Were to Start

Fear and Tolerance

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Reflection under Bridge

Reflections about Tolerance and Acceptance

Fear and Tolerance

Powerful fear can be transformed into many things. We’ll talk about how fear turns into hate and how we can help resolve this problem.

Why do many people concentrate on differences instead of what we all have in common? Many people hate others based on race, sexual orientation and religion. These people focus on the differences. Only focusing on differences leads some people to fear. Fear then leads to hate because it’s natural to dislike what causes us discomfort.

Many people find Wicca to be quite different from what they call “mainstream faiths” in the western world. Misunderstandings can lead to fear and that can transform to hate. Unfortunately people don’t ask Wiccans, “What is Wicca all about?”

The problem is many people take some surface comment from some biased person and they let that comment give them an impression of Wicca. The biased person does not practice Wicca. To ask that person about Wicca is just like asking a plumber to fix your computer.

As children, many people were taught untruths about Wicca. But as adults, they stick with the false stories. Still, they simply do not ask a Wiccan about their spiritual path.

It’s not completely their fault. Life can be hard and we’re all so busy. We often just take a first impression and run with it.

Unfortunately, so much prejudice makes many Wiccan shy, and they avoid coming out of the “broom closet.” A few brave souls step out of the broom closet to speak to the world, but they often run into closed minds and hearts.

The media makes things worse. We know how the media sensationalizes things. News broadcasts feed on creating fear. This in turn generates hate.

So now we have lots of people who hate Wiccans. Much of this hatred could have been avoided.

It may be easy to blame people for their ignorance, but we need to move past that.

What would we tell people about Wicca? We tell them the truth. We as Wiccans believe in harming none. What does this mean? We believe killing is wrong. We believe stealing is wrong, whether it be someone’s lunch, car or spouse.

Many of our beliefs compare with core beliefs of other religions including Judaism, Islam and Christianity. We don’t lie, cheat, steal, kill and so forth.

So we worship in a different way, but we share similar values. We need to help others and ourselves focus on what unites us so we can build trust and understanding. Concentrating on our similarities will help dispel hate and bring us all closer together.

The Law Of Three

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Pond

The Universal Pond

The Law Of Three

Let’s talk about the Law of Three, or the threefold law of return. Whatever energy you send out into the universe will get magnified three-fold and then returned to you. It is a simple principle. But when we observe this principle in action, it proves complex.

Imagine that we have a pond which we’ll call the “universe pond.” You have some stones in your pocket. The stones represent the actions you take in life and in turn, the energy you send out into the universe arising from those actions.

You drop a stone into the pond. Ripples move out from the stone’s entry point to the pond.

As energy created from your action, the ripples spread into the universe and grow in magnitude. Eventually they hit the edge of the pond and bounce back to you in their magnified form.

So the stone you dropped in the pond, (action you took in the universe, whether it was a positive action or a negative one,) comes back to you. Just like nature, the universe has a  self-regulating system, many people call this Karma.

So carefully choose your actions.

May the ripples return to you three-fold in positive energy.

Blessed be,

Moonwater SilverClaw

Jason Pitzl-Waters of The Wild Hunt

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The Wild Hunt

The Wild Hunt

Recently I had the pleasure of talking with Jason Pitzl-Waters, founder of The Wild Hunt. He answered questions I had about his journey and his work. I truly feel Jason does a great service to our community and so I would like to introduce him to you.

Moonwater: How did you start on the path to Wicca?

Jason: I was first introduced to Wicca in high school when a friend loaned me a Raymond Buckland book (the big blue one). That moment was a completely life-altering moment. While I was dissatisfied with mainstream religion, and always interested in pre-Christian mythology, I had never thought that the worship of pre-Christian gods was something that people could do. From there I never looked back.

Moonwater: Who has influenced you the most on your journey with Wicca and why?

