introduction

New to the Craft

Twilight Raptor February, 2010

Merry Meet and Welcome to the “New to Witchcraft” column here at Pagan Pages.  My name is Twilight Raptor and I am new to this magazine, but not so new to the craft.  It is my goal to cover many various aspects of the craft in the column from a starting point and one of progression from then on.  Since reading is always an important part of any study, much of the information I will provide you with in future columns will of course be documented for further research on your part.  Any information that comes from an outside source will be documented through a footnote as well as a biographical reference at the end.  With no further adieu, I think it is time we get moving on our journey!

Each of us comes upon the craft at various points in our lives and it is up to us to decide just what this journey is going to entail.  Using me as an example, I felt lost when I was a young man and despite the fact that I was raised in a predominately Christian family, the need for something more was becoming increasingly more apparent.  At the age of 16 years old I began my journey into the studies of the Craft not quite knowing exactly what to expect.  In all truth, it has taken years of reading to finally be able to differentiate between the Craft and the various aspects of the Wiccan Traditions.  For those first coming across the Craft this can be at best daunting.  A new student will encounter not only the decision of whether to be solitary, but which tradition to follow as well.  It is important to understand that there is no right and wrong in Wicca.  There is only the path that you choose; the path that suits you best and above all, that you are most comfortable with.  Please don’t be confused with that which is right and wrong both morally and ethically.  Those rules still apply!

In deciding the way to best pursue the success of this column as a new writer, the most logical decision was to start at ground zero and build upon that.  So…hang on to your broomsticks and get ready for a ride!  The topic that we will be discussing next month is going to one that I consider to be vital to any person’s success within the craft: grounding your energies.  This practice is commonly done both before and after magickal workings and rituals.  We will spend some time going into detail about this and the various ways that such things can be achieved.  I realize that many of you may already be familiar with this.  If so, consider it a review as perhaps there is a new technique you may pick up!  For those who are new to this concept, we will start nice and slow to make sure that you get this process thoroughly ingrained into your regular routine.  I look forward to spending time with each of you!

If you have questions of me, I can be reached through Pagan Pages or http://myspace.com/twilightraptor.

Bright Blessings to you all and merry wishes to a happy Imbolc!

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My Introduction to Self and Path

Administrator May, 2006

My name is Mira~Nise. I live in eastern-central Florida across the water from NASA. We have a good eye’s view of the shuttle lift-offs practically from our yard. I go to a UU Church here in Florida, and know several pagans who work out there. Goes to show you not all pagans are fluffy bunnies as you gotta have some smarts to work out there.


I am a stay at home Mom, Basically my whole life, I am 42 and still have two kids at home. I home schooled the kids when they were younger and stopped when my oldest was ready for High school. I have six kids, A 25 year old tall and funny Daughter {A blonde, who dyes her hair blonde}, {I was seventeen when I had her}, A set of Strapping 23 year old twin Boys, {not identical and only 5’7}, A spit fire 22 year old Daughter, who is tiny, tiny and only 5’6. A 17 year old, six foot tall, strong and funny Son and a 14 year old Boy, who is the only one of my kids who wears glasses and gets straight A’s and also almost six feet tall. I also have six Grand-kids now!


My Husband is one of the smartest men I know, He really puts some effort into the things that he does. He is a hard worker and people genuinely like him. He works on computers at his regular job and works for a company run by the same boss that makes trips to Pakistan and other places where natural disasters have happened, to help out by supplying a special water purifier for that area. He does not do the traveling but he does manufacture the water purifiers. I tease him alot but he really is my favorite man along with our son’s and my Dad, I like his Dad pretty well too.


About My Pagan Path: I thought I was strictly Wiccan, then I began to realize you need a Deity, so I thought I was a Witch with spirituality, but I don’t cast as many spells as I think a witch is supposed to. I do cast though! I have decided that although I don’t have a particular Deity and I don’t believe, near, like I used to, in the Bible God, and after discovering that there are so many God’s and Goddesses, I came to the conclusion that they all had to come from somewhere. So, my Deity, per se’, is the Universe and it’s universal energy. Everything lives within the Universe including the Deities. The Universe holds and creates the energies that we all use. I also Surmised that the Deities use this same energy, they however, can get so much closer to the energy than we can, but we can still use the same energy as well.


An example: Rivers create an energy if you start at the source they rush with a force that creates canyons and as they get closer to the low lands they become tap water from our sink. Along the way we find many Dams {Deities} that harness the energy and supply us with it’s power. This is a good thing! There are mountain folk who get there water {energy} straight from the source, the beginning of the flow and function with a little more work but productively none the less, there is more danger involved generally, rivers (from the source) run faster and deeper, anyone ever been river rafting?


I am not saying that people should not have Deities, not at all. They are given to us for a reason, many people need them. I personally do not have a Deity, in my search however, I found the Universe and it is my means of sustaining me. I, very much, believe in a nature based religion. I believe the Deities serve the same purpose in varied ways, but ultimately to help us along in our spiritual path. The Universe is like an all encompassing Temple, where things happen, with no particular Deity to source from, I felt I needed something, so I went straight to the source, The Universe.


This way of Spirituality may not work for everyone, Nothing works for everyone. But it does work for me. I am not saying the Deities are less or non functional, I have seen them work for other people, I have seen prayers heal and have seen the need in someones heart for a higher power. I believe Deities belong in our world, our Universe.

But for those who don’t have one or any Deities, like myself, this is what I found most tangible for me. I cant see the walls of the Universe, it’s most likely, many galaxies away. But I know it’s there, I can feel it, because we live within it’s walls.


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author bio:


Mira~Nise

mira_nise@yahoo.com

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