Re: wiccan research- help needed !
Shadowhawk
dandpmahlm@cs.com
Mon Apr 10 13:40:01 2000
  Hello Laura,*p*>>:i am researching into women in Wicca and have set up a *br*: website which has a questioannire for women to fill in.if *br*: you are interested please find the site at*br*: http://members.tripod.co.uk/more_serene*br*:*br*: just a note- the research is not anti-male, when I used the *br*: word feminist I meant the strive for equality and balance *br*: between the sexes, not anti-male as some people thought!!*br*: please help as it makes the reasech more interesting,. *br*: Blessed Be  xx<<*p*  An admirable goal, and one well worth exploring.  One of the problems you are going to run into tho is that Wicca in the UK seems to be far different than Wicca here in the United States.  So much was lost because of the centuries of oppression that there was huge holes in the practice.*p**br*  A bit of the history of modern (NeoWicca) Wicca.  In the '40s Gerald Gardner wrote a book called, "High Magik's Aid", a fictional account of a witch, since he had been told that to write a factual book on the practices of witchcraft would not be wise and would be detrimental to his credibility as a "Gentleman Scholar".  The surprising thing was that he received back letters from all over Europe saying, "Gee, we don't do exactly what you said, but we do this and it's close!"...  So, he crafted "Gardnerian" out of a mixture of the letters from all over the continent.  This is not what he was taught in the "New Forest Coven", because that would be a violation of his own oaths.  But there were still some blank spots because the letters were a compilation of "folk practices" rather than actual rituals, so he wrote some, and he got the help of his friend Crowley as well.  Years later, Doreen Valiente cleaned up a lot of his ri!*br*tuals because unfortunantly Gardner really lacked in the ability to write rituals (wry grin) that were dramatic and flowing.*br*  Since both Gardner and Crowley were both ceremonial magicians, the holes that were left were filled with information from that source in the U.K.  Here in the USA, there's not a strong CM base, so the holes were filled by referring to more tribal (Native American) practices, giving Wicca here more of a shamanic feel.  Since CM is heavily male dominated, you have a more masculine feel in the U.K..*p**br*  Now we fast forward to the late 60's and early 70's.  The blossoming Feminist and Feminist Seperatist movement was in full swing here.  Being denied places of power within organized religion, they turned to Wicca and decided to make it their own.  Wicca up to this point was rather balanced masculine/feminine God/Goddess, but since it had a strong Goddess image, it fit in with the political and spiritual goals of women seeking more empowerment.  But, since many of them had rage towards men, the male establishment, and a masculine church that denied them the higher levels on the basis of their gender, they in effect (in my opinion) attempted to turn the Goddess into "Jehovah in Drag", by relegating the God and Priests into a secondary position or not at all.  Coupled with this movement was a bit of political infighting with a very important Gardnerian coven and a high profile Gardnerian priest resulting in the rewriting of the B.O.S. to downgrade the authority of the!*br* Priest until he was ineffectual unless a Priestess was there to oversee him.  In Europe of course they looked at all the goings on here in the USA as a bit of Lunacy (g)...*br*  But the moral of the story is...  (g)  Here in the USA, it's the male priests that are having to work to overcome a bias against them in traditional covens, while the ecclectic ones are getting closer to being balanced God and Goddess.*p**br*  Here's an essay I wrote for a class years ago on Men in Wicca, it might provide you some interesting contrasts from the other side of the universe (g)*p**br*                   Reflections of the God*p**br*                         Men in Wicca*p**br*  Many eons ago, the first human looked up from the ground where they*br*looked for sustenance and to the skies, those mysterious empty*br*expanses where Hawk and Eagle soared free, and the great Solar and*br*Lunar disks floated in a sea filled with great clouds by day, and*br*countless fireflies at night, and felt an empty hollowness in their*br*innards that would not be satisfied by such a physical task as mere*br*eating.*p**br*  All around them the miracles unfolded, day into night, and night*br*into day, life into death, and death into life, and their minds,*br*souls, and hearts soared with visions of all the Gods and Goddesses*br*that made these miracles possible.*p**br*  Dual was the Nature of the People, Man and Woman, Gatherer and*br*Hunter, Nurturer and Destroyer, and their Gods and Goddesses reflect*br*this, loving Ianna, and strife filled Mars.  Loving Goddesses and*br*Fiery Gods our world was peopled with.  