Wiccan Studies: History - Lesson 1

The reading on the history of Wicca was very enlightening and provided some more in depth historical facts that I hadn't read in other books that I have acquired. I have been studying for about six months and I found all of this information very helpful in understanding the past.

Thank you for providing the information.

Sent from my iPad

Wiccan Studies, Lesson 9: Reincarnation

Greetings, Just a few comments about Japanese beliefs about the afterlife and reincarnation (both Shinto and Buddhism). For the most part, funeral customs, beliefs about the afterlife and ancestor veneration tend to be taken care of by Buddhism. Buddhism has traditionally had a more developed view of the afterlife, and for this reason this aspect of Buddhism became popular in Japan -- most Japanese are buried (cremated) according to Buddhist rites. Shinto traditionally was more interested with matters of this life and less concerned with death and the afterlife. For this reason the concept of life after death is less developed in Shinto -- and, as I said earlier, most Japanese entrust matters regarding death and the afterlife to Buddhism. On the other hand, Shinto was traditionally interested in things pertaining to this world, nature and life -- hence, Shinto would take care of baby dedications, weddings and prayers for prosperity, success and health. As the course states, however, Shinto does have a certain idea of an afterlife. Souls of the dead are said to become "kami" (often translated as "god" but more accurately translated as "spirit") after death, and the spirits of noted persons (war heroes, sages, emperors, etc) are worshiped as gods. However, there isn't any clear idea of these spirits returning to the earth plane (as in reincarnation) suggested in Shinto per se. Any idea of kami/spirits reincarnating on the earth plane came about through the influence of Buddhism. J.P.A.

Paganism Lesson 5 (assignment)

Universal Life Church

The Afterlife My view of the afterlife has greatly evolved from my childhood to now. Having been raised in conservative Protestant Christianity, I naturally believed in Heaven and Hell (Purgatory or any sort of intermediate state not being accepted by most Protestants). As I learned more, I began to have more and more doubts about many aspects of my beliefs. The first belief I abandoned was the belief in a physical hell (one of actual punishment), which gradually led to an abandonment of the idea of hell altogether (although for a time I believed in a sort of temporary state of punishment/education that preceded admission into heaven). NDE studies had a great impact on my views about the afterlife. The common traits shared amongst NDEers from many different cultures and backgrounds presented me with strong evidence in favor of an afterlife – and a positive one at that (I tend to discount the NDE of "hell" as these are relatively few and are inconsistent). My current views of life after death accept reincarnation as a reality. However this reincarnation is always progressive in nature, not regressive – meaning we either progress to better situations (or even higher beings), or remain at the same level (i.e. we do not reincarnate as animals or plants – although lower life forms can progress to the point of crossing the threshold into humanity). It is also not immediate – the soul spends a period of time in the spirit world (where it rests and receives instruction) before reincarnating on the physical plane.  This cycle is universal and involves all living beings. This means that one could have been an animal soul in the distant past (though not in the future). This also means that we will not necessarily be reincarnated on this planet – incarnation on other planets in other solar systems is possible, as is ascension to higher forms (the Ascended Masters of certain traditions, bodhisattvas in Buddhism, for example). J.P.A.

Final Essay For Master of Wiccan Studies

Upon reading the course description before subscribing, I thought this class would be a breeze. Even though there wasn't really anything difficult about the class, I found myself somewhat challenged when reading the things I wasn't aware of. Also, the lessons helped me be able to verbalize and actually practice the things I'd learned. The difficulty wasn't in the knowing; I already knew most of the stuff presented. It was actually practicing those things and having a sense of confidence in my abilities that made this course worthwhile.

A short list of the things learned would look like this: Ethics, Responsibility, Altar Tools/Symbolism/Consecration, History of the Religion, History of the Gods and what their archetypes mean to use today, Meditation, Divination, Reincarnation, Sabbats and Esbats, Herbology and Medicine, Rituals, Spells, Kabbalistic Cross/Banishing Pentagram, and lastly, the Initiation Ritual.

