Kay /Wiccachicca

Wicca is not a cult. A cult presupposes blind faith in a central figure whose every word is regarded as ultimate truth, and the utter conviction that no other way or philosophy will lead to this truth. You would be very hard pressed to find a Wiccan anywhere who would blindly follow anyone else. Wiccans are historically very independent people who seek truth from within through rituals, meditation, magic, study and communion with nature. Wiccans respect the right of everyone to worship in their own way. We do not feel that Wicca is the only way -- only that it is our way. Wicca is not synonymous with Satan worship. The very concept of a supreme evil spirit is alien to Wicca. In fact, most Wiccans do not even believe in Satan. The devil is a Judaism-Christian construct and as such, it has nothing to do with Wicca. The notion that witches worship Satan was propounded by the Roman Catholic Church as it made its way across Europe, in an effort to suppress the native earth-based religions prevalent at the time. They succeeded to the extent that they drove the practitioners of these religions underground where much of their knowledge and traditions were lost. Through the work of the Golden Dawn, as well as anthropological and archaeological research, many of these traditions have been rediscovered and incorporated into Neo-Paganism, an umbrella term for most modern earth-based and Shamanism religions."Harm" is defined as "physical or mental damage" and to this we can add "psychic damage" as well. To inflict harm on another is simply not a thing that a Witch would do. Aside from the obvious karmic repercussions, Witches have a deep and abiding knowledge of the workings of the Universe. All things are connected to all other things- we are related to all Life, the Earth and the Stars. We know that all that we do affects everything else in the Web of Life. We are very conscious of this responsibility. We are known as "The Craft of the Wise" because of our knowledge of energies and the natural and spiritual laws that govern the workings of the Universe. To work within these laws is wisdom, to work against them is chaos. Because we hold this knowledge, we know and are willing to accept responsibility for our actions and what will result from them. We do not believe in a fictional devil that "made us do it". WE make the choices, and so, we make our choices very carefully. The image of a witch dressed in flowing robe running around "zapping" people or casting random spells across the countryside is a fictitious one. All spells that Witches actually perform are directed to a very specific end, developed after much thought and should always end with the phrase "for the good of all and the harm of none". No one here on this earth can possibly be sure of all the possibilities which fall under "the good of all", but by asking that the spell be performed under this guideline, we save ourselves and others a lot of unnecessary trouble. If it is indeed "for the good of all", it will come to pass. If it does not manifest, then perhaps we have asked wrongly or do not have all the information. In either case, we have spared ourselves and others from karmic backlash and the "three-fold return" of which much lately has been made in media sources. An example can be given here in the working of love spells. To manipulate a person into a relationship in which they have shown no interest developing is to try to negate that person' s right to free will. To cast a spell "to make so and so fall in love with me" shows not a spirit of love but an insensitivity to another's feelings. But Witches do cast love spells. don't they? Yes, they do.. The first love spell a Witch should cast should be for her/himself. Self esteem is essential in correct magical working. To bring a complete and balanced person into a relationship, is indeed to give a precious gift to another. To be capable of receiving love, we must be able to truly give love. So what would be a correct love spell? A spell to "remove obstacles to love" could cause physical distance to cease to be a problem, would allow "circumstances" to arrange a meeting or draw someone who is good for you into your life that perhaps you do not even know yet! It could also make someone who IS interested in you to be able to overcome shyness in approaching you..or you with them. The point here is that while Witches are free to influence energies to accomplish a purpose, they are not free to manipulate people. "For the good of all" should be the real reason one does a spell. Another area of confusion can result from a too quick interpretation of the Rede. Does the Rede mean that we are just to accept mistreatment from others? Are we simply to "turn the other cheek"? Witches are empowered individuals. They are strong and because they have worked on their own self esteem issues, they will not accept bad treatment from anyone. We cast protection spells around ourselves and our loved ones. We know how to deflect harm without inflicting harm. We "neutralize" harmful energies back into the Universe to be converted to pure forces that CEASE to do any harm at all. We are protecting ourselves and the effects of the "bad" energies do no further damage to anyone. We are practicing the Rede at its highest level.."an it harm none" = we are protected...and "for the good of all" = it harms no one else in the process. Witches believe in "justice", not revenge. We can wait for justice to be served, for eventually what goes around, indeed, will come around. The God and Goddess know our hearts and our intentions and we are confident that, in the end, we are vindicated.Walk in Light and Love,