And the People reflected this,*br*Goddess cultures like Crete, and Warrior God cultures like Rome.*br*Nurturer and Warrior, the circle continued.*p**br*  Sons of Gods are we, Men.  God's Spear, Stag, Relentless Boar, Hawk,*br*Salmon in the pool.  But we are more, we are also Sons of Goddesses,*br*her Sons, her Brothers, her Fathers, and her Lovers.  Passionate in*br*our Love, gentle and caring.  All this and more are we.  But, we have*br*forgotten ourselves and lost our way.  There is an ache inside us, and*br*we desire completeness.  Not scorn, not ridicule, but understanding,*br*both from others, and most of all, from ourselves.*p**br*  The Question is posed, what draws a man into a Goddess religion?*p**br*  The Answer is that there are as many answers as there are men in*br*Nature oriented religions.  Each man is unique, and each man has his*br*own reasons for coming to know the Mother, Darksome and Divine.*p**br*  Within each of us, there are many roles waiting to be played, Hero*br*and Villain, Lover and Loner, Son and Father.  But behind the mask,*br*there are souls looking out, feeling the play grind it's way along,*br*but alone behind the mask.  Hero strives to better the world, Villain*br*strives to control the world, Lover tries to woo the world, Loner*br*turns his back on the world, Son tries to obey his Mother, Father*br*tries to protect his Daughter.  All these roles to play, and like a*br*play, nothing is left when the curtain comes down.  All that is left*br*is the memory of the crowd, and past glories leave a taste of sawdust*br*upon our tongues.*p**br*  When the jewels of Civilization cease to hold our eyes, when the*br*gifts of our society fail to hold our attention, then we begin to*br*notice within ourselves that hollow place, that dark place, that empty*br*place that seems to be calling to us, inspiring us and frightening us*br*both at the same time.  Inside of us, there is a desire for a love so*br*intense, that we would lose ourselves in it in an all-consuming*br*passion that will not be denied.  The Lady is our Lover, or comrade,*br*our heart's desire, yet constantly seems just out of reach, grasping*br*for her, we fall short.*p**br*  But like the Hero, we must try and cannot abandon the quest, like*br*the Lover, we must win our love and will not be fulfilled without Her,*br*and like the Son, we will not abandon our Mother.*p**br*  Again, what is a man doing in a Goddess religion?  The answer is*br*rather, how could a complete man NOT be in a Goddess religion?*p**br*  Many men that are involved in Wicca have their own beliefs as to why*br*they are involved, J. L. Greifendorff writes:*br*"What would attract a male to a Goddess Religion such as Wicca?"*br*  First of all let me attack the question.  It assumes*br*that Wicca is a Goddess religion, and that [if such*br*assumption is true] such a religion would be*br*unattractive to men almost by definition.  Neither*br*assumption seems likely to me.*br*  With all respect, I think a Goddess Religion is not*br*different from a God Religion such as Islam; Wicca is*br*binary at the level of the manifestation of the Goddess*br*and the God.*br*  That we look first to the generative, the Goddess*br*seems perfectly natural to me, but I find the God Form*br*also important and useful.*br*  What I see in Wicca is a psychic, metaphoric, and*br*sexual balance [or at least an opportunity for it] that*br*is good and needed, not only in my life, but in the life*br*of our culture as well.*br*  So, to answer at the first level of the question: I am*br*not and was not and would not be drawn to a Goddess*br*Religion.  Not because it is of a Goddess, but because*br*it is unbalanced on the other side.  Nonetheless, I*br*was attracted to Wicca sufficiently enough to accept*br*initiation as a Witch.  Why?*br*  One of the things that attracted me to Wicca is the*br*respect for women that is inherent in The Craft.  It is*br*easier to be at ease as a man if the women are at ease*br*as women.*br*  Nowhere in The Craft is there an impetus to*br*restrict the potential or possibility of anyone.  So,*br*you see, I do not find any difficulty in being part of a*br*group led by a woman and worshipping the goddess in*br*myriad forms as well as the god; a group whose women*br*are strong, free, and very much devoted to controlling*br*their own lives.  On the contrary I find it very*br*agreeable.*br*  My High Priestess suggested that men join because it*br*is a situation where we can be ourselves, and in this I*br*think she is wise.*br*  But, their are other reasons.  From the religious*br*point of view:*br*  The juncture of Wicca and Ritual Magik just fit me to*br*a T.  Where else will I find a religious experience that*br*has no dogma, no creed, no fixed liturgy, no canon law,*br*no overbearing structure demanding conformity and self-*br*restriction?  The Wicca simply opens immense*br*possibilities.  All other religious experience in my*br*life has been exactly the opposite.  