Being raised the family I was, I learned a lot about ethics. Responsibility was something that took me a while in life to figure out but once I did I reaped the benefits. I liked that the instructor had me make a list of things that need to be done and the consequences of doing or not doing these things. Although, I'd already known a lot of the answers to this assignment and what my judgment would lead me to do, it certainly helped put things into perspective. These little things I hadn't paid much mind to made me see that everything that we do ripples through not only our personal lives but also that of the Universe on whole. Who knew that something so small could affect something so big?

From what I understood in the lesson, regarding tools, there is the Athame which is a masculine symbol also represented by air(which in its own right is masculine, too), the Chalice which is feminine and represented by water(which in its own right is feminine), the Wand that represents fire(both are male) and the Pentacle that represents earth(both are female). A lot of what I understood about these symbols was not because I had practiced rituals a lot but because of the symbolism in Tarot and the God/Goddess aspect in Wicca. Things were starting to make sense as they blended together in this lesson.

Both the Wand and Athame are phallic symbols, which is why they are seen as masculine in ritual, Tarot and the God. The Pentacle and Chalice are both symbols of the womb and seen as a feminine figure in ritual, Tarot and the Goddess.

Also later on in the study there is a description of how to consecrate these tools before use in spell-work. I believe this is a very important thing before using them during ritual. Otherwise there would be energy left over from the last person who handled it to whatever is floating in the air. To make it your own is to infuse it with your own energy and to place a protective barrier around it.

During these lessons it is also taught on how to cast a circle around your ritual space so that unwanted spiritual nasties will not interfere in your rituals/spell-work.

I quite appreciated that Lord Starwalker had added a piece about the Gods and their significance not only to the life of a Wiccan but everyone else. He added that whether the events of their lives were true or not was not important. It was what we could learn from their choices that made all the difference and I can't emphasize more on how much I agree with this.

There was a few pieces that I did find a bit difficult. I've studied the topic of meditation from many books but somehow have not been successful with it yet. I suppose it's because I feel like I'm doing it wrong when really there is nothing mistaken in the practice. It's probably the same problem I've always had with these kinds of things. It's all intellectual instead of experiential. I bet if I'd practiced it a bit more, just as I'd said at the beginning of this essay, I'd get the hang of it and be confident in my abilities.

Lord Starwalker had also went over a brief explanation of beliefs regarding reincarnation. Although I do believe that there is such a thing as this, and I do call myself Wiccan, I do not completely believe the Wiccan belief of going to the Summerland. I'm not saying that there isn't such a place(which there probably is), I just don't feel comfortable calling it that. Also, I believe, regarding reincarnation, is that the reason we come here is because of a contract we make with the Elders and our Spirit Guides so that we may incarnate here on earth(or elsewhere) to learn lessons for our spiritual development and when we die we go over our bucket list to see what was successful, what was not, and whether we need to do it again. And around and around we go . . .

Now regarding ritual, is it basically an act done to help us nudge destiny along in the direction we want. However, sometimes that doesn't work(and that's not a bad thing!) and we get something better or something that is more attune to our true path(s). Certain rituals can be done, depending on the phase of the moon. The new moon(or sometimes referred to the dark moon) rituals are done to end things like leaving a relationship, moving out of your house, ect. The waxing moon is used to do spells that require some building up to, like looking for a new job, a new relationship, a new place to live, ect. The Esbats – or full moons – are for bigger spells. Again, with the waning moon, magick is generally used to kick bad habits or banishing.

Another part of the lesson that I thought was difficult(other than meditation) was about Herbology. Being a city dweller, I'd never taken an interest in plants, especially after planting a few gardens and watching them never grow(I bet if I plant them at the right time, say, the full moon they'd grow!).

My favorite use of herbs is generally in cooking. They make things taste great and they're so good for your body! There are so many medicines that can be made out of herbs and plants.

