Hi. Welcome to the part where the witch mouths off. If you haven’t guessed I tend to be opinionated, which means this section is entirely my own opinion. Your mileage may vary. You don’t have to agree with me but if my ideas spark something for you or make you think about your religion then I’m happy. I don’t want to dissuade anyone from being Wiccan or from picking Wicca as a religion, but I believe that people should understand why they are choosing it.

So, when I started down this path almost two decades ago; I was your happy, fluffy, joy and happiness Wiccan. Nothing could go wrong in the world as long as I believed in the Goddess, right? And I was morally right in choosing a religion that had existed before the dawn of Christianity, I was helping to rebuild it since so much of it had been lost and only a few scattered grimoires (or Books of Shadows) remained.

This phase continued until college, complete with the whole Burning Times chip evident on my shoulder. Once I had left home and wandered into the wilds of Camp Wilco (Wilson College), I was all ready to try out my lack of knowledge on others. Whoo-hoo! Ten points for the uninformed! At this point, I was certain that all Wiccans talked in code made up of the buzzwords like: Merry Meet. The Goddess is reawakening. Blessed be. Thou art God/dess. I would meet others of my faith and we would have a grand old time talking with thee's and thou's until we were blue in the face. Please, don't laugh (at least not too hard), I really did believe that practitioners of Wicca were all Olde Fashioned folks who spoke archaically and wore ritual robes everywhere. Gods, I was so young then!

So what changed my limited Wiccan view? A wonderful professor who taught a course on witchcraft and I was forced to learn a little more about the Burning Times, a lot more about what people thought witchcraft was, and the fact that Wicca wasn't a Paleolithic religion. From there I went on to read more than the two books I had on Wicca, even reading books that had nothing to do with Wicca but were informative because it dealt with the history of certain time-periods. Mind you, one of my original two books was Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Herbs… I wasn't going to be learning much about the history or practice of the Craft from that.

In my defense, I was in high school when I discovered witchcraft. Thirteen and in high school, not a good combination; one that was made worse by the fact that I had been skipped ahead in school and was younger than everyone else in my class. This was also the mid-eighties when what I call modern Wicca was still in its infancy in the United States. Combine young Wicca with a child me and you an odd conglomeration of religion and fantasy. While there was only a limited amount of information for a circumspect teenager to find, almost all of it based on the idea of the Wiccan Myth and I ate it up. There is no crime in being ignorant, but when cold hard facts are presented I feel the best thing to do is to wizen up. Start researching on your own and do the leg word necessary to decide which witch is which.

However, being young and foolish I did no such thing. Most adults that I meet on the internet aren’t interested in digging any deeper than my younger self and at times I find it hard to blame them. In fact, it is getting increasingly harder to sort out fact from fiction with Wicca; especially since new Traditions and branches of the religion pop up all the time.

During all of this, I learned that Wicca and witch weren't synonymous words, while many authors may interchange the two they can actually mean quite separate ideas. This is where some of the magic comes in… it's always good to explain yourself; just because you know what you mean doesn't mean that anyone else does. All that this means is that you should never assume that everyone is on the same page unless you've verified that you are all discussing the same thing. With that said I'm going to give you MY definition of both words and why I like the word witch better.

Wicca - a branch of religion that became public in the 1950's due to the hard work of one Gerald Gardner. The beliefs that he used were older than Christianity but they weren't from any one area, nor had the world seen the unique blend and twist that he gave them. Sure, Papa Gardner told everyone that what he was doing had been around since the dawn of time but that doesn't make it true. I could say that I was bounced on the head by my great-grandmother's secret ju-ju stick and that makes me the High Witch Queen Morganna. Doesn't make that true, either. Wiccans are unique in that they follow the Rede ("An harm it none, do what thou will.") and believe in a form of fast karma called the Rule of Three. Basically, that means that you get your kick in the ass during this lifetime instead of waiting to be reborn as a cockroach. The unwritten rule of Wicca to me is that you should do what Papa Gerald did -- if it works use it; if it doesn't work then adapt it until it does. Also, Wicca is an initiatory tradition (meaning you have to be initiated to be a part of it, and yes (to me), self initiation counts) and that practitioners can trace their training and ways back to Papa Gardner.

With all of that said, something that we all might not know is that not all Wiccans adhere to the Rede, nor do many of them know their own history. Everyone buys into the propaganda that Wicca is an ancient religion, hell I sure did. Is that wrong? As I get older, I think it is... I mean with the internet and everything else Wicca is starting to get some press and the coverage now is more than the old "bubble, bubble, toil and trouble," schtick that used to be covered. Wiccans should be informed about their religion, not just parroting back slick one-liners that gloss over what really goes on.

In that same idea, if pagans really want people (like the media and other mass religions) to take us seriously doesn't that mean that we should be knowledgeable about our religion? For Wiccans that means acknowledging their history and while it is possible that the framework Papa Gardner used was much older, he is the creator of the Wiccan religion. That means that it started with him because he is the originator. It’s pretty clear that he added many ideas that aren't European or Celtic to the mix... like the idea of karma. So, instead of looking like idiots with your pants down, it really does behoove Wiccans to do a little research, find out what your history is.

