Monday, August 27, 2012

Is Traditional Wicca too Masonic/Ceremonial?

Something to mull over for you all.  I am struggling with this as well, and also whether or not I actually should care.
  I'd like to set aside the debate as to whether or not Traditional Wicca actually follows the traditions and Gods/Goddesses of our "original" pagan ancestors. I think I can safely say it does not, and it doesn't take much delving to figure this out.  I'd like you to read some Ronald Hutton, Donald Micheal-Kraig, Aleister Crowley or even some of Doreen Valiente's books if you disagree and then we'll talk more...
  While I strongly feel that there is a magickal current that is Wicca, and that is ancient; the practices, traditions and words we use today would be unrecognizable to our ancestors.  Then again, so would our bathrooms, I-phones, cars, and stoves be confusing as well.  We live in a different world than they did, and our practices need to be different too.
  Our practices evolved as our worlds changed.  They are unique to each country they developed in. Traditional Stregheria from Italy is different from British Traditional Wicca, and rightfully so.  Each place that Wicca grew it had to change to be effective. 
  Due to dire circumstances, Wicca blended with ceremonial magick, from the city.  Our groves were torn down, so we learned to create our own grove in our hearts, by making any space we chose sacred.  While it is unfortunate, it ended up being our saving grace.  During dark times, we have been able to move our sacred space indoors, in a time where we have no land to worship on, and the climate is not always friendly to any faith but Christianity.  This makes our faith highly accessible in a time where most of us live in cities.
 In this blending, I think, we have forgotten much. The importance of worshiping outside, the direct link to our craft ancestors, agricultural lore and calendar etc.
Discovering what we have lost is key to our continued survival.  So we should add things, should we ever consider subtracting?  If we subtract, what do we have left, and what replaces it?
My son is at the end of his self-entertaining.  Just ponder this till next time...