Witchcraft again

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Blessed_is_He

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Awhile ago I posted on this subject. I thought I was through with it but it keeps coming back. I miss it. It is mysterious, haunting, powerful and romantic to me. I mean the other day I was at a bookstore and overheard a guy ask the clerk if they carried a certain book called The Complete Guide to Witchcraft. I knew this book and author well and my heart got excited again. I felt like running to the New Age section and getting it for him even before the clerk could look it up! I just felt like wow another one of US. Then of course I felt strongly drawn to it again. I keep going back and forth from lioness to Wicca. What to do? Peace.
 
Blessed_is_He said:
Awhile ago I posted on this subject. I thought I was through with it but it keeps coming back. I miss it. It is mysterious, haunting, powerful and romantic to me. I mean the other day I was at a bookstore and overheard a guy ask the clerk if they carried a certain book called The Complete Guide to Witchcraft. I knew this book and author well and my heart got excited again. I felt like running to the New Age section and getting it for him even before the clerk could look it up! I just felt like wow another one of US. Then of course I felt strongly drawn to it again. I keep going back and forth from lioness to Wicca. What to do? Peace.
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Keep asking for our Blessed Mother’s intercession. She can obtain the grace for you to understand that God alone has everything we need! New Age is a deceptive mirage.

Praise be to Jesus Christ who died for our sins! O, Blessed Trinity, You deserve all the glory!
 
Hi Blessed is He,

I once got caught up in the new age stuff (which is similar to Wicca) and learned the hard way that its not exactly spiritually healthy stuff. What helped get me out, is that I learned that most of the things new age offers Christ offers a much healthier alternative. For example I replaced my spirit guides with the Saints and my Guardian Angel.

So I’d try to identify what it is you miss so much about Wicca, and I’ll bet Christ has better and healthier alternative to that. I recommend looking into mystical saints.

Good luck with your journey,
 
What does any of that have, that is appealing and/or important to you, that Catholic isn’t delivering?

My guess is that within the faith there may be Catholic ways of meeting personal mental/emotional/social needs that you are currently turning toward those others to meet. There may be a way to better mesh with the different practices. Most of us never really even “scratch the surface” of all the different ways we can experience our faith within Catholicism.
 
robertmidwest said:
Unless I am misunderstanding, it sounds to me like you were tempted and resisted.

Give thanks and celebrate.
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Agreed.

Forgive yourself of your initial thought. It was unbidden and not encouraged.

When you are in the position to automatically think, “Hey, Ive tried it and it’s not the right path,” that’s when you’re “at the next level.”

But: you may never be able to reach that level, and if you don’t, your struggle is to overcome the worry and accept that cross.

The personal question is: are you willing to accept that cross?
 
Hi Blessed is He!

Well, I was going to ask the same question others have, that is what about Wicca appeals to you? Is it the ritual aspect, the theology, or the celebration of the seasons? I can relate to your situation, I’m a former Wiccan/pagan who came back to the church after almost 35 years and I’ve never been happier. I spent a few years in groups, one in particular with someone well known in the community who is now deceased, but I was mostly solitary in my practices.

A little about me…part of the attraction for me was the ritual and all the trappings. I loved the idea of sitting at an altar under cover of night with candles anointed with fragrant oils, incense, herbs, crystals, etc., reciting ancient incantations to obtain my earthly desires. For the record, I adhered strictly to the Wiccan rede of “harm none,” so I never delved into spells that manipulated another person or harmed any living being. I used to make my own candles, incense, and oils. I studied herbalism, perfumery, and gemology. I was an adept Tarot card reader and astrologer.

Despite all that, I never felt at home in any of the groups I was a member of or with any of the pagan gods or goddesses that I tried to embrace for a number of reasons. I was always drawn back to Catholicism but resisted it at every turn. That’s another long story I won’t get into here, but you can read my post on this thread:

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=900058

So now I’m happily Catholic, and although I still love the allure of home altars, candles, incense, etc. I now have one with a Catholic flair. I love to read my Bible and prayer books by candlelight and burn church incense to transport me to the spiritual realm. I’ve sold almost all of my Wicca books and Tarot card sets, others I’ve tossed in the trash. I attend Mass every Sunday. My diocese is taking a trip to the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington DC this Saturday and I’m going!

