Wicca... Research help needed

[The Blue Lotus]

I would love And I do mean LOVE if any practicing Wiccan would be willing to allow me to pick their brain.
I am getting ready to start penning my Wiccan MC and I really wish to portray the religion fairly.

Please PM or post if interested.
I did study Wicca a bit in my comparitive religion classes, but it was something that was barely touched on sadly.

Thanks in advance,
~BL~

 

[Shadoe]

What do you want to know? I can answer just about anything wicca-related.

 

[The Blue Lotus]

OK, well I understand the basics, two higher powers one male one female, both equal etc etc

What confuses me is the higerarchy of a coven, and the wide array of Craft practices.

I have heard some argue that Wicca and Wiccan are two diffrent ideologies; and others say that it is not.

Also (and I understand the reasons for the secrets but), it is nearly impossiable to get a practitioner to talk about the rituals preformed.

Circle casting, spells, etc.

We can trade IM info as the subject might offend some if you like.
Send me a PM if you would prefer to talk about this off site.

Thanks,
~BL~

 

[Guy]

I'm a solitary, so I can't really answer questions about covens. Wiccans who are in traditional groups tend to be very reticent, but I'm not a member of a traditional group, either, so I can give you answers on general stuff. I don't mind talking on site.

A really good site is http://wicca.cnbeyer.com

 

[The Blue Lotus]

I will start with the site and as I write the scenes out, I will prolly have questions.

Thank you!
You are my hero of the day!!!! <3

 

[Guy]

You're quite welcome.

By the way, if you don't mind me asking, what type of story are you doing? I've written a rough draft that I'm currently polishing, but I don't think I'd classify it as a fantasy. Being Wiccan, I want to portray Pagans as authentic people and avoid the whole Charmed, Buffy the Vampire Slayer urban fantasy-type stuff. As a result, I have to find ways to present certain things people might consider supernatural or paranormal in a way that seems perfectly plausible.

 

[Meg the Healer]

Well, I guess it would also depend on your Wiccan MC. Is she a part of a coven or is she a solitary or was she apart of coven who chose to become a solitary or vice versa?

I ask only because there are different types of rituals performed based on many participants versus a solitary participant. But is there a specific type of ritual/rite you are wanting information on or do you just want information on how rituals/rites are done? There are many different rites that a Wiccan can go thru such as handfasting (or handsparting), The Great Rite (which is done between consenting adults), The Sacred Rite, The Birthing Rite, Coming of Age: Maidens of Seasons/Masters of Sun, Rite of Passage, The Passover, and The Circle of Destiny and The Wiccaning itself (just to name a few). Then there are rites done at Greater Sabbats, Lesser Sabbats, and Esbats.

Also, there are other things to consider as well such as tools of the trade, color magic, moon magic, dream magic, candle magic, divination, herbs, oils, incense, alchemy, attunement, tarot, spell writing, Books of Shadow, and a few other things.

As far as covens go, every coven has its own set of codes or laws that every member agrees to abide by. All members of the coven have to agree as to what these laws are. This protects the people in the coven and keeps out anyone who could damage the group.

Keeping the secrets of the trade is essential to working magic. This is probably why most practitioners are so reluctant to talk to people outside the coven about what they do inside the coven. (That and some covens require a vow of silence). I know some people are of the opinion that strangers should not be allowed to view, touch, or know anything about the religion unless they are seriously considering the religion for themselves.

 

[The Blue Lotus]

You're quite welcome.

By the way, if you don't mind me asking, what type of story are you doing? I've written a rough draft that I'm currently polishing, but I don't think I'd classify it as a fantasy. Being Wiccan, I want to portray Pagans as authentic people and avoid the whole Charmed, Buffy the Vampire Slayer urban fantasy-type stuff. As a result, I have to find ways to present certain things people might consider supernatural or paranormal in a way that seems perfectly plausible.

My stories are more epic fantasy with a touch of Sci-Fi.

There are 3 MC's 1 Who takes things to a dark place, murder, demonic type worship while infiltrating a coven to tear it down inorder to prove his "keep" to the others in the UnderWorld.

1 who does not belive in Religion/powers/magic etc at all and is very OCD/scientific about life.

her best friend is a member of a coven but practices a more natural type way of life, using herbs etc to produce that which she desiers to help benefit the people she cares about.

