How Wicca Values Wisdom

Have you ever felt bothered by how media pushes that people need to be “young and beautiful”?

You may have noticed that Wicca pushes back against media in that Wicca honors and respects our elders.

Have you also noticed how the Western World seems to overlook the merits of tempered wisdom and instead favors youth?

Wicca acknowledges that for our species, youth is life. Youth is fertility and health. Wicca also acknowledges that, as one lives, wisdom can blossom. Wisdom arose as early people learned which berries were safe to eat and what plants could heal. With wisdom we not only survived, we thrived. Wicca acknowledges the value of both youth and elders’ wisdom. Elders have traveled the path of life ahead of us. They can help us do better on our personal path if we care to listen.

Just like youthful strong bodies can get hard work done, elders have the wisdom of knowing how to work smart.

This is important for survival.

In past eras, without the wisdom of the elders, people couldn’t survive. Because of this we valued our elders.

However, as time passed, we notice that technology appears to make elders’ advice and experience less relevant. With life moving as fast as it does, many of us would rather read something on the Internet, than talk to an elder. I get that. I love tech; I’m a blogger after all. But with all the bells and whistles technology has, we still need our humanity for us to really learn.

It’s like reading about the Titanic disaster in a book as opposed to actually talking with a survivor who lived through the experience. The survivor will be able to tell you the visceral experience they had along with other crucial information that a book just can’t convey.

We pick up so much in nonverbal cues: The look on a person’s face, the tonality of their voice, and the pace in which they speak.

Think of it: Storytelling has been such a valuable part of humanity’s life. We learn so much because we actually experience the truth of a situation while we experience a person telling a story.

In the Western World we have forgotten the important distinction of experience versus merely reading some facts conveyed in a barren form on the Internet.

The good news is: Wiccans — like a number of Eastern cultures — have retained wisdom. As Wiccans, we understand that we need both the vitality and virility of youth, but it must be tempered with wisdom and knowledge for survival and even enhancing one’s path in life.

Wiccans know that to travel a spiritual path you need wisdom to know where to tread and where not to tread. Elders can talk with you about life, if not current technology. They can talk with you about the people who make technology. They can provide the patience and understanding about tough issues like loss and grief. They can even help you appreciate the joys of life.

I invite you to consider elders as another resource. They can guide you in ways that something you read just can’t.

Wiccans know that there is more to life than tech. Some wisdom and learning only comes from having lived through tough experiences.

See how you might connect with appropriate elders.

You’ll find new facets of life opening to you.

Blessed Be,

Moonwater