In all fairness, given the (brief) blasting of my take on Christian principles, which none of you who identify with this belief system felt worthy of comment, I should also address the faults I found with the Wiccan path. While on this subject I have no drive to play fair (in the context of this expository writing) you folks luck out, as I can't continue on the route of this essay without addressing it anyway.
So, let's delve into some of the last whys that got me to the where that some of you have been waiting for. Forgive me if I jump around, but this hasn't always been a cohesive narrative to begin with, and the closer to now I get, the less cohesive it is likely to be.
While you Christians failed to react to my attack on you (or more accurately, my attacks on your faith as I understood it) I hope that any questions you have as to what I am referring to are asked so that I can clarify. I am approaching this somewhat from and insider's point of view, so some such questions may be required from any of you who are not "inside", as well as some of you who may be, for better clarification.
My first issue is with the "build your own religion" phenomenon. Not that I take issue with those who follow a non-mainstream religion. If I did I would war with myself. No, my issue isn't with those who follow their own path. It is with those who say that the perameters of your religion can be whatever you want them to be. I understand that it is a razor's edge that I am walking on, so let me attempt to define the difference.**
The difference resides somewhat in the espousing of the theory. Espousing that religion and God are whatever you make of them. To me, this frequently spouted mantra has always screamed of atheism. A timid atheism, but atheism just the same. "I don't believe in God, but I refuse not to believe in God, so I will make one up and let anyone else do the same." It seems to me that if God is whatever you want Him/Her to be, then God isn't. God is just your imaginary friend. This isn't to deny that God has different aspects and different, yet equally valid approaches, but somewhere within there has to be a constant. Otherwise worship of Him/Her is pointless.
Yes there are many paths to walk, but the moment you state to me that whatever path you walk is right, without limitations, I see that you are an atheist who is afraid to admit it.
The second problem I had wasn't with the Wiccan path necessarily as much as with general interpretation. Specifically in regards to the
Rede. Within and without the Wiccan path this has often been misinterpreted.
The Rede, even within itself, focuses on the last eight words, (for those of you who are semi-informed and didn't follow the above link, the last eight words do not comprise the entire Rede) "And it harm none, do as you will." Still, the words are the most important, and the require more thought than most give them.
First of all, if that line is what grabs you and leads you to a Goddess path, read the whole line. It doesn't say "do as you will", it say
"And it harm none, do as you will." We've been attacked as lacking morals by those who read only the last four words. Many fluffbunnies flock to us declaring that any god that says "do whatever you want" is alright by them. The problem is that those first four words are there.
Of course some play semantics with those first four words anyway. Because surely She can't mean "none" in an all inclusive (bugs, germs, etc...) manner. That would be impossible. Surely She doesn't demand the impossible? Of course not.
Some even then take this and proceed to compartmentalize beyond just limiting to humans to reference something as minimal as "If in doing so you do no noticeable, tangible physical damage to a human who is not yourself, do as you will." Not as poetic is it?
If you take it to this extreme I have to ask: Do you believe the Goddess rewards you for being stupid and/or unobservant? Because if your moral directive is limited to whether or not you know damage has been caused, the less intelligent and less observant you are, the more you can get away with. (If you want to raise questions about it, I can resolve mental handicaps with the above. Ask and you shall receive.)
Anything short of getting away with it because you don't know any better requires deeper consideration of the ramifications beyond those eight words. Because you can't live your life without doing harm, no matter how you define it, short of the line that removes any connection to moral edict. As such, any impact on moral conduct requires dissection of the eight written words in regards to what would be communicated here.
What intention lies within these words? If it harm none, do as you will. This indicates that She has a purpose behind Her rules, and what that is is even somewhat indicated here. There are no arbitrary edicts. No list of ten or more rules to live by, but rather what is at the core of those rules. She loves all of Her creations, and wants them to live their lives and enjoy them to the fullest, provided that doesn't harm Her other children.
As such, looking at this, we have to look at the other side of the coin. We addressed what happens if it harm none. Now what if there will be harm? (I realize the edict implies avoidance of this, I mean "will" as in there is no avoiding it.) This is the first of the dangerous unwritten lines in association with the written eight. Don't call me on the carpet over this if you don't at least read the explanation that follows it. As I have implied, this would not be written down in Wicca 101 for good reason: If harm will be done, harm as you will.
As I pointed out, the first requirement in regards to this is that harm is in fact unavoidable, at least by your own action. Second, this does not imply an abandon of Her desire for balance, and Her concern for the welfare of Her children. This is somewhat of a pre-emptive eye-for-an-eye philosophy. My most common example is a convenient store robbery. If someone is going to get shot, and you have the ability to make it the robber instead of you, feel free to do so. This is murky ground, but fortunately ties in with the third line.
Now we turn the coin on its side and take into account the rim. The more common ground than the previous two: If harm will not be done, harm with caution. This is made clear by the previous two. The edict is don't, so bear that in mind. Still, there are many greater good scenarios, and just common sense in regards to life. In my convenient store robbery example the truth is, you can never be sure if he is going to pull the trigger until he does. This is where most of our moral responsibility comes into play. Through regular communion with Her, and with others who walk our path, we come to understand Her. Then in every moment in our life we are bound to put that understanding to use.
There are few absolutes in life. We have no "Thou shalt nots" because there are points when that rule wouldn't stand. We also don't have freedom to do as we wish. We must consider Her in all things and do our best to be stewards of Her creation.
I am sorry, fluffbunnies, but this Rede doesn't provide the easy way out. Quite the opposite. This one requires you to continually think.
My third issue was with spellcraft. Again not because of the action itself, but the people in association with it. Few could sufficiently explain how it worked or when it worked. Much attention is paid to the rituals and the details of precisely how to make it work, and nothing evidenced to show that it actually does. I don't disbelieve in spellcrafting. I do find it hard to believe that nobody seems to be able to state what it really is. At least not within the Wiccan path. Wiccans as a whole, no matter how enlightened overall, seem hell bent on insisting that certain spells, rituals and etc... work and are solidly against explanation as to what the practice really is. Outside of Wicca, you will find many who are willing to more accurately apply what is going on. Prayer. All of your focusing of your energy and concentration isn't bringing out your inner sorcerer. It is bringing you in touch with Her, and allowing you to address your concerns with her.
Ultimately, in studying these individual components and many like them, I came to find that few Wiccans, and many Pagans had answers to these kinds of questions. In exasperation I began sifting through the mounds of fluffbunnies to find the few true Wiccans who knew what was going on. I found in virtually every case the same phrase, or something similar. "I say I am Wiccan because it is something that people can easily identify with. The truth is a little more complicated." It seemed everyone was a Pagan with Wiccan leanings, or an Eclectic Pagan that called themselves Wiccan to save themselves a lengthy explanation. The only ones who didn't clarify what they were beyond Wiccan were the fluffbunnies. It seemed more and more like Wicca was a common watering hole along the paths that many of us were walking, rather than a path that anybody could actually take and stick to.
So where did I end up after that watering hole? The path of the White Wolf. What is that? Something that I will finally begin to explain. Next time.
**Edited 7/11/06 01:41 EST: Sojourner also just addressed this issue and provided a link to a Witches Voice article on the same, both are worth looking at.
Bears are strong and independent creatures who roam in the forest in search of food. Bears are usually gentle, but anger one and be prepared for their full fury! You won't back down from a fight, you have a bit of a temper -- classic attributes of a bear. Intelligent and resourceful, though lazy at times, you are a fascinating creature of the wild.
