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Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com
Wicca vs. Paganism?
By: David Piper
Firstly, Paganism is a collective term for many different faiths and
Wicca is one specific Pagan faith; however, specifics of Wicca IMHO:
Duotheistic monism *or* duotheistic monotheism (the One transcending
the Two while the Two still have independent self-existence)
The Lady is the Mother of all Life and Giver of Rebirth: Her Womb is
also the Tomb - "that which enters the Cauldron living, dies
but that which is placed in it dead, comes forth living"
The Lord is the Father of all life, Son and Lover of the Goddess: He
is born of Her, returns His Seed unto Her, returns to Her in
death, and is reborn of Her
All initiated members are of the Priesthood: as Priest(ess) unto the
self, if not to a group
The essential equality of all members, together with the respect for
those of more experience and learning: Elders, HP, and HPS
Wiccans practice a somewhat "formal" liturgy - if only in terms of a
regular "opening" and "closing" ritual, within which freedom
and spontaneity can be expressed as the Spirit moves them
A common resemblance of working methods and practice, within a broad
but nevertheless limited range of acceptable variation
The concept of "Drawing Down" - that the Deities can and do manifest
Themselves "unto visible appearance" to Their worshippers
A reverence for sexuality as both natural and good, and as sacrament
of the creative Union of the Lady and the Lord
The Great Rite - as the "Sacred Marriage," in which Goddess and God,
human and Divine, are brought to Unity, or Unity perceived
Respect for the "Gifts of the Goddess" (to borrow a Farrarian term),
as the true means by which humans can come to directly know,
and experience, the Divine - reason and logic fail; emotions
and intuition and the "psychic" are the channels of contact,
and experiential "Knowledge"
The concept of "Naked in Her Sight" as expressive of freedom, and of
obedience to Her, and of equality with Brothers and Sisters;
whether by literal, "skyclad" ritual nudity, or by symbolic,
"Naught is hidden from Your Sight" ritual robes
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Now, some of the ideas mentioned beg for more definition and further
discussion, but there's my offering for now...
B*B
David
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