Our Mission
Our aim is to present the facts about who we are, what we do and beleive. Witches are not creatures of myth and fiction, we are not evil, worship the devil (a creation of an entirely different religion) nor do we endulge in bizzare sexual practices, orgies or human sacrifice. We dont try to "convert" others to our path and ask that others do not try to "save" us! We ask only for the same respect we accord all other religions and spiritual paths.
We present this site as a forum, a place to share information and welcome those willing to help us produce a documentary video that will be freely available to anyone wishing to know the truth.
If you wish to be a part of this project, contact us (see contact page)
THERE IS AN OLD STORY OF A GROUP OF WITCHES WHO WALKED OUT INTO THE SEA AND MET THEIR DEATH RATHER THAN BE TAKEN BY THE INQUISITION. AS THEY WALKED OUT INTO THE WATER, THEY CHANTED THE SACRED NAMES OF THE GODDESS UNTIL at LAST OF THEIR VOICES WAS SILENCED BENEATH THE SEA. THESE WERE WITCHES WHO UNDERSTOOD THE MYSTERIES.
So, what IS witchcraft?
For the sake of simplicity, we will refer to Witches as Wiccans – although many Witches & Wiccans do define these as two similar yet distinct paths or systems of belief and practice.
Wicca is a pagan religion with distinctive ritual forms, seasonal observances and religious, magical and ethical precepts. Wiccans practice a form of witchcraft, but not all witches are Wiccans
within many cultures, with widely varying practices.
Most Wiccans call themselves Pagans, though the umbrella
term Paganism encompasses many faiths that have nothing to do with Wicca or witchcraft. Wicca has also been described as a Neopagan or a Mesopagan path.
Some of these beliefs and practices have also been adopted by others outside of this lineage, often termed Eclectic Wiccans, who generally discard the institutions of initiation, secrecy and hierarchy, and have more widely varying beliefs.
Some Eclectic Wiccans neither perform magic nor identify as witches. Within traditional forms of Wicca there are three degrees of initiation. First degree is required to gain membership of a coven; those who aspire to teach may eventually undergo second and third degree initiations, conferring the title of "High Priest" or "High Priestess" and allowing them to establish new covens.
At initiation, some Wiccans adopt a craft name to symbolise
their spiritual "rebirth", to act as a magical alter-ego, or simply to provide anonymity when appearing as a witch in public.
Theology
Although Wiccan views on theology vary, they traditionally believe in some form of deity or deities. For most Wiccans, Wicca is a duotheistic religion worshipping a God and a Goddess, who are seen as complementary polarities, and "embodiments of a life-force manifest in nature.
They are sometimes symbolised as the Sun and Moon, and from her lunar associations the Goddess becomes a Triple Goddess with aspects of "Maiden", "Mother" and "Crone". Some Wiccans see the Goddess as pre-eminent, since she contains and conceives all; the God is the spark of life and inspiration within her, simultaneously her lover and her child. This is reflected in the traditional structure of the coven.
In some traditions, notably feminist Dianic Wicca, the Goddess is seen as complete unto herself, and the God is not worshipped at all.
Wicca is essentially an immanent religion, and for some Wiccans, this idea also involves elements of animism. A key belief in Wicca is that the Goddess and the God (or the goddesses and gods) are able to manifest in personal form, most importantly through the bodies of Priestesses and Priests via the rituals of Drawing down the Moon or Drawing down the Sun.
Afterlife
Beliefs in the afterlife vary among Wiccans, although reincarnation is a traditional Wiccan teaching. Raymond Buckland holds that a soul reincarnates into the same species over many lives in order to learn and advance one's soul, but this belief is not universal.
Magic
Wiccans believe in magic that can be manipulated through the form of witchcraft or sorcery. Wiccans cast spells through the form of ritual practises.
Morality
Wiccan morality is largely based on the Wiccan Rede: An it harm none, do what ye will, which is usually interpreted as a declaration of the freedom to act, along with the necessity of taking responsibility for what follows from one's actions and minimising harm to oneself and others. Another common element of Wiccan morality is the Law of Threefold Return which holds that whatever benevolent or malevolent actions a person performs will return to that person with triple force.
