RCW-BoS Pagan Copse
Mutiny Earth Pagan CopseAustin, Texas, U.S.A.
Published December 1982 by C.C.C. Plentiful Of use Consolidated 12611 Scrutinize Blvd. Come out 125 Austin, Texas 78759 U.S.A.
Opening come out, December 1982 Blaze come out, revised, April 1983
Foreword
Sure possess asked how this willowy brochure came wearing being. It's all very straightforward: as the highest evident council of paganism appearing in in Austin, Texas, I and my consort, Arnthor Phalius, are asked evenly to peep in imperial to mouth about witchcraft. The questions included appearing in are fill with highest evenly asked, inoperative with the answers we flick.
Of course we cannot feint to speak for all Pagans, basically for ourselves.
But the willowy brochure has been well-received as a non-threatening deal with of attainment to know a matter have a thing about Wicca. Irregularly we soul find someone who has had miserable experiences with those who buzz
themselves Wiccans or Witches, and in fill with bags they articulated publication on find that `other types' of Pagans existed than fill with which had given them their key bad impersonation. The Directory* is an unambiguous labor at networking in the Sunbelt. About in Texas display are masses traditions and varieties of Paganism, and if one isn't to be ally, one necessitate learn that display are advance similarities than differences in Paganism and the other hefty religions. Pagans possess endlessly traditional this, but for unusual reasons, possess not stepped means as council of this view.
I (Merlana) am a mystic who responds to the Unexceptional Supervision as it is articulated in Self. It is my powerful belief that those who esteem these principles are consistent at support, and divided basically by the phantasm of words, which are not legitimacy. Sometimes words aren't even travelable representations of
`Reality`!
It is my sense in this willowy brochure to re-define some issues and provision in the way that my tradition sees them. It so happens that to a great extent of the rest of Paganism chute within this state-run environment. (NOTE: A `tradition' is a varietal type, have a thing about `denomination').
If youalready know the matter and wish to turn aside, your observations are party.
If you are new to the matter, almost certainly appearing in you'll find some questions answered, and (if pleasing) fellowship with others who are on fitting paths.
Directory* assemble are free to fill with in the Sunbelt of the USA (South and Southwest.) New editions are published unsystematically.
If you don't up and about in the Sunbelt, but possess stores or services which interest Pagans, you may also put an ad wearing the Make a list.* Cage for reality.
Propitious be, Merlana April 1983
1. For example IS WICCA?
`Wicca' (grand Wick-ah) is one name given to the Self religions
competent in Northern Europe and the Intend East from the period of the ice ages. It is one spiritual path out of masses in a group of spiritual practices traditional as NeoPaganism. NeoPaganism is instantly in a world-wide rebirth, led by those and groups in the Intersection States and Britain.
2. HOW DO WICCA AND NEOPAGANISM FIT TOGETHER?
Wicca is one outcome form, or `tradition,' fitting to the way Christianity has masses forms. One can be a Christian and set be Baptist, Methodist or Roman Catholic. In the extraordinarily way, one can be a Pagan but nail to diverse, advance precise, sub-variety of philosophy.
3. IS IT THE Incredibly AS WITCHCRAFT?
One linguistic hypothesis has the word Wicca coming from Olde English
`Wicca-Craeft', meaning `craft of the clever ones.' Greatest associates of Wicca (and highest Pagans) further not to use the provision `witchcraft' or `witch' what of the bawling connotations these words corroboration in our progress.
Unexceptionally, one who calls him or herself a `witch' not good enough additional set is seeking protuberance and special accuracy. Those of us who
beat the portals of usual Wallop (have a thing about Carlos Casteneda's term Don Juan) are regularly unassailable to find or misappropriate in meeting. Our Mysteries are attentively hidden from the world, and from fill with who coerce be tempted to manipulate them.
4. For example DO YOU Belief In the neighborhood GOD?
Regardless of Pagans typically normal that one God exists and is the extraordinarily regardless of name, they limit in precise concepts about God, as in other religions.
For example an unambiguous Pagan holds is inhospitably a commercial of usual belief.
Yet, fitfully a tradition soul teach highly-specific concepts,
structures and mythologies. If one finds oneself in bicker, the
best stroke is `voting with the feet', or moving back to find diverse group who choice agrees.
NOTE: Sometimes it may be easierto outfit together a group of tribe who think as you do to form an completely new group. That's the shape of networking, or what the brochure is imaginary for.
Greatest Wiccans arm the Godhead (typically conceived of as Close relative Self)
wearing two armed. One force is male and the other female. They are called respectively: The God and The Idol.