Jason: I would say my friends were my biggest influence on me, it was together that we fumbled through learning and experiencing Wiccan ritual. Later, I would meet formal covens, and a variety of experienced practitioners, but I think those early days shaped me in ways that persist to this day. Beyond that? I found the writings of Margot Adler and the Farrars pivotal in my early years.

Moonwater: What led you to blog for the community?

Jason: A dissatisfaction with the Pagan media led me to trying to do it for myself. This was the early days of the Internet, before social networking became dominant, and even before blogs were something pervasive. I remember wanting to know what was happening in our community, to know what our leaders, clergy, philosophers, were thinking about important issues. There were some useful sites, Witchvox, for example, but nothing that captured the sort of advocacy journalism I yearned for. So I became the change I wanted to see in my community, and here I am!

Moonwater: What book or books have influenced you in your practice of Wicca the most?

Jason: Drawing Down the Moon by Margot Adler, A Witches’ Bible Compleat by Janet and Stewart Farrar, The Spiral Dance by Starhawk, and later, The Triumph of The Moon by Ronald Hutton.

Moonwater: For someone who is just starting on their own path with Wicca, what would you tell them was the most important thing to know about it?

Jason: The interconnectedness and sacredness of nature, and by extension, the turning of the wheel of the year. Everything springs from there, our wisdom, our joy, our fertility, and our gods and goddesses.

I just want to say thank you to Jason for his time for this interview. Please visit The Wild Hunt to see what Jason has to say on the pagans days events.

Blessed Be,

Moonwater SilverClaw

Blogger Jason Pitzl-Waters

Jason Pitzl-Waters

Jason Pitzl-Walter’s Biography:

Since launching “The Wild Hunt” in 2004, Jason Pitzl-Waters has become one of the leading voices for analysis and insight into how modern Pagan faiths are represented within the mainstream media. In addition, “The Wild Hunt” has also conducted in-depth interviews with prominent figures within modern Paganism, academia, and religion journalism. Jason wants to raise the level of discourse and journalism on important issues within the modern Pagan and Heathen communities, while advocating a broader commitment to encouraging religious multiplicity and solidarity (where appropriate) with surviving indigenous and non-monotheistic faith groups.

In addition to his work with The Wild Hunt, Jason has also written for newWitch Magazine, PanGaia Magazine, Thorn Magazine, and Llewellyn Worldwide. He also maintains a weekly podcast entitled“A Darker Shade of Pagan” that explores underground music from a Pagan perspective.

Jason is a former Board of Director member of Cherry Hill Seminary, and is coordinating The Pagan Newswire Collective, an open collective of Pagan journalists, newsmakers, media liaisons, and writers who are interested in sharing and promoting primary-source reporting from within our interconnected communities.

You can contact Jason at jpitzl at gmail dot com

Offerings

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Leaf Offering

Leaf Offering

Offerings

Why do we give “offerings” to our Gods and what is an offering. When we ask the Gods for their help, and we receive it, we offer them thanks through offerings; so an offering is our way of saying thank you for the Gods’ help.

Now what is an offering? Offerings are things we sacrifice up to the Gods in thanks for their help.

Offerings can be things like:

I find the more I say “thank you” with an offering, the Gods really appreciate the gesture, after giving an offering, good luck often finds me. I have even made offerings just to show them how appreciative I am of all they do for me. Just because.

So how do I make the offering? Take (for example) a candle and state the name of the deity and why you are offering up the candle to him/her.

Here is an example of what you can say:

“Squat, I thank you for the parking spot you gave me! I honor you with this candle.”

Then light the candle making sure to burn it all the way down.

This also helps us create a stronger bond with our Gods.

Offerings, Gratitude and Good News

Many of you have noticed the donation button on the sidebar of the blog. This button is there to help me keep this blog the Hidden Children of the Goddess going. It pays for helping keep the ads off the blog and maintenance fees, and recover registration fees.

Offerings, donations and gifts are an uplifting way to participate in life and in our community. Well, good news has come. Arthur has donated funds so we will be free of ads for one whole year. So I put out a big thank you to Arthur! I know a number of people who feel good when they are kind and helpful to another person or cause outside themselves. Helping others by being of service is why I blog. I am grateful to Arthur for his wonderful donation to help us and to help me continue my service.