While Wicca has no dogma, the Rede is often viewed in that light or (even worse) it is used to keep the practitioner feeling helpless or useless. I am of the firm belief that the Rede should be used like training wheels on a bike. When you are first learning it should be applied to everything, but as you grow and learn you should apply it when you are uncertain or in a situation where you can't think straight. Eventually you will use it less and less and here is where my training wheels analogy fails... Wiccans will probably never get rid of the Rede in their practice completely but it will be used as it was intended and not as dogma.

True story time... I knew this guy, he could be sweet, he was fairly bright, had lots of big plans. The guy wasn't a slouch; I mean he started his own business of creating web pages for local businesses which he would maintain. His prices were dirt cheap... and if you had a pagan related business he would cut you a deal so that you would pay next to nothing. So, how did the Rede fail him? He was so paranoid about harming anyone that he wouldn't even advertise his business. He ran it out of his home and visited local businesses on his own time trying to sell them on using his web design skills. His idea of harm ran to the excess that he felt he couldn't pull in customers who might be dissatisfied with their current web designer OR pull in people who were looking for such a service. Why? Because that might be harming another designer.

OK, so that is just one instance. Right? Nope. This happens all the time! People take the Rede and turn it into a shackle and refuse to allow themselves to grow or prosper. Wicca doesn't ask its practitioners to live a life of poverty, or to give up material possessions, or live the life of a hermit. So why do so many try to fit into this mold? I don't know. I'm assuming it, at least partially, has to do with the fact that many people grow up being heavily influenced by Christianity. Monks and priests are supposed to be free from earthy worries and cares... which generally translates into them being denied material possessions. However, pagans don't believe that. Material wealth isn't necessarily a bad thing. Wiccans shouldn’t be out to live a life of poverty, nowhere are they told to live sparsely. Just not to harm things.

Wiccans also tend to lump Deities together, making all god one God, and all goddesses one Goddess. Each division of deity is autonomous (as are their covens) and can be a separate personality that may or may not get along with each other part of the whole. Wiccans also get to mash them all together into a nurturing Mother Goddess and a caring Father God. I find it all a little confusing – I used to like the idea of One God and One Goddess, but over time I don’t always think it’s fair to lump them together and forget their separate personalities.

Witch - Well, to me this word means a person who can worship the old Gods and Goddesses, someone who attunes themselves to the tides of the moon and earth, and lives their life in accordance with their True Will. What does True Will mean? Other than having cool capitals it correlates with the idea that each of us had a higher self and this self is more in tune with Deity and the world than we are. Why? Because our higher self doesn't have the weight of everyday problems, setbacks, joys, and happiness that we mortals swing through in a day. All that means is that our True Will is going to make decisions based on what we truly need and not on what will make us feel better right now. Or, we will make an ethically right choice, one that will be in harmony with life, the universe, and everything.

Notice that there wasn't any mention of the Rede... does that mean that witches get to throw around nasty hexes and curses? Well, yeah, if they wanted to. However, by following their True Will they will only do such a thing if it seems that such an action is honestly warranted. To me, a witch has greater freedom than a Wiccan when it comes to protecting themselves, their loved ones, or their property.

Witches have the same flexibility that Wiccans have, they can also pull from various and random sources for their inspiration. However, witches don't have to adhere to any of Gardner’s strictures and can tend to be a bit undereducated as well. Witches also don't have to involve deity in their worship. They can take a more scientific route or a more mystical one that may not include a God or Goddess. They can also worship one side of Deity exclusively, choosing to focus solely on the Goddess or work only with male mysteries.

While both branches are Mystery Religions (meaning they focus on the cycles of nature and the circular nature of birth, death, rebirth) and also have many overlapping layers. However, just because one is a witch doesn't make one Wiccan and being an initiated Wiccan does not make a witch. Like many, I also used these words interchangeably as the media seems intent on making them. However, I choose now to break them into separate branches because of my own path of worship. I am not a Wiccan. I think Wicca is wandering down a road that I'm not comfortable with. Many Wiccans now have little to no training and take a 'fluffier' approach to their religion. Wicca also is intent on forcing itself into the spotlight with many people not knowing enough facts. With shows like Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Charmed, Buffy, and Angel... well Wicca gets a distorted even further.

And as an aside... the whole battle over 'fluff bunnies'? It's driving me nuts. Why, yes, everyone does seem rather intent on making Wicca seem as harmless as possible so that the nasty idea of it being a Satanic cult will go away. Look at all the faeries and unicorns and light in the world! How many so-called Wiccans are following the path of fluffy bunny-ness? And how many of them are teenagers? I’ll bet you that there’s a correlation between the two. When you are new to Wicca, it seems like a natural phenomenon that you think it is all rainbows and moonbeams, you don't really think about the darker half of the world. Wicca seems like it is there to dispel the ills that plague you, to be a religion and a community where you will be accepted for who you are. Is that so wrong? No! Many people who are switching religions are looking for something that is lighter than the brimstone and hellfire that they are leaving.