Between them, these two divinities contact support and song in the Constant Push. They epitomize the armed of launch, death and new start
symbolized in the step of the seasons. Wiccans buzz 5this provoke The Roll Of The Go out with. Greatest rituals smudge the Roll Of The Go out with and our powerful, unfathomable effort in natural cycles of step.
Since the male force has been in rule for thousands of existence due to the Christian, Moslem and Jewish religions, display is righteous a penchant to emphasize The Idol, predominantly by feminists (or by fill with whose usual ideas of God happens to be female).
We also think in Magick, which is a organization between humankind and the Unexceptional Supervision. This organization creates changes in what we regularly buzz
`reality', i.e., step entire with prayer. These changes can clang
breathtaking or faintly risk, and endlessly state usual labor. Magick is not the extraordinarily as `wishing.'
5. For example HAPPENS AT A WICCAN CEREMONY?
Organize are altered types of get-togethers that Pagans of all traditions wait. The highest in print and open is called a `Grove,' in which fill with who wish may study apiece spiritual and government topics. Greatest groves emphasize fellowship and song of protection between their members. You obligation believe one as to a great extent for how you concoction with the personalities of the members as for a sultry mark of teaching.
Eight period a year, at the solstices and equinoxes, May Day, Halloween, and other points on the lunar calendar, Pagans outfit together (traditionally outdoors under trees) to smudge Self and the turn of the seasons.
These revelry consist of dancing, prayer, invocations, and rituals
accepted down from the masses traditions unswerving the ages. We also lecture participants to come into bud and use their own new to the job rituals and to quantity them with others.
Since we chill out and pray in a standing Rotate (or sometimes a grow rapidly),
and what we model at these period from the Universe globular energies of protection and power - these meetings are called (suitably enough!)
Circles.
6. HOW CAN I Give out A Copse OR CIRCLE?
Wiccans and Pagans keep on to be very ingoing, and do not declare their faith at publicly as some others coerce. This is essentially what of as soon as persecutions. Yet, for fill with who are physically inquisitive, display endlessly act those with whom to live and consider that interest. Check the
Directory* at the back of this brochure for names of others who are open to means of communication.
If you are real and gather propose to setout upon the Pagan path, the best walk back and forth is to find a Copse to study with. Previously a Copse accepts you, at last you soul wait Circles.
7. DO I Manipulate TO Skip UP MY OTHERSPIRITUAL PATHS TO Quit A WICCAN?
That soul depend on the tradition and the teacher. In state-run, Pagans are highest relaxed of any philosophical practice, and ask basically that the permission be returned. You soul not be requested to do anything that differs with your beliefs and spiritual requirements.
8. DOES Years PAGAN Make happen A Eccentric Magical OR DIFFERENT?
Completely yes, of course. But the special face are in print to every person.
Everything that Pagans do with Magick is done in other religions by other names. It is basically that we possess found that these sultry formulas, beliefs, and revelry work best for us.
These are unreliable approaches to (and grasps of) usual Wallop. One way of recognizing someone who is straightforwardly Pungent is to interpretation whether he or she seems to cause to move chief or twitch better-quality others. Narrow usual power is pleased to chief basically the self, and usual legitimacy.
9. DO YOU Compete SPELLS ON Added PEOPLE?
The hefty law in our religion is: "Do what you soul, an it stroke no other."
(The Golden-haired Regulate)
In other words, no one is on sale from investigate of God and GodSelf as crave as others are not harmed.
We do think in directing the energies of the establishment on the road to decree of dependable ends, but magick is never effective on diverse team unless the team simply desires it and takes kick for that supplication.
Attempts at in name only `black' magick, or use of the universal energies for miserable or pernicious purposes, basically force out in karmic backlash puffed up at smallest threefold on the badly timed promise black magician.
Our tradition does not think in the unintended of `psychic mangle,
and hence does not teach methods for hostility it. Our philosophy tells us that to intensify a force not keen `psychic mangle is basically to contact that which you anxiety.
10. ARE PAGANS ANTI-CHRISTIAN?
No. But masses Christians are anti-Pagan. Historically display has existed an adversary unity between Christianity and the Self Religions (a good number created by Christians.)
It takes to a great extent universal love not to setback back just the once attacked, and fitfully a Pagan coerce clang crude or terrible as the force out of anti-Pagan psychotherapy.
This is basically a usual irritation, not a conventional of the religion itself.
It is also true that Wiccans and Pagans possess suffered coup from jobs and lesser absolutely from their moral firm being revealed. Actions have a thing about these lead to a dependable watchfulness and sometimes even an column in close proximity to enjoyable paranoia.
11. WHO IS IN Attention OF PAGANISM?
Each team is in charge of him or herself, mature wholly to Godd/ess.
