[return to home page]

[About Universal Ministry]   [Fellowship Services]   [Custom Wedding Ceremony - Wedding Vows]   [About Reverend Angelle]
[Defining Witchcraft and Paganism]   [email Rev. Angelle]   [a humorous look at religion]   [Ohio Witches]
[The Witch Shop - Silver Stitches Spiritual Shoppe]   [Useful Links]   [Ohio Pagan Aid]   [The Witches' Voice]

An Essay on Alternative Religions: Exploring the Definitions of Paganism, Witchcraft and Wicca,
and Eclectic as they apply to Earth-based or Nature-based Spirituality

(c)1997-2006 Rev. Angelle
*** *** *** *** *** ***
Namaste!

While I prefer not to define myself with limiting vocabulary words, many of the people who seek alternative fellowship are increasingly drawn to the terminology of witchcraft and paganism.  This essay hopes to explore these terms and bring light to them for those who are unsure or unaware as to their meaning and intention.  Please read this entire page without prejudice.  If you have more questions, feel free to email and ask.

To define these words, let us NOT go to the Oxford English Dictionary (an otherwise very good resource for wordiphiles like myself). Unfortunately, it lists words such as "Pagan" as one who does not worship the ["true"] God. Instead let us begin by describing these things as they flourish in the modern-day United States.

PAGAN: (aka neo-pagan) (1) A practitioner of Earth-based or Nature-based spirituality, such as the various Native American tribes; (2) a person of polytheistic orientation; (3) technically, any non-Christian, (but please note this does NOT assume any disdain for Christianity or its tenets).

WITCH: (1) Wise one; seeker/teacher of Wisdom; (2) A Wise Craftsperson; i.e. one who can create, manifest or bring into being various things, and/or who can manipulate, bend or shape resources with a focused intention on manifesting an expected result or outcome; (3) one who observes and learns from the energy and developmental cycles inherent to Nature, and who implements such knowledge in his or her practices of living, practices of manifestation, skill, and Philosophy; (4) A person understands that focus and intention are the key to being capable of manipulating resources and cycles of energy towards goals of manifestation, both in the seen and the unseen world, with a heightened level of awareness that such manipulations are a natural part of the Human (and the Divine) experience; (5) One who works to be adept at all of the above.

WICCA: A Religion practiced in the USA and around the world today. This word has its etymological roots in the word "witch" (please see the historical references below). This religion has developed in its current incarnations largely over the last 50-75 years, and can be traced to several religious movements in Great Britain, however the roots of its philosophies and methods date back much further than this.
The tenets and practices of Wicca are based on a way of life that has been around for thousands of years, pre-dating the Judeo-Christian systems, such as the tendency to hold in high regard the changes of Nature with the seasons. These practices, and others, date back about 10,000 years, when humankind entered into our agricultural practices.

As a former English major in college, specializing in Literary Theory and Philosophy, let me offer you some way-back history of the language that describes the word Wicca itself, with much thanks to Skeet's Etymological Dictionary:

The word "Wicca" is of Anglo-Saxon origin, and implies Wisdom, (with wicca being the masculine form of the word, and wicce the feminine).  Wicca is a corruption of the word "Witga", commonly used as the short form of the word "Witega", meaning a prophet, seer, magician, or sorcerer. Also from the Anglo- Saxon we have the word "witan" which means "to see" or "to know". While I am uncertain of the cultural origin, I have also known the history of the word "Wicca" as meaning "to bend or to shape"; which of course someone wise might know how to do with the elements around him or her.

The word "Witch", in Medieval English "Wicche", both masculine and feminine, refereed to a Wizard or a Witch. In Icelandic, "Vitki" a wizard, is based on the root "Vita", which means "to know"; "Vizkr" meant "cleaver" or "knowing". "Wizard" is a Norman French word, based on "Wischard"; the original French being "Guiscart" or sagacious.  

Obviously, the meaning of the word "Witch" implies wisdom and the practice of it in any language.  My favorite example of this would be the old, wise woman who lived in the woods, that folks would travel out to see when they had deep questions that needed answering....

She lives in town now.  ;)



ECLECTIC: (1) One who expands the parameters of knowledge regarding religion, or metaphysical topics beyond the views of his or her own inherited culture, though not necessarily excluding them, and combines more than one view as as part of their personal perspective of Spirituality; (2) a seeker of spiritual and/or cultural guidance from sources beyond the views of the mainstream (i.e. predominantly accepted mono-theistic religions or other manifestations of Western culture) who may still subscribe to mainstream views, but continues to seek enlightenment from other sources as well; (3) one who practices Metatheism, or an all-encompassing approach to spirituality, i.e. recognition that all religion has commonalities in purpose and origin, that the eye of the beholder is what gives it power, and that the worship of Deities is a tool with which to access certain Paths, regardless of the brand name.  This may also be associated with the Ecumenical (click to learn more). 

