Witchvox - New Articles This Week
Do We Need To Defend Our Faith? [Disciple of Oghma]
Wed, 07/28/2010 - 6:22pmI have been reading a lot of articles lately discussing the Christian path and its concerns and relations with the Pagan paths. I agree with the heart and the courage I see exemplified in these people who are demanding that we should all and quot;step out of our Broom Closet and quot;. But I am inclined to disagree with those sentiments on a few points. People might get the impression that we are in denial of our faiths because we are not louder than the Christians. But most of us arent even in the Broom Closet
Pagan Millenium [Zone 9 Pagan]
Wed, 07/28/2010 - 6:22pmThe influence of paganism is everywhere and yet this word stirs up the ancient hatred, a brainwashing that has been going on for many hundreds of years, by as an illegitimate authority as there has ever been. My intention is not to preach to the pagan choir but to grab the attention of those who are seeking new answers. I want to explain to them that it is okay to be a pagan and to accept others that call themselves pagan. If you are, then have confidence in what you believe and and quot;worship with ex
It's Always the Loonies... [Scott A. Johnson]
Wed, 07/28/2010 - 6:22pmI'm writing this message as someone genuinely sad over a piece of news I just read. It seems, according to news reports that a man was murdered and the news makes it sound like the deed was done during a Wiccan ritual. For a religion based in peace, one that believes all life is sacred, and that lives by the Rede of and quot;Harm None, and quot; how could such a thing happen? For it to happen during a Beltaine ritual even? And what effect will it have on our beloved way of life? It bears mentioning that the dea
Stand Your Ground: Teen Pagans and Pressure [Rain Faery]
Wed, 07/28/2010 - 6:22pmMy eyes did not flutter open until around 9:45a.m. on Sunday. Always on Sunday, the first thing on my mind is the updated homepage articles on Witchvox. It seems that Sunday is a reserved day for all religions. It just happens that the first ritual of my day is reading new pagan articles. I'm always inspired after getting off of Witchvox. Ideas pop into my mind all throughout the day for new articles to post. As I was feeding my hamster, I remembered last Samhain. Now you might ask why I'd bring
I Am Me [Dahlia Starwatch]
Sat, 07/24/2010 - 10:01pmI was always told, and quot;Yup, Jesus is up there. Yup, God's watching you, so be good. and quot; And I couldn't help but feel a bit afraid of the menacing big guy upstairs that would send down to the inferno that (not literally) burned right under my feet if I did something wrong or bad. And I couldn't help but feel alone when the topic of religion came up in my family. I said I was this, but it felt off. Then I'd say I was this, and still feel off. Then I got more into Buddhism. It felt close enough t
What Neo-Pagans Can Learn from African Traditions and Deities [Helena Domenic]
Wed, 07/21/2010 - 10:51pmI have been interested in the deities of Africa for a very long time, from my own lifelong relationship with the Goddess Isis to my later study of African art and subsequent scholarship in African religious arts. Africa is an enormous continent and to adequately address all of its deities would require a book and a college level curriculum study. For the purposes of this article, I will be discussing the Gods and Goddesses of several West African peoples, and I would urge my readers to consider
The Story of an African American Wiccan Priestess [LilithSilverKrow]
Wed, 07/21/2010 - 10:51pmDuring my 14 years of study of Witchcraft and Wicca, Shamanism and Paganism, I have found that Pagans of Color are hard to come by, or just simply in hiding. For years of my life, I have searched far and wide to create a group based on African American Neo Paganism and Wicca, but to no avail, it's as if I am the only one who exists. While I know this isn't true, I often find myself wondering if the traditional stereotypes of our African American Family culture, and the binds that keep families o
Bronwens Top Ten Non-Pagan Pagan Movies [Bronwen Forbes]
Wed, 07/21/2010 - 10:51pmHollywood has a long illustrious history of not being very kind to us Pagans/Witches. In 1939, The Wizard of Oz gave the world (and the creators of Halloween decorations) the notion that were all supposed to have green skin. Later, films like the original Wicker Man, Practical Magic, The Witches of Eastwick and Hocus Pocus gave the movie-going public the impression that we as a people are, in turn, amoral killers, amoral teenagers, amoral housewives and amoral idiots. None
Free Spirit Gathering [Caroline Kenner]
Wed, 07/21/2010 - 10:51pmA surge of excitement hit me as I turned west from I-95 at the Havre de Grace, Maryland, exit, just before the road crosses the Susquehanna River at the north end of the Chesapeake Bay. 2010 marks the 25th celebration of Free Spirit Gathering, and I was almost there!This years Free Spirit Gathering w
New-Generation Elders [Caru Tempestarii]
Wed, 07/21/2010 - 10:51pmSelena Fox, Margot Adler, Raymond Buckland, Laurie Cabot, Starhawk. The list of Elders that we have in the Pagan community is vast (those listed above were simply the first to come to mind) . The title of this essay might seem contradictory, but it's precisely what I can't seem to find; young people in the Craft who have the tenacity and balance to stand up for, encourage progression, and lead. When looking to 'Elder Qualifications, ' I think the best requirements are found in the Charge
Becoming a High Priest/ess [Valerie Voigt]