What was hard about this lesson and not about knowing what herbs are for but rather the headache of trying to memorize what herb is good for what and which can be lethally toxic. I suppose if I get an itch to learn more about this topic I'll buy a book on herbology.

The history of using plants as medicines is undeniable. Shamans, medicine men and witch doctors have been using them since the beginning of time and a lot of our modern medicine(like aspirin) is made from herbs.

The last couple of things I'll be mentioning in this essay are about the tools of divination, the Kabbalistic Cross and the self-initiation ritual.

Lord Starwalker went over Tarot, dowsing, tea leaves and a few others. Like I'd said earlier in the essay, a lot of the magickal tools and rituals used in Wicca are reflected in Tarot. I also love that Tarot is simply a book of every possible human experience here on earth and that the Major Arcana represent the spiritual growth while the Minor Arcana represent earthly matters.

It's also amazing how one can use a pendulum to be able to find people using a map. He taught simple dowsing using the pendulum and then how to dowse with sticks and other such objects.

At the end of the course I was taught how to do a few simple spells and also how to perform the Kabbalistic Cross/Banishing Pentagram. I've been practicing the latter and I can definitely feel a change in my energy. Soon, I'll be performing the self-initiation ritual when I feel ready.

Overall, a lot of what was in the class I had already known but it was a first to actually be able to perform the things I'd learned. This was a great class and I would definitely suggest it to anyone who wants to grasp the basics of Wicca.

~*~*~*~

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♥ Rev. Ashley Andrus ♥

The Strength Within Ministries
Healing Hearts, One Person at a Time

Lesson 5 Alter basics

I haven't found an athame that has called to me yet. I used to have one but life didn't want me to have it as I progressed to the next chapter in my life. I am looking for one

Rev Shannon Nance
Circle of Pagans Church

Lesson 4 Alter setup

With moving this last week I.had to reset up my alter in my new house. I have a statue representing Mother earth in the center. To represent air I have incense. To represent fire I have a white candle. To represent water I have a small cauldron with water. To represent earth I have a fallen birds nest & a bottle of rocks that my daughter made.
I have the statue because it represents the Mother Gia. The ultimate Goddess. The incense and candles help me relax. While meditating. The cauldron i use for gazing and clearing my mind. The birds nest & rocks are items not only representing earth but also my blessings as a mother.

Rev Shannon Nance
Circle of Pagans Church

Lesson 2 Alter tools

This lesson was insightful. I enjoyed reading about the alter tools.  It will help me explain it better to my little one when she is ready to create her alter. My alter has most of the items listed. Incense for air.  candles for fire. Cauldron with water for water. A abandoned birds nest and a bottle full of rocks from the mountains that my daughter gave me for nature.

Rev. Shannon Nance

Lesson 2

So far with my new notebook I have discovered a lot of my decisions are based also on my girls and there needs.  Because I changed my attitude and outlook my girls have also changed there's. And decisions are being made not by emotions anymore.  Ill update after completing the homework assignment.

Have a blessed day
Rev. Shannon Nance. HP

Lesson 1

This was a very informative lesson.  It brings back a lot of history that I have not only read but have been taught from my ancestors. Thank you for a great lesson.

Have a blessed day
Rev Shannon Nance

Lesson 10: Holidays Answers for Master of Wiccan Studies

Okay, I know this is almost late(more like last minute, but yeah) but here are my answers for Lesson 10: Holidays of the Master of Wiccan Studies course. (:

Samhain:

As an average American I always celebrated this as Hallow'een and felt it was a connection between me and dead or whatever other mystical stuff was out there. My teachers in church tried to teach us it was an evil holiday but I would have none of that and went trick or treating anyway. (:

Today, however, it usually feels like something is accumulating and that I'm waiting for something big to happen. That's just my interpretation, is all. 

Yule:

I love this holiday. I could care less if it were Christmas, Hannukah or whatever. This holiday, regardless of the cold, has always been one of my favourites It makes me feel good that families get together, regardless of stress or drama in their lives, and try to make peace with each other. Not a big fan of winter but it gives us an excuse to stay indoors and around each other, nonetheless. I love decorating my altar with a miniature yule tree and other stuff around the house. It just feels like such a homey, warm, loving holiday. 

