OK, I haven’t read every post in this thread because my attention span and dedication to reading that much is not all that great. With that said, I will tell you my story.
At 8 years old, I started to realize I had some gifts. I still went to church every Sunday, catechism and confirmation courses, and was the best in my class. I wanted answers as to why people had these gifts and I guess people were too lazy to explain it to me, because i was just told it was of the Devil. I spent quite a few years wanting to be closer to God, praying and being in the choir but it just did not work for me then. Perhaps the Church I went to just wasn’t suitable.
Anyway, I was bullied for many years for other reasons, which slowly made me depressed. I still had an interest in divination, so I slowly took that up, read a few psychic books, and stayed far away from the Wiccan books, out of fear. I slowly lost my faith in God and wasn’t sure any god existed at all. I also eventually took yoga in high school.
By the time I was 15, I was hanging out with other disenchanted friends who had become a part of the goth scene. The rest of my friends were wannabe gangbangers and sluts. I think the only proper people I went to school with were snobs, so just about everyone was just lovely.
One of my slut friends, who happened to be Catholic said to me, “Why are you hanging out with these people? Don’t you believe in God?” It pissed me off that she would generalize such a thing, so I decided to say, “Well, maybe I’m Wiccan.” About 15 minutes later, she jumped me, along with my other slut friends.
I then decided, well, maybe I should read up on Wicca and maybe I should curse my slut friend, since she likes being a slut and feels she’s superior to everybody else. (this is the last time I’ll say slut in this post, don’t worry.) What happened from there is, I started reading Wiccan books, and I discovered a religion that wasn’t about cursing people, but a religion that had it’s own karmic laws.
Now, I could go into a conversation about all of the positive things that are in the Wiccan religion, but that might upset you guys. Talking about positive things means someone might feel tempted and writing horror stories is more affirming. I love reading stories from people like Schoebellen, who like to write stories about how he had rituals and fire shot you at him, and it burned his arm in the shape of a hoof and all that sensationalist garbage.
This is what I know. Wicca provided a lot of temporarily uplifting spiritual experiences. And those experiences did absolutely nothing positive for my life. The Devil isn’t about special effect. The devil is subtle and does not want anyone to know he exists. That’s how he can best influence all. Not only did I study Wicca, I studied under a coven. I also co-led a Wiccan open circle, that created a “family friendly” environment for all. Why did i do this? Because I felt that there were some covens that were too secretive, that encouraged things that young people should not feel they “should” be a part of. I felt that people should become wise on their own spiritual journey. The coven I had trained with was run by a bellydancer and a science fiction buff, the former with a degree in history and the latter with a degree in philosophy. Neither actually believed in Gods but loved the ritual aspect of Wicca. Neither had a stable job but people came to them for guidance in droves.
When i co-led the circle, I was in my mid-twenties. I was already having issues with depression at this point and also experiencing anxiety. I was also trying to finish college and work a fulltime job, barely being able to focus on anything. I would have people twice my age coming to me for advice and admiring me, not knowing about anything going on in my life and it disgusted me. I’d have people who were homeless, coming to ritual, participating in classes and events they didn’t really need, losing their jobs, coming to me for advice on what to do. I’d try to point them to housing services and apartments they could afford, and they’d always makeup an excuse as to why it isn’t viable, even though they have kids. They would rather stay in people’s living rooms than take a step forward.
I worked with one High Priestess who was a real estate broker, who wasn’t making money and wasn’t all that happy, always having bill collectors call her home.
We worked with another High Priestess who, was the most wretched creature I’ve ever met. She asked us to help her sell her home, which she had a million dollar debt over. Why? Because she mortgaged the house she inherited, to buy a Wiccan shop.
One day she got paranoid and started a “witch war” with us, which is basically a feud where two witches or witch groups slander each other to the community, and maybe even do spells to hinder the progress of the other.
Yes, it’s against the Wiccan Rede to curse others because of karma but that doesn’t mean witches do not curse others.
There are a lot of good people in Wicca. People full of good intentions, but they are misguided. Please don’t judge them and call them Satanists. There is a difference between consciously worshiping Satan and being deceived.
At the same time, that whole thing about Wiccans not worshiping Satan is a lie. The vast majority of Wiccans worship Celtic, Greek, Roman, Norse or Egyptian gods. But there is nothing in Wicca that says you cannot worship Hindu gods, Shinto gods, Native spirits or Satan. There are, in fact, a few who do proudly worship Satan. Again, I say they are the minority. And there are a few subtle things in Wicca that did come from Aleister Crowley, the father of modern Satanism.
You might want to read the OT or the NT before throwing it out the window.
