Witchvox - New Articles This Week
Isaac Bonewits [OakLore]
Sat, 09/04/2010 - 10:43pmIn Loving Memory PHILIP EMMONS ISAAC BONEWITSOctober 1, 1949 - August 12, 2010It was with a heavy heart I learned only today of the passing of celebrated Pagan Elder and Author, Isaac Bonewits. Though I never met Isaac in-person, I did chat with him numerous times over the Internet and was a great admirer of his work and scholarship. In no small way, it is fair to say that he brought to the exploration of Druidry/Druidism what Gerald Gardner brought to the exploration of
An All-American Religion: Establishing a Nation-Wide NeoPagan Cultus [Chirotus Infinitum]
Wed, 09/01/2010 - 8:46pmOne of the features of modern neopaganism is its decentralized nature. Neopaganism as a category encompasses a large number of disparate religions, and even among what could be considered the same religion (such as Wicca) there are numerous sub-divisions and a near-complete lack of central authority or organization. Many neopagans view this as a strength instead of a weakness, often for reasons of self-determination and pursuit of individual truth. This ideal is found most often expressed in t
Sacrifice in Norse Lore [Ryan Smith]
Wed, 09/01/2010 - 8:46pmThe central idea behind Christianity is the sacrifice of Jesus Christ by crucifixion in Jerusalem. The idea behind this sacrifice was that by dying He was washing away the sins of all mankind and saving them from the retribution of His Father. This is held up as an example of pure selflessness by an act of willing sacrifice of a God who became a man to die for humanity. Yet Christianity is not the only place where sacrifice plays an essential role to the beliefs and practices of a people.
The Apathy and Altar Ego of our Kind [ShadowDarkFyre]
Wed, 09/01/2010 - 8:46pmThe question I find myself asking is and quot;Why is it that our kind seems to be apathetic? and quot; While many of us are enthusiastic in our apparent and quot;renaissance and quot;, just as many simply don't believe, or find it hard to. This is a quandary I find I face every day as I look upon the world today. And that's honestly not the only problem I see in the community these days. For more than sixteen years I've been what I term and quot;magickfolk and quot;. During eight of those years I've been active, working through the Domai
ATC: Preparing for the Future (A Special Community Announcement) [Pete Pathfinder Davis]
Wed, 09/01/2010 - 8:46pmThe Aquarian Tabernacle Church of Wicca, after 30 years, has grown to the point where the structure model we have followed in recent years needs to be changed to accommodate our unexpected growth. A little history of the ATC is in order to better understand how ATC began, what we are doing now and how we are re-organizing the Aquarian Tabernacle. Its more like returning to our original roots. A little reorganization of ATC will go a long way toward assuring our traditions future years.
Summerfest 2010 (Festival Review) [Peg Aloi]
Wed, 09/01/2010 - 8:46pmThis year, after twenty years at the Brushwood Folklore Center, the 30-year old Starwood Festival moved to a new location (at Wisteria in Ohio) . For the last few years, Brushwood has held Starwood immediately following Sirius Rising. Though Sirius Rising began as an event to create some fun and interest in the week before Starwood, it gradually grew to become bigger than Starwood and to have a fairly intense magical and elemental focus. This year, Summerfest was created as a festive event to fo
Arielle's Tears [Ruadhan]
Wed, 09/01/2010 - 8:46pmI was in grad school in the early part of 2000, and like most grad students, I was poor. But the gods had been good to me. I had a good wife and two lovely daughters, and we all lived in a comfortable townhouse on the southeast side of Anchorage, right at the edge of the city where the Chugach forest and mountains began. Behind our place there was a large park with the usual swings and sawhorses, and acres and acres of open grounds and grassy knolls for summer barbecues and happy games of Frisbe
Rethinking Pagan Heterodoxy [Avatar]
Wed, 09/01/2010 - 8:46pmI have heard a lot of arguments against honoring scriptures, rules, and hierarchies from Pagan people. Some of them make sense. Scriptures have a tendency to generate fundamentalism. Too many rules oppress the general body of a spiritual community. Hierarchies allow power hungry people to get a lot of power. These are fine arguments until they become accusations against the people who utilize these elements in spiritual work. Broad, sweeping generalizations attacking those Pagans who do honor a
'History' vs. History [Sarrestia]
Wed, 09/01/2010 - 8:46pmCan we, as a massive and ever-growing community, truly allow ourselves to hold ideas and so-called facts about the history of our religion that are wrong and hazy at best, when we attempt to hold the histories of other religions at a higher standard?Most of us come from the religious backgrounds of the other religions, mainly the three biggest religions (however, there really isnt that many coming from Islam) . Therefore, it should be safe to assume, that the beliefs and histories hel
What About Bear? [MetallicUrsine]
Wed, 09/01/2010 - 8:46pmWe all know the common symbol - the furry Teddy from our youth. But possibly older than wolves, owls, goats, and horses, is the stories of Bear. Worship of a bear figure may have featured in Eurasian hunting tribes and even as far back as Neolithic times. Joseph Campbell wrote of the common feature of bear in most of the 'primitive' tribes. All one needs to do is look at the night sky, and see the constellations Ursa Major, and Ursa Minor to see the beginnings of the history and folklore of the