Wondering how to donate to this blog? All you have to do is click the donate button on the sidebar and you can enter in any amount you like. It’s that simple, and it really helps the site.

Again, thank you Arthur!

Blessed Be,

Moonwater Silverclaw

Your Thoughts

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As I sit in the local coffee shop writing this post, enjoying a smooth mocha, I stop and think, “What’s the top three things my readers want to know about Wicca?”

My mind whirls with possibilities as I sit, staring at my reflection in the window of the coffee shop. Then it hits me like a bug on a windshield. I’ll just ask you. What do you want to hear about first? Give me the three topics you can’t wait to hear about. You can leave your suggestions in the comments box below. I can’t wait to hear your thoughts!

Blossom as the Real You

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Blossom as the Real You

Blossom into the New You

Starting Wicca is like cleaning a dirty car for the first time. Before I left for a trip I decided to get my car washed. Why? My car was “the dirt clog on wheels.”

Though it’s supposed to be white, my car remained a splotchy palomino gray, for most of its existence.

So at the car wash center, I lined my vehicle with the others and left the keys in the car for the attendant. I sat down in the waiting area and watched car after car coming out of the other end of the giant cleaning machine.

I was sitting there for a while. Vehicles emerged from the cleaning machine, one after another. Soon I’m thinking, “Where’s my car?!” I recognized the car that had been in line in front of my car. But then, it took me a moment to realize that the gleaming white car behind it was actually my car!

This, believe it or not, is like the beginning of your practice of Wicca. Throughout your life you collect “dirt.” This can be in the form of unhelpful thoughts from people who think they know what’s best for you. This degrading process can lead to bad self-esteem. You might even doubt your worthiness in the face of deity and others. “How can I be loved if I do “X?”

All this buildup up of  degrading thoughts is like the buildup of dirt on my car. Soon you cannot even recognize the goodness and value you began life with.

Here are some examples of degrading thoughts:

“God won’t love me if I don’t pray three times a day”

or

“God will punish me because I’m gay.”

and

“I wont go to the promised land if I don’t go to [church, temple, the Mosque and so forth].”

All of these thoughts and other people’s “shoulds” are crap–like the bird crap on my car.

The world places unrealistic demands on us. “Nice girls don’t make trouble.” and “Men don’t cry.” This is simply “Crap!”

How does Wicca fit in? Well, all that crap you are carrying can be cleaned out and washed off. Just like my car.

Coming into Wicca, you carry the world’s crap upon you. The practice of Wicca with its car wash of meditation and self discovery will help you rid yourself of the unwanted grunge the world places on you.

When we practice our meditation techniques we get rid of the world’s “cling-ons.” And when that happens a whole new world opens up to you. Just like I didn’t recognize my car at first, your family and friends may not recognize the new you either.

Be aware too that many people do not like change. So when they see you happier they may give you resistance. This is normal. Don’t be discouraged if this happens.

Only you know what’s best for you. Eventually, some people will accept you. Others won’t. But the most important thing is for you to accept yourself and enjoy your new clean and bright experience of life.

Why Wicca?

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Why Wicca?

Pentacle of Balance

The Pentacle of Balance

Why Wicca? Why not choose some other spiritual path? Well for me, I love nature and the natural world. Its beauties and wonders, they all surround me and fascinate me. In other paths you need to go somewhere to be with deity. But with Wicca the gods are not only everywhere around me, but they are within me too.

I am literally the goddess and god, and these gods don’t judge me! They love me for who I am and what I already look like. I don’t need to change or alter myself to be loved, no diet or creams required. And to go with all that spiritual “yummyness,” wicca is all about nature. The thing I love most. There are the trees, the birds, the stag, the earth itself. They all represent the gods in different forms.

