It's the triple Goddess Hecate and she is portayed here with the head of a horse, snake and wolf. I found this pic on the internet once and have never been able to find it again. I did the best I could with the camera. There's one more pic of it on my profile.

The smaller pic can be seen here.

http://blessedbe.sugarbane.com/spells.htm

Most non-Wiccan witches prefer the term "Traditional Witch" but there's also:

Natural Witch
Green Witch
Kitchen Witch
Hedge Witch

and probably more that I haven't heard or don't remember.

Wicca is a religion. Witchcraft is something you do with or without religion.

cool

Exactly. And I don't support religions so I'm definitely not going to become a 'Wiccan'.

I even think the checkbox idea is ultiamtely wrong.

I don't know why anything should be called a 'religion'. Religions in general should be outlawed. All they truly are, are seeds for anarchy. Little organized institutions that can potentially become camps like those of Jim Jones or David Koresh.

Why don't we just do away with religoins altogether and just let people have 'personal philosophies'

Jeannie had mentioned that North American Indians are allowed to have Eagle feathers simply because it was important to their faith before the Eagle became an endangered species.

Well, to me, that would be like telling Christians that they may continue burning witches since they were doing that before it was against the law.

Where do we draw the line?

The reason studying Wicca is good for modern day witches trying to learn the craft is because the information and rituals are easily accessible through current books. There are no books written by the witches of yesteryear that we can look at now to learn. These traditions were generally passed down orally. Wicca has carried on with some of these traditions and while it has become a religion, it is useful to learn about it in order to practice witchcraft.

I agree with you to an extent. And I certainly like Scott Cunningham's books. He presents the ideas with very much abstraction which I totally support.

However, there seems to be a bit of a contradition here,...

Scott's book is entitled: Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary practictioner.

He doesn't meantion anything about the need to be initiated by any recognized High Preistess (at least I haven't seen that yet, I haven't finished reading the entire book, but the very title suggest a solitary practictioner.

Doesn't that fly in the face of Wicca then as an organized religion which one must be initiated into?

Shouldn't Scott's book truly be entitled, "Natural Witchcraft for the Non-Wiccan"?

He sure seems to be coming across as supporting a completely personal abstract interpretation of witchcraft in what I've read thus far.

I don't see this as necessarily supporting an organized religion called 'Wicca'.

So there seems to be a very fine line between the organized religion, and a purely personal dedication to the craft without affiliating oneself with an organized religion.

I wouldn't want to be in Lily shoes and have to describe where the line is.

Unless it's as simple as you say. In order to be an 'official Wiccan' you must be initiated into the specific religion designed by Gerald Gardner in or around 1940.

If that's what is required to become a 'Wiccan' then owl just be a Natural Witch.

Aaaaa ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!

cackle cackle cackle

:rides off into the moonset on his magick broom:

Now you're getting into the debate over whether or not one need to be initiated into Wicca or not to practice it. Many Wiccans believe you can initiate yourself. Earlier I was speaking to the Wicca created by Gardner and some Wiccans feel that you must be initiated.

The reality is that there are people who privately practice many religions and take what they like and leave the rest. For example, I considered myself a Catholic prior to be received formally into the Catholic Church. Some Catholics would say that I was because I was going to Mass and believed the teachings. Others would say I was not Catholic until I was officially received by a Catholic priest. It's really a matter of opinion.

Not really. I don't see it as psyche related or psychic. As far as spiritual, it is no more spiritual than anything else. It is the law of vibrational energy and creation. It is the way the program works.



The "Law of Attraction" (or what ever you want to call it) is a natural creative technique and is the basis for all "witchcraft" or manifestation techniques.

There have been many self-help and success orientated books that talk about these same creative techniques, long before my favorite ones came out which are the ones by Esther and Jerry Hicks. (The "Abraham" books.)

To sum up "The Secret" of manifesting your reality:

1.) -It is your thoughts and visual pictures that do the asking.

2.) -It is your attitude of belief that does the receiving.

3.) -It is your intention that pushes the order out to the Universe and brings your request flying into your reality.

The Universal Mind manifests and processes your request. If the formula is understood and followed you will learn how to get or manifest what you want in this reality.

Many specific techniques have been designed that use these basic creative techniques. This is what you will find in the books I mention.

It is like magick, but it is more of an exact science or program the way the connected universe manifests things and events from the Universal mind and energy brings these things into fruition.

JB

Thats cool! I like it.

Yeah I think I prefer that distinction and Im resistant to organized religion just as you and Abra are and it gives me the creeps. Im not saying anything bad about Wicca its just that I have concern about where that movement might lead especially seeing as Wicca is the 5th largest religion in the US now! I wasnt aware it was quite THAT established. The weird thing is that it appears that it is still relatively mysterious and unknown and my guess on that is because even though it may have over 700,000 professed followers, probably a LARGE portion of those choose to practice it in secret. Since Wiccans dont go around proselytizing, that also keeps the lid on it. I dont know though, these are assumptions Im making.

Anyway, I think I might pursue Witchcraft. I have the number for a lady who told me to call and shes local and not Wiccan. Shes a Witch. I will see how that interaction goes.

This is absolutely true Ruth.

But this is precisely the reason that I'm against organized religions.

And I don't see any reason to make an exception for 'Wicca'.

Just leave it as witchcraft and don't try to turn it into a religion.

I truly believe that the only motivation for this is to compete with Christianity and other organized religions.

But isn't that just 'joining a war'?

A war that doesn't even need to be?

Exactly.

The only reason for the corporate status of any religious organization has to do with group funds and taxes.

A person's personal beliefs is personal.

An organization is an organization.

More power to people like Antone Levey who started his Church of Satan just to give the Status Quo Religions pause.

More power to the Universal Life Church who ordains anyone who wants it over the Internet for free.

There is too much pomp and circumstance with all this religious ritual and dogma and requirements to get into a church or into heaven.

That kind of society is on its way out with the reptilians.

JB

Ruth here is that Hecate if you needed it again I wasnt sure.

http://www.joannabarnum.com/gallery/albums/blackandwhite/hecate.jpg

I'd be very interested to hear how that goes!

THANK YOU!

Im thinking about checking it out too

Oh no Mirror you are just hoping to find a bunch of hot Witch babes who will tie you up, oil you down and worship you as their horny horned god for a while. Be honest now?

Him and Sam both.