Therefore, the misguided ignorant and fearful propaganda spread through media, fairy tales and by other religions that Witches are evil, cast curses at the drop of a hat, fornicate with evil entities and worship the devil – an entity that is part of an entirely different religion, etc, is not only far fetched and ludicrous but completely against the belief system of Wiccans.
Even to say that Wiccans although well meaning are misguided and deceived by a dark force is nonsence, Wiccans are intelligent, intuitive people who often study many other religions as well as social, scientific and cultural beliefs and facts before commiting to their path.
Many Wiccans also seek to cultivate a set of eight virtues mentioned in Doreen Valiente's Charge of the Goddess, these being mirth, reverence, honour, humility, strength, beauty, power and compassion. In Valiente's poem, they are ordered in pairs of complementary opposites, reflecting a dualism that is common throughout Wiccan philosophy.
Unlike followers of some other major “book” religions, Wiccans do not try to convert people to their path, believing instead that all paths are valid, deseve respect and have something to offer. As Wicca is a path that requires free will, personal responsability and independent thought, Wiccans do not “recruit” and feel this practice to be counter productive to the spiritual advancement of the individual.
Ritual practices
When practising magic and casting spells, as well as when celebrating various festivals, Wiccans use a variety of rituals. In typical rites, the coven or solitary assembles inside a ritually cast and purified circle.
Casting the circle may involve the invocation of the "Guardians" of the cardinal points: East (Air), South (Fire), West (Water) and North (Earth). This use of the classical elements is a key feature of the Wiccan world-view. Every manifest force or form is seen to express one or more of the four elements.
Some add a fifth or quintessential element called Spirit (also called aether or akasha). The five points of the frequently worn pentagram symbolise, among other things, the four elements with spirit presiding at the top. Once the circle is cast,
a seasonal ritual may be performed, invocations to the God and Goddess are said, and spells are sometimes worked.
Many Wiccans use a special set of magical tools in their rituals. These can include a broom (besom), cauldron, chalice, wand, Book of Shadows, altar cloth, athame, boline, candles, crystals, pentacle and/or incense.
An altar is usually present in the circle, on which ritual tools are placed and representations of the God/Goddess may be displayed Before entering the circle, some traditions fast for the day, and/or ritually bathe. After a ritual has finished, the God, Goddess and Guardians are thanked and the circle is closed.
A sensationalised aspect of Wicca, particularly in Gardnerian Wicca, is the traditional practice of working in the nude, also known as skyclad. Most though prefer comfortable robes or street clothes especially in winter
Special occasions
Esbats
Wiccans hold a wide range of occasions with religious significance. Each full moon, and in some cases a new moon, is marked with a ritual called an Esbat.
Sabbats
Wiccans also follow the Wheel of the Year and celebrate its eight festivals known as Sabbats. Four of these, the cross-quarter days, are greater festivals, coinciding with Celtic fire festivals. These are Samhain, Beltane or May Eve, Imbolc, and Lammas or Lughnasadh.
The four lesser festivals are the Summer and Winter solstices, and the Spring and Autumn Equinoxes, which are referred to by some groups as Litha, Yule, Ostara and Mabon, respectively. The names of these holidays are often taken from Germanic pagan and Celtic holidays Ritual observations may display cultural influence from the holidays from which they take their name as well as influence from other unrelated cultures.
Rites of passage
Handfasting is another celebration held by Wiccans, and is the commonly used term for their weddings. Some Wiccans observe the practice of a trial marriage for a year and a day, which some traditions hold should be contracted on Lammas (Lughnasadh), as this was the traditional time for trial,
Wiccan families may be involved in a ritual called a Wiccaning,. The purpose of this is to present the infant to the God and Goddess for protection. Despite this, in accordance with the importance put on free will in Wicca, the child is not necessarily expected or required to follow a Pagan path should they not wish to do so when they get older Usually, beyond the age of eighteen.