So, while yeah, I do have a lot of Charmed type elements. I am working on dusting them off and explaining the system of beliefs behind these religions/practices that I am trying to protray.

There is a complex backstory that helps the reader understand this concept better (at least I hope so) without hitting the cliche road too hard.

 

[The Blue Lotus]

Well, I guess it would also depend on your Wiccan MC. Is she a part of a coven or is she a solitary or was she apart of coven who chose to become a solitary or vice versa?

I ask only because there are different types of rituals performed based on many participants versus a solitary participant. But is there a specific type of ritual/rite you are wanting information on or do you just want information on how rituals/rites are done? There are many different rites that a Wiccan can go thru such as handfasting (or handsparting), The Great Rite (which is done between consenting adults), The Sacred Rite, The Birthing Rite, Coming of Age: Maidens of Seasons/Masters of Sun, Rite of Passage, The Passover, and The Circle of Destiny and The Wiccaning itself (just to name a few). Then there are rites done at Greater Sabbats, Lesser Sabbats, and Esbats.

Also, there are other things to consider as well such as tools of the trade, color magic, moon magic, dream magic, candle magic, divination, herbs, oils, incense, alchemy, attunement, tarot, spell writing, Books of Shadow, and a few other things.

As far as covens go, every coven has its own set of codes or laws that every member agrees to abide by. All members of the coven have to agree as to what these laws are. This protects the people in the coven and keeps out anyone who could damage the group.

Keeping the secrets of the trade is essential to working magic. This is probably why most practitioners are so reluctant to talk to people outside the coven about what they do inside the coven. (That and some covens require a vow of silence). I know some people are of the opinion that strangers should not be allowed to view, touch, or know anything about the religion unless they are seriously considering the religion for themselves.

I understand and respect that but the point of my book(s) is to break down the sterotypes, and show to the reader that whilst we may have diffrent ways of doing things amungst the religions/cultures I would like to accuretly fairly and loveingly protray them simply as people, people who each have their own unique set of skills (in some cases powers) but they still bleed red...

Does that make sense to anyone else but me?

 

[Meg the Healer]

I understand and respect that but the point of my book(s) is to break down the sterotypes, and show to the reader that whilst we may have diffrent ways of doing things amungst the religions/cultures I would like to accuretly fairly and loveingly protray them simply as people, people who each have their own unique set of skills (in some cases powers) but they still bleed red...

Does that make sense to anyone else but me?

It makes sense and I wasn't trying to imply that it didn't. I was simply stating why you may have hit some roadblocks when it comes to asking a member of a coven what they do and how they do it. Wicca and Witchcraft has been growing since the mid-50's (I think) when Gerald Gardner came out of the proverbial broomcloset and asked Parliament to recognize Wicca as a legitimate and legal religion as well as giving them the right to congregate and form covens. However, not all of the Wiccan community agreed with his ideology and his increasingly overt attempts to get the attention of the media. Most of them felt that Gerald was threatening the traditional vows of secrecy and bringing about too much bad publicity.

Nowadays are there a lot of books for the practicing Solitary Witch, but you won't find a lot on covens and how they work because every coven is different. Gardner did write a book The Meaning of Witchcraft (the Sequel to Witchcraft Today) which includes his early experiences with the New Forest Coven.

 

[Shadoe]

The first thing you have to realize is that Wicca isn't like Christianity. There's no governing body that tells every Wiccan what to believe and how to practice. There are some generally accepted practices that go pretty much throughout all covens, but most covens - and solitaries - decide what works for them. There are some groups which have a large following, which sets standards for the group (like British Traditional Wicca, for instance), but mostly there's a lot of disorganization.

That is what is attractive to most Wiccans - the lack of dogma. People get to practice that which makes sense to them and avoid having to follow a group that forces them into a box.

Wicca and Wiccan... Wicca is the name of the religion, while Wiccan is the practitioner of that religion. Like Christianity and Christian.

You may have that muddled with Wicca and Witchcraft. There is a LOT of confusion there. Some call Wicca a religion, while Witchcraft is a practice. In that sense, Wiccans perform Witchcraft. (Most do, not all.) Some say that Wicca and Witchcraft are the same thing with different names. Some say Wicca is just a new name for witchcraft. It entirely depends on who you're talking to.

