1. So you’re Wiccan?
In my case the answer is no.
There are many forms of Paganism which includes Wicca, Druidry, Heathenism,
and others. I use the label “Contemporary
Pagan” to denote that my spirituality is a blending of influence. I was heavily imprinted by Native American
Spirituality growing up in Flagstaff, Arizona where the San Francisco Peaks are
sacred ground. I have a calling towards
ancient Goddesses of the Greek/Roman Pantheon (they are the Great Goddess Diana
and Queen Persephone if you are curious).
My Scandinavian and family heritage is also an influence as well as my
introduction (decades ago) to modern spell craft and Traditional Witchcraft. Much like all Catholics are Christians, but
not all Christians are Catholics, such as it is with Paganism and Wicca. Asking a Protestant “So you’re Catholic?” is
considered rude. Wicca, I am sure is a
lovely path, but it isn’t mine. “I’m
Pagan” is my answer, if I was Wiccan I would have answered as such.
2. Are you a Witch?
In my case the answer is yes, although I’m not fond of the
term because it conjures up too much nonsense in my personal opinion. However, not all Pagans are witches or
practice a form of “witchcraft.” The “craft”
of a witch is more about being in a role of teacher or healer. For a really lovely and fun depiction of witchcraft read the fictional Tiffany Aching Series by
Terry Pratchett.
3. Do you do “spells and stuff?”
The answer is yes, but not very often, because it’s a lot of
work. If you are a witch and you’re
doing a spell, it’s akin to goal planning.
So, for example, if you want to create a weight-loss spell, you don’t
wave your magic wand and suddenly have the body of a super-model. No, in a spell you make a plan for what you
are willing to do to get what you want.
And then if you really want to make it dramatic, you pray to your Gods
and Goddesses or the universe or whatever and make a promise to DO it. So you make a divine declaration to eat
healthy and go to the gym. Makes that a
bit intimidating doesn’t it? What
happens if you don’t follow through to the Divine? Well you don’t lose the weight, and now you
have the added Divine guilt to pack on to the regular guilt you feel when you
don’t follow through on your personal goals.
Fun. Right?
4. But you’re a "White Witch?" Right?
No. And at the risk
of offending those who use that label I’m going to tell you right now to be
wary of those who do use it. Listen,
magic just is. It doesn’t have moral motive. Let me further explain: "White Magic" popularized by television mostly,
implies that it is “good.” Healing would
generally be thought of as a “good” thing to do right? But doing “Healing Magic” is unethical (hence
“bad” or “evil”) if you weren’t ASKED to do it by the person who needs it.
Look at it from a completely un-magical
scenario: Let’s say you get regular headaches.
Instead of going to a doctor you choose to
mask your symptoms with some painkillers.
Pain gone, no problem...unless of course you have a brain tumor
growing.
Sickness is usually a symptom
of a greater problem. Even if you don’t
have a brain tumor, your headaches are a symptom of a larger problem. Is it stress at work? I don’t know, only you know the answer. What I do know is that it would be a really evil thing for me to send healing magic to you for your headaches. Stress at work so bad it’s giving you regular
headaches is still a brain tumor, just of the metaphorical variety. It’s not my place to help you mask the
symptoms particularly without your permission.
If you came to me for “healing magic” I wouldn’t want to give you
magical painkillers, I’d be more interested in diagnosing the actual problem. Ultimately, I might be able to provide you with some comfort, but I'm not a doctor. Part of my treatment plan would be helping you to identify what type of licensed medical practitioner you would need to see.
5. Do you curse people?
The answer is yes. If
they really deserve it. But remember, I
already explained spells are hard work for me, so it’s really got to be very
important. We’re talking justice on the
cosmic scale here. Cursing is usually unnecessary
because our human justice system generally takes care of most things. So let me ask you, is justice “evil?” It’s a question that some people find hard to
answer sometimes. Cosmic justice is no
different.
6. What about Animal Sacrifice?
This is the number one question I’m asked. People don't seem afraid to ask this one they just come out and quite rudely ask me. But if what you are asking is, do I personally
sacrifice animals? The answer is yes, every day, often multiple times.
Before you completely freak out and report me
to Animal Control, you too, probably perform animal sacrifice, every day and
multiple times unless you are a vegan who has sworn off even the leather in
your shoes and the silk in your underwear.
Welcome to the wonderful world of eating and consuming. Another being sacrificed its life so that you
could eat its flesh or wear it (or in the case of silk the fruit of its
labor-not yours) and live. Be
grateful. Show respect. Give it honor. For me, eating is THE most spiritual thing I
do every day. The fact that this seems
to be unique to Paganism has always been particularly confusing to me.
7. So…do you do naked public rituals?
This would be the second most common question I am
asked. Do I “do” them? I have been to retreats classified as Pagan
where some participants have been naked.
