RELG 215 Pagan Essay Essays - Deities, Religion, Wicca, Neopaganism

Pagan Religion: Wicca Pagan Religion: Wicca Background Information There are many religions that are pagan and all of which are those that do not subscribe to Christianity, but they follow other religions instead. Pagan religions arose after the Middle Ages, and unfortunately were referred to in negative, or derogatory, terms. The word wicca is derived directly from the word witch in the male form and wicce was the female form. The founder decided to use Wicca as the Witchcraft religion's formal name (Lewis, 1999). Christians proclaim that those who subscribe to Pagan religions believe in false gods and are inferior to Christians. Wicca is a form of a pagan religion but is most widely known for being associated with Witchcraft. Wiccans take part in witchcraft and can belong to covens, but there is more to this religion. This religion has been rapidly growing in the United States and is, in fact, one of the fastest growing among all religions in the United States (Lewis, 1999). Although Wiccans are closely involved with Witchcraft, there is more to t he religion itself than just the magical and supernatural aspects. Scriptural Canon The most official text that Wiccans follow is that known as the "Charge of the Goddess," by Doreen Valiente. This text was originally written by the person who founded modern Witchcraft, Gerald Gardner, but was redone by Valiente who happened to be one of his closest allies (Lewis, 1999). Wiccans are very nature-based in their religion and as so, it can be seen in their canon. Valiente (1957) wrote "I am the beauty of the green earth, and the white moon among the stars, and the mystery of the waters, and the desire of the heart of man" (p. 1). Wiccans take pride in being so close to nature and everything involving the Earth they reside on. The canon itself is written in the form of a poem. The wording, as well, is written in such a way to give the appearance that it is old and authoritative to its followers. There are about eleven stanzas in the "Charge of the Goddess" all with complete thoughts and instructions in each one. There are not any words of negativity among the Wiccan canon because their religion is about power within oneself and their surroundings (Valiente, 1957). In one part, for example, Valiente (1957) says the following: Call unto thy soul, arise, and come unto me. For I am the soul of Nature, who gives life to the Universe. From me all things proceed, and unto me all things must return; and before my face, beloved of gods and of men, let thine innermost divine self be enfolded, in the rapture of the infinite (p. 2). This stanza explains that one must first dig into their own souls in order to give away their spirituality to the rest of the universe. Once that is accomplished, with everything attached, the divine may attained forever. Concept of the Ultimate The Wicca religion is polytheistic, or one that believes in many deities or gods, where their concept of the ultimate is the Triple Goddess (similar in comparison to the Holy Trinity that Christians subscribe to). The Triple Goddess is that of three developmental stages that a woman goes through: The Maiden, the Mother, and the Crone (Becvar, 2005). First, the Maiden is a young woman full of ambition and anticipation. Second, the Mother is a woman that is excited to devote her live to creation and love. Lastly, the Crone is a woman who is feared among the rest because she is full of wisdom from having gone through the previous stages while handling the end of her life. While each of the three parts of the goddess are very different, they are equally important as the ultimate for the Wiccan followers (Becvar, 2005). It is nice to study a religion where there is this Triple Goddess rather than this father figure or a supposed male god. Code of Ethics The "Charge of the Goddess" is full of many mantras, or small philosophies, to live by. All these mantras are included in the stanzas of the Wicca canon, and are inclusive enough for anyone to use in their lives. A few of these stood out as very important