{"id":2603,"date":"2009-10-01T01:10:34","date_gmt":"2009-10-01T06:10:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/paganpages.org\/content\/?p=2656"},"modified":"2009-10-01T10:37:34","modified_gmt":"2009-10-01T15:37:34","slug":"the-moonlit-path-a-discussion-on-pathways-and-traditions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/2009\/10\/01\/the-moonlit-path-a-discussion-on-pathways-and-traditions\/","title":{"rendered":"The Moonlit Path: A Discussion on Pathways and Traditions"},"content":{"rendered":"

North American Eclectic Wicca<\/strong><\/p>\n

As practioners, or those interested in alternative spiritual paths, we are often left on our own to learn and discover the options available to us.\u00a0 As with any journey it begins with a willingness to take the first step.\u00a0 It\u2019s my hope that this article will help some of you start your own journeys and give you an idea of the options available to you.<\/p>\n

When I started my own path over 11 years ago I had no idea what was out there.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t realize that there were so many different Traditions and Paths. I will cover both the well known and those that are more obscure.\u00a0 I have always had a great desire to help those new to their paths.\u00a0 My hope is that this column will be able to provide illumination for all.<\/p>\n

A tradition that is dear to my heart is North American Eclectic Wicca, referred here unto as, NAEW.\u00a0 NAEW is a tradition that has been around since the inception of Yarrow Coven in 1989.\u00a0 It is one of the longest standing traditions in the Midwest.<\/p>\n

The NAEW draws its inspiration from European Traditions, but sees the need to modify and adapt practices for the world in which we live.\u00a0 It\u2019s a modern approach and has a distinctly North American flavor.<\/p>\n

North American Eclectic Wicca does seek to recreate a pure form of the practices of the past.\u00a0 It is not a reclaiming or recreationist tradition.\u00a0\u00a0 Rather, it draws inspiration from the past and brings the old gods to a new land.<\/p>\n

Though NAEW draws its basic ritual structure from more traditional Wiccan practices, there are some inherent differences.\u00a0 There is a very practical nature to the approach that NAEW takes toward its spirituality.\u00a0 NAEW keeps what works and rejects what does not.\u00a0 For example NAEW does not recognize the Rule of Three, holding that it defies logic and explanation.<\/p>\n

There is no hierarchy within NAEW.\u00a0 There are no inner or outer courts associated with it.\u00a0 All the members are given equal standing within the coven and act as its own governing body with no more authority given to one individual over another. Though there is a designated High Priest and High Priestess, all members are expected to be able to fill this role.<\/p>\n

As such, there is no formal degree system for NAEW.\u00a0 Each member of the Tradition is afforded the luxury of learning and following any personal path that they choose.\u00a0 The Tradition has provided common ground to all its members and given them a structured way to celebrate as a group.<\/p>\n

North American Eclectic Wicca is a tradition that honors the past and the wheel of the year.\u00a0 It is a tradition that adapts and changes and in doing so it morphs symbolism and practices into relevant concepts to its members.\u00a0 As such it has withstood 20 years and promises many more.<\/p>\n

What is North American Eclectic Wicca? (2009). Retrieved September 15, 2009, form Yarrow Coven Web site: http:\/\/www.yarrowcoven.org<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

North American Eclectic Wicca As practioners, or those interested in alternative spiritual paths, we are often left on our own to learn and discover the options available to us.\u00a0 As with any journey it begins with a willingness to take the first step.\u00a0 It\u2019s my hope that this article will help some of you start your own journeys and give you an idea of the options available to you. When I started my own path over 11 years ago I had no idea what was out there.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t realize that there were so many different Traditions and Paths. I will cover both the well known and those that are more obscure.\u00a0 I have always had a great desire to help those new to their paths.\u00a0 My hope is that this column will be able to provide illumination for all. A tradition that is dear to my heart is North American Eclectic Wicca, referred here unto as, NAEW.\u00a0 NAEW is a tradition that has been around since the inception of Yarrow Coven in 1989.\u00a0 It is one of the longest standing traditions in the Midwest. The NAEW draws its inspiration from European Traditions, but sees the need to modify and adapt practices for the world in which we live.\u00a0 It\u2019s a modern approach and has a distinctly North American flavor. North American Eclectic Wicca does seek to recreate a pure form of the practices of the past.\u00a0 It is not a reclaiming or recreationist tradition.\u00a0\u00a0 Rather, it draws inspiration from the past and brings the old gods to a new land. Though NAEW draws its basic ritual structure from more traditional Wiccan practices, there are some inherent differences.\u00a0 There is a very practical nature to the approach that NAEW takes toward its spirituality.\u00a0 NAEW keeps what works and rejects what does not.\u00a0 For example NAEW does not recognize the Rule of Three, holding that it defies logic and explanation. There is no hierarchy within NAEW.\u00a0 There are no inner or outer courts associated with it.\u00a0 All the members are given equal standing within the coven and act as its own governing body with no more authority given to one individual over another. Though there is a designated High Priest and High Priestess, all members are expected to be able to fill this role. As such, there is no formal degree system for NAEW.\u00a0 Each member of the Tradition is afforded the luxury of learning and following any personal path that they choose.\u00a0 The Tradition has provided common ground to all its members and given them a structured way to celebrate as a group. North American Eclectic Wicca is a tradition that honors the past and the wheel of the year.\u00a0 It is a tradition that adapts and changes and in doing so it morphs symbolism and practices into relevant concepts to its members.\u00a0 As such it has withstood 20 years and promises many more. What is North American Eclectic Wicca? (2009). Retrieved September 15, 2009, form Yarrow Coven Web site: http:\/\/www.yarrowcoven.org<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":75,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"iawp_total_views":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2603","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2603","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/75"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2603"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2603\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2603"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2603"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2603"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}