Hello beaituful people.....here is where you can post your questions and get answers. I have been a high priestess of a wiccan coven and was brought up pagan and studied many a pagan path and religion. I also am a member now of Order of the cosmic zodiac coven in Mesa Az. have been for 6 yrs...so lets hear your questions.....
Lesa....

Well, I've been following the teachings of wicca and studying it for about 3 1/2 years now (started when I was about 10 1/2), and I haven't been ready to fully initiate myself into the wiccan religion until now. I feel completely ready to start in the service of the Lord and the Lady. I understand I'm only 14, but I know putting myself in this religion is just right for me. Someday I might even want to become a wiccan highpriestess (like you).

There is a problem though, my mother will have trouble excepting my choice to change my religion from Christianity. She was raised a STRICT Christian child. She has let me "dabble in that wicca stuff" (quote her), but she expects me to get tired of wicca eventually come back to Christianity. But I know in my heart, I could never go back to the Christian religion (not that there's anything wrong with it of coarse, it's just not the path for me). I'm afraid she'll become very angry with me if I tell her about my choice about religion, she knows it's not devil worship or anything she just believes the only path to the divine is through Christianity. Do you have any ideas how I can talk to her about it?

Also, I'm feeling increasing pressure from my peers at school about telling them about my religion. I've read books (like Scott Cunningham's) that say it is my choice whether to tell them or not. But I think we all know that one of the rule of three is "To Be Silent". It's not even my closest friends who ask me, but just different random people in my grade. I used to just say Christianity, but now I just can't say that. I know some of them would understand my path of religion, but the others I'm not so sure. I even told someone once, and they haven't left me alone about it. They keep asking me questions about wicca and calling it "that other religion". It bothers me. Do you have any advice?

first question: why is wicca considered a stupid religion (so I heard)?
second question: what do you think about NSBM bands that promote paganism? do you think they are true, or is it just a pose?

It is concidered a religion (stupid religion I dunno about that) It is concidered a religion by the government because Pagans have churches the same as Christians and gods and goddesses they pray to and worship same as christians...i think perhaps there would be an uprising if the government didn't recognise it as a religion. About promoting Paganism.....the bands promoting paganism as you say....I really have no comment there it is not for me to say weather or not something is true or a pose.....I guess that for someone to decide on their own.....

Are you just scared of what they will think of you? I can see where your scared about telling a parent because you do not want to disapoint but i guarentee that your mother is going to probably get angry and maybe scream and yell and try to push you back to god but in the end.....shes still going to love you.....that one you would simply have to just tough out....as for the people at school.....if they pressure you about your religion simply tell them you follow a nature based belief and you have no religion if it makes it easier to answer that way....not many people see it as a religion when it is government recognised but it is less popular than Christianity and less widely known that many you tell would never understand if you brought it out as a religion......and if they want you to go further into detail and you do not wish to simply say "I would rather not" It is tough coming out of the broom closet....I never had that problem i was raised in a wiccan family.......made it much easier for me to come out in the world.....good luck with your path i hope my advice helps.....

No, for the Government to accept it as a religion, it has to have a couple of thoasand people practising it. People may call Wicca stupid, a) from a christian perspective or b) how unrealistic it is to love everyone, and the fact that you are only supposed to use white magick, when in actual fact, all magick is grey magick, someone or other benefits and someone or another will lose out. Wicca seems to claim that it is a non selfish religion (as far as possible), doing acts of kindness for other people as much as possible etc etc. Although any spell you do will be for selfish purposes, under any circumstance. They also try to convince everyone as much as possible that they do not have anything to do with the devil, accepting the christian version of the devil, even though Lucifer was originally a pagan god of light and truth. I don't like the fact that many people join Wicca as it is now being glorified through programs such as Charmed, and is seen as cool to be Wiccan. Was that slightly harsh?

P.s. Has anyone heard or Wikka? I found a website on it once, I left as soon as it mentioned 'The Great Knitting Circle'.

Paganism as a whole isn't techinquely a religeon nor is recognized as such my the United States Government for two reason.

1: Pagan is a broad term from the middle ages that indicated any none christian or Jewish person. So many faiths fall under the catagory and those practicing it are divided under different groups.

2: in order to be recognized a faith has to have mulitple city and multiple state wide branches, and thus get tax exemption while the Kemets and Celtic Paganism groups get just that your run of the will Wiccans don't as most consider them a fad or a phase as they have an un-organized faith structure. And no doctrine to go by instead butchering "editing" out what the individuals like from different faiths and combining them together often claiming to worship gods from varoius actual religeons and even claiming "often very contridictory" that several gods "and even demons and lesser beings they thought were gods" as single entities.

sorry but the horned god "Cernonun "sp" " and Lucifer are not the same guy and most certainly are not Hades and Anubis. "even the greeks didn't combine Anubis with Hades "Anubis with Hermes to form Hermanubis yes and even Anubis with Apollo to create the wolf headed Apollo but these amalgams occured gradually through social interations of the different cultures not by some people who are dis-infranchised with the so called "traditional beliefs" picking and chooseing what they like.

a true religeon must take the good with the bad, the god(s) who is/are kind and merciful with the one(s) that is/are hatefull and desctructive.