It provides*br*practice, method, metaphor and symbolism which flow*br*quite naturally in company with my dualistic frame*br*of mind.*br*  So, the first flight of reasons to be attracted to*br*Wicca are: Personal Freedom and Expression encouraged*br*and developed, Common Philosophical Ground, Absence of*br*Dogma & Scripture, Balanced Approach to Personal*br*Development, Respect for Women.*br*  The second flight is not so easily approached.  First*br*there is The Goddess.  Yes, I know I said that I did not*br*see Wicca as a Goddess Religion, but I meant a Goddess-*br*only Religion.*br*  It makes sense to me, for reasons that might easily*br*fill a book, to revere the Great Mother.  I also think*br*it comports with scientific knowledge but that is*br*another question entirely.  We cannot know The Supreme*br*Identity [as Watts calls it] rationally, but we can*br*perceive it and ourselves as of it.*br*  To me the universe arises eternally out of potential.*br*The Mother is born from Chaos and gives birth to her son*br*and lover after giving birth to herself.  It all follows*br*from that and here we are.*br*  It is a sandal worn human path to understanding, and*br*what path will we follow if not human?  I do not*br*identify the Supreme, the Eternal, It, the Tao with*br*either god or goddess.  I prefer to let the*br*monotheists strangle their minds with the problems*br*inherent in making a divinity identical with Tao and*br*even prior to it.*br*  So, do I believe literally in the god and the goddess?*br*Yes I do.  But I am not so dense as to think the form of*br*my belief defines the true nature of the gods.  I am*br*content to have the symbols and metaphors.  Whether the*br*gods exist literally is of no consequence to me, and in*br*a world filled with troubles and worries who needs to*br*worry over that.*br*  What I touch when I reach out for the  Goddess is a*br*real experience, and it is not simply a projection from*br*my mind, it is an independently acting something, but*br*exactly what that nature is in all its manifestations,*br*well I leave that to better thinkers than me.*br*  The second thing is social.  I am a foundling, later*br*adopted into a family that was dysfunctional, and I*br*really have never known what family life is like.  I*br*learned young that psychologically I was on my own.*br*  In my coven I feel a support and acceptance that I*br*will call familial although my experience with American*br*families leads me to wonder if that is the right word.*br*  Love and Trust are two things I have not often known,*br*and not often given.  But in my circle, these are*br*present.*br*  The third part is selfish.  I want to make more out of*br*and with my life and Magik can be a great aid in that.*br*I have an image of myself-becoming and I am after it.*br*  Magikal training is valuable and useful to me.  Also,*br*under this same general heading of selfish reasons to be*br*attracted to Wicca, I like the thin veil of secrecy.  On*br*one hand it appeals to my ego, being not isolated but*br*"set-apart" somehow; on the other I am just as*br*susceptible to the belief that we make up some kind of*br*elite as other people.  More seriously, I think Wicca*br*cannot survive in any other way.*br*  But that again is another large topic.*br*  Finally, there is the third wing of the second flight.*br*It is this, I was fundamentally a Witch by the time I*br*found The Craft.  I do not think that is unique to male*br*experience of course, but it is my experience.*br*  The Wiccan Rede simply states my beliefs succinctly.*br*The Law of Three-Fold Return accords with my experience*br*of life.  The binary, polar, dual structure is like a*br*well-fitted coat on the body of my Taoist thinking.  In*br*short, I was primed and ready.*br*  But even withal, I might not have stepped on that path*br*if I had not met one man whose essays on Paganism and*br*Wicca are clear and well-reasoned.  He was and is living*br*proof that a man can adopt the craft and retain*br*intellectual respect and a masculine role while*br*exploring and developing the "feminine" portion of his*br*psyche.*p**br*From Lokrien*br*Wicca isn't so much a Goddess religion, as it is a*br*God and Goddess religion.  True, the Goddess does*br*seem to be a bit more emphasized.*br*  As for why men (and others) are attracted to it;*br*I believe that a religion should be a nurturing*br*(feminine) experience, as opposed to an authoritarian*br*(masculine) controller of society.*p**br*Do Men have a place in Wicca?*p**br*Michael Thorn writes:*br*Not enough people ask why men would find witchcraft*br*of interest.  There are many articles that focus on*br*why women find and flourish in the religion.  The*br*male experience is rarely explored.  I think that*br*through Witchcraft men and women have an opportunity to*br*re-vision a male deity and a female deity who break the*br*common Judeo-Christian-Islamic mold.*br*  The Goddess is powerful and loving and not subservient*br*to anyone.  The God is loving and shares power with the*br*Goddess.  