As Bodhi303 has suggested, perhaps the mystical lives of the saints might inspire you to delve deeper into the Catholic faith. I read The Story of a Soul by St. Therese of Lisieux and it was very influential to me. You may wish to look into the writings of the doctors of the church.

I’d love to hear your thoughts and continue this discussion!
 
Bodhi303 said:
Hi Blessed is He,

I once got caught up in the new age stuff (which is similar to Wicca) and learned the hard way that its not exactly spiritually healthy stuff. What helped get me out, is that I learned that most of the things new age offers Christ offers a much healthier alternative. For example I replaced my spirit guides with the Saints and my Guardian Angel.

**So I’d try to identify what it is you miss so much about Wicca, and I’ll bet Christ has better and healthier alternative to that. I recommend looking into mystical saints. **

Good luck with your journey,
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book_and_bead said:
Hi Blessed is He!

Well, I was going to ask the same question others have, that is what about Wicca appeals to you? Is it the ritual aspect, the theology, or the celebration of the seasons? I can relate to your situation, I’m a former Wiccan/pagan who came back to the church after almost 35 years and I’ve never been happier. I spent a few years in groups, one in particular with someone well known in the community who is now deceased, but I was mostly solitary in my practices.

A little about me…part of the attraction for me was the ritual and all the trappings. I loved the idea of sitting at an altar under cover of night with candles anointed with fragrant oils, incense, herbs, crystals, etc., reciting ancient incantations to obtain my earthly desires. For the record, I adhered strictly to the Wiccan rede of “harm none,” so I never delved into spells that manipulated another person or harmed any living being. I used to make my own candles, incense, and oils. I studied herbalism, perfumery, and gemology. I was an adept Tarot card reader and astrologer.

Despite all that, I never felt at home in any of the groups I was a member of or with any of the pagan gods or goddesses that I tried to embrace for a number of reasons. I was always drawn back to Catholicism but resisted it at every turn. That’s another long story I won’t get into here, but you can read my post on this thread:

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=900058

So now I’m happily Catholic, and although I still love the allure of home altars, candles, incense, etc. I now have one with a Catholic flair. I love to read my Bible and prayer books by candlelight and burn church incense to transport me to the spiritual realm. I’ve sold almost all of my Wicca books and Tarot card sets, others I’ve tossed in the trash. I attend Mass every Sunday. My diocese is taking a trip to the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington DC this Saturday and I’m going!

As Bodhi303 has suggested, perhaps the mystical lives of the saints might inspire you to delve deeper into the Catholic faith. I read The Story of a Soul by St. Therese of Lisieux and it was very influential to me. You may wish to look into the writings of the doctors of the church.

I’d love to hear your thoughts and continue this discussion!
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I suspect you’re missing some of the sensory practices and rituals and the mysterious and mystical. I find day to day Catholicism kind of bland or whitewashed. I gravitate towards the Latin Mass as well as Charismatic Renewal because there is a little more going on to bring my heart, mind and soul back to God: A crucifix, stained glass and statuary; chanted prayer, music and silence; incense and bees wax candles; rosary beads, a bible or prayer book; the sign of the cross, kneeling or dancing. That covers the five senses and both stillness and motion.

Do you have a prayer corner? A place to set up statues, a cross, candles, a stand to hold your bible or prayer book?
https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/...dYti_8shSSJyDLDOpvMc-P-MM8G64TqEMq_dYSUHOtEC6

Catholicism has more beauty, power, mystery than any other tradition can offer.
 
Merry meet, Blessed is He! May the peace of the God be ever in your heart. I wish you peace as you find your way along your spiritual path. (And yeah, I can relate to the draw towards Paganism, too.)
 
Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life!

And Catholic worship includes sacraments and sacramentals that engage our five senses.

The purpose of which is to draw us deeper into the interior life of our journey with our Lord Jesus Christ.

Thanks be to the Lord!
 
Any addiction does not stop, it is just controlled. Ether you control it, or it controls you.

A man committed to stopping adultery has the same problem…thinking back on how sweet it was…yet struggling to forget and move on to Jesus and his true love.

There is also a second thought about this. To offer the struggle for your past sins and the sins of others who are into this addiction. You can do much good with your suffering by offering it up to Jesus on your cross, especially at Mass. Because now you are a different person, one with Christ.

May God bless and keep you. May God’s face shine on you. May God be kind to you and give you peace.
 
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