Question by Bob B™: Wicca: Anyone get tired of the emphasis on magic, instead of the spiritual part?
I mean, its a beautiful religion with emphasis on acceptance and equality of the sexes, and pays homage to the nature and the world around us… but pick up a book on Wicca these days, and its all about setting up your altar and casting spells. Instead of giving me holiday rituals from past times in far away lands to incorporate into my own observances, I get instructions for staring into a crystal ball. Am I the only one who wants more spirituality, and less magic and divination?
Best answer:
Answer by MrNiceGuy
Mebbe.
I just like turning people into toads.
Did frogs for a while, but toads are much funnier.
What do you think? Answer below!
This question really struck a chord in me. Ironically, I have the same observation about evangelical Christians and extremist conservative fundamentalist.
Variations on your theme:
Anyone tired of how they use “Jesus’ name” as a magic word i.e., superstition, instead of understand the spiritual truth behind it?
Pick up evangelical propaganda these days and it’s all about how to coerce people into agreeing with your opinions, and casting them into hell if they don’t.
Am I the only Christian who wants more spirituality and less magic and judgement of others?
Aliens and angels are only trying to get you to catch a glimpse of them so you would become more enlightened.
The ancient world is still alive…you are aware of that.
Does a Jedi knight tire of the Force? It IS the most interesting thing about the discipline, young Padawan…
I agree. I used to practice wicca myself. And I now warn against it for those who are drawn to it because they want to cast spells. If you are drawn to a religion for that reason, you’re in it for the wrong reason!! And if you get into magick for the wrong reason, that can actually be dangerous!
It’s like if someone became a christian so they could pray to God to get what they want…it’s so screwed up.
But so many books on ‘wicca’ these days put the emphasis on casting spells. It’s bad I think. It reflects badly on wiccans and witches everywhere giving the impression that all they do is cast spells for every little thing. Most witches I know hardly use spells at all; they’re pretty much a last resort!!! And that’s as it should be.
What’s ironic is, without the spiritual connection to deity, spellcasting is just silliness. I do believe you need to have an altar as your sacred place for meditation and focus, not necessarily for spellcasting. But I don’t think you need anyone to tell you how to set it up. It should be very personal.
That is why it will always be more ‘magical’ to just be You. Not something or someone you are not.
I’m Pagan but I COMPLETELY agree. Too many people want to say they’re wiccan because they cast some lame ass excuses for spells to make themselves feel better than the pieces of shit they are as human beings… It’s pathetic. A spiritual path is about what it means to you and your spiritual growth, not public image or narcissistic self importance.
Im not a Wiccan but that guy further up is way off with is jedi analogy.
The force was seen as a very spiritual subject and many jedi spent years studying the force and their own personal relations to it so they could better understand themselves and the world around them.
I know its unrelated but as a star wars fan i could not let it pass.
Not all Wiccans have magick as the main point of their spirituality
Honestly I think alot of what we are seeing is aimed at the younger ones who dont understand what the path is all about.
Some of them are “joining” Wicca just for the magic so to speak.
I think if they dont understand the basis of the path then they will be disappointed in the end.
Im not exactly Wiccan but I follow some of the same “rules” my altar is a place of meditation and honouring the Goddess & Gods
That’s because most of the books on Wicca you’ll find in the bookstores are written by fluffy bunnies for fluff bunnies; there are some books that focus on the philosophy and spirituality of Wicca but you have to dig around and really search for them.
When I was reading about Wicca one of the things that had turned me off was, exactly what you are talking about, all the emphasis on magic. I think the spell type books mainly appeal to teenagers and such, ever notice how many love spells are in those books?
I think “spiritual” beliefs like Wicca just enable the more harmful beliefs like christianity or islam. mankind can do better without any of these superstitions.
No your not alone! I have been trying to find books with more spirituality and theology (of sorts) in them. For right now I am looking up books on spirituality of any kind, I recently found the Bghavada Gita at Goodwill for $1, to just read and quench the need for more solidarity to the path.
You could try googling your pantheon and holiday observances and see if any books come out of the search.
Hi Bob. Its one of the things that put me off. I didn’t want the magick part, I wanted the spiritual part. Where I was studying, the only way to get the spiritual part was to study 1st, 2nd and 3rd degree. Apparently its the 3rd degree that concentrates on spiritual. 1st is the basics and a large bit of magick. 2nd is mostly theory. I couldn’t pick and choose what I wanted to learn, which is why I have stopped studying. Coz I’m not going to study something I don’t want to for the next 2ish years.
The thing with Wicca is that I think they try to hard to educate people properly about the religion, that they forget that not everyone wants all that magick bit, and there ARE people out there who just want the spiritual bit.
That seems to be a common problem with a lot of the pagan and heathen faiths. I strongly suspect that a lot of the books written about my faith are written by those who don’t actually practice it, in all honesty. They seem to have a tenuous grasp on the nature of the Nordic deities and I also suspect they are wannabe pagans in Nordic Heathen clothing. While some people of my faith *do* practice Seidhr, the vast majority of us do not, though that is not the impression you get from reading some of the popular books on Asatru (the authors also apparently being unaware that there are many forms of Nordic Heathenism). Seidhr is a Nordic Shamanistic tradition and should be reserved for those with an affinity and talent for such things – not promoted to all of us. (I do not practice Seidhr, btw. I raise a Nid against those nithings who attacked my adopted homeland every year on September 11th and place a Nidstang, but that’s it.)