Book of Shadows
In Wicca a private journal or core religious text known as a Book of Shadows is kept by practitioners, similar to a grimoire.. For many eclectics, they create their own personal books, whose contents are often only known by themseves
In Wicca there is no set sacred text such as the Christian Bible or Islamic Qur'an, but there are various texts that bear importance to most Wiccans The most notable among these is the Charge of the Goddess, which contained material from Charles Godfrey Leland's Aradia, or the Gospel of the Witches Other texts which are important to Wiccan beliefs and rituals include Eko Eko Azarak and the Wiccan laws.
Symbols
Various different symbols are used by Wiccans, similar to the use of the crucifix by Christians or the Star of David by Jews. The most notable of these is the pentagram and pentacle, which has five points, each representing one of the five elements in Wicca – the pentacle is surrounded by a circle, representing the world or life force made manifest in the material plane.. Other symbols that are used include the triquetra and the triple moon symbol of the Triple Goddess.
Lineaged Wicca is organised into covens of initiated priests and priestesses. Covens are autonomous, and are generally headed by a High Priest and a High Priestess working in partnership, being a couple who have each been through their first, second and third degrees of initiation.
Occasionally the leaders of a coven are only second-degree initiates, in which case they come under the rule of the parent coven. Initiation and training of new priesthood is most often performed within a coven environment, but this is not a necessity, and a few initiated Wiccans are unaffiliated with any coven.
A commonly quoted Wiccan tradition holds that the ideal number of members for a coven is thirteen, though this is not held as a hard-and-fast rule. Indeed, many covens are far smaller, though the membership may be augmented by unaffiliated Wiccans at "open" rituals.
When covens grow beyond their ideal number of members, they often split (or "hive") into multiple covens, yet remain connected as a group. A grouping of multiple covens is known as a grove in many traditions.
Initiation into a coven is traditionally preceded by a waiting period of at least a year and a day. A course of study may be set during this period. In some covens a "dedication" ceremony may be performed during this period, some time before the initiation proper, allowing the person to attend certain rituals on a probationary basis. Some solitary Wiccans also choose to study for a year and a day before their self-dedication to the religion
In contrast, Eclectic Wiccans are more often than not solitary practitioners. Some of these "solitaries" do, however, attend gatherings and other community events, but reserve their spiritual practices (Sabbats, Esbats, spell-casting, worship, magical work, etc.) for when they are alone. Eclectic Wiccans now significantly outnumber lineaged Wiccans, and their beliefs and practices tend to be much more varied.
Acceptance of Wiccans
In the Australia and around the world, a number of legal decisions have improved and validated the status of Wiccans However, there is still hostility from some politicians and Christian organisations. It is still common for Wiccans to feel solidarity with the victims of the witch trials and the burning times..
There have been assertions made that Wicca is a form of Satanism, despite important differences between these religions, such as the lack of a Satan-like figure in Wiccan theology.
Due to negative connotations associated with witchcraft, many Wiccans continue the traditional practice of secrecy, concealing their faith for fear of persecution. Revealing oneself as Wiccan to family, friends or colleagues is often termed "coming out of the broom-closet”.
Thus the purpose of this video is to educate and set the records straight. We are not evil, we are not ugly old hags with green skin and warts, we don’t eat babies and fly on broomsticks by the light of the full moon. Nor do we seek to convert, curse or kill those who do not follow our path. All we ask is equality, the same respect we give all forms of spirituality. Villification on the basis of race, religion or colour are abhorrent to us as Im sure it is to you, our fellow beings who reside for a while upon this beautiful planet.
Thankyou for taking the time to open your mind a little.
Blessed be!
Heres a short video from the U.K. (courtersy:National Geographic) that speaks to some of the issues we wish to address more fully in our documentary. Ours will be aprox. 1 hr in length. All assurances are given to participants that we will represent them fairly, honestly and with dignity.
(Information source for some parts -wikkepedia)