Imbolc:

My very first public ritual was an Imbolc one. This one always makes me excited for spring. There isn't much else I can put to it. It comes around whenever I'm getting bored with winter and it gives me a chance to look forward to the changes in the season.

Ostara:

I love seeing the new flowers and puddles on the ground, be it in the dirt or in the road, resulting from the last snowfall. It's the end of winter! ;D I never understood what the eggs, chickens and rabbits meant for this holiday until I started studying Wicca for the first time at 19 years old. I feel a bit special about this one because it was the first Sabbat I'd ever learned about and could appreciate.

Beltaine:

This one is awesome because it's right around my birthday. I feel like a little kid running around outside in circles so happy for spring to be here. This holiday makes me feel a little calmer and less timid. Also, I feel like I've gained more maturity. I'm not sure if it's from the holiday or me being a year older.. Mayhaps it's a mix of both. I don't know. (:

Litha:

This Sabbat makes me feel tall. Kind of like how the sun and weather reaches its peak through the year? I feel powerful and tall.

Lughnasagh:

We always have awesome potlucks through Lughnasagh and Litha. This holiday makes me feel like an old person being playful. Maybe not as strong as I was before but just as rambunctious. ;D

Mabon:

Yes! The heat is settling down and I can finally appreciate the benefits of autumn! Mabon is a lot more relaxed than the summer Sabbats. I feel like I'm taking a break from all the big fits of energy. 

But yeah, those are my holidays. If I mailed them to the wrong address could you please let me know so I can post this elsewhere? (:

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♥ Rev. Ashley Andrus ♥

The Strength Within Ministries
Healing Hearts, One Person at a Time

Final Essay - Master of Wiccan Studies

Master of Wiccan Studies

Final Essay

July 3, 2012

     I came into this discourse with a limited knowledge and understanding of the Wiccan practices, I left with information overload!  Devon and Lord Starwalker gives us an impressive overview of all basic aspects of the Wiccan lifestyle, the reasons for the rituals and the holidays which they celebrate and honor.  Starting with the history, which has been ongoing for many hundreds of years and their beliefs handed down throughout the generations.  This first lesson gives a point of reference to how and why this group came to be and the importance of the rituals they practice.  The responsibility for the magick performed is placed on the performer and is taken seriously and respectfully.

     The tools of the practice are simple, but again taken seriously, using your own positive energy to bring them in alignment with the highest good for each use.  The list given is quite extensive with an excellent explanation of each:  Athames, candles, incense, salt, water, Chalice, Ritual Book, Book of Shadows, Pentacles, sword.  Most of these tools are handed down to the next generational leaders or cult group.  Another section dealt with the use of the pendulum, dowsing rods and using Bio-electric energy.

     I especially enjoyed the area of holidays and how to celebrate the changing of the seasons.   As Mother Earth revolves around the four seasons, I love the fact of honoring her for this precious gift of change.  The Equinox's show us the full potential of the power of God.  Each seasonal change gives me a chance to start anew, fresh start with a beginning point for advanced growth.

     There are a few chapters on rituals, which did not strike a cord with me and my present belief system.  I recognize and honor the choices of others; they have some belief which is much better than no beliefs.  It just seems to me a lot of preparation and 'work' to get to a place that is much simpler to attain with prayer and meditation.  Religion and religious practices all seem to get us into a ritual frame of mind to keep our attention on the structure of the church.  Focusing on the ritual and that it is done correctly instead of the point that the Higher Power is a touchable and commutative Being to each of us.  Is it the ritual that unites us within the clan?  Is it the ritual that unites us with the Higher Power that we seek?  I truly see that there is Only One – given any name or label you wish.  With sincere love and adoration my God is with me each moment within and without external guidance.