I *do* feel badly for Wiccans as I’ve read some of the books that purport to represent your faith. It truly does give people the wrong idea about the vast majority of you. I’d have the wrong idea from reading some of those books if I didn’t actually know a lot of Wiccans and other pagans in person. I’ve found the vast majority of them to be just like me – a deep spiritual connection with their patron deities with little or no emphasis on the “magic” part other than as a tool to focus their own inner energies to deal with the task at hand.
It’s very sad to me when someone corrupts the base nature of ANY faith, really. It’s even worse in my mind when hacks like Raven Silverwolf prey upon the wallets of confused teenagers and further confuse them with their twaddle. We have such an emphasis on historical facts and look to the archaeological record in my faith, we don’t have quite the same problem with that that you Wiccans have, but it does still exist and most of us find it reprehensible and even completely enraging.
I think all we can really do is for those of us who have been in the faith for a long time (or in my case – who were raised in the faith) lead by example. If a young Nordic Heathen shows an affinity for Shamanism and a talent for Seidhr or even just runework, I will still counsel them on practical matters and traditions, but for spiritual instruction they go to a Goði or a Goðia – not a book, which could easily lead them astray. I really do think those of us in such faiths need to be a bit more vigilant in guiding our younger members so they *don’t* fall victim to misdirection or are made to feel badly because they lack the natural talents necessary for spellwork in any faith. After all, most people do NOT have those talents – they’re quite rare.
Absolutely.
This is my spiritual time, and I spend a very LITTLE amount of time “doing spells”. I go months at a stretch without doing spells, just living and worshiping with my Gods, teaching my faith to new students, and trying to live as an example of what a Witch, or a Wiccan can be.
I agree with you. That is why I read a little into the books before I buy them. I want more on celebrating the holidays, not how to cast spells. I can figure that out on my own. I do believe that only one of books actually contain spells and it is basically how to make things in your kitchen. The other writer’s (I can name two in particular) are only out there to get the money from the so called “witchcraft craze”
This question meant a lot to me as I have currently changed my religion and am studying Wicca in earnest for the pursuit of spiritual growth. I feel a need to know more than what I have been told. A need to find myself and the world around me. I want to connect to Deity and all of Deity’s forms as much as I can, knowing both sides- the Feminine and the masculine. The Lord and The Lady. I want to change who I am on the inside to the point that I can make a difference for others on the outside.
Many of the books i have found talk a lot on magic from what I have read so far. I know that I am not ready for anything like that nor do I feel I will be for years to come. Right now, I am just trying to take it slowly, and become Wicca for the spiritual connection. Spell casting will come later, when I am ready and feel secure in dong such things. Right now, however, all I want to do is learn as much as I can about Wicca. Wicca the spiritual part.
In this way, I am thankful for a friend, Chris, of whom has really been an example in his own quest for truth. He has been Wiccan since he was fourteen, and is very dear to my heart. However, he is not in the way of teaching. But just watching him and knowing him, made me understand him. He always speaks the truth (whether or not you want to hear it), always tries to help everyone, nonjudgmental, and has a deep connection to his gods and goddesses. Watching him, and how he is, makes me want to be like that.
I have always made it a conscience effort to be nonjudgmental, kind and respectful to others in all things that I do, whether or not I agree with them. I have always felt that that is the way people are suppose to be. After all how can we really understand ourselves and accept ourselves if we refuse to understand others and accept their flaws. We all have demons, but if people could learn to stop blaming their demons on each other and look inward and seek help with each other instead of everyone fighting and hurting then maybe this world and we as humans would be so much better off.
There is also a website called Witchcrafted that I found that really explains everything that Chris never could. What Wicca is and what it is not. The truth about Wicca and Witchcraft. It explains the holidays and what each one means. It tells what the goals and the responsibilities (as in be civilized and don’t give other Wiccans a bad name because you have no true idea of what you are doing.) It gives the Full Wiccan Rede, and even helps you to respond to converters in a ration, kind, and respectful way.
The website also gives a full year and a day study for free. I will also note that this site also shows Divination, candle magic, alter, and the like, but the site, when you read it in its whole, sheds so much light on what it means to truly be Wicca. No matter how many books I read or authors I fall in love with, this site will always hold a special place in my heart. .
Right now, i am just learning Wicca and all that it is. I am currently reading everything i can when i can, in tuning myself more toward the earth and nature so that I might show more respect and understand better the nature within my soul. And most importantly, getting to know the Goddess and The God and building a relationship with them. This, I feel above it all, is most important.
I was raised Christian, and I never felt that connection with God. It just was not there. Now, studying Wicca in the precuit of becoming one, and sharing myself with the goddess and god I have already felt something that I never have before. A relationship.
I see my life as a spiritual quest. This is so much more than a want to do magic or divination (though i admit to having a deep connection with my tarot deck). For me Wicca is about discovering who i am, being in touch with nature, and loving the deities as they deserve.
“To thine own self be true”
There are books that don’t focus on magic. They are by authors you’ve never heard of, from publishers you don’t know.
Well…it COULD have something to do with the fact that Wicca was **supposed** to be a revival of ancient Witchcraft practices…but somehow became a religion that centered around celebrating the eight Sabbats, and honoring a Goddess and God.
How many of you actually READ the history of your own religion???