Wicca

Different Views on the Same Time Period Both feast days Halloween and All Souls’ Day come from one Celtic habit when it was celebrated the beginning of second part of the year. Since the Celts knew only two seasons, namely the darker half of the year and the brighter half of the year. Under the name of Halloween is this feast recognised in English speaking countries, especially in the USA, Canada and the British Isles whereas All Souls’ Day is celebrated in Christian countries. However, the…

Transformations of the Morrigan: Dark Goddess to Great Queen Any precursory search will reveal that The Morrigan can be a paradoxical figure and the truth about her may not be easily uncovered. She is a goddess steeped in myth, history, and contradictions and one must unravel these questions and fit the remaining pieces together in a cultural context to gain a true understanding of her nature and position. At various times she has been seen as a beautiful maiden, a faery queen, a…

The word Hex is one that has permeated much of common literature and culture often being seen as a word that detonates an evil spell or some sort of curse upon the recipient. Curse and hex are two words that are frequently misused or confused together within the context of Paganism. However, after researching the word hex, I have found that a hex spell isn't necessarily a spell designed with evil intent. What a hex essentially is revolves around manipulation of somebody else's will. This…

Born in the countryside to a witch and a farmer, Violetta lived out the first 7 years of her life quite happily. Her mother excelled in magic that made nature thrive, which made Violetta aspire to be like her. She started magic with a wand, growing herbs in plant pots. But, her parents eventually had a falling out. Her mother left, which made her father want to block out everything about her. He broke Violetta’s wand, and forbade her from using magic ever again. She didn’t understand back then,…

History of Wands Wands have a long and rich history throughout time. From the first wand of the Egyptian priests and rulers using ivory amulets to todays wand made from magical trees and other magical materials, there have been many creations and re-creations to arrive at the semi-sentient object, we call wands. In Canada, the First Nations people had their own spiritual magic. Once the European wizarding community arrived, they brought their history and their wands. In 1722, Decusroggan…

you--to live in peace. We are much more similar to you than you think.” This beautiful quote was said by the another, Margot Adler, a Wiccan priestess. This quote shows that Wicca is not some crazy thing, but that it is a nature-based religion. Wicca is a religion based off of nature…

In William Shakespeare’s The Tempest, the main character, Prospero, uses magic throughout the play to fulfill his plans for revenge and regain the power of his dukedom. His magic is seen in his control of Ariel and Caliban, as well as his ability to create a storm at sea that causes King Alonso’s ship to crash. However, by the end of the play, Prospero has decided to give up his magic, now being fulfilled with the power of his returned dukedom. In 5.1, Prospero delivers a soliloquy discussing…

The tales told in mythology have endless themes, moral, and motifs, but nevertheless, they can all be tied together through classification systems. According to Myth and Knowing, the classifications of male and female characters are vastly different. Men can be classified through types such as Kings, Shamans, Tricksters, and Lords of Destruction, while women are more simply categorized by their desirability and actions. Pe-le, the destructive Fire Goddess, is unique and tricky in her own way.…

All over the world, from Ancient to present times, cultures have embraced the universal idea of magic. Through the use of texts originating from cultures and places all around the world, the theme of magic prevails, with variations within the cultures to differ the beliefs of magic, as well as similarities and recurring concepts to connect the theme of magic. A recurring concept in the subject of magic is the evil factor. The use of sorcery and magic leads to either the removing or blocking of…

Premodern authors such as Richard Kieckhefer and Heinrich Kramer and Jacob Sprenger produced pieces of literature depicting how the premodern witch was perceived during the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. During the time period, there was a large emphasis on the church and since witchcraft went against the ideals of the church the premodern witch was considered an “evil” doer of magic. Modern authors such as Ronald Hutton and Meagan Bolds have formed pieces of literature giving definitions…