There is no*br*controlling or "power over".  They are both*br*participants in the dance of creation that unfolds*br*in the universe without and the universe within,*br*for their interplay is also happening within each*br*of us.*p**br*  What does a man get from being in a Goddess religion?*br* *br*  A sense of balance and peace, we find love and trust,*br*and a place for us to grow in a safe haven, protected*br*from the hurtful world.  We find a deeper fulfillment*br*than the world can give to us.  We find an understanding*br*of each other by balancing the masculine and feminine*br*within ourselves, and if we are lucky, we find the love*br*of Our Lady that knows no bounds.*p**br*Paul S.C. Suliin writes:*br*I find for myself that getting reacquainted with the*br*Lady has given me a new perspective on women and*br*womanhood, and my work with the Lord has improved my*br*opinion of myself and all humanity.  It seems to me that*br*the one way of expressing the "Great Work" is "to come*br*to know the Divine as it manifests within yourself and*br*others, and to recognize the connection it forges*br*between you and the world around you."*p**br*BigBrother ponders:*br*I agree more with the nurturing bit than exploring the*br*feminine side of ourselves.  If that were true than more*br*women would be into religions that help them explore the*br*masculine side of themselves and I don't see that*br*happening.*p**br*  What can Men bring to a Goddess Religion?*br*  As men, we face an uphill battle in coming to know our*br*feminine side, since it embodies most of what we have*br*been programed to avoid.  "Real Men" do not cry, do not*br*feel, do not nurture but take what they want.  Wicca*br*offers men a chance to be exposed to women that are*br*secure in their own rights, and so are free to gain a*br*model for balancing their own feminine side.  Women too*br*have been stunted, since they have been denied a*br*balanced masculine image to balance the male side of*br*their own existence.*br*  This has resulted in a society of cripples.  Wicca*br*offers a chance for a balance.  We can bring our drive,*br*our love, our masculine balance to a feminine*br*experience.  In short, we can provide the other half of*br*the Circle, and with our sisters, help to bring harmony*br*to our Circle, and to the world with our example.*p**br*Another writer contributed:*br*  My own reason for being attracted to a Goddess*br*Religion is that I was raised to treat all people*br*equally.  I wasn't taught that there were certain (other*br*than biological, like child bearing) roles that men and*br*women had -- rather, I was taught that everybody helps*br*out...  Plus, my personal experience has shown that --*br*in my particular profession -- men do not have an edge*br*in ability.*br*  I couldn't believe that women are inherently evil.*br*  I couldn't believe that my gay friends were evil.*br*  I couldn't believe that thinking for yourself --*br*rather than taking it ALL on faith -- was evil.*br*  In short, Wicca believes what I believe.  I am part of*br*a thriving religion -- not a religion where people go*br*through the motions and tithe when they feel guilty.*br*Wicca is a religion to live 7 days a week, 12 months a*br*year...*p**br*And another:*br*      One can almost see a feminine religion as a means*br*    of balancing a masculine government/corporate*br*    authority.*br*      A Goddess religion is also attractive as a means*br*    of exploring how a man can emphasize his feminine.*br*    If nothing else, it provides one of the few models*br*    of a positive femininity available in this society.*br*      "Normal" socialization emphasizes the negative*br*    aspects of the feminine and puts a male at war*br*    against half his nature. (i.e. the feminine.)*br*      To suddenly turn around and WORSHIP this feminine*br*    way can even be a sort of rebellion against society*br*    and its training.*p**br*  In conclusion, most men seem to be drawn into a relationship with*br*the Gods and Goddesses because we feel stunted by orthodox religions,*br*and recognize that we need the balance that a feminine religion can*br*bring.  Most of us are introverts, and spend time examining our own*br*motives and weaknesses with a ruthlessness that is sometimes painful,*br*but almost always honest with ourselves.  This brings us to the point*br*where we can see and acknowledge our human failings, and are willing*br*to work on them, hopefully with the love and companionship of our*br*brothers and sisters, but even by ourselves when necessary.*p**br*  Who are these men that are quoted here?  Are we pillars of the*br*Wiccan Community?  Are we the High and the Mighty?  No, we are just*br*the Sons of the God and the Goddess.  We live, we breathe, we love, we*br*feel pain, we cry, we laugh.  We are half of the Human Race, seeking*br*balance with our Deities, ourselves, and the rest of humankind.
wiccan research- help needed !
laura
530
Wed Mar 22 15:56:17 2000