I’ve always been a bit confused about how the moon fitted into Wicca. Some Wiccans gather on the Full Moon, some on the New Moon, and some whenever there is need. Some see the Goddess personified in the Moon, and other don’t. Throughout the world, many goddess are associated with the Moon, but many are associated with the Sun or other heavenly bodies or even just the Earth, or none at all. So where does the Moon fit in with Wicca?

Well, what if it didn’t? Some recent reading has pointed out that Moon “worship” is sort of an add-on to Wicca, an addition added to make Wicca seem more primitive or to tie it into witch cults that may or may not have existed in Europe (more or less). In some cases, it’s purpose has been confused, associating rites and goddess with the Moon that historically are not appropriate. Maybe that is why I have always had trouble figuring out how it all went together.

Wicca is seen by many as a “do-it-yourself” or “whatever-seems-right” religion. And while that may be true to some extent, I think we need to be aware and question practices that don’t make sense. I love to look at the Full Moon because it is beautiful, and I also love nights of the New Moon for their darkness. But should I arrange my worship around them if it doesn’t make sense to me? No, I don’t think so.

(quanta is probably wondering what worship, since he never sees me doing any rituals. Well, it is amazing the rituals and worship you can do in your mind, or in the few quiet minutes you manage to steal for yourself throughout the day.)

I’ve been Wiccan for probably 13 years or so now, but I still consider myself a student. I like to learn as much as I can about different theologies (and thealogies), rituals, ethics, myth cycles, etc. I do most of my learning through books and websites, and I generally keep to myself. However, I do read a couple of message boards.

There is one type of question, asked by newcomers and old hands (often those of a more… sweetness and light variety) alike that just gets my goat. “My bratty sister touched my Tarot cards and now they won’t work! What should I do?” “My brother’s icky friend looked at my Wiccan books, and I’m sure he’s got his bad vibes all over them! What should I do?” etc. :rolls eyes:

Mind over matter, people! No one has any power over you unless you give it to them. If you think that your little sister has jinxed your cards, then she has. But if you laugh and think that her innocent energy has been added to them, then it has. Or you can just shrug it off, after all, they are only bits of paper with the real power residing inside you.

Often, though, the replies to these request are of the commiserating kind–“Oh, you poor dear! No one understands us, do they?”–followed up by an elaborate ritual to cleanse the object and practitioner. I’ve read of people burning Tarot cards just because someone touched them. Again, though, it is mind over matter. If you believe that an elaborate ritual is the only way to make something useful again, then that is what you are going to have to do; not for the object, but for yourself.

My advice, if something like this happens to you and you feel you need to “clean” the object in question, is take some time to sort the cards, flip though the book, hand wash the item, etc. so that you feel like it is yours again. Then, if you feel you need to, have a simple ritual to rededicate it.

Personally, depending on the severity of the event, I just shrug my shoulders and carry on. The energy of my friends and family are part of me, so I don’t think it is so bad that it becomes part of my tools. Just don’t touch my Robin Wood deck! 😛

Does anyone know of a Pagan forum where I can find some intelligent dicussions about Pagan issues? (And not Bnet!) I’ve been searching for one for ages, but the ones I find are generally full of idle chat, Christian bashing, or too much sweetness and light.

I’m sort of looking for the Pagan equivalent of Aeclectic Tarot’s forum. Some place with a friendly atmosphere and lots of on topic dicussions.

As a way to amuse myself this afternoon, and hopefully lift my mood, I did a Google for some pagan humour. This cute Fluffy Pagan Test turned up. It is actually pretty funny, without being overly mean to “fluffy pagans.”

I scored a -17. Looking over the questions, I’m not sure I was ever as fluffy as I thought I was. Maybe that’s because I hold a pretty cynical worldview.

As I think I mention earlier, I’ve joined the new CFFN. I’ve been speeding through the First Circle lessons at the rate of one a week. (This is in an effort to be placed back in the Second Circle, where I was before CFFN changed.) In the course of doing these lessons, I’ve finally read some books that I’ve always meant to get around to. I’ve read Gardner’s Witchcraft Today (highly questionable), Murray’s Witch-Cult in Western Europe (pure garbage) (read it at The Internet Sacred Texts archive), Lethbridges’s The Witches (not half bad, but still a lot of questionable history), The Kybalion (elitist Hermetic teachings, but still very interesting), and a few selected chapters of Frazer’s Golden Bough (a conceited book, which looks down on “primitive” societies and seems to see Britain as the pinnacle of civilization, but stuff full of lots of interesting stories) (read it at The Internet Sacred Texts archive).

What have I learned? Well, some of the books that early modern Wicca was based on were rubbish, and others where very British culturecentric. I don’t think this makes Wicca a bad thing though. I can see that we have moved beyond this, while still recognizing where we have come from. I think that eclectics, and groups like UEW, have helped in this. But, I also think that some eclectics have hindered the growth of Wicca as a legitimate religion. There needs to be a balance with remembering our history (even if it isn’t all that great), and adding new elements to our faith. Things shouldn’t be added just because they are neat. Rather, they should become part of our spiritual practice if they help us and if they fit within the framework without ruining either our faith or the intent of the practice we are incorporating. Some practices, no matter how much we like them, really only work within a certain religion. For example, it may have made you feel better to confess your sins as a Catholic, but as a Wiccan such a practice (or a similar practice) is no longer necessary. To incorporate it into Wiccan practice doesn’t make sense, since Wiccan does not recognize sin.