And an important note, just in case the point has been missed: in the Christian Bible, no one ever denies the existence of other deities; it is merely the interpretation of those who passed down the knowledge that Holy Book contains that the God of Abraham was a jealous God and forbade the worship of any other deities.  I and others are of the opinion that God is far less petty than our ancestors would have us believe, and that a good strong path is built from learning when and where one is capable of doing such, not from an isolated vacuum in which the only information available is that which is sanctioned by another.  To quote one of my favorite Gurus, Dr. Wayne W. Dyer, I truly feel that God has not put us here so that we might learn to Love God, but so that we can learn to Love each other.

Your heart will tell you what is true and what is not true, not a person who says that "God is on MY side";   It is how God speaks to us all. But who among you would limit God to One Voice?

About "Becoming" a Witch
In my humble opinion, there are no predetermined rituals or all-encompassing requirements one must meet to "become" a Witch, although many will disagree with this point. Some covens have rituals they use to welcome and initiate new members, but that is a "tradition" rather than a prerequisite.  Some traditions have a series of lessons and course of study they require one to complete before obtaining specific degrees, levels of skill, and/or titles, but this varies from tradition to tradition.  

While these things could very well be useful and educational, I do not believe that they are mandatory to one choosing the path of the Wise.  Study is good in religion, and I condone the study of comparative traditions and theologies.  But isn't one capable of selecting a Spiritual path and practicing it by way of life experience and gut instinct as well?  A person without education may have lesser skills in some areas than one who has been trained, but not in every category, in every case.  Some folks study hard and try their best, but just are not very good conduits of the type of energy they seek to obtain.  Some folks are just more adept than others.  But folks who have trouble finding their most adept skills need only back up a few steps and work at their abilities from a different perspective.  It is best to go back to "ABC" if you find that "QRS" has not yielded the expected results.


Being a Witch is a WAY OF LIFE, an attitude, a level of awareness, if you will. Each day, we go about our business. There are magic and miracles around us at all times. Being a Witch means you seek a path of wisdom, and that you value and pay attention to the magic and miracles of the every day and the exceptional.  You respect both the seen and the unseen worlds, the common and the undiscovered. You wish to strive to be in touch with the magic that is already around us, and to develop the skills to bend and shape and to MAKE things happen as well. So... what requirements are there for being Wise? for being talented? for being crafty? The secret is to learn and grow, and practice what you have learned. Don't just talk the talk; you must also walk the walk (to quote one of MY Elders).


Rev Angelle is an eclectic woman who limits not the sources from which she seeks knowledge; A Priestess of the Universal Ministry, dedicated to the perpetuation of positive energies, and a Bard of long-standing.  Oh - would I prefer to avoid labels when living my Spirituality; they can be so confining!  I *am* nothing.  I *am* everything.  However..... labels most DEFINITELY come in handy when one is using a search engine trying to find each other!!!!!  :)

I hope these words have helped to guide and enlighten you.
Much Love, Health and Success,
Rev. Angelle
Universal Ministry

Note:
Anyone interested in participating in discussions such as these via e-mail should join our on-going dialogue of great diversity on the AOhiowitches Mailing List.
Click here to learn more! .
 

 


Namaste:

The word Namaste is used as both a greeting (i.e. "hello") and departing word (i.e. "goodbye").  It also indicates one's belief that the Divine resides within each of us. The gesture is an acknowledgment of the soul in one by the soul in another. "Nama" means "to bow", "as" means "I", and "te" means "you". Therefore, Namaste literally translated means "bow me you" or "I bow to you."

To perform the gesture of Namaste to another in person, we place the hands together at the heart charka, close the eyes, and bow the head. It can also be done by placing the hands together in front of the third eye, bowing the head, and then bringing the hands down to the heart. Adding this portion of the salute represents holding very deep respect for someone. Although in the West the word "Namaste" is usually spoken in conjunction with the gesture, in India, it is understood that the gesture itself signifies Namaste, and therefore, it is not specifically necessary to say the word while bowing.

 

Namaste!
[ contact Rev. Angelle ]

[return to home page]

[About Universal Ministry]   [Fellowship Services]   [Custom Wedding Ceremony - wedding vows]   [About Reverend Angelle]
[Defining Witchcraft and Paganism]   [email Rev. Angelle]   [a humorous look at religion]   [Ohio Witches]
[The Witch Shop - Silver Stitches Spiritual Shoppe]   [Useful Links]   [Ohio Pagan Aid]   [The Witches' Voice]