[ SECRET POST #2260 ]

[case]

⌈ Secret Post #2260 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 04 pages, 080 secrets from Secret Submission Post #323.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 1 2 - too big ], [ 1 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

"Do you, OP, believe that you can cast spells, and that they work?"

OP - Yes, and no. No I don't believe I can cast spells Harry Potter style, but in Wicca spells are sort of like prayers, only with more ritual involved. It also involves the raising and release of energy, which we believe can affect things like conscience (and here I should probably pause a moment and say this is just how I personally describe spell work, and another Wiccan may see it, or explain it another way all together - in other words, not trying to speak for all Wiccans here, we're all individuals with our own take on things).

Okay, now that I've gotten the disclaimer out the way - say, for example, I want to do a spell to get a job. I create sacred space, do an appropriate ritual, raise power/energy (usually done through dancing, drumming, chanting, breathing exercises, and the like), and then release that energy out into the universe with my intent, in this case 'I intend to get a job'. So then maybe when I go to an interview, I remember the ritual, I remember the shift in consciousness I felt, I feel more confident as a result, I'm not as nervous, I ace the interview, I get the job. Same as a Christian might pray for a job, and go to an interview feeling more relaxed because they have faith that God will do right by them, and that shows through in their interview style, and they get the job. Does that make sense? It's not 'magic' like wave a magic wand and *poof* something happens, but it is magic from the point of view that we're using energy to bend or shape things to our will (will in this context meaning 'want').

Generally speaking, when it comes to our 'will' or what we want, many Wiccans, including myself, follow the guidelines of "For the good of the all, for the good of others, for the good of ourselves" - meaning we work for the good of the universe and the planet before anything, then we work for the good of others, and finally we work for the good of ourselves. Also intent in magic really is everything. Just to go back to the 'spell to get a job' example, say I did the ritual, raised energy, and all that, but in the back of mind I'm thinking 'I know I really need a job right now, but I really don't want this particular job, I'm only going for it because I'm broke and desperate', then chances are I'm going to carry that to the interview, I'm going to be silently hoping the spell hasn't really worked, I'm probably going to be nervous as hell, and completely screw the interview up - end result, no job.

I hope I've been able to explain that properly. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask. I'm not like an expert or anything, but I've followed the Wiccan path for the last 24 years (since I was 16) and I'm always happy to answer people's queries as best I can. :)

[(Anonymous)]

"Same as a Christian might pray for a job, and go to an interview feeling more relaxed because they have faith that God will do right by them,"


Um. Pretty sure that is the exact opposite of how a Christian is to pray for/about things, imo. "Thy will be done" &c. Also, sometimes the "right" answer is no.....

[(Anonymous)]

OP

Okay, that might have been a bad example. I find this sort of stuff hard to explain, so I was trying to think of something relatable to illustrate what I meant. I see a lot of my Christian friends talking about putting their trust in God, and the Lord will always do right by them, their faith will see them through, and so on, so I figured they might use prayer in a similar way. I totally am prepared to admit that I'm not Christian, and I could have completely misunderstood or gotten it all wrong. If there are any Christians reading as well, please feel free to correct me if I've said anything wrong, or given any wrong examples of your faith.

[(Anonymous)]

As a Christian with a higher than average exposure to Wicca (well, paganism, really, but let's not split hairs), I would equate them. Of course, there is a strong understanding in Christianity that what the penitent wants is not always the best thing so it doesn't result as expected, but I was under the impression that pagans employed a similar understanding. At least, all my pagan friends seemed to.

[(Anonymous)]

OP

Thank you for the clarification, and yes, you're right. Again not speaking for all Wiccans here but there does tend to be this tendency to lean towards the side of 'We get what we most need, and not necessarily what we want'.

[(Anonymous)]

SA
Ah, isn't that always the difficulty, though. There are some many shades to both religions that it is hard to get everyone to agree on, well, anything.

That and people seem afraid to see any sort of similarity, as if it invalidated either viewpoint.

[elialshadowpine]

IDK, that's how a lot of Christians I've known have treated prayers. Sorta. It's simplified, because yes, as you say there's the "God's will" thing, and maybe God will want something different. However, I'd still say that prayer affects people in similar ways as the OP is giving an example of with increased confidence, etc. Just, if they don't get the job, they may be more likely to shrug and figure that it just wasn't in God's plan.

Some Wiccans (and other neopagans) approach it the same way too, only insert their personal deity or the universe in general instead of God.

[(Anonymous)]

Christianity is hardly a consistent religion. The branches you are familiar with may interpret scripture in a way that does not rely on prayer but that is not true for a broad range of others. Wicca spellcasting, when you strip it of some of its ritual, is really not that far from popular forms of prayer in American evangelism or Southern Baptist churches, especially African-American ones.

You can make many comparisons between Christianity and Wicca, partly because both are extremely loose terms and partly because Wicca has a lot of converts from Christianity. The high level of ritual is similar to Catholicism or Eastern Orthodox traditions. Hell, even Methodist churches mark the religious seasons by changing the colors of altar hangings and alternating candles.