Index

Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com

Wicca vs. Paganism?

By: David Piper

Firstly, Paganism is a collective term for many different faiths and Wicca is one specific Pagan faith; however, specifics of Wicca IMHO:

Duotheistic monism *or* duotheistic monotheism (the One transcending the Two while the Two still have independent self-existence)

The Lady is the Mother of all Life and Giver of Rebirth: Her Womb is also the Tomb - "that which enters the Cauldron living, dies but that which is placed in it dead, comes forth living"

The Lord is the Father of all life, Son and Lover of the Goddess: He is born of Her, returns His Seed unto Her, returns to Her in death, and is reborn of Her

All initiated members are of the Priesthood: as Priest(ess) unto the self, if not to a group

The essential equality of all members, together with the respect for those of more experience and learning: Elders, HP, and HPS

Wiccans practice a somewhat "formal" liturgy - if only in terms of a regular "opening" and "closing" ritual, within which freedom and spontaneity can be expressed as the Spirit moves them

A common resemblance of working methods and practice, within a broad but nevertheless limited range of acceptable variation

The concept of "Drawing Down" - that the Deities can and do manifest Themselves "unto visible appearance" to Their worshippers

A reverence for sexuality as both natural and good, and as sacrament of the creative Union of the Lady and the Lord

The Great Rite - as the "Sacred Marriage," in which Goddess and God, human and Divine, are brought to Unity, or Unity perceived

Respect for the "Gifts of the Goddess" (to borrow a Farrarian term), as the true means by which humans can come to directly know, and experience, the Divine - reason and logic fail; emotions and intuition and the "psychic" are the channels of contact, and experiential "Knowledge"

The concept of "Naked in Her Sight" as expressive of freedom, and of obedience to Her, and of equality with Brothers and Sisters; whether by literal, "skyclad" ritual nudity, or by symbolic, "Naught is hidden from Your Sight" ritual robes

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Now, some of the ideas mentioned beg for more definition and further discussion, but there's my offering for now...

B*B David ................................................................................ 2743