to you, Canadian Jews are culturally Christian.

3. If a text says “You can own these people as property” it is, by definition, pro-slavery.

4. The original post was about a CHRISTIAN and quoted the CHRISTIAN Old Testament.

5. Lol go ahead, block me because I proved you wrong. Idgaf.

|image source|

And God’s supposedly the one speaking in that passage, by the way. 

God literally explicitly says “You may acquire male and female slaves.” in Leviticus too.  (Leviticus 25:40-46)