Graver's Religious History

[Jescissa]

Just didn't want to offend you!

You know what...I adore Harry Potter! It doesn't portray how real witches live and make magic and stuff, but it's an amazing story. I think there's a message in Harry Potter for everyone - try to live positively, see the magic/wonder in everything, always fight dark wizards...that sort of thing

Buffy is a little harder for me to defend. I was never into Buffy and I didn't agree with the 'high-school is hell' kind of theme. Also Willow the Witch claimed to be a Wiccan, but we never saw her do anything remotely Wiccan. Ahh well. Joss Whedon got it right when he did Firefly, I loved that show!

[Kitsune]

I feel that if you have to be worried about how tv portrays you then obviously you're not secure enough in your own beliefs.

Personally, I enjoyed Buffy for a while, but then it got a little overdone for me.

The Harry Potter set is a great set of books. A really good writing style, even if it was written for kids.

We don't take them as craft knowledge anymore than you would add Narnia to your holy books just because it was written by a devot christian.

They're just fun. And hey, if they turn people on to checking out something serious about paganism, that's all to the good.

[Graver]

*learned something* yay!

Buffy was actually the first time I was exposed to the term "Wicca" and it always struck me as odd that Willow didn't do anything but cast spells, so it immidiately set up the image of Wicca being a different denomination of Witchcraft without any difference.

It didn't help my view of wiccas when I ended up befriending one who was a 32 year old mother of two, who had lost custody of her kids and never really made an attempt to visit them. Once, she cast a spell on me, against my will, and was unapologetic for it. Then she met this dude and whisked away to South Carolina. I talked to her online a bit and found out that she had a heart attack, which left me with the assumption that it was likely drug-related. That taught me two things:

1. Never make friends at the public library
2. Wiccas are weird

I've only encountered 1 wicca in RL since then, and she was a considerable improvement, at least as far as I could tell. But I never really learned much about wicca from either of them, except that it DID include more than just spells. It took me some time to get over the first impression, though.

[Jescissa]

Once, she cast a spell on me, against my will, and was unapologetic for it.

I'm sorry you had to put up with that. Casting spells on others without their permission is usually a big no-no for most Pagan religions, including Wicca. (Obviously a spell to calm an agitated animal is slightly different because with an animal you have to do what you think is best.)

It took me some time to get over the first impression, though.

First impressions can be pretty strong. For a long time I thought there was something a bit sinister about some Christians. I went to school with one who would always try and convert me and never used to listen to what I had to say. Glad to say my opinion has changed...not to say that there aren't some sinister Christians out there, but the ones I meet most of the time are nice!

[Graver]

Yeah, we've all got our freaks. Just look at Pat Robertson and Benny Hinn... I wish people wouldn't consider them representative of Christianity, unfortunately that is what a lot of people see

[Windwalker]

As an angel, knowing who god is he must have known he was backing a loser. No way could he have thought he could win out against the supreme being. But he went for it anyway. He rebelled against the greatest power in the universe, knowing he would fail, knowing he would have to pay the price, and still he did it. This is heroic fantasy on the grand scale.
There is much we could learn from these old tales if only we listen to them instead of trying to make them all literally true.

This is why I adore Paradise Lost. And, I think, it's why Pratchett says "Anyone whose favourite character in Paradise Lost isn't Satan, isn't human". (He's actually one of the reasons I had to read it!) I love Milton's Satan, he's so terribly romantic. And don't forget those two memorable quotes:
"Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven"
and
"The mind is its own place, and in itself
Can make a Heav'n of Hell, a Hell of Heav'n."
**insert long rambling adoration of Milton here**

Fear n. - an unpleasant emotion caused by the threat of danger, pain or harm, (archaic meaning - a mixed feeling of dread and reverence)

We're all using the modern meaning of fear, while Graver is using the archaic meaning. Has that cleared anything up for anyone?

Ahhhh. Those outmoded meanings can be a pain. When I use "romantic" I mean one of two things, and neither of those are the modern meaning of romantic. It can confuse people no end. But the plasticity of language is one of the things I love most about it!

Once, she cast a spell on me, against my will, and was unapologetic for it.

Definitely not considered okay by most witches. Most serious witches, anyway. I'm sorry you had such a crappy experience with her. Be assured that many of us would give her a stern look. That sort of thing does nothing for our reputation.

[SageWolf]

Graver also remember this sometimes you have to weed out the True pagan's Heathen and wiccians. Unfortuanately there are those who took the movie Craft to heart and are all the sunnder Wiccian. But thats not nessasarily so, in all honesty it makes th Pagan religions look bad So if this woman claims she was wiccian and then turned around and cast a spell on you or whatever then she most likely was a fluff, Now don't get me wrong she could have been for real but I highly dounbt it, I very rarely cast spells for the simple fact that you don't know what will happen, I did last year cast a fertility spell, and well my cat had kittens and my other 2 cats went into heat and my dog went into heat, I cast the spell to try to regulate my periods and it didn't turn out quite the way it was suppose too, and so Now I have to deal with the animals in heat and the liter of kittens (out of season I should mention as well). Now I've got an appointment to get all but the momma cat fixed but it's still a big pain in the arse.

SageWolf

[Willow]

Sorry sagewolf, I don't mean to laugh but that is quite the entertaining outcome.

I remember a story from my church of a woman who asked God for a sign that she was doing the right thing with her life. She asked that she could have a way to constantly be reminded that god had told her the right thing to do.

She woke up the next morning with a white streak in her black hair, she couldn't die it out and rumour has it she is 70 and still has that same hair.

i guess all the gods have a sense of humour (irony?)

[Graver]

I... have no words, Sagewolf. LOL.

[Jescissa]

That's why I don't do spells all the time too. When they backfire, they backfire spectacularly! If you don't think of all the consequences beforehand you can get in a huge mess.

I've found that the longer I do this, the less spells I need. God and Goddess have given me the confidence to sort my problems out in an Earthly way first.

Poor you Sagewolf!

[Ragnar]

If you don't think of all the consequences beforehand you can get in a huge mess.

It should be remembered that lawyers make millions from doing the same thing. And MOST of theres is written down beforehand!

Casting spells is the easy part, consequential thinking is what people spend their lives learning.

[SageWolf]

Yes I thought it was funny as well Willow, it's terrible and funny at the same time, I rarely cast spells for that reason but also I find that if I just ask it's usually given too me without the spellwork and it's alot easier not having it backfire, No worries about laughing I thought it was funny to me and I thought I'd share.


SageWolf

[Kitsune]

This is why, we me & Grimwell are handfasted, we're requesting blessings for our businesses, not our fertility

Seriously, we don't even know if we want kids. And since neither of us minds the whole adoption thing, that may end up being the choice.

[Willow]

I don't think I have ever cast a spell or really prayed for anything other than guidance, I am more of a take it as it comes and if you want it go get it type of person.

But that is just me.