Praise Father, Mom, and Holy Goats

Recently, a friend of a friend contacted me. She was raised a Catholic, but now found that she was at odds with  Church beliefs. She had been researching Wicca, and wondered if I could share some insider views. She had made the comment, “I still believe in Christianity.” In her case, she was referring to its moral precepts, rather than its dogma.


But that's not the case with everyone, apparently. Rising from the depths of the Well of Spiritual Befuddlement there are now Traditions of (grab onto something and hold tight) Christian Wicca.

Wa??

Honest to God – Jehovah – Cernunnos – whatever. Christian Wicca: where beliefs are gleaned from both Christ-based and Pagan practices.

Kids, let's read our history books, Bibles, Books of Shadows, and theology tomes. Remember the Old Testament, which is still trumpeted in the New? “Thou shall have no other gods before me.” When did they put a coda on that? “..oh, yeah, except for Isis. She's hot.” Now we are being told that there is one god, who is both male and female: Jehovah and Sophia. (I can see it on the marquee of a Ramada Inn: “Congratulation to the Divine Couple, Jehovah and Sophia!”)

Wicca is accepting of other spiritual Paths, and always was, but Christianity is an exclusive club, with “he who is not with me is against me” and “Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live” membership requirements. These Paths are, therefore, mutually exclusive. Wicca has no Satan, Savior, 9 levels of angelic beings, or multi-layers of perdition. Many of us in the old vanguard have the philosophical scars and bruises from attempts to explain our uniqueness from the concept of “witch” held by contemporary Christianity.

A symbol of Christian Wicca. When did the Romans start crucifying Pentagrams?

Folks, you are not creating something new. You have not stumbled upon the undiscovered country. Once before, Pagan rites, holidays, garb, incense, Cake & Ale – even gods – had been absconded from us and blended with the emerging cult of Christ. It's called the Roman Catholic Church.

From Goddess titles given to Mary (“Queen of Heaven”, “Divine Mother”) to the liturgical calendar, to writing new back stories for Pagan gods – like Brigit – and reconstituting them as saints – The Roman Catholic Church has been the reigning champ at revisionist history. (For more on this Pagan-Christian connection, read “An Irish Book of Shadows”.)



"You HAD to volunteer to cook for the Church social..."


Even before the Catholics, there was a Pagan/Christian hybrid called the Culdee. Look them up, witchlets. At least, they knew they were set apart from their root Paths.

Needless to say, I could go on and on about this. Hey, half my family is Irish Catholic, and I endured 12 years of parochial schooling. My cousin was even a priest. However, I learned to look beyond the veneer and saw men in robes by a candle lit altar, waving censers of incense, elevating bread and wine and magically declaring it to be the body and blood of their god.



"Hey, we gotta fly or we'll be late for Mass"



Christian Wicca? Whoop, there it is!

I think I'll stick with the Irish Craft, thanks.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch...4 more days before I forsake the fixator and wake up in either a cast, a boot or a splint. That's OK. I just want OUT! The last three weeks have been spent in extreme pain, but I see the light at the end of the tunnel now. (Of course, it could be an oncoming train, or a vortex to the other side.)



"I want it off NOW, damn you!"

 Fingers crossed!