What's Wrong With Wicca

Wicca is a religion that seem doomed to the same controversy and multiple schisms that shattered the Christian church in the first two centuries CE and in modern times. LIke the early Christians, there is no one central authority for most groups to refer to. As a result, like most pagan religions, it is not a single church, but a collection of independent sects.

The traditions of secrecy and the belief that coven can only grow so large only makes this issue bigger. Wicca started as a Mystery Religion. It required solemn vows of secrecy to protect its members and their beliefs from outsiders. This instantly created an "Us vs. Them" mentality, regardless of what the underlying philosophy states. I have been initiated into a coven, but I no longer follow the traditions they taught. This is not because I think they are wrong, but because I feel they have largely lost their meaning in vain repetition and action without thought.

The major issue I have with Traditional Wicca is excessive formalization at the expense of spirituality. This shows in many of the"traditional" rituals I have attended. Anytime someone loses their place in the script the ritual is over. Anytime some answers with anything other than the appropriate scripted ritual response, people get flummoxed.

On of the biggest of these complaints I have is the excessive use of "In Perfect Love and Perfect Trust". The reasons I object to this are far too many to count. I don't believe in perfection. It is a goal that is important to strive for, but impossible to reach. I trust very few, and requiring this statement of trust just to get in the door - well, I don't.

I also object to the Vows of Secrecy, especially since they seem to have been violated by the founder(s) almost as soon as they were written. I don't like secrets. They create walls, and walls create intolerance. Only by being open without being aggressive can we hope to begin to accept (not just tolerate) other faiths.

I also dislike the requirement some traditions have of being Skyclad. I have my own theories of why this was written into the faith. My theory it that the founders liked the way young high priestesses looked naked. They also required initiates to be nude at initiation for the psychological shock that opened the way to accepting a new path. It is NOT because "cloth blocks magic". That is flat out bullshit. Some cloth might block some magic. Silk, in particular, is an excellent insulator. Uncomfortable fabrics will interfere with concentration. But it is most important in magic that you be comfortable and able to focus. And that's not even addressing the legal issues involved.

Of course, Eclectic Wicca is not much better. The proliferation of fluffy bunnies, insta-witches & giggling schoolgirls who think they're getting away with something naughty makes a good, solid eclectic group very hard to find. Books like "Wicca For Dummies" make the entire faith seem like an afternoon's chore. Far too many people start down the path and a month later think they are qualified to be a High Priestess. Now, I have nothing against eclectic systems. It is the people who see them as a shortcut or just a "cool thing" rather than a real, challenging alternative path that bother me.

One of the reasons I call my faith the Wolf and Raven Path is that it is a Path - not a goal, but a way of achieving that goal. It is also not the only path, nor is it the same path for everyone. The trail meanders, splitting off and rejoining many ways in many places. My path calls for thought, study and contemplation to know what to do, and requires that once you know, you act.

Remember that I'm also on the Path. Maybe a little ahead or behind, maybe sometime breaking a new trail, but I am still a traveler. Merry Meet, Merry Part, and Merry Meet Again, fellow travelers!

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