Also the natural world is what I live in, it is reality and I’m not trying to get to some euphoric place I’ve never experienced or been. I’m not trying to jump impossible hurtles with the rules that can never be followed without failing. All I got to do is be me.

We are rewarded with love and kindness when we give love and kindness. What we put out into the universe, the universe gives us back three fold. This cycle, among all the others is all natural. Angry vengeful God, not included! And that’s the way I like it.

Blessed be,

Moonwater Silverclaw


Being dyslexic sucks!

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Spider

Spider

Being dyslexic sucks!

“Write a blog” the gods say; “teach online” the gods say.

Well, you just don’t argue with the gods, I say. So here I am! Dyslexia in all its glory. Did I mention how much I love my editors?!

Without my editors this blog would be: “The hidden hcipen of the Doggess.”

So if there is anything not quite “write” with my “righting,” you will have to excuse me and my rapidly balding editors! They must scream a lot at night.

Growing up this way wasn’t a simple feat. Trying to learn anything was a challenge, especially when it came to Wicca. When I started out I didn’t have a mentor. So anything I was to learn came from books, and there was no one to explain anything to me. Yeah, you see where this is going, don’t you?

It took me obviously a lot longer to learn anything in the beginning. But I look at this as my “Are you willing to suffer to learn?” moment. When I was in 8th grade, I had a 3rd grade reading/spelling level. This is not something I am proud of, but it was a fact of life for me then. Then there were the children laughing at me, and pointing at me. Not good for my low self-esteem, either. Everything was in books when I started on my path with the craft.

So I’ve converted my long, frustrated hours reading, into condensed, convenient posts just for you. In fact, this is why I generally write brief posts. Now the next dyslexic witch will have an easier time with learning the craft, if they can’t find a mentor.

Now you know the story. ‘Till next time.

Blessed be,

Moonwater Silverclaw

What is Wicca?

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Merry Meet. As we talked about in the last post, this is a blog for the neophyte. So we will start at the beginning.

What is Wicca?

Wicca, also known as Witchcraft, has been practiced throughout history. Some practices of Wicca or Witchcraft have their roots as far back as the stone age. This is why it is also known as the Old Religion. It’s also known as “the Craft.”

Wiccans honor the cycles of the Earth and Sky. We honor the seasons and the cycles of life and death. We perform Sabbats to honor these cycles. The Sabbats express the life cycle in the seasons, and the turning of the year.

The term “turning of the year” comes from the way we look at a year. We see it as a cycle or a circle. Never beginning, never ending, it’s an ever-turning wheel. This is why we believe in reincarnation. It will be clearer when we look at the different Sabbats and the roles they play in the life cycle.

Wiccan Wheel of the Year

Wiccan Wheel of the Year

As I said before, the cycles of the year are marked by the Sabbats. We as Wiccans strive to attune ourselves to these cycles at the Sabbats:

  • Yule (Approximately Dec 22,  Winter Solstice)
  • Imbolc (Approximately Feb 1 or 2nd)
  • Ostara (Approximately March 22nd,  Spring Equinox)
  • Beltane (May 1st)
  • Litha (Approximately June 22nd Summer Solstice)
  • Lammas (August 1st)
  • Mabon (Approximately Sept. 22nd Fall Equinox)
  • Samain (Oct 31st)

Now knowing a little about what Wicca, we will discuss how to practice Wicca in my next post.

Blessed Be,

Moonwater Silverclaw

Merry Meet!

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Merry meet and welcome to the Hidden Children of the Goddess blog. I am here to answer questions about Wicca that you may have and to inspire the practice of Wicca to all who are interested in the Craft. Therefore this blog is meant to educate and to inspire the student of Wicca.

I started on the path of Wicca in 1992. Slowly learning the Craft as a solitary Witch, I finally found a mentor in 2002. Now that I am a High Priestess I want to give support to those who are seeking information on Wicca.

So this blog is for the Hidden Children of the Goddess, for those who seek knowledge in the practice of honoring the gods and creating positive change in one’s life and in the world.

Blessed Be
Moonwater Silverclaw