To my eyes, it seems like because of this, newer seekers are prone to buying into what Wiccans call the fluff bunny. I think teenagers are more susceptible to it (I include my younger self in this assessment) but older people can fall into this mindset as well. However, if they are still all fluffiness several years down the road - then bash them. Yes, it can be annoying to deal with newcomers who want you to teach them the joys and rapture of Wicca in ten easy steps or less. Instead of blowing them off and deriding them for being fluffy bunnies, educate them. If they don't want to listen, let them go. Either they'll wise up or they won't. I'm betting that it's a phase, just like mine was, and eventually with access to good, solid information they will evolve into knowledgeable and competent pagans.

For my final thought on fluffiness - why, yes, it is embarrassing to have so many of them out there screaming their devotion to only pure goodness in the world. Yes, it does absolutely nothing to help Wicca as a religion be taken seriously. In reality, though, Wicca is still an infant. It's barely fifty years old! As a religion it's going to have its ups and downs, either it will survive or it won't. It isn't going to have the venerability and weight of a thousand years of tradition because it doesn't have a thousand years to its name! While I certainly wouldn't want High Priestess Jexanna, Daughter of the Moon Goddess, who had been reborn a jillion times and has always been the Queen of Wiccans to be my spokesperson... I am also aware that for every person who loudly proclaims the wrong information to the world there are five others who are doing their best to quietly spread the right information. Time will tell, and our bitching about it doesn't help to speed the process up.

Does this make witches any better? Hell, no! Many witches are people like me, who try to grow beyond what Wicca is now and feel rather disillusioned with what Wicca has to offer. Unfortunately, once again, for many witches little or bad training is in effect or they like to 'dabble in the dark arts'. Witches can also be bitter and overly nasty in their remarks toward fluff-bunnies. Or they can believe that every spell on Charmed is true and that they have their own werewolf-vampire boyfriend waiting to sweep them away.

Don't laugh about that last sentence! My husband had an employee (a young teenage girl) who chose her magickal name as 'Willow' and she found her 'Oz' who really was a werewolf! No really! She was a good witch but she had to stay away from nasty Wiccans because she had been a Dark Wiccan Priestess in past lives. Her hunni, well he had the unfortunate habit of transforming during the full moon until they were able to buy a ye olde magickal talisman at Wal-Mart that stopped the change. They were so in love that he was afraid that he was going to hurt her with his super-werewolf strength so she did a spell to the dragons. Lo and behold, it worked! The dragons came late at night and replaced her insides with metal so that they could live happily ever after! So, as you can see... people who call themselves witches can be just as fluffy, or as whacko, as people who call themselves Wiccans. Insanity doesn't contain itself to just one religion.

So, what am I? I, for now, classify myself as an eclectic witch. I also call myself a pagan. My mommy, on the other hand, likes to refer to me as her little heathen. Not because I follow a Nordic path, but because she thinks it’s funny. I do what I want, do my best to follow my True Will, and I protect my friends and family with what I know. I’m learning more actual Paleolithic paganism and getting better ideas of what I want in my practices. Not only will I understand where the practices came from but I know how they were used and if they can be altered or adapted. My base was in Wicca so much of that has carried over, but I don't consider the Rede is the end all and be all of my faith. I prefer the idea of balance, which can arguably be mocked and derided for being 'too simple.'

So, I no longer consider myself a strict Wiccan. I believe that Wicca has evolved from Gardnerian based practices into modern Wicca, which bases its fundamental and underlying ideas on what Gerald started but has grown beyond that. Especially here, in the US, how many Wiccans can trace their lineage back to Gerald Gardner? Gardnerians and Alexandrians should be able to, but other Traditions won't have Gardner as the root of their family tree. I'm not entirely comfortable with the path that modern Wicca seems to be heading down and I can't trace my lineage to Gardner... so I'm borrowing a page from their book and using what works for me and discarding the rest.

I also work with varying pantheons, my patrons being Inari, the Morrighan, and Lucifer; but I have strong ties to Eros, Odin, Persephone, Hecate, Bast, Pasht, and Sekhmet. I also work with Kore, Nehellenia, Ahura Mazda, Mars, and Cernunnos. Quite a line up, huh? Actually I work mainly with my patrons; the others have been called on sporadically over the years. Also, my patrons are tricksters - Inari is a mother, but not motherly. However, she can be a mother, if you know what I mean. Lucifer is sooooo not a father figure. Yet he still can be very gentle when guiding me, or he can just smack me in the back of the head. I don't claim to have a perfect relationship with my patrons... but I make do. My time with ADF also taught me to call on nature spirits as well as Gods, expanding my repertoire and deepening my ties with the earth.

What I hope to do with this page is illustrate that you don’t have to know everything about your religion, but you should try to understand it for yourself. The more you know, the better. You should try to have a decent grasp of your religion's history but many of us don't have the time or devotion to be able to know all the myriad ins and outs of our spiritual path. I hope to offer a viewpoint that will make you think. I will also do my best to keep an up to date and useful online BoS for people to see what I do. Hopefully, some of this will make a difference, or will help someone else who is wondering what their path is. Keep an open mind and keep learning!