Wed, 07/21/2010 - 10:51pmBeginnings: I practiced for a while as a solitary for some years before beginning training with a family tradition Witch in 1978. She saw to my initiation in 1981 (as an eclectic, albeit with traditional background: this because I was not marrying into her family) . She told me to found a Coven, which I did, with her to guide me. After she crossed over to the Summerland, I later studied the Feri tradition, and was initiated by Victor and Cora Anderson in the mid '80's. Feri as I learned it is a
Coven Life: The Tie That Binds [Aconite Caotix]
Wed, 07/21/2010 - 10:51pmI'm sure that many people wonder what it is like to be in a coven. To some, it is their goal to find that special group of people that you can share your magickal journey with and have that bond of love and trust that only seems to be in such a tight knit group of people. This essay is to serve as a warning to those that feel that they NEED to be in a coven, grove, or circle to further themselves spiritually. Yes, there are many lessons to learn in such a group, but they might not all be ones th
Facilitating Effective Meditation [Serendipity]
Wed, 07/21/2010 - 10:51pmMany non-magical people practice meditation but it is also widely practiced by those of us who are members of the magical community. Many of us find it to be a valuable tool and use it for a wide variety of purposes. It can be valuable as an aid to spell crafting, it is a great way to ground and center oneself, and so on. In this article well discuss ways for those of us who want to use meditation but have had problems in attaining a meditative state to do so.Its not uncommon for peopl
Chalice Well Tradition [Aurora]
Wed, 07/21/2010 - 10:51pmHistory: The four original members and founders were active in a public group of solitaries by the name of Council of Circles who held open public ritual for the community in Berkshire county MA. beginning in 1994.Out of that group Aurora Raven; proprietor of Woman of Wands, a small Wiccan shop in Lee MA. invited three of the COC members to join together in Dispelling the Myths surrounding witchcraft as a religion which would involve organized public forums i.e.: colleges, high sc
What is Paganism? [Balinnor]
Wed, 07/21/2010 - 10:51pmWhat is Paganism? You might as well be asked to describe the color red to a blind man. In the end the poor fellow will come away very confused with lots of conflicting images in his mind of what the color red actually looks like. Try to have any of us give you one catch all definition of Paganism and you will arrive at the same situation, that is to say, confused with no clear definition of what it means to be Pagan.Websters Collegiate Dictionary defines Pagan as and quot;one of a people or com
Rooting Tradition and Thitching Witchery (aka) Leyvona's Cove [Wizard Luxas Aureaum]
Sat, 07/17/2010 - 3:29pmHistory: Started in the 11th century in Toulon France a form of spiritual awakening in oracle and awareness of the shadows, taught as and quot;thitching and quot; the art of binding wheat stalks and grass roping, later horse hair, as a way to Identify the weavers as those who know the and quot;secrets and quot;, you may call them mysteries. It later traveled to Welsh area and later to England. The details are ours and only known to those who serve the Thitching method. In the early 40's, a woman named and quot;Marie and quot; one who was
Sherra Bratten Landon [Amayia]
Sat, 07/17/2010 - 3:29pmMy dearest friend, Sherra age 34, died peacefully in her sleep on Sunday July 4, 2010. She was a beloved wife, friend, and daughter. She touched the heart of every person she met. She was never without a book or her camera. A talented photographer, she focused on faces, waterfalls, and the sky. Her gentle voice and bright smile will be remembered by those who knew her. She is an unforgettable spirit. She passed so unexpectedly, that, in her death, Sherra has given us a reminder about lif
Living in Tower Time [Diotima Mantineia]
Wed, 07/14/2010 - 10:12pmIve been getting a lot of questions recently about the astrology this summer, which is complex, powerful, and, yes, a bit scary. The situation in the Gulf is one manifestation of the current and upcoming planetary alignments. Whats coming carries the signatures of many planets the deep transformation of Pluto, the lightning-like changes of Uranus, the boundaries and restrictions of Saturn, the expansiveness of Jupiter. Mars steps in to make his point, and other planets weave in and out of th
The Nine Principles of Strategic Sorcery [Jason Miller (Inominandum) ]
Wed, 07/14/2010 - 10:12pmA few years back I started offering consultations and spell clinics for those Witches and Mages who seemed to have a lot of knowledge, yet still found themselves thaumaturgically impaired; unable to make practical magic with measurable results work for them. These informal consults, led eventually to the groundwork of my second book and quot;The Sorcerer's Secrets, Strategies for Practical Magick and quot;. The interest generated by that book led me to create my online course: The Strategic Sorcery Tra
The First Direction Of Divine Creation [Erik Stearns]
Wed, 07/14/2010 - 10:12pmI have a question for you. How does each of us, when we experience our paths, our own experiences, our own belief systems, and our own spirituality, create our own mythos? What is mythos? Heres one way to explain it. If one looks at the story telling traditions of many cultures, we see that this art is based on stories illustrating how the culture sees itself as part of and in relation to creation, connection to the divine, connection that spans its citizens, and ways of looking at things that