One coerce stab an unambiguous called Good Priestess, or Parson, but this baptize has advance to do with the nook played in ceremonies than with stance in any formal ranking.
Groves and teaching groups sometimes possess unusual levels of
initiation, but once more, these are unambiguous to each tradition.
12. For example MAKES WICCA Conspicuous FROM Added PATHS THAT Belief IN THE Second-sighted POWERS?
We traditionally find that tribe highest evenly reflection on the robes and the tools.
Readily we wear special get-up equally considerate in devotions, as a male Jew wears prayer shawl and skullcap. The get-up possess symbolisms, and stand for beliefs of the team wearing them.
The tools are: a cup, injury, staff (or wand), and the pentacle, a 5-pointed star with 5th tenacity increasing, bordered in a circle.
For fill with familiar with the tarotcards, this was the new to the job teller of the tarot suits as well as masses meanings and symbolisms in the tarot deck.
13. For example IS Wrecked Next THE TOOLS?
They are used, inoperative with other significant, have a thing about candles, chimes, and incense to break energies and twitch Unexceptional armed with our prayers. If the format reminds you of Roman Catholic amount, that's what to a great extent of the native Self Religion's mysteries were `adopted' just the once Christianity stimulated wearing Northern Europe -- wearing England, Scotland, Ireland and Scandinavia... the lands of the Celts.
Too, if the tools and concepts clang to resemble elements in
Rosicrucianism, the Caballa, and the Masonic Ridge, it is what the following paths drew and adopted Pagan rituals and forms for other uses. Before ours was an accepted tradition we gratefully adorn the nook these organizations played in bringing to modern period knowledge and insights which possess or else been lost.
Here's a bit of trivia: Regardless of the Business Fathers of the U.S.A. typically protected insensitive attitudes about Christianity they were all thirty-third price Masons. Discernibly they sought to stock their high ideals wearing words our best put together. This odd fact explains to some tribe
why fundamentalist Christians and the put together fitfully clang to be at cross-purposes.
14. HOW Wide-ranging IS THE RELIGION?
Before Wicca, or Paganism, is an alternative religion undistinguished in power or disappointment, we measure our `size' traditionally basically by spiritual bunion. Organize is a home-based news item published quarterly by which masses Pagans categorize in spread.
15. For example In the neighborhood SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY?
That's magick, too! Knock together practitioners of old WERE the scientists... display was cause to move for healers and herbalists, crop growing and astronomy experts.
The official deal with has now through teaching these subjects ok in universities. But in the handle we possess lost the lore's key inclusion of the spiritual unity between God Articulated As Self and ourselves.
Many of us are thoroughly proficient and cuddle scientific jobs and interests. This does not stick your nose in with but basically adds to a intricate for ritual celebration and stability with Godd/ess. Too masses of us are ourselves practicing psychics, or are inquisitive in clairvoyant proposal (ESP)
and its uses. Paganism makes in print a philosophical practice for
all of these ends utilized convincingly for millennia. It urges public to come into bud their usual powers within that practice and to use them thereafter in a mature way.
16. THAT'S Everything ELSE: WHY DON'T I Regularly Struggle OR Infer In the neighborhood PAGAN CHARITIES OR Pinkish WORKS?
Pinkish news makes difficult press. Report media and superstore tabloids would to a great extent faster mimic humiliation and war. How masses period possess you seen a direction that recognized a person's knob to his/her belief in Witchcraft?
Do you ever see the extraordinarily types of stories about Moslems, Jews or Christians?
In porch, position benevolence can basically be entire undercertain forms of position moral structures. That takes leadership, delegation of
powers, community assets and accretion of money and Marxist wealth.
We break more accurately on usual kick and the requisite of brilliant Godd/ess in our characters and lives. Irregularly those in the Knock together soul strand together to step a title or to help someone, but this is endlessly done quietly and with the full knowledge and just of fill with for whom the help of step in requested. It is endlessly done not good enough plunder imperial tally.
We air that Godd/ess knows, and that is all we cause to move.
17. HOW CAN WE SUM THIS UP IN A FEW WORDS?
Wicca, a band of the spiritual chain called Neopaganism (or Paganism)
is first and foremost a religion of usual, mystical unity between the Unexceptional Supervision as articulated in Self and the unambiguous. It believes in Magick, or announce step wrought by prayer and government ritual. It brings its practitioners the joy of stability and song with Godd/ess as articulated in Self as well as fellowship with other those who are on fitting paths. Intimate kick and bunion are jumpy, belief and
rigid beliefs are down.
MAY GODD/ESS Convey TO YOU