Hathor with Sehkmet, Osiris with Set, New Testament with Old Testament God, and so forth.

ok, simple question, with a complicated answer most likely, i've done astral projection in the past, i have studied prana for a good time now (still cannot see aura's though but can feel them, do the energy drawing, projection, and minor healing, head aches sore muscles, temp relief to colds nothing major) i was talking to some one at work over the course of the night who suggested since i have done astral projection that i try a shamantic vision quest (i cant remember their exact wording over nights kill my brain sometimes) but i cant seem to find much about it in detail on the net, and i know my library is very bare in the topics of the occult, can you point me in the right direction for the knowledege i seek?

not looking for a step by step guide just a starting point

I don't take to kindly to Pegans, because half the time I'm cleaning up, or countering their spells. My sisters, and their friends are basically all wiccan/ Pegan. Though, not entirely. However, they all have tendancy to cast sickness and other miss fortune at time. My job is on the White Lodge, or down the Right Hand path. Now, if you are a leader of magic circles you'll be fimilair.

As for Puppet. Good luck with finding information on it. According to my Native American Shaman teachers, it requires some sort of drug, while spending 4 days in winter out in snow with nothing but your pants. No shirt, no jacket, nothing. During, the three or four days, not entirely sure. "God," will grant you a vision. What ever it may be.

I don't think you're up for now are ya? ;)

if thats the case i do not think i am realy wanting to do it, the drug part wouldnt be a problem, its probly paotie (ya my spelling sucks) been there done that 3 days of talking to the sun and moon depending on which was in the sky about the meaning of life among other things..yes they answered back.

The Shaman Vision quest, according to federal law unless you were raised by and are part of the faith structure of the native american people you are not legally allowed to own the hallucinagene they use for the vision and even than only the shaman can own any amount of it and keep a close book of records as to how much their is "and this can be checked on by the tribal police or the federall government if need be"

As for finding a book on astral projection, go to amazon.com right down the title, author, and ISBN number of the book and go to your local library and do an inter-library loan "if yours does that" this way they can lend you books they don't have but a larger "maybe a university library" might have.

[FONT=Optima][SIZE=1][COLOR=gray]Ok i have a couple of questions for anyone with the answers. Alright first off i have been studying wicca for about 3 or 4 years but i am having trouble learing what i need to know to become a full wiccan. i dont really understand what i am suppost to be doing or what anything really means. 2 of my friends asked me if i wanted to be in their coven a couple of weeks ago and i said of coarse. but as far as i know there are only three of us and i dont think that one my other friend knows anymore than i do. i dont know how much eather one of them knows about wicca or even paganism. i know that me and one of the other girls is catholic (but i dont believe in god.) the other one im not sure about. but i just need some help in becoming a full wiccan. is there a ritual or something, what do i need to do. can someone please help me with this major problem. i cant ask parents because they are catholic and dont believe in this stuff. i really need a lot of help. as much as anyone can give me. hopefully its enough.

p.s. i am new to this site so i dont know how everything is run or what ever so i need help with that to. please help me!!!!!!!!!!!! :icon6:

I do not believe there is a ritual you need to go through to become a wiccan, however, to actually be considered an official wiccan, you need to study for a year and one day. Then after that... the studying continues. You never really stop learning. If you want to learn more faster, you may wish to join a coven... if you can find one that is.

Sweetie, there are more than a couple thousand people practising it. What Rhuen said was true however. And I'm sorry, but like everyone else, wiccans do not love EVERYONE. In fact, a lot of them, we'd like to destroy, deep down inside. However, the Three-fold law and the Wiccan Rede prevent us from doing that. "An it harm none, do as ye will", which is the summarization of the Wiccan Rede, and probably the only part that is memorized by the majority, and "Ever mind the rule of three, three times your acts return to thee", the three fold law, with means any energy you send out will return to you three fold, be it good or bad. It is true that all magic is grey or neutral, but I'm pretty sure that it is spelled "magic". "Magick" was thought up either to determine it from stage preformances or just invented by fluffy bunnies to make the word look "kewl". Chances are, that accounts for the word "Wikka" as well. Correct me if I am wrong, please. As for the show Charmed..... I hate it. You are right, it does give wicca and witchcraft a bad name. In fact, I thank you in a way for bringing it up and cursing it..... at least I think that is what you did...

Well i dont know exactly what i should be studying and learning. i need help getting started. i mean ive been studying for a couple years but i dont know what to do. im so lost and confused. i need someone who can help me learn, someone who can at least tell me what exactly i need to know to become a wiccan so that i can really become one. i am in a coven but i dont know really how much they know about wicca or even paganism.

someone help me please!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well.... why don't you try looking at Pagan wesites? If you havn't already. Or perhaps try asking some of the coven members to help you. Like I said, to be actually CONSIDERED a wiccan, and usually only by strict initiatory covens, you must study for a year and a day, and the studying NEVER STOPS. There are endless things to learn, and you always come up with your own methods of doing things. There is not a SINGLE book or website out there that can REALLY tell you how to become and live as a wiccan. They are only guides and are there to give you suggestions and advice. Try the local library. Look up wicca, and if they don't have that, dog deeper. Look for books on divination, tarot, religions, herbalism, or anything else you can think of that is related to paganism or connected by some means. Try looking online. There are some sites out there that can be very helpful, some that teach you the basics and some that go into more advanced methods. (Most of them, that I have been to, are full of advice for beginners. They also have a lot of lore for the sabbats.) However... there are the occasional hippy-dippy, third-eye, spiritual, glowing crystal hacks out there that you have to watch out for. Most of them are just into wicca to be different, or make them look cool, or make their parents mad. Chances are, they don't know a single thing about paganism, and they won't be of much help. If you don't get much help from your coven, which would be highly unlikely if you ask me, then I suggest going as far as leaving the coven. I certainly hope this will not happen, for leaving a coven... is... well, let us just say it is frowned upon, ok? Perfect love and perfect trust... see... anyways, I hope I've helped you, and if you still have questions that need answers, please PM me. I would be glad to help you.