A Broad Religious Faith System - Case Study Example

Wiccan Religion: Wicca is another for the presently surviving Pagan religious cult, also sometimes referred to as the neo-pagan religion. It has been brought to public awareness in recent times by a retired British civil servant called Gerald Gardner. The last fifty years or so has seen an increased following for this religion due to its equal treatment of both genders and its natural appeal. Wiccans worship “the sacred as immanent in nature, drawing much of its inspiration from the non-Christian and pre-Christian religions of Europe”. Hence, Wicca’s origins precede the birth of Judeo-Christian religions of the present day. Wicca is a broad religious faith system based around “gods, goddesses, and nature worship”.  Wicca is centered on harmony with nature and all aspects of the god and goddess divinity”. The religion involves interacting with the gods of nature through a set of elaborate and structured rituals and rites that try to answer the prayers offered by its practitioners. Also, “Wiccans uses symbols in its ceremonies and follows the calendar in reference to Wiccan festivals.  Its roots are in ancient agrarian Celtic Society.  It is considered Neo Pagan (based on old European and pre-Christian belief systems). Wicca does not have a structure of clergy and/or congregations.  But it does have priests and priestesses which are in leadership positions within covens that have witches.  The varying traditions of Wicca have different requirements for attaining the level of priest and priestess.  Some of the more common varieties of Wicca are 1734, Alexandrian, Celtic, Dianic, Dicordian, Eclectic, Gardnerian, and Georgian.  Wicca is even recognized as a religion in the military.” (Cameron, 2005) Wicca provides a positive perspective on nature and reveres the role of women in society. The religion also encourages tolerance of other spiritual paths to salvation. Wiccans also value “balance with a respect for diverse complexity, seeing sexuality and embodiment as essentially positive, spiritual gifts”. There is also a sense of intimate individual connection to the creator of the world, which could be reached through "psychic power," mysticism or "natural magic." (Cameron, 2005) Though some Wiccans concentrate on certain specific gods from specific mythologies, worshipping many deities is an acceptable way of life. Nevertheless, most followers in the present day tend to worship “the Great Goddess and Her consort, The Horned God”. In some strands of the religion this kind of Goddess worship is essential, while in others such is not the case. When it comes to rituals and rites, the Wiccan religion is quite unique in the contemporary world, the traditions of which can be traced well into ancient history. For example, the ritual knife and chalice of time immemorial are still part of everyday worship. Other objects used in worship include “bells, brooms, candles, cauldrons, cords, drums, incense, jewelry, special plates, pentacles, scourges, statues, swords, staves and wands”. The significance of these objects and their use usually differs between different sub-sects. Wiccan rituals will also include some type of “creation of sacred space (casting a circle), invocation of divine power, sharing of dance/song/food or wine, and a thankful farewell and ceremonial closing”. Other auspicious occasions are reserved for important life-events like birth of a child, coming of age, marriage, and housewarming ceremonies, passing away of a member, etc (Cookson, 1997). The religious site of worship chosen for compiling this report is The Holy City Temple of Chicago, Illinois. The Holy City Temple is headed by Reverend Don Lewis and Reverend Traci Logan-Wood. The highlight of the temple’s altar is the image of Gaia – the Patron Goddess of the Temple. On either side of this image are the portraits of Isis and Hathor – other significant deities in the Wiccan tradition. Alongside these small images of gods is placed a ritual mirror. To make it easy for people new to this religious faith, a self-explanatory drawing the Ride the Dragon ritual is shown depicting the “World Soul caught between the forces of the Age of Pisces and the dawning Age of Aquarius”. This ritual was conceived as an aid to channel cosmic energies for human benefit (Cameron, 2005). Lady Traci is an important figure in the history of the temple, without whose dedication and perseverance the temple would not have survived let alone stand out as a centre for alternative theology. In honor of her contribution for the survival of the religious order, she had been added to the Correllian Council of Elders a few years back. Quite appropriately, a brief history of the important events leading up to this significant decision have been charted in one of the walls of the temple (Hume, 1998). The temple tries to observe special offerings and prayers on important days in the calendar, but exceptions are not unusual. For example, it has been a custom to accept “dedications at various times of year, but to hold initiations always on 11th of November. An exception was made to this policy for Rev. Jayne because her initiation had been delayed because Lady Traci was observing her mourning at the normal initiatory time” (Cookson, 1997). Paula Maher is a regular participant in the activities of the temple and a devout follower of the Wiccan order. In order to gain a deeper understanding of the religion an interview was arranged with her. The following are some of the salient features of the interview. When asked about the auspicious days in the Wiccan calendar, Paula mentioned the following: “Most Wiccans mark eight holiday "sabbats" in the "wheel of the year", is falling on the solstices, equinoxes and the four "cross-quarter days" on or about the first of February, May, August and November. The names of the sabbats may differ between traditions, and many Wiccans also mark "esbats," rituals for worship in accordance with a given moon phase (such as the night of the full moon). Although there is no one source for all Wiccan liturgy, many liturgical items such as the methods for casting the circle, the "Charge of the Goddess," certain myths and formulaic expressions are common to many traditions.” (Paula Maher, 2007) When asked to elaborate on the basic myths pertaining to the religious faith, Paula delved into some of the myths and associations that are central to the Wiccan worship. They include – the birth of a Horned God by a Goddess, the story of her courtship and subsequent death, etc are all part of the Wiccan folklore. There are some other peculiarities associated with this religious faith. For example, “the immanence of deity and divinity within the natural world, self and cycle of the seasons” is a common theological precept believed by Wiccan followers. Paula went