Elements

I did some thinking and restructuring, and added this lesson to my Wicca 101 series. Enjoy.

Elemental Powers

Wiccans call upon the powers of the Elements in ritual and other Magickal work. Across the board, the four classical Western Elements are included, being Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. Some of the time, a fifth is included, the Element of Spirit, sometimes also called Akasha or the Ether. Each Element has many common associations, although some may differ between individual, Coven, and Tradition.



There are other associations as well, but these are the more basic ones.

In ritual, the Elements are each called in turn to watch over and lend strength to the workings that will be performed (it should be noted that the most common places to begin calling the Elements are North and East, and there are compelling reasons for both). Often physical representations of the Elements are present on the altar or at the edges of the ritual space in the appropriate direction. It is also very important to dismiss or banish the Elements at the end of ritual; imagine the unchecked power of Fire hanging about!

The Elements as a group are sometimes called the Quarters, as the space between each is one quarter of the ritual space, or the Corners or Directions.

There is a bit more to discuss in relation to the Elements, but as that relates more directly to Tools, I am saving it for that section.

1 - This color association is my own, and I came to it thusly; It is said that Spirit is the combination and perfect balance and harmony of all the other Elements. If that is so, then what are all colors mixed together? Well, first we must decide if we’re talking about light, or pigment. If light, then the answer is white. If pigment, black. This is yet another duality, and as discussed before, Wicca is non-dualistic. So, if we combine black and white, the result is grey, or perhaps silver. This makes more sense to me than purple, which is red and blue, and while can be send to be a blend of male and female energies, to me then excludes the other colors in the spectrum.

Ritual Matters

Ritual Purpose, Etiquette and Progression

Purpose

The reason for performing ritual usually falls under three categories:
- to perform Magick or spellwork
- to honor and connect with the Divine
- to enact spiritual beliefs in a physical and visual way

What's in a Name? A rose by any other name...

Names and Naming Yourself

What and Why
A common practice of many Pagans is to choose a name to go by specifically within ritual. These can be called Magickal names, Circle names (as many Pagan rituals are held within an energy circle), Witch names, Craft names, or ritual names, depending on who you talk to (I personally use "Circle names" most of the time). Some choose to keep the name their parents gave them, but others feel that their legal name doesn't reflect who they truly are or who they are or wish to be within the confines of sacred space, since they did not select the name themselves and/or were given it before finding their Pagan identity. There are some paths wherein a teacher chooses the names for their students at one time or another, but to be so bold as to make a blanket statement about the Pagan community at large, the majority of teachers are more than accepting of one's personal choice of name.

Roles Within and Without Ritual

Roles in Wiccan Teaching and Ritual

Role of Clergy
There is a difference between being a Priest/ess and a High Priest/ess. Every Wiccan is a Priest (P) or Priestess (PS) to the Gods, but in Traditionalist settings only those who have taken on the role, honor, and responsibility as Coven leader and teacher may be called High Priest/ess.

Tools

Tools of Wiccan Craft

Before I start with the list, I want to talk a bit about the nature of tools and their energies. Tools can either be active or passive. This refers in part to Elemental associations. Active tools (athame and wand, for example) are associated with the active Elements of Air and Fire. These Elements are active because they are changing and dynamic, charged up and forceful. The passive Elements are then Earth and Water, because they are more mutable and slow in their changes and how they change other things, so their tools (pentacle, cup. cualdron, etc.) are also considered passive.

Celebrations

Holy Days and Celebrations

There are eight Sabbats, or holidays, in the Wiccan calendar. Four of these are Major or Greater Sabbats, also called Fire Festivals, and they are Samhain, Imbolc, Beltane, and Lammas. The other four occur at the two Solstices and two Equinoxes of each year, and are considered the Minor or Lesser Sabbats. The Wheel of the Year, as the whole of the calendar is sometimes called, is an agricultural calendar, marking the seasons according to observable events, such as the first planting or the first harvest. It also tells the story of the life of the God, conveying how His life stages are connected to these agricultural events.

Death, and an Apology

The apology first; it's been a week and a half since I posted here. I was ill, both physically and mentally (bronchitis/sinusitis and lack of depression/anxiety meds). But I'm doing better now, on both fronts.

And now...

Death and Dying

Similar to many Eastern belief systems, I hold the ideas of reincarnation and Karma to be true. The God is seen as being reborn each year, and indeed anyone can observe the whole of nature cycling to Her new life in the Spring. So, why should animals (humans included) be any different from the rest of nature? This is the logic behind the belief that, after death, our spiritual essences (or souls, if you prefer) journey to a paradise called Summerland, where we rest, commune with the Gods and loved ones, and reflect on our most recent life before being reincarnated into another form. Some even remember or have recovered memories of their past lives, and so trust not only the logic, but their own experiences as well.

