EllenNCGal@... asked this question on 4/26/2000:

I was interested in some general knowledge of this religion for a research paper, any information or cites would be appreciated. Please send thid info. to Ellenncgal@aol.com. Thank you.

mothergoddess gave this response on 4/29/2000:

MERRY MEET ELLEN, SORRY TO HAVE TAKEN SO LONG TO GET BACK TO YOU, BUT LIKE MOST MORTALS...HEE HEE HEE... I HAVE BEEN IN THE MIDDLE OF MOVING AND SETTING UP A NEW HOUSE...

TO EXPLAIN WICCA IN THE BRIEFEST OF TERMS, WE ARE A POLYTHEISTIC RELIGION...MEANING THAT WE BELIEVE IN MANY GODS. LIKE HINDUISM, BUDDHISM, NATIVE AMERICAN BELIEFS, WE SEE THE GODS IN ALL THAT EXISTS ON EARTH AND IN OUR LIVES AND ACTIONS. THE RESPECT OF OUR MOTHER, THE GIVER OF LIFE, EARTH, IS FOREMOST... WHAT WE RECIEVE AND TAKE, COMES FROM NATURE. ALTHOUGH SOME NAMES DIFFER AMONG VARIOUS WICCANS, THE COMMONALITIES ARE THAT THE MOON REPRESENTS THE FEMALE FORM OF THE DIETY, AND THE SUN THE MALE FORM. YIN AND YANG, POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE, HIS AND HERS, SO TO SPEAK. ALMOST ALL RELIGIONS HAVE THIS DUALITY IN THE TEACHINGS TO SOME DEGREE. THE ONE LAW THAT ALL TRUE WICCANS FOLLOW (AND I EMPHASIZE THE WORD...TRUE...) IS "TO HARM NONE".

THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO DABBLE OR PRACTICE BASTARDIZED FORMS OF PAGANISM, CLAIMING TO BE WITCHES, DOING NARCISSISTIC THINGS FOR ONLY THE BENIFIT OF THEMSELVES, ALL IN THE NAME OF WICCA...UNFORTUNATLY, THIS REFLECTS ON THE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF TRUE FOLLOWERS. (AND ADDS TO THE HOLLYWOOD IMAGE OF BROOMSTICK FLYING HAGS WHO DO MORE HARM THAN GOOD.)

TODAYS WICCANS ARE NORMAL EVERYDAY PEOPLE, NURSES (LIKE MYSELF) CAPENTERS, POLITICIANS (A LOCAL MAYOR HERE HAS BEEN WICCAN FOR OVER TWENTY YEARS) BUD DRIVERS, AND BUSINESS OWNERS...WE DRIVE CAR POOLS, OWE VISA MORE MONEY THAN WE CARE TO ADMIT TO, AND PARTICIPATE IN VARIOUS CHARITY DRIVES AND SOCIAL FUNCTIONS LIKE OUR NEIGHBORS AND FRIENDS. ( I WOULD LOVE TO DO A SURVEY SOMEDAY OF THE JOBS WE WICCANS HOLD, AS IT HAS BEEN MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE THAT ALMOST ALL I KNOW, HOLD PUBLIC SERVICE JOBS, ESPECIALLY IN THE HEALTH FIELDS, WHERE WE CAN CARE FOR OUR FELLOW HUMANS...).

I HAVE A WONDERFUL WEBSITE YOU CAN ACCESS FOR A TON OF INFORMATION (LITERALLY) ON THE VARIOUS SECTS OF PAGANISM, AND EVEN A GLIMPSE INTO A BOOK OF SHADOWS ( KIND OF A COMPLETE REFERENCE BOOK OF RITUALS, TEACHINGS, THEORIES, STORIES, AND SO MUCH MORE...)THAT SOME VERY KIND PRACTIONERS HAVE TAKEN THE TIME TO TYPE AND PLACE ON THE NET. (TRUST ME, THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF PAGES TO THIS 'BOOK' AND THE TIME IT MUST HAVE TAKEN IS OVERWHELMING!)

WHEN YOU FOLLOW THIS LINK, CLICK ON THE "SEEKERS CIRCLE" AT THE TOP OF THE SCREEN, AND THEN GO TO THE WICCAN READING ROOM... AT THE BOTTM OF THE PAGE YOU WILL SEE "BOS"... THAT IS THE BOOK OF SHADOWS (NAMED SO, NOT BECAUSE OF THE 'EVIL STUFF' THAT IS SUPPOSEDLY HIDDEN IN IT... AS YOU WILL FIND NONE OF THAT...BUT BECAUSE FOR CENTURIES IT HAD TO BE HIDDEN IN THE SHADOWS FOR FEAR OF PERSECUTION IF FOUND...)

FROM THERE, THE FIRST BOOK, HAS A TABLE OF CONTENTS WITH PAGE NUMBERS (SOME MAY BE OFF A LITTLE, AS THE BOOK HAS BEEN ADDED TO OVER THE YEARS ON-LINE) AND YOU CAN READ ON FROM THERE...

http://the.wicca.net/

HOPE YOU FIND ALL OF THE INFORMATION YOU ARE LOOKING FOR.. IF NOT, PLEASE WRITE TO ME AGAIN, AND I WILL BE HAPPY TO GIVE YOU ANY INFORMATION I CAN...

MERRY PART, AND BLESSINGS TO YOU....

LOVE,

BETHANY

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