on further about the central theological principle of the Wiccan faith. She mentioned how Wicca is more than witchcraft and magic, as it is commonly perceived by outsiders. Wicca, she says, is a way of life. The faith had managed to get recognized by the government of the United States as well. Accordingly, most of its practices originate from a sense of profound, spiritual commitment to the natural elements in general and mother earth in particular. Highest moral code proposed by Wicca deems respect for all living things and the duty of Wiccan followers is to help sustain such an elevated condition. Paula Maher adds the following important interpretation of Wiccan philosophy: “Each one of us embodies the divine. Our ultimate spiritual authority is within and we need no other person to interpret the sacred to us. We foster the questioning attitudes and we honor intellect, spiritual and creative freedom. Honoring both Goddess and God, we work with female and male images of divinity, always remembering that their essence is a mystery that goes beyond form. In honoring the Goddess and God, we acknowledge the duality that exists in all facets of life.” (Paula Maher, 2007) In other words, Paula asserts, the religious order celebrates nature and its splendor. It sees the creation and decay of life in the same light. Hence, the seasons of the year assume special significance; symbolic of the growth and decay of life on earth. In the same vein, the different phases of the moon signify the waxing and waning of human fortunes. Paula adds that, Wicca as a religion is intricately linked with the earth. It is also less rigid than other religions and embraces diversity. Finally, “Gender, age, race, sexual orientation, physical status, family background or ethnic heritage are not important in Wicca. We are male and female, old and young, gay and straight, healthy and disabled, and of all colors” (Ruiz, 2005). Moving on to the differences and similarities found between Wicca and other religions with wider following, Paula points to some of them. Firstly, Christianity and other Judeo-Christian denominations are patriarchal and paternalistic. This is not the case with Wicca, which is a Duo theistic religion that accords equal status for men and women. Also, the former is dualistic while the latter is monistic. In Christianity, the concept of heaven and hell are strongly entrenched, standing for good and evil; whereas, no such distinction is made by Wicca. Christianity talks about such abstractions as redemption, atonement and confession, similar to the Wiccan concept of Threefold law. The ways the two religions are practiced are also quite different. For example, Christianity follows a hierarchical and authoritarian structure of spiritual discourse. On the other hand, Wicca endorses no hierarchy or seniority among its followers. All are autonomous human beings in direct communion with their creator. Also, while Christianity is based on the Holy Bible, there is not such equivalent scripture for the followers of Wiccan religion. The Christian rest day of “Sabbath” is based on Biblical and other ancient historical events. On the other hand, Wicca followers don’t take a weekly rest day, but a seasonal one based on their lunar calendar. Humans can be elevated to prophets, saints and messiahs as per the Christian tradition, but no such concept exists in Wicca. Most worshipping is carried out during the daylight hours by people practicing Christianity whereas Wiccan religion assigns special significance to rituals carried out during the moonlight hours as well. While Christianity strongly discourages things such as black magic, they are quite acceptable as per the Wiccan code of living. Hence, it could be asserted that there are more points of differences than similarities between the two religions considered (Hume, 1998). Contrary to public perception then, Wicca is quite a peace-loving religion, based on “harmonious and balanced way of thinking and life which promotes oneness with the divine and all which exists”. In other words, a profound reverence and appreciation for natural elements and natural phenomena lie at the heart of this religious faith. This sentiment is captured in lyrical prose by one of its followers thus: “It is the morning dew on the petals of a beautiful flower, the gentle caress of a warm summer breeze upon your skin, or the warmth of the summer sun on your face.   Wicca is the fall of colorful autumn leaves, and the softness of winter snow.   It is light, and shadow and all that lies in between.  It is the song of the birds and other creatures of the wild.   It is being in the presence of Mother Earth’s nature and being humbled in reverence.” (Ruiz, 2005) Wicca could hence be described as a systematic philosophy of life based on the convergence of several pre-Christian traditions, rituals and rites that originated from Western Europe. Much of the glorious past of Wicca was made inaccessible today as a result of Christian patrons’ efforts in obliterating all traces of this religion. Yet, it is to the credit of this stream of theology that it has managed to survive all this hostility and is actually gaining in follower-ship by the day (Ruiz, 2005). In summary, it could be asserted that the core of Wicca is not one can easily sum up in words, given the obvious limitations of language and human thought. On top of that, the tenets of the religion can at times take on various meanings as the Lord and Lady touch its devotees in different ways.  Through the passed down knowledge of the Wiccan tradition across the ages, we are able to see what its beliefs are based on and how they could be interpreted in the context of contemporary societies. In the words of Paula Maher, the Wicca follower interviewed for this report, “Your inner voice will also quickly let you know if the intent of what you are reading is for superficial purposes to benefit self instead of working to benefit the whole.   Remember to read with your heart, for it is when you see life and the world with your heart and spirit that you truly gain an understanding of what Wicca is” (Hume, 1998). References: Hume, Lynne., (Oct, 1998), Creating Sacred Space: Outer Expressions of Inner Worlds in Modern Wicca., Journal of Contemporary Religion, Vol. 13 Issue 3, p309, 11p; Cookson, Catherine, (Aurumn 1997), Reports from the trenches: A case study of religious freedom issues faced by Wiccans practicing in..., ,Journal of Church & State, Vol. 39 Issue 4, p723, 26p; Cameron, Sam., (March, 2005),, Wiccanomics?, Review of Social Economy, Vol. 63 Issue 1, p87-100, 14p; Ruiz, Mary Angelita., (December, 2005), WICCAS CHARM: UNDERSTANDING THE SPIRITUAL HUNGER BEHIND THE RISE OF MODERN WITCHCRAFT AND PAGAN SPIRITUALITY., First Things: A Monthly Journal of Religion & Public Life, Issue 158, p63-63, 1/3p; Read More