They are usually in a private environment, so they are “public” in that
there are many people there, but all of these people have registered for the event and
are there for the retreat. It is not
precisely “public” in that no one else but registered attendees are allowed
into the retreat space. But if you are
asking about me, specifically, the answer is that I prefer clothes.
Nudity or being “Skyclad” comes from the idea
that the human body, just as it is, without ornamentation, is a part of the
greater divine. I can be a part of the
divine with my clothes on, thank you.
And personally I am more comfortable in public rituals where everyone is
fully clothed. I have been accused of
being a prude more often by non-Pagans, than Pagans.
Yes. I
am a prude. That is largely separate
from my religion.
8. Do you use narcotics and/or illegal drugs in your rituals?
Absolutely not. I’m a
police officer. I arrest people for
that, I certainly don’t do that! Talk
about unethical behavior!
Peyote is
sometimes appropriated under the guise of spiritual practice, however it is
only legal for certain Native American religions. Those not of Native American decent with no direct
ties to these traditions are very, very rarely invited to a ritual where peyote
will be used.
Sage, that green spice in your kitchen is
commonly used in Pagan and other Religions’ ceremonies. Believe it or not, this herb has relatives
with some hallucinogenic properties. Sage
and some other legal herbs are sometimes ingested by people (not just Pagans) to
promote prophetic dreams; but as I will explain shortly, I already have dreams of
the future without use of these herbs and so they are not generally a part of my
ritual practice.
If we are to be
completely honest, I have in my time smoked a certain green leafy
substance. When I was hired by my police
department I disclosed that that not only did I inhale this substance, I
enjoyed it. They hired me anyway, with
the implicit direction that I would not do it again -- I haven’t.
9. Can you tell me my fortune?
Yes, actually I can, but that ability really has nothing to
do with my religion. Feel free to
research the topic of psychic ability and genetics, there are a host of
articles about just that floating about on the Web. My family has a lengthy history of being able
to view the future, most specifically through palmistry. None of them are or were Pagan and most are
or were Christian. I do not read palms. I prefer Geomancy and Runes, I also have
dreams that occasionally predict future events.
Most
Pagans are accepting of magic so it stands to reason that most are also accepting
of the practice of “fortune telling” or divination (as it is more properly
referred). I actually believe that
everyone is a little bit psychic. I
think it’s a part of the human condition.
Many Pagans practice a form of divination, but not all do.
Please don’t ask me or anyone else for that matter
to do it for you unless you are prepared for the answer. I won’t predict your death unless you ask
specifically about that (and perhaps not even then, you morbid thing you!) but
I might just tell you the truth and that can be a fairly difficult thing to hear. But am I seeing the truth of your future by
some magical means? Or am I just seeing
you through your body language, reactions, and a host of other decidedly more boring
things? I don’t know. I don’t really think it matters if what I say
is useful.
Also, the proper thing to do is
pay me for my service. It doesn’t have
to be monetary. I told fortunes at a
fundraiser for my son’s school because it was an opportunity to show I was an
involved parent. A co-worker bought me
breakfast one morning in exchange for a fortune. Your gardener doesn’t cut your grass for free
so why would you think that I would want to tap into the cosmos just to show off my
cute parlor trick? I take my divination
seriously, you should too. Your cold
hard cash proves to me that it is at least worth the amount printed on that
green paper. No offer, no value, no dice
(literally, I cast my Geomancy with dice).
10. What does that five point star mean?
The five pointed star is symbolic of the five elements
Pagans believe to fuel all life. Air,
Fire, Water, Earth and Spirit. You must
have air to breath, water to drink, and food and shelter to live; that’s fairly
straight forward. Fire is your will to
live. Spirit is your reason to
live. Usually, there is one spire pointed
upright, that one spire is the Spirit portion of the entire figure. The idea is that you are the star, looking up
and sending toward the divine.
The inverted
pentacle with two spires on top has been for the most part appropriated by the
Satanist Religion as their symbol. They
are often identified as Pagan. I would
classify them as a non-Pagan tradition, but that is simply an opinion that
needs another article to explain.
But in
a purely Pagan context, the two spires on top would be Earth and Fire, the idea
is that you are the star asking the divine to come down, into you, to
experience the divine in order to be inspired.
And that concludes 10 Questions About Paganism You Were Afraid to Ask. I’ve included some other great articles and resources for
you to explore more. I believe that part
of my divine purpose is to educate people on Paganism. We are very normal people just like you. We raise families, have very good jobs and
live our lives. I am very happy to
respond to any question so feel free to comment or email me!
Resources:
Web Pages
Freeman, Jamie. “What You Need to Know About Skyclad.”
Witchful Thinking. Wordpress.com.
30 January 2010. Web. 9 July 2016
Scott, Eric O. “10 Things I Wish Everyone Knew About Wicca.”
FaithStreet.com. 30 October 2015.
Web. 9 July 2016.
Books
Pratchett, Terry. TheTiffany Aching Series
(which you can find on Amazon.com)
