lundi 12 janvier 2015

Sabbat Celebrations And Wiccan Rituals

By Enid Hinton


When it comes to celebrating Sabbats in the Wiccan religion, there are often several ways to do so. One of which is to attend a public ritual, another is to hold a private one. Depending on the level of experience and position of the Wiccan leading the ceremony, it may or may not be appropriate to invite outsiders, especially if it is the first time one is attending Wiccan Rituals.

First developed in Europe in the early 20th century, the use of Wicca laws, rituals and tools were later introduced to the public by a British Civil Servant. The servant found the diverse set of hermetic motifs and other symbols most likely related to ritual practices in a theological framework.

While there is no definitive definition of the term Wicca, or witchcraft, it should be noted that the two are separate and apart. For the act of witchcraft, often involves the use of man-made, or natural magic. Often that of man made being described as black, or evil magic, while that of natural being described as white, or good magic.

Similar to different denominations found in the Christian faith, these splinter groups are often adhering to one ancient aspect, or another of the Wiccan religion. Christian churches send children and teens to church camp, Pagan groups often host festivals at Beltaine and Samhain, often considered the most sacred of the eight Sabbats to celebrate fertility at Beltaine, and the death of ancestors and loved ones at Samhain.

Unlike Christian denominations, pagan groups who follow different pathways often still gather together at major gatherings throughout the year. While some hold on to ancient pathways and shy away from new age practices, others are open to all neo-pagan spiritual pathways. Either way, it is often these group gatherings in which the most Spirit is not only felt but shared among participants.

Through the acts of baptism, catechism, and others it is clear to see that the Catholic church uses as many, if not more ritual tools and celebrates more ritualistic holidays than does the Wiccan religion. In fact, it has been proven that many aspects associated with the Easter holiday and others were stolen from earlier times in which Pagan Gods and Goddesses ruled not only the land, but land and sea a like.

While some Wiccan traditions celebrate Mother Earth and Father Sky as the main entities of worship; Others pray to the God, Pan, and the Goddess, Diana, which are believed to represent male and female aspects of the one true Androgyne. Androgyne is believe to be the first Goddess whose image was recorded in a statue having both male and female body parts. She is the oldest known living artifact which resembles both genders in one embodiment of the Goddess. A picture can be found in Professor Lanier Graham's book Goddesses In Art, which is a text for a class by same name, and also available to the public through online bookstores.

Ultimately, the Wiccan Rede, or code as it is known today, is "Do what you will, harm none." Lately, some groups have edited the text to read "Do what you will, harm none, nor yourself, nor the environment..." though, a Rede which existed for centuries can simply be edited and replaced at will. A good place to learn more about this amazing religion is in the book Drawing Down The Moon, or online.




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