Not one accused witch during the Inquisition or Salem witch trials ever said at any time, "OK, enough with the excrutiating torture already! There's a book of Shadows that contains all the information you want!!!"
The reason I make this point is, of course, The Book of Shadows that everyone reads today isn't really "bad", is it? So why wouldn't an accused witch offer it?
Because it didn't exist, right? Modern witchcraft was made popular by a guy named Gardener who got together with a guy named Crowley. They both spelled magick with a "k" and they both included the same basic rituals. Only difference is one of them thought he was The Beast and received communications from the Devil and the other one communicated with The Goddess.
Witch and Wicca both mean "wisdom" gleaned from supernatural sources. The difference is not the rituals or underlying beliefs, just the names of spirits. Witches like to communicate with demons and deities, while wiccans like to communicate with nameless spirits from the cardinal directions and of the elements.
Let's say any magick actually works. I'm not saying it does, but for the sake of argument, let's just say it does. Anybody who fancies himself a witch will tell you magick's dangerous and quirky. It can backfire on you, spirits might kick you out of bed or clutter your mind. Tricky spirits are difficult to banish, etc.
So, if these people really are communicating with invisible forces that have actual power of real life events that aren't in the magick person's actual control... what exactly is the appeal?
You've got to love it when someone puts crystals all over their computer and talks about energies and feng shui, but what do you think when people start telling you how they make their own incense and candles and, you know... other stuff? I always politely nod and say, "Yeah, I find that kind of stuff interesting" and sort of try to get the conversation about love spells and crap over with ASAP. I find you can't argue about it and you don't want to be rude, so it's best to let them get it all out so that you can get onto other subjects.
― Scaredy Cat, Tuesday, 28 January 2003 08:45 (twenty-two years ago)
The theory that the "witches" burned during the Middle Ages were really secret pagan cultists has been pretty much discredited. They were just unfortunate victims who got on the wrong side of the local authorities. In fact, the practice of witch-hunting is a survival from pagan times; pagans were quite fond of burning old women who gave them the Evil Eye. So, needless to say, Gardener, as you pointed out, fabricated the entire modern wicca "traditon."
As far as magic "working" : if magic worked, it would be a science. People would use magic to accomplish useful tasks, and every government and large corporation would have a team of magicians.
If someone is dissatified with mainstream christianity, there are many, many sophisticated spiritual traditons they could learn from, but most pagans/new agers stick to shallow platitudes with copious amounts of gobbely-gook rituals, so, not spunky and definitely deluded dips.
― fletrejet, Tuesday, 28 January 2003 14:34 (twenty-two years ago)
― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Tuesday, 28 January 2003 18:54 (twenty-two years ago)
Wiccan hip-hop, where MCs' flows are actually magickal incantations used for summoning ancient druidic nature-spirits into the waking world. Two turntables and a microphone = two healing crystals and a stick of incense.
― nickalicious (nickalicious), Tuesday, 28 January 2003 19:20 (twenty-two years ago)
now I think it's likely an important area of study to determine what draws people to new age ideas and renaissance faires etc.
― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Tuesday, 28 January 2003 19:22 (twenty-two years ago)
My sisters and I gently tease her (uh, mostly behind her back), but it makes her happy. If she picks up a new item for her house that is good for her chi, places another crystal or dreamcatcher above her bed, or listens to afrocelt music, it brightens her mood. And that's just fine.
― Sarah McLusky (coco), Tuesday, 28 January 2003 19:27 (twenty-two years ago)
― Daniel_Rf (Daniel_Rf), Tuesday, 28 January 2003 23:14 (twenty-two years ago)
Wiccan hip-hop
"wic-wic-wack"
― gabbneb (gabbneb), Wednesday, 29 January 2003 05:35 (twenty-two years ago)
― Sean (Sean), Wednesday, 29 January 2003 05:54 (twenty-two years ago)
― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Wednesday, 29 January 2003 08:05 (twenty-two years ago)
― becky lucas (becky_lucas), Wednesday, 29 January 2003 08:09 (twenty-two years ago)
Why not? I've heard it's lovely.
― Sarah McLusky (coco), Wednesday, 29 January 2003 13:43 (twenty-two years ago)
Ha, actually it was in CT!
― Sean (Sean), Wednesday, 29 January 2003 19:47 (twenty-two years ago)
Just noticed this and I, for one, am outraged!! Belief in the healing powers of "He's A Rebel" or "He Hit Me (And It Felt Like A Kiss)" isn't entertaining??? Tom and Kate to thread!
― Daniel_Rf (Daniel_Rf), Wednesday, 29 January 2003 23:40 (twenty-two years ago)
― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Thursday, 30 January 2003 12:28 (twenty-two years ago)
― becky lucas (becky_lucas), Thursday, 30 January 2003 13:19 (twenty-two years ago)
― Rockist Scientist, Thursday, 30 January 2003 15:04 (twenty-two years ago)
The best thing is this happened in North Carolina
― Thrills as Cheap as Gas (Oilyrags), Saturday, 7 March 2009 01:29 (sixteen years ago)