rch54 asked this question on 3/21/2000:
I was raised as a catholic (dropped that soon),turned to spiritualism,found some connetion but not enough to keep me. read about paganism,felt a real saitsfaction there.would wicca offer me something i haven't seen before?What are some of the differences between wicca and the two I just mentioned?
Gloria gave this response on 3/22/2000:
I know a number of recovering Catholics who find that the combination of ritual and belief in the natural world that is Wicca strikes a deep chord.
Many Wicca groups tend to be female-centric. There are other Gardnerian based groups that are a balance of male and female.
What are the differences between Spiritualism and Wicca? I'm not sure that Spiritualism could qualify as a religion as it is more a technique for contacting the ones who have passed on. Spiritualism tends to attract a wide range of people for a short period of time. Wicca is more a path to walk the worlds, and a life long study. What area you study is up to you: i.e. green, herbal and plant medicine, white: magick and its workings, or any other variety. Many witches believe they can contact the ancestors, and they also believe they can contact the animal, plant and rock spirits. Believing this is not a necessity, simply an option. Beyond this, I suggest you read some books on Wicca, and make your own decision.
What is the difference between Paganism and Wicca? Paganism is a term used by the major organized religions to stimatize all others. So, anybody, including Catholics, are considered pagans by some churchs. ( I grew up in the Baptist Church where the Catholic Church was reviled as idolators who were condemned to hell by their beliefs.) Acceptance of the beliefs of others is one tenet that most Wicca groups and communities subscribe to. So you could be a Witch and still be a Buddhist, Lutheran or Baptist as far as the Wiccans are concerned. Doesn't work the other way, however.
Would it offer you something different? I don't know. You sound like a seeker. This may not be your true path, but it may be a stepping stone.
What I like about Wicca is that there is only one rule: Do what you will an' harm none. That I can live with.
Blessed Be!
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