Spirit Animals: Magick and Protection [Christopher Aldridge]
Sat, 08/28/2010 - 8:16pmI dont know that many people who work with Spirit Animals, and perhaps some people dont think there is much benefit to them, but I certainly believe there are great benefits. The aid of animals in spirit is very much a Native American belief based on my research, although I am sure you can find examples of the practice and belief in other ancient cultures. But I dont draw from only one tradition. My main path is Hellenic, but there are other influences from other cultures that I look to. And
Poetry as Spiritual Practice [Ali]
Wed, 08/25/2010 - 9:08pmAll poetry begins in the dark. In the cave of memory, the new poet lies awake, wrapped in the simple, loose-fitting shift of a sleeper, listening to the echoes of her own breathing and the whine of her own blood in her ears, the only sounds. The close stone walls are damp with her exhalations, sighs of longing or uncertainty, muffled sobs or murmured joys. She can see nothing in the darkness, not even the low ceiling above, but in that senseless obscurity her memory moves, conjuring up fleeting
Becoming A Priest or Priestess of the Colors [Esmerelda Little Flame]
Wed, 08/25/2010 - 9:08pmOne of the ways in which I have learned to best understand myself is through the colors of life, how I relate to them, and how they relate to me. Do you love colors also? Which ones draw you? Why? Might you want to be a Priest or Priestess of one of them?Read on and we'll think about what your place might be on the color wheel.Are you one whose main concern is the truth, no matter how harsh? Do you always want to probe deeper, see farther, into things, to get to the heart
Hand Crafted Tools Necessary? [Brigham]
Wed, 08/25/2010 - 9:08pmWhile surfing some of my favorite pagan on-line stores recently, I have noticed that more and more of them are offering what they call beginner kits. The term is pretty self-explanatory. A beginner kit includes items that a beginner Pagan practitioner would need to begin this/her religious practice. Although I do not know the number of these kits that are sold, to say that no one is buying these would be false. Stores would not continue to carry an item that does not sell; that would defea
Youre A WHAT? Being the Pagan in a Christian Family [MorningOwl]
Wed, 08/25/2010 - 9:08pmThe first memory I have of the time I told my mother I was Wiccan revealed a combination of shock on her face and the yelling of my complete disgrace. I also saw everything being tossed at me from the refrigerator. Eggs, tomatoes, and an assortment of other foods landed on my bedroom floor. Today, she would deny any of these events occurred, since I have given her several talks about my religion. She has learned to accept me as her daughter, although I cant say she will ever accept me as a Paga
Open Doors [Anden Jade]
Wed, 08/25/2010 - 9:08pmI was raised not to open doors. If it was closed, it was closed for a reason. This philosophy applied to everything from pantry doors, which were shut so the dog would stay out of the garbage, to Ouija boards, which could open doors to that scariest of scaries: the unknown. Having said that, it likely comes as no surprise that I was raised strictly Catholic. However, being constantly told not to open doors, not to question status quos, not to think for myself grated on me. I remember first quest
Recognizing Each Other [Wyzard of Wyldwood]
Wed, 08/25/2010 - 9:08pmMary was crying. And these were not little tears they were great big gut wrenching sobs that tore through her and summoned me from the next room to see what was wrong. Mary is a lovely woman bright and sunny most of the time. I have only seen her tear up on two other occasions; once when she lost her best friend, and on one strange Saturday when she was trapped on the roof of her home with no way to get down. It did not bother me then for both of those times there was a definite trigger I
Dear Wicca, Thank You. [Selena Rose]
Wed, 08/25/2010 - 9:08pmI began to research Wicca when I was eleven or twelve years old. I obviously was not extremely serious about it at that point, and the interest came and went for a year or two. I always loved the idea of the religion, but I didnt seriously start studying until I was about thirteen. And I studied for almost a solid two years before I started to practice. I know that it was still very young and, looking back, maybe it was too young. But I dont regret starting early because it just gave me mo
Pagans: Loved, Yet Misunderstood [Davina Sullivan]
Wed, 08/25/2010 - 9:08pmWe are loved, yet misunderstood.Within the last few months, I have recently explained to my friends and family that I am a Pagan, and more than proud to say so. I have been asked so many questions sense then, its unbelievable. However, Im glad that they asked because Ive realized that many people in general has such a high misunderstanding, that we Pagans are judged unfairly. I have the opportunity to be able to help others understand and not judge us based on the word of others.
Growth and Advice in Paganism [Jedi Gordy]
Wed, 08/25/2010 - 9:08pmA little background: I left fundamentalist Christianity because they said I needed to pray to Jesus harder to cure conditions that well, make me, me. They also supported the actions of churches that violate their tax-exempt status and Christian telemarketing centers that fire if you have a disability. I found that I had a conflict of morals with this particular church, so as I left, I angrily shouted, Im going to go to Voodoo!! That turned out to be a strange prophecy, but that part of the
