Advice for Newbies…

(and a little reminder for the rest of us.)

If you are new to the path, here is some advice that is most likely, completely unnecessary and yet is still good advice:

We aren't all Wiccans.

Not every Witch is a Wiccan. Wicca is a very specific belief system with several branches. Some Witches aren't even Pagan. Furthermore not every Pagan is a Witch.

Being a Pagan is about faith in Gods. Being a Witch is about believing in magic. Many of us are both Pagans and Witches, but please do not assume just because someone believes in magic, that they also believe in Gods or that they are a Wiccan.

Everyone has a right to believe, or not believe as they wish. Some people feel pretty strongly that they don't have to believe in anything, including magic, to use magic. They believe that all people use magic every day and never even realize it. They believe everyone can do magic.

Few people do. And even fewer do it well.

You know your own truth.

What works for you, works for you. Don't think that you ever have to believe or understand magic/Paganism the same way someone else does. Some people think you have to light candles, hold hands, get naked… whatever. You do not have to do anything to have faith in the Gods or to allow magic into your life. However these things can help you get into the right frame of mind, but they are not sacred, unless you believe they are sacred. Holy water is only holy when someone says it is and BELIEVES it.

If you do not believe, then it isn't true for you, and you should let it go. And if you do believe it, then believe it for yourself and only yourself. Do not try and force your beliefs on others. Arguing over the proper associations of the directions with the elements is not necessary. There is no "right" way of doing things, just the right way for you, and only you can know what that is.

Furthermore, if something doesn't seem right to you, please don't do it. Maybe later it will be right, but you should always follow your own instincts. I have found some of the spiritual books out there to be interesting, but most are for beginners and are meant to open the doors of your mind. Once those doors are open, it is up to you to define your faith, not others.

Which leads me to…

Do not trust the books, trust yourself.

Even the best historians are mostly guessing about how the really old Religions were practiced. Most of the Pagan/Witchcraft books out there paint the past as some sort of a verdant fantasyland where everything was perfect. Well it wasn't. It was diseased, dirty, and full of wars, pain and death. Remember a lot of the old ways were strongly connected to sacrifice of life, human and animal. That time has passed.

We were not there and frankly, we just do not really know that much about the actual facts of the belief of these ancient cultures. Furthermore, that time has passed. This is the age of the cell phone, microwave, and television. We need to accept that.

While to call something the “Old Way” may sound romantic, the truth is this is “Our Way”. Some may be inspired by the ideas of the old ways, but it is not likely to the actual old ways unless someone had a time machine and is keeping it hush- hush. It is still perfectly valid to call it the “Old Religion” because we associate our deities with those of the past. But while these deities are eternal, our religious practices are not. After all, have you seen any men hung for Odin in the last hundred years?

Oh and by the way...

"Older" does not mean "better."

There is nothing more obnoxious than someone who claims his or her religion is better because it is older. I have heard many claim to follow a religion that is thousands of years older than "blah." To claim a more valid religion because you believe it is older is not going to persuade anyone of the superiority your faith.

When you look into the past you see slavery, tyrants, misogyny. Yes, there have been enlightened moments of time or time when the power was better distributed, but generally, people have been oppressing and killing each other since the beginning of time. The truth is… THIS is the moment that is actually the most valid because it is the one we can know and effect.

Some other religions are finding themselves more and more bogged down by the ideas of the past. Ideas such as: “men and women are not equal”. Ideas that religion should control the political landscape and people should violently enforce their beliefs on each other.

If you want to speak of your religion in a positive light, show that is it more enlightened. Show that it doesn't get involved with people's sexual preferences. That it does not interfere with people's reproductive rights. That it doesn't command that you give money. That it hails men and women as equals and gives equal access to the divine. That it respects the family (by any definition) and the individual. That it neither proselytizes at the point of the sword nor does it exchange food for faith and most importantly, that it is spiritually fulfilling for you.

For the majority of people just telling them that your faith is spiritually fulfilling for you is enough. After all, if they do not approve of your faith, it isn't likely that anything you say will convince them that it isn't evil or that it is just as valid as theirs.

Know your rights!

If you live in the United States, you have a constitutional right to practice your freedom of religion. That includes wearing religious jewelry, clothing, and/or religious bumper stickers! (Students check your schools dress code; employees follow your work dress codes.) For those of you in other countries, you may also find that you are legally protected from persecution.

Obey the law, but DO NOT allow yourselves to be abused. Seek legal help if your rights are being violated! If not for yourself, then do it for the rest of us.

We will NEVER be free if we do not continually fight to gain and maintain our freedom.