     My overall comments on this discourse are positive.  Thank you, Devon and Lord Starwalker for a brilliant, well written and researched discourse.  I appreciate your insights and references.  The entire class came together with enlightenment on a 'mysterious' religion that I knew little about and is not that scary fiction that is sometimes represented.

 

Rev. Constance J. Hitts

 

 

ULC Master of Druidism Course final

Master of Druidism – Final Assignment

 

 

I thoroughly enjoyed the Druidism course.  I've been drawn to Druidism for several years but it seemed to be a path that was cloaked in mystery and out of reach. The apprehension I felt towards Druidism I believe stems from the stigma that was associated with Druidism and human sacrifice. 

 

The propaganda that the druids performed human sacrifice is still propagated today. Even mention that you would like to pursue that path, even to another pagan, and it is fraught with disgust of the Druid path due to their perceived association with human sacrifice. a trait they themselves reviled, believing it to be barbaric. Caesar claimed that the human sacrifices were primarily of criminals, but at times innocents would also be used, and that they would be burned alive in a large wooden effigy, now often known as a wicker man. Caesar wrote a lot about the Druids. I think he admired the power and control they had over the Celtic people. Which was definitely something that Caesar wanted for himself. Also, since he was a religious person I'm sure he saw similarities between the Roman pantheon of Gods and the pantheon of the Celts. This is probably why he wrote about them. I believe that the Roman historians were merely trying to make the Roman civilization look far superior than the "barbaric" Celtic people they were trying to conquer. In their mind, the best way to do that was through demonizing propaganda and heresy. Unfortunately, it worked to some degree. 

 

Like everyone else, I was born into the religion of my parents. Which was mostly Catholicism with some eastern mysticism mixed in. I was taught that I didn't have to take their word for it that I should find my own path to God. I think our spirituality grows as we learn about life and our place in the universe. Like the Druid's, I believe in the immortal soul. The immortal soul is the belief that your soul is a separate entity from your physical body and that it can never die. I think believing in the immortal soul reinforces the resolve of the people to strive to do good things over doing something bad because their actions will affect their immortal soul. Another Druid belief that I have always believed is The Three Circles of Existence. I didn't have a name for each step in the journey of the spirit but I have felt that we do go through these steps until we have learned everything we need to learn until we reach enlightenment.

 

I think it is very important to know who you are as a person before stating if you are a Druid or follower of any belief system. I like that there are so many diverse kinds of Druids out there, that there isn't a strict guideline on who a Druid is or isn't.  I believe that when someone has found their correct path in life, everything that they do seems blessed. The steps they take to assist a person, animal, or the earth to them are normal and ordinary but to others they are extraordinary because of the results they achieve. One article I read stated that Druid Magic works according to the natural laws of the universe and are available to everyone. Those who perform Druid Magic have developed their abilities by becoming self-aware and by raising their consciousness.

 

The Druid path is very similar to other pagan paths. However, I think it has an older feel to it. That it is an ancient path that is more aligned with the world and everything in it. When reading about the Druid ethics the one thing that resonated deeply within me was the concept of honor. The Druid's belief that we should honor life; honor all things, honor nature, honor the Gods, honor our families, follow our spirits and our hearts, and to honor life itself. It is such a wonderful concept. That everyone should be reverent to the powers of nature and feel that connectedness. Nowadays most people have forgotten how to honor their lives and how all things in nature are interconnected. If we did then we probably wouldn't see the environmental destruction that we see being propagated.

 

As with many spiritual paths throughout the world as Christianity gained power, those belief systems were demonized and pushed underground. The Roman Christian church labeled Druids as evil witches and sorcerers as a way to stain their reputations and spread fear among the people. Druidic orders were methodically being dissolved, as the Christian church attempted to prevent the oral transfer of knowledge from occurring.

 

Despite the efforts of the power hungry elitists, Druidism prevailed. Modern groups like the ADF, The Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids, The Reformed Druids of North America, as well as many others, is a testament to that. Like the Druids of old, knowledge is being passed down to the next generation.