Magick

I define Magick as occultist Alestair Crowley did, “the Art and Science of causing change in accordance with Will” (spelling it with a "k" is also Crowley's doing, and is meant to differentiate between Witchcraft and sleight of hand). Using that language, Magick becomes no more mysterious or “supernatural” than raising my hand. And, indeed, to any well-trained Witch, it shouldn’t be. Magick is similar to prayer, as it is an appeal to another source for intervention and assistance. However, I view Magick as more involved than prayers; to my mind, prayers are handing over the situation to that other power, saying, “You do it for me and I‘ll cross my fingers and hope it all works out.” Magick is instead saying, “I’m doing what I can on this plane, and now I need You to do what You can in the astral.” If involving some area of the mundane (finding a job, for example), any Magick done should be an extension of mundane efforts (filling out applications, submitting resumes, etc.).

Theology

Wiccan Deity Construct

The main Wiccan view of Deity is that of the Union of the Horned God with the Great Mother Goddess, and this Union is related to the ritual celebrations throughout the year. The God is born at Yule, grows in strength till Midsummer, declines during the Fall months, then dies at Samhain to be reborn again. He lives and dies for the sake of the people and the land, growing with the seedlings and dying with the harvest. The Goddess is both Mother and Wife to Him, depending on the moment in the cycle. This is not, however, an incestuous relationship, but part of the Mystery of the Divine Union. The Goddess is specifically honored during Moon rituals, called Esbats, with the Full Moon seen as the height of Her power.

Wiccan Ethics II - Grey Areas

This is the second part of the ethics lesson, some common questions and conundrums.

Veganism/Vegetarianism
I myself used to be a lacto-ovo vegetarian, but realized that I was simply because my ex-fiancé badgered me into it. Veganism/vegetarianism is a fine choice if someone wants to live that way, and done right it can be very healthy. However, I think citing the Rede as the reason is silly. Even if you don't believe in killing animals for food, the plants you eat are still dying, and I've heard of (not actually read though) studies that show that plants scream at supersonic levels when cut down. And, animals kill each other for food naturally, they didn't learn that from humans. And those that aren't predators are still killing plants, and in some cases will eat insects as well. In nature, life comes from death, and I personally don't see why humans should be any different. After all, we're animals and a part of nature ourselves, no matter how hard we may try to remove ourselves from it. This is not to say I agree with all the slaughterhouse and farming practices out there, but even for animals in the more extreme conditions, death seems all the more merciful. And there’s also the argument that, since harm constitutes senseless acts, killing one animal to feed another isn’t truly harm anyway. Overall, I think using the Rede as a justification for one's diet is not only unnecessary, but also somewhat missing the point.

Wiccan Ethics I - Explanation

This lesson will be in two parts. The first is simply explaining and defining Wiccan ethical tenents, while the second will explore some common scenarios and questions.

Wiccan Ethics

The basic ethical tenant of Wicca is the Wiccan Rede, which states, “An it harm none, do what you Will.” A simple, yet highly profound statement.

History, in Brief

A Brief History of Modern Wicca

Keep in mind there's plenty here that lots of people disagree with, some very vehemently. I encourage all who read this to do their own research, getting as scholarly as possible. With that in mind, I can tell you that what follows is the history as my parents have always explained it, their sources being their own training and independent research.

Other Categorical Definitions

The series continues, folks. As before, YMMV.

A. Pagan vs. Wiccan

All Wiccans are Pagan, but not all Pagans are Wiccan. Many use the Christian denomination model as a comparison (e.g.: all Methodists are Christian but not all Christians are Methodist), however this is a false analogy; Methodists and all other Christians conceive of and worship the Divine under the same name, and the other beliefs and the services of these various denominations share many additional similarities. The same cannot be said of the full spectrum of Paganism. Some follow a specific cultural pantheon, such as Celtic, Norse, Greek, etc.. Others do not ascribe to one pantheon, instead following whatever Gods call to them regardless of Their cultural origins.

Wicca - A Personal Definition

For those of you who are familiar with Wicca, YMMV and I don't expect total agreement here (and in the case that someone were learning from me, I'd just expect for them to be familiar with and use my definitions so long as they were under my guidance, so that they could understand my perspective and reasonings). Again, my main purpose in posting these lessons is to make sure that my thought processes translated well into words, that things are clear and coherent, etc.. Comments and questions GREATLY encouraged and appreciated!