Secrets... Not so much anymore. There are some specifics that are secret to just the coven, but there is a lot of information on Wicca out there. What sort of specific rituals are you looking for? What kind of rituals? What one does during rituals? When? I could go on for days about rituals, so maybe narrow it down a bit?

Circle casting - one forms a circle to protect and gather energy. At the beginning of any ritual or spell, one casts a circle - more properly a sphere - around oneself, or the group. This concentrates the energy that is raised and prepares it for the world. Many also believe that it is for protecting the witch or group during the ritual.

Spells - they can be for just about anything. Most Wiccans will us a full ritual (casting the circle, calling the watchtowers, inviting the deities, lots of words, and so on...) to perform a spell. Sometimes, though, a spell can be as simple as just speaking a line, or touching a talisman. And there's a lot of room in between. There's a LOT of variety there.

Your character, if being portrayed as a real wiccan. Is s/he in a coven, a solitary, or practicing with a group of friends? That's going to determine a lot about how she practices and what happens. And then there's deciding what Kind of Wiccan. There is a lot of variety out there. There is the very traditional groups, who tend to look down their noses at just about everyone, and then there's the very new-agey folks, who tend to think Wicca means "do whatever you want however you want." The sort of outlook your character has toward that is going to determine a lot too.

 

[The Blue Lotus]

Thank you both. That does help quite a bit.

So can I run this by you guys and get your thoughts please?

Like I said I am trying to avoid cheesey,and be more realistic with it. Let me know if I missed the mark.
please excuse punctuation as I have not cleaned this up yet.

“Come we are about to begin. The time draws near.” Gretta said gazing at the heavens.

Standing in front of the fire she called on everyone to join her. “Join hands, let us begin.” Gretta started waiting for everyone to fall into their places around the fire. Everyone stood taking the hand of the person standing next to them as they gather around the fire. “This is an open meeting let us welcome our new comers.” her voice sounded errie to Trinity.

The collective as one stated, “Welcome all to our Circle, may you be blessed throughout time. Brothers and Sisters we are one.”

Everyone then dropped the hand of their neighbor. Turning their backs to the fire, holding out their dominant hand, they moved clockwise chanting

"With the casting of this circle, we invite our Goddess and God into our circle, and ask that we be protected from all negative influences by them. We ask that only spirits of the Light be allowed to attend, and that only positive energies be allowed to participate."

Now turning to face the fire. They held their hands skyward, moving in a wide sweeping arch from right to left, then down again returning to rest where they started still chanting the same lines. She struggled to keep up with the group all of whom seemed to know what was expected.

“Tonight,” Gretta began “We bear witness to the meteor shower, let us watch the beauty of the Goddess and her consort among friends, find your seat. Drink and eat with one another.” She tossed some sand into the flames as she finished talking.

Trinity watched as they danced for a short moment.

 

[Shadoe]

Usually, when a wiccan group casts a circle, it's because they have something to do. A sabbat, esbat, a ritual or spell of some kind. Your piece here seems to indicate that they cast a circle then danced and maybe sat down to eat. Sure, cast the circle first, invite the Goddess and God, sure, and the eating and drinking at the end, certainly, but there's no middle. No reason to cast a circle just to watch a meteor shower or hang out with the coven.

If they were just getting together to see the meteor shower, they would be pretty much like any other group of very close friends. They would just hang out to watch, but would probably be a lot more comfortable with each other and there would be a lot of talk that the newcomer wouldn't understand. References to the Goddess, perhaps more blessings than usual, comments on the energy of the meteor shower

They may have decided to raise energy by using the meteor shower as part of their ritual. But there would be some kind of magical working going on after inviting the deity and before the cakes and ale.

 

[The Blue Lotus]

Ah Ha, so I do need to add something here. Thanks.

err blessing of wht per say?

 

[Shadoe]

When a Wiccan meets another Wiccan out in the world they say "Blessed Be." When they meet each other in their home, they say "Blessed Be." It's a greeting, an acknowledgement, agreement... They say it a lot. (I was at a SF con once, and browsing the Klingon table. There was his huge Klingon there, all growly and in full costume. He totally dropped character when he saw my pentacle to say "Blessed Be." Still makes me giggle when I think about it.)

 

[The Blue Lotus]

ahhh, kool tyvm