 

Happily this course has opened my eyes and gave me a new found respect for our Druid ancestors. I liked the whole course. I didn't dislike any part of it.

 

 

Thanks You,

 

RoseMarie Juricic

 

 

 

Paganism and Wiccan Studies

Dear Amy,

At the bottom of each of my lessons there is a note encouraging me to share my thoughts and, of course, my assignments with others on the forums (or to send them to you and you will see them delivered). I am still learning to navigate the forums and I want to make sure that the teachers actually receive my assignments. So I hope you will not mind passing them on to the teachers in the Master of Paganism Course and the Master of Wiccan Studies Course.

This would be a great help to me and I thank you sincerely in advance.

Blessed Be,

Cassandra Kenneally

 

Assignment A: Beginning to discover one's personal spirit guide: Master Of Paganism Lesson 4

 

I lay down on my bed, late at night when the house and indeed the world has gone still and quiet; I lit candles and incense that would aid with relaxation, focus, and spiritual awareness. (Sandalwood and Frankincense)

I went through a grounding and oneness exercise and then I focused on being with the all, when it felt right I made it known that I was ready to receive my guide in my life and that signs and mystical communications were most welcome.

Then I was still and waited to see what would come through. I began to feel energized, almost jumpy, also there was a strong sense of sensuality and an image of, and the word TREES. So what I got from this was active energy, sensuality and nature. Perhaps my first guide will be possessed of these qualities in some way?

I am still learning meditation and internal focus, so I started slow. I will gladly relay more as I discover more down the road.

Thank you,

Cassandra Kenneally

 

Assignment B: Setting up an Altar and Choosing Designations: Master of Wiccan Studies Lesson 4

 

I have an Altar here at home, which I've been planning for some time. We have only just moved into our home from another state and so it was actually this assignment that lit a fire under me to see it done at last. :)

I chose to have the Altar itself face North, as I am seeking a fertile mind and prosperity in my life, my studies and the ministry I hope to one day build.

My altar is a black wooden table from Ikea. It is beautiful, functional, inexpensive and the right size for the space I have to work with.

I use the traditional or at least most common directional designations. North: Earth (stability, stillness, fertility and bounty or prosperity), South: Fire (Force of will, passion, strength), East: Air (spiritual awareness, insight and inspiration) and West: Water (adaptability and a fluid mind and spirit) From all of them together comes creativity and at their center is Spirit; or so it seems to me. I have put an agate cup filled with blessed salt at the top of the altar, in the north. A blue glass chalice filled with blessed water in the west, a spirit candle and incense in the east and both my Athame and my wand in the south for the careful direction of the fire and force of will and power. I have also included a photo for you. I have others if you wish to see them.

I have not chosen a specific pantheon as of yet, although in personal moments I do tend to lean toward viewing the divine as Goddess (Sacred/Divine Feminine), God (Sacred/Divine Masculine) and All (Sacred/Divine Nature or Cosmos).

This is a difficult area for me. My personal beliefs in this area tend to differ greatly from most other pagans. I believe that the divine seeks us out, so long as we seek it out. It will interact with us in whatever fashion we believe it should or wish it to. It will come to any name; wear any face for these are our inventions. Its desire is to be known, to commune and to be recognized, respected and loved. I suppose I believe it sees faith as the important thing and the rest as, "...A rose by any other name ..." because of this I have not felt the need to tie it down to a specific shape, face or name. It is also my wish to one day open an inter-faith temple where all may come to worship and have their rites performed without fear or prejudice or censure. I am unsure how my choosing such specifics might affect that goal. I am quite interested in any thoughts you have on that topic.

Thank you,

Cassandra Kenneally

Assignment C: The Afterlife: Master Of Paganism Lessons 5

This was a fascinating lesson and an interesting task for me to try to get my thoughts on the afterlife down cohesively on virtual paper. I am currently also taking Master of Wiccan Studies and we've been discussing the choosing of a specific Pantheon and patron deities. Doing so is difficult for me due to my personal belief that divinity wishes us to seek it and is less concerned with the specifics of the path than it is with what is within our hearts, minds and souls. Earnest faith is what I feel it is interested in. Therefore it will interact with us (Take on the names, faces, shapes and rules) in whichever pattern we desire it to.

