Wiccan and Neo-Pagan thought and origins

Discussion in 'Religion Archives' started by Tht1Gy!, Sep 15, 2008.

  1. Medicine*Woman Jesus: Mythstory--Not History! Valued Senior Member

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    *************
    M*W: Who we are in real life is not necessarily who we are in cyberspace. The Internet allows us to be whomever we want to be.
     
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  3. Tht1Gy! Life, The universe, and e... Registered Senior Member

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    OK How can you say such absurd shit? Also, you have a pic of a table of contents; so what? What are we supposed to make of that?
    I was hoping for intellectual discourse not trolling or slander.
     
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  5. Hapsburg Hellenistic polytheist Valued Senior Member

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    Quite true.
    On the internet I am very intellectual and compassionate, if a tad cruel with my sense humour.

    In real life, I have a short temper and am usually selfish, sarcastic, and paranoid. I rarely debate people IRL, because most people I know are dumb as a sack of hammers, and not worth the time of day, let alone an expression of compassion or the grace of my presence.

    Though I am taking strides and steps to reconcile the two into a recognizable unified form of action.

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  7. Lordznebula5 Registered Member

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    Not enough at all similar to ancient witchcraft.

    Wiccans as I understand them are:

    So many wiccans are pagans seeking fellowship. But if they follow any path "the wiccan path" and have rules set up as belonging to such I see this a rip off of nature or wilderness common decency laws.

    Also drawn to more commercialism than the gatherer importance of nature.

    Or perhaps haven't found themselves yet.

    [hint: Ouija boards are not a cool option kids!]
     
    Last edited: Oct 10, 2008
  8. Hapsburg Hellenistic polytheist Valued Senior Member

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    How does one define "ancient witchcraft" in the first place? Most of the folk practices by ancient priests and cunning folk are only retroactively called "witchcraft", to fit with the 19th century development of the pagan/witchcraft "revival" which blended traditional folk magic and occult ceremonial magic. Wicca took this development to the next logical step and formed a religion (originally a mystery religion) around it, in the early 1940's. It's not historically correct, and the vast majority of Wiccans recognize that fact.

    However, it does not, nor should it, invalidate the religion as a whole.

    Ah. Here the root of your negative view. The assumption that "Wicca is anything you want it to be" or that most Wiccans follow that line of thinking. In fact, very few Wiccans think that Wicca is "anything", and most agree that it is a particular belief system with its own particular view of things.

    I don't know a single Wiccan that honestly uses a Ouija board, which is a trademarked toy manufactured by Parker Brothers, as a divination tool. That's something generalized and assumed about New Agers, though I've not met one that genuinely uses a Ouija board for divination either.
    The same also for your assumption about "commercialism", assuming you mean real commercialism and not just making a fucking living. Most of the aiming at selling out or commercialism are not very genuine practitioners of Wicca, and shouldn't be taken as an example of an average Wiccan.
     
    Last edited: Dec 7, 2008
  9. Prospero Registered Member

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    Aleister Crowley took this "logical" step after the reception of the Book of the Law in 1904. Adapting many Golden Dawn rituals and writing many of his own, Crowley established Thelema in the Ordo Templi Orientis and its counterpart the Ecclesia Gnostica Catholica. Gardner borrowed heavily from Crowley's work, replacing the Egyptian paradigm with a more universal, earthy folklore. Taking into account marketability apparently pays off - I'm sure their are many more self-proclaimed Wiccans than there are Thelemites.
     
  10. Hapsburg Hellenistic polytheist Valued Senior Member

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    Hmm. That's a more accurate way of putting it, really. I wasn't forgetting the Golden Dawn and Thelema- that's who I meant when I mentioned the whole bit about ceremonial magic, and those that spearheaded the pagan revival movement in the early 20th century. But specifically the way you put it- very true about the historical situation.
     
  11. Prospero Registered Member

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    I don't blame you for not getting into specifics. Occult history is riddled with plagiarisms and fabrications, attempting to establish a link to an "ancient" and mystical tradition has been the endeavor of every occult sect that I am aware of.

    With the exception of the Chaotes, I suppose.
     

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