A Year and a Day: Days 2&3
Unfortunately I was unable to access my computer yesterday to upload my day 2 so here we are, combining them in a single post.
Let’s begin with day 2 shall we. Day 2 is about words. Also comfort levels and information. Wiccan practices are not about words. They tend to be more of barriers actually. This is something I have always felt to be true for myself. I have a hard time explaining my feelings (as I’m sure many people do) but it goes beyond being uncomfortable about talking. It’s more about my inability to find he correct words that will capture how I think and feel. Words can be limiting.
As I read through my passage for day2 in my book, there are some questions that follow a set of 9 words. They are:
“What is my comfort level in using each word?”
“How do I understand each word?”
“How do I imagine that each word impacts other people who are not involved with Wicca?”
I’d like to share my thoughts and answers to these questions. Maybe not all of them, but a little bit for each word. I will not be including the way that Wiccans define them, as this is just me sharing my personal and original thoughts on each word.
“I feel fairly comfortable using his word. It has a whimsical ring to it. However it sounds so foreign to me as it rolls off my tongue. I know firsthand that people hear it and either think ‘evil witchcraft’ or they think neopagan and regardless there are plenty of people who would be morethan uncomfortable hearing it or talking about it. I feel they assume ‘devil worshiper’ (I know my mother does) and assume it’s something bad.”
“This is a word that would need some getting used to. Growing up I was taught that witchcraft is a bad thing and it causes harm, as I currently know to be not entirely correct. I’m sure there is some level someone could take it where it may cause harm but as a general rule I feel that if done properly and with only good intentions, will turn out to be good. Other people who are not associated will probably think of the wicked witch of the west from The Wizard of Oz or the Salem witch trials and I can’t say I would blame them, as I once thought similar things.”
“Power is a tricky word for me. I know that in the context of Wicca it is meant to be a personal power created by someone’s energy, or at least that is how I’ve imagined it to be up to this point, but power also is a corrupted word. Power sometimes equates to unfairness to me. Someone with power will generally use it in a less than great way. I imagine that’s why it’s a word on this list. These words are meant to make me think about their true meaning. About how it will have an effect if thought of in a certain way.”
“This word to me has all the spiritual and religious significance. Having a Catholic background, I am able to see and understand that several religions have rituals that go by different names, commonly understood by its synonym, ceremony. I feel that perhaps some people don’t see it that way though.”
“Magic has always been something I have wanted in my life. As long as I can remember. Again, being brought up Catholic, I was told that when I want something to pray to God and just maybe I’ll get what I’ve asked for. Well I used to pray to that God and I asked him kindly for the ability to manipulate water. Water has always been the element I’ve been entranced by. I love the way it feels and moves and even just exists. Needless to say this God never granted me and magical powers. I had given up hope. I see magic as a wonderful thing, and I always have. Other people however, maybe don’t see it the way I do. They imagine perhaps scary things and uncontrollable, unpredictable, chaos.”
“I have to admit that this is a word that has always worried me. I feel nervous and a bit anxious about it. Scared even. I feel that people, including myself until reading further, associated the word occult with cult and therefore assumed the scary, women abusing, crime infested, fear inducing group that does what they want and make their own rules at the expense of others to satisfy the few in charge.”
“Pagan and paganism is something I was always taught was wrong and that it’s the religion for the devil worshipers and that they just make sacrifices and used blood to do the devils work. It was always a word of fear growing up. It still very much is for people who don’t associate themselves.”
“Not exactly a word I would consider to have bad feelings associated with it but definitely some level of discomfort. Spells were always associated with witches and witchcraft and magic. Not necessarily words that cause grief for me, but the unknown is never comfortable. When I try to imagine what others think I assume they think of fantasy stories. Harry Potter and such.”
“To be quite honest it’s hard to have any negative feelings towards this word. Who in their mind would hear Earth-religion and thing something bad? My first thought was people who love the earth,and then I imagined fairies and druids. I’m sure other people think similarly to that, or at least I hope so.”
Hopefully I’m not alone in having similar first reactions to these words. I hope anybody who bothers to read this will look into the Wiccan definitions and attempt to understand, even if they don’t plan on following Wicca or some other pagan religion/spirituality.
Onto day 3 then. For day 3 I had to get a 5-7 inch white taper candle and a candle stick. These items I grabbed today, (not at my usual store because I couldn’t get there) but there’s always somewhere that has candles and candle holders.
The idea for today was to review my initial feelings about the words above and find some common word that fits the negative feelings I had. I had to think about why I thought the way I did about them. Almost all the negative feelings I had stemmed from misinformation fed to me by the Catholic church, my mother and other relatives (absolutely not their fault) and representation in the media. The word I came up with that fits all the negativity was “unease”. I feel it suits it best because I did feel uneasy. Even the words I felt alright about were still shaky. This word I wrote on my white candle.
I suggest you don’t be like me and wait until you are close to being ready to go to sleep to do this.
As the candle burned and the wax melted with the word with it, I made the vow to never allow myself to feel such unease about my path. I vow to do research on a topic or word before allowing myself to settle with an unfortunate assumption. This will apply to everything, not just Wicca.
To take part in this ritual was enlightening for me. I feel more comfortable with these words, and also with myself. I feel empowered and confident. I was able to release a bit of tension within me and I ended up feeling better about my path than I did to begin with.
Blessed be lovelies. I hope you find your way.
germansingergirl
gamechangershow
vaporwave
theartofmadeline
amandla
turnnoffyourmind