Wicca and Organized Religion

It is no secret that organized religion, particularly Christianity, has had its clashes with the Wiccan community. Through meditation and education on the subject of Wicca, when the differences became clear to me, it was easy to see why the clashes arose.

In Christianity, which arose from Judaism, there is a distinct lack of personal power among practitioners. That is to say that as a follower of these religions you are immediately given an extraplanar being to who you can look for solutions to problems. As nice as this seems to some, some of us feel there is also a downside to this, when you consider that help must be asked for not by the practitioner but in many faiths by clergy on the practitioner's behalf. Even if you can intercede with the divine on your own behalf, you are told to leave your problem in the hands of the divine, rather than taking action after such intercession to solve it. Some can but these people are rare and seen as having experienced miracles. Thus if the problem is not resolved it is not the practitioner's fault, but this generates anger at the divine and an unhealthy spiritual environment.

Christianity (and also Judaism) actually makes monetary contributions to religious endeavors a requirement of Scripture. Yet too often these monetary contributions glorify the sanctuaries and clergymen more than God. The Burning Times were seen as a way for many to profit through the suffering of others and many did.

Wicca doesn't require such contributions, aside from personal acquiring of religious tools should you choose to purchase them rather than make them, and possible minimal fees for workshops and classes. We in fact make sure to never profit through another's suffering especially, living by the ethic of harm none. We also have no clergy to support monetarily, and no temples or churches to maintain as nature, or our homes in which we incorporate nature as much as possible, become our sanctuaries,

In Wicca, the magick we practice is our name for the direct action we take to influence our environment and change things where necessary. Instead of asking the God and Goddess to solve our problems for us, we ask them for the strength and power to solve them ourselves. Wiccans follow the Ethic of Self Responsibility, which says that we are responsible for all we do in the name of Wicca.Not the God or Goddess. Us. This means we may make mistakes but it also allows us recognize and learn from those mistakes, allowing for great personal growth I find it difficult to replicate with other religions.

I think the tension between Wicca and organized religion, and Christian fear of Wicca is because they cannot imagine versatile sacred space like the Circle that can be cast anywhere, and see such unbridled joy as is in the Wiccan communities as a whole as well as the great wealth of personal power that we possess as coming from none other than Satan. But they would do well to remember that not everything unknown is evil. They also seem to think that even if we do not embrace evil, we do leave ourselves unprotected. This is blatantly untrue. One of the steps when casting a circle is to ask the protection of the deities so no evil can approach.

Open recruiting is perhaps the major difference between the two religions and perhaps the one that has hurt the relationship between them the most. As I said, people are afraid of the unknown and often assume it is bad. Wiccans do not actively recruit because of historical persecution, and a belief that if you truly wish to know the ways of the Craft you will seek out the proper avenues of information. It helps prevent those who would not take it seriously from stumbling upon it, using it incorrectly and causing chaos.That doesn't mean that we would not be willing to explain our ways to those wishing greater understanding in the name of tolerance, and perhaps even allow you to see a ritual or celebration. Ask. If covens will not allow this, seek a Solitary who practices on their own. We are everywhere, and willing to help.

Striving for understanding and tolerance is one of the reasons I am writing this blog. I feel I am called, within Wicca, to the paths of teaching and healing. Part of the role of teacher, as I define it when it comes to Wicca, is activist. Without proper information, change can never occur.

Blessed be.

Misha Coplon

Why Wicca?

In the process of beginning my conscious spiritual journey in Wicca, an important step for me has been to reveal my new choice and this new aspect of my self identity to those I care about. Invariably when doing so, the question I get first is "why?"

People choose to embrace Wicca for many reasons, too many to list or even to be aware of. However one of the most common is dissatisfaction with organized religion, particularly in the Western world. This was certainly true for me.

I don't know why, but I just never felt comfortable with Judaism, which is the religion I was raised in. The major reason for this was the emphasis, even in the less strict denominations, on praying in Hebrew. While Hebrew is a beautiful language, I always found it difficult to read or speak and never quite was satisfied with my religious experience as a result. My fiancee is Christian and so I tried that for some time, but still felt empty. Though services were participatory, I still felt powerless, like I was repeating the prayers simply because it was expected.

Another reason I have heard of is the desire to reclaim personal power, especially among those who come from troubled families or abusive relationships. I was emotionally, and occasionally physically abused by my parents from a young age. I was made to feel unloved and worthless, so that is how I viewed myself, even after I had removed myself from the situation at 18.

Faced with these issues I had nearly given up on spirituality altogether. Thanks to a wise teacher who introduced me to Wicca and helped me begin to understand the reasoning behind the Craft, my hope has been renewed. Wicca is a very personal religion and requires a willingness not only to learn about the deities and the traditions but about yourself. Why? In Wicca the self is the most important tool you have. Where organized religion might say we are incapable of accessing the divine simply because we are human, in Wicca not only does each practicioner have a direct relationship with gods and goddesses but is divine in and of themselves, thus our ability to perform magick and see real change. Thus we come into personal power and also find that element of self direction and relatability our religious lives had been missing previously.

This personal power can be a powerful healing agent once it is awakened, so it comes as no surprise to me that many who turn to Wicca have come from backgrounds where for whatever reason that power was compromised. When my first spell worked, a simple spell asking the God and Goddess for protection from negativity I felt immediately empowered and my self esteem went up astronomically. I was also filled with gratitude toward the God and Goddess. I was subsequently able to reclaim myself and also release my anger at those who had hurt me. The fear that prompted the anger, the fear that the power and self worth I had once had was gone forever, was gone and I could move forward.

I hope that gives those who want to know me better a better clue to who I am, and perhaps also the answer to why they or a loved one has been drawn to Wicca. Wicca is a very loving path and as more information is revealed in subsequent posts I would encourage you to partake of it.

Blessed be.

Misha Coplon.

Welcome

Merry Meet! Welcome to Misha's Mirror Book. For those that don't know what a Mirror Book is, it is a tool for new and experienced Wiccans alike to journal about their life as it relates to their religion. Most mirror books are private.

While I have a second more intimate Mirror Book, this blog is meant to showcase my personal ideas, opinions and views about issues in the Wiccan community. I have only been Wiccan for a few weeks but already I see ways in which I can honor the God and Goddess by giving back to the Wiccan community.

I welcome all readers, no matter who you are. However,I will offer two points of caution. Firstly, I have only been Wiccan for about a month. My ideas and views are still in the formation stages. I do not claim to be an authority on Wicca, nor should what I write be taken as the end all be all. I hope, however, to foster discussion and maybe give others a basis for their own opinions.

That said, the second point is: these are opinions. If you believe differently or would like to debate something, please do. I hope to learn as much from my readers as they do from me. But please keep it respectful. Everyone has a right to believe as they choose and offensive comments will be deleted.

That said, I look forward to sharing my journey of discovery with all of you. Who knows what will be revealed? The possibilities are endless.

Blessed be.

Misha Coplon