This then would suggest that likewise the afterlife is individual. It is tailor made for you by the divine to your personal belief system specifications, so to speak. For myself, I believe that when I pass through the veil I will experience a transformation of understanding and connectedness. I will exist in a purer, more enlightened form and I will then choose what is next for myself. There will be others there, guides or gods to give me advice and options. Will I choose to be reincarnated? To move on to another plane or existence and learning? Will I seek life in another reality or as another species? It will depend upon what I come to understand once I have passed the veil. When I am connected to the all and can recall what I have already done, lived and who I have already been, and just how it really does all work anyway? Then I will know what is right for me and I will move on from there. Eventually, when I have gone and done and been all that I can and learned all that can be learned in this way, I will go on to a higher plane and begin again and then eventually my being will become enlightened enough to return home to that from whence it came, the divine itself and I will meld and become truly one with it again for all time.

This is my view of the afterlife.

Thank you,

Cassandra Kenneally

Wiccan Studies

 

My Journey to Wicca

Essay in fulfillment of the Masters of Wicca Degree

ULC SEMINARY PROGRAM

Druid/Wiccan Rev. Joe Thomas Sroufe, DPhil, CFLE(r)

         

I have never felt like an American even though I appreciate the country of my birth.  Inside, I have always been British.  Even as a Jew, my love for the United Kingdom was only a blink away.  I longed to go back to England, not Israel.

          Perhaps this is one reason I argue that we Americans improperly speak the English language.  My love of our language came from being an avid reader of British authors.  My first childhood stories were from Alan Alexander  Milne.  I grew into Douglas Adams, Terry Pratchett, Clive Staples Lewis, Lewis Carroll, John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, and Brian Jacques.  Yes, I loved John Donne and William Shakespeare, but fantasy was in my heart.  (I do have to mention my love for Edgar Allan Poe.) 

King Arthur and his sword, Merlin and his love of life, the feeling of Stonehenge, and the smell of an early morning in England caused me to feel I was born in the wrong country.  I am of the United Kingdom for there lie my fondest memories in this world.  I have been blessed to visit England four times.  I have visited Scotland, been fascinated by Bath, England, stood for hours hugging the giants of Stonehenge, read from an original Bible translation from the 1300's, and had a private session with the original drawing of the Dodo bird from Alice in Wonderland.  I have had two occasions to study at the University of Oxford and one opportunity to study at the Vatican in Rome.

          It was J. R. R. Tolkien's love of trees that first caused me to see where magic lived.  As a kid growing up in Oklahoma, there were two immense elm trees just outside my bedroom windows.  I spent hours touching those trees and played under their protection as long as I could.  Trees became my friends and were greatly valued.  Where there was a tree, there I would be found.  One large tree in my backyard had a huge opening that I could crawl into and find a place to play.

          As much as I liked magick and fantasy, my childhood did not introduce me to Wicca.  My paternal grandfather practiced witchcraft.  My mother and maternal grandfather strictly followed the farming almanac.  My mother followed Wiccan and Voodoo superstitions along with being amazing at dowsing.

 

I remained monotheistic as long as I grew until the writings unraveled and the rabbinical and theological arguments began to crumble.  I could not understand a jealous, revengeful and murderous god who made it seem as if killing children of other tribes was an acceptable and noble practice.  I realize some spiritual paths have had their darker moments, but I could no longer support a violent patriarchal religion.

It was the movie, Avatar that started my search along with a renegade Jewish rabbi named Gershon Winkler.  They both taught me that if god existed then god existed as a plurality of female and male and could be seen as two sides to one monotheistic existence, or even a plurality that meant two identifiable gods.  As much as Judaism endeavored to build a patriarchal system, current archaeological findings are showing two gods that were honored in early synagogues.  A male and female side of one god or male and female gods are now seen as possible viable options in early synagogues.  The research is pointing to the possibility that Judaism was once polytheistic.

