These are some of the websites I encountered on Paganism, Wicca and Witchcraft. Presented in order of: interesting for beginners, for more experienced Pagans and Wiccans, and for people with a more scholarly interest in Wicca, the Goddess Movement and (historical) witchcraft (that one is in German, and the summary is in Dutch).
Paganism for Beginners: Diversity
On encountering the phenomenon of the Pagan revival for the first time, some people ask why there are so many different Pagan traditions. There are many different answer to this question. In her blog Yvonne Aburrow lists the ones she can think of.
This blog post is part of a series, Paganism for Beginners-guide in her Sermons from the Mound blog on Patheos, including:
– Organisations ( various different Pagan organisations)
– Things we care about
– Controversies
– Festivals
– Diversity
– Magical Names
– Finding a Group
Ritual Tool Crafts : How To Make Your Own Magical Tools and Ritual Items
By Patti Wigington
“Many Pagans like to make their own magical and ritual tools. Creating things by hand is a great way to incorporate your own magical energy into your tools and supplies. Here are some of our most popular magical craft projects, with items for your altar, a ritual robe, your Book of Shadows, an altar pentacle, and more.”
Reading list for Pagan Men
“Although the exact percentages aren’t clear, you’ll find that statistically, many more women are drawn to Pagan religions than men. Why is this? It’s often because Pagan religions, including Wicca, embrace the sacred feminine alongside the power of the masculine. This sometimes puts our men in a position where they feel overlooked or diminished, simply by virtue of the numbers.
However, you’ll find that there are in fact many men involved in the Pagan community, and equally important, there are books available aimed specifically at male practitioners. Here’s a list of books our readers have offered up for the men.”
Next to The Pagan Man by Isaac Bonewits, in my bookcase are these books:
– Choirs of the God. Revisioning masculinity. Edited by John Mattgews (Mandala, 1991)
– Pagan Gods for Today’s Man. A beginner’s Guide. Teresa Moorey and Howard Moorey (Hodder & Stoughton, 1997)
– The God Year. Festival Days of the Sacred Male. Nigel Pennick & Helen Field (Capall Bann, 1998)
Interesting to see other titles as well on the subject. (As a woman I do have males around, and the subject of the male Divine has intrigued me ever since I found Wicca, coming from a Christian background).
Seekers and Guides: Getting to Know Your Local Land-Wights
Sable Aradia
Between the Shadows : The Craft of a Liminal Witch
“How can you develop a relationship with your local land-wights. … It’s Sable Aradia’s belief that doing so makes you happier and healthier and gives you a better quality of life. And certainly it will help you to have a deeper ecological respect for the world around you; which is important to Pagans of many stripes.”
Ritual Crafting: Creating Rituals That Work (Part 1 and 2)
Katrina Rasbold
“A ritual is a specific set of actions, performed for their symbolic value. The words ‘ritual’ and ’tradition’ are tied tightly together and are often deeply embedded in culture and family life. The usual purpose of ritual is to focus our intent and to connect to our Higher Self and Deity, as well as one another. In ritual, every act is deliberate and meaningful, always leaving room for The Divine to move through the ritual spaces and bring Its own influence. In this two-part series, we explore fundamental structure of ritual and considerations that help create a ritual that is moving and effective.”
“The Old Religion” or a “New Creative Synthesis”?
Carol P. Christ (a founding mother in the Goddess movement)
SageWoman Blogs
“Is Goddess feminism an old religion or a new creative synthesis? Can it be both? Goddess feminism draws on the feminist affirmation of women’s experiences, women’s bodies, and women’s connection to nature; the feminist critique of transcendent male monotheism as the symbolic expression of male domination of women and nature; and 19th and early 20th century discussions of Goddesses and matriarchy.
Most Goddess and other spiritual feminists have experienced Wiccan rituals, which are often simply called Goddess rituals. For many of us, elements of Wiccan practice strike a chord of knowing, while other aspects seem odd or strange or even just plain weird.
What are the origins of Wiccan ritual? Are some its roots to be found in male secret societies that in no way promoted “the full humanity of women”?”
Food for thought!
Historicum.net – Hexenforschung
“De heksenvervolgingen van de vroegmoderne tijd waren een meerlagig fenomeen, dat je op deze pagina’s even veelzijdig kunt onderzoeken. We nodigen je daarom uit om te snuffelen in ons themaportaal ‘heksenonderzoek’ met vakinformatie in de vorm van een voortdurend geactualiseerd ‘Lexicon van de geschiedenis der heksenvervolging’, talrijke digitale teksten, bibliografieën en becommentarieerde links.”