          Change came for me when I began to investigate and read about the Universal Life Church and the ULC Seminary Program offering the Masters of Wiccan Studies Program.  My oldest daughter became Wiccan and with her assistance and the help of a Wiccan High Priest, I entered the ULC study program.

          The lessons were outstanding.  While I always wanted more than each lesson provided, each lesson was simple, direct and easy to apply.  I began to read the lessons, complete the assignments, and read additional sources.  I especially found the book, Nocturnal Witchcraft: Magick After Dark by Konstantinos (Llewellyn Publications, 2002) to be amazingly helpful.

          I began my journey on 25 March 2011 and held my self initiation on 6 April 2012.  I completed more than my "year and a day."  I followed the initiation ceremony within the final lesson.  I am so grateful to the course and what Devon and Lord Starwalker have meant to me in leading me on my journey.

          I began keeping the Wheel of the Year at Sanhain in 2011 and continue to walk by it after my year and a day were completed.  There is no way I can say that I have a "favorite" lesson from the study.  Each lesson was beautifully designed to help me, a novice, begin my journey.  I now have a beautiful altar dedicated under a full moon.  I love solitary ritual but have also taken part in ritual with a local coven.  My studies have also taken me into paranormal studies and I have become a professional paranormal investigator.

         

There are two grand life changing elements that I have received from the course.  The first is the Wiccan Rede: "An' it harm none, do what thou wilt."  This set me free from organized religion and monotheistic structures based upon the concept of a human sin nature.  I was free.  I became free to be me and enjoy all of me.  There was no evil me; there was the me that longed to emerge within the Wiccan Rede to do kindness to all.

          The second life changing element was when I read, "Magick is a process, undertaken with need, to bring about changes in yourself."  (Credit is given to the course material in lesson 21 written by Devon and Lord Starwalker.)  That statement was my hope of change.  I could be different.  I could live a life of fulfillment and enquiry into the universe knowing that I was loved and fulfilled.  The "power" I needed was not outside of me.  It was not illusive or hard to find.  It was within me and flowed all around me.  For me, life is now magickal.  Each moment of each day resonates with the vibrations of magick, even with every breath I take.

          Emma Restall Orr stated, "A pagan is someone who revered the spirits and deities of his local environment  - of the earth beneath his feet, of his spring or source of water, his woodlands and rivers, his fields and buildings, his sun and moon, and more; of everything that makes up the world that exists immediately around him."  (Druidry, page 6, Thorsons, 2000)

          When I read those words, the word "pagan" seemed out of place.  Did not all humans feel this way?  No.  Apparently, not many.  My own life had been built around dogma rather than life.  Truth, I felt, was in rules of "rights and wrongs" and not in the beauty and reality of nature itself.  I had missed the message of the trees, the sky, the sun and moon.  The god/dess has called me to life in all simplicity and joy.

Through the study of the Master of Wiccan Studies, I have begun a journey for the rest of my life.  Magick is free and so am I.  The British literature I read as a child and my travels around the world have all been a silver thread that has led me to where I am today.  My British heart was a heart for magick and that thread has led me to a complete circle.  May the circle never end. 

Thank you, Devon and Lord Starwalker.  Thank you, ULC Seminary for providing such and enlightening course.

                             

 

 BRITISH ARCHETYPES I HAVE CHOSEN

Bran is a guardian of the land and a god of war.  His sister, Branwen is a goddess of love and death.  The Heartagram on my left wrist represents the juxtaposition of love and death.

 

 

This essay is submitted this 6 day of April 2012 as fulfillment of the Master of Wiccan Studies Program of the ULC Seminary Program.

 

 

 

 

©Druid/Wiccan Joe Thomas Sroufe and MoonDragonTexas Productions, 2012 except where credit has otherwise been noted - MoonDragon