.American Witchcraft

©2009 John Reder

Distribution is welcome

.

The subject of Witchcraft in America is a confusing one, the concept being muddled primarily from a basic misunderstanding of what Witchcraft is, and what it is not.

Witchcraft is the name that was used by the Christian Church to stigmatize the pagan practitioners of "The Old Religions", which was the continuation of the practices of the native spiritual and cultural beliefs of Europeans and others that existed prior to the advent of Christianity. Simply put, it is a descriptive (and demonizing) term for anyone who practices a pagan or nature based religion.

As in most areas of the world where the native peoples were colonized by Christian “civilizations” the term witchcraft, as we think we understand it today did not exist prior to the arrival of the Europeans to America. Even when the label “witch” was used; it was exclusively applied to the European settlers and not the native people themselves. Those native people that practiced the Old ways were referred to as “heathens” and their religious leaders as either medicine men and women or “shamans”.

The word "shaman" originated in Siberia and it describes a specialized type of holy person who practices not only with prayer, ritual and offerings, but through direct contact with the spirits themselves. Because trances were so important to the Native American people as a means of getting in touch with spiritual forces, the title “Pow-Wow”, ( from the Algonquin word “pauwau”; meaning  “one who has visions"), was accorded to those who fulfilled this role in the tribe. The word, whose spelling was eventually settled in English as “pow-wow”, was also used as the name for ceremonies and councils, because of the important role played by the pauwau in both. Though the nature of the shaman and the pauwau is similar, many Native Americans find the word “shaman” offensive and one should not use the word to label Native American tribal vision seekers.

All pagan religions are local nature religions, meaning that although the principles are universal, local myths and legends predominate the culture, which the local ritual must embody, as the local tribal allegorical references. It was therefore, within the natural order, that when European settlers of tradition pagan beliefs immigrated to America that they adopt local myths, customs and into their pagan beliefs and rituals. While some wish to claim these traditions as Wiccan or neo-paganism the traditions of American Witchcraft are merely a communion of the European “Old Ways” with the spirits and energies of the land which is now their home.

The homeland is quite possibly the most important aspect of Traditional Witchcraft. The homeland is the home of the Gods, and in many beliefs the two are synonymous. The early inhabitants of Europe believed that the Gods they venerated inhabited the land itself. Many were migratory people, and so as they traveled across the continent they took their Gods with them. As they traveled, though, these people often looked toward the North Star, Polaris, for guidance. It was a fixed point in the night sky that they used as a reference point.

When these early Pagans wished to honor their Gods, they created a connection between their homeland, where their Gods resided, and the land where they stood. In this way, the new land became a part of the homeland. The elemental correspondences to the cardinal directions act as a way of aligning yourself with the homeland.

When a Witch is within the land that is within the boundaries of the homeland, they do not need to use the correspondences to make a connection. Instead, they evoke or invoke the land itself. The concept of the homeland is something which is very integral to the religion of Witchcraft, but also something that is completely missing from Neo-Paganism.

The Pow-Wow Tradition is a classic example of this melding of “The Old Ways” of the Europeans and local native beliefs. Though some claim that the Pow-Wow Tradition is German in its origin, it is more an adoption of local Native American traditions by the early German and Dutch immigrants of pagan heritage who settled in the Pennsylvania region of the United States.

Observing the Algonquin's powwows, the pagan immigrants discovered that like themselves, the Natives used charms and incantations for healing. Impressed with their methods of driving out evil spirits, they adopted the term “powwowing” to refer to their own magickal healings. As their practice of magick was also centered on herbs and healing, they learned from the local people about the native roots and herbs for use in charms and healing.

As stated earlier, the term Pow-Wow comes from the Algonquin word ‘pauwau’”, meaning ‘vision seeker’ and the Pow-Wow Witches encompass shamanic like rituals of healing through visions and the application of traditional medicines, which are often accompanied by prayers, incantations, songs, and dances. The Pow-Wow Tradition places great significance on the vision seeker as the nexus of group (coven) activities and rituals.

Perhaps the most fascinating of the European/American merging of pagan ritual and practices is the Appalachian Granny Magic Tradition. Dating back to the first settlers of the Appalachian Mountains who came to the United States from Scotland and Ireland in the 1700's and who brought with them their "Old World" magical traditions. Those traditions were then blended with the local traditions of the Cherokee into a combination of folk remedies, faith healing, storytelling and magick. The 'Granny' Witches call themselves 'Doctor Witches' or 'Water Witches' depending upon whether they are more gifted in healing and midwifery, or if they are more in tune with dowsing for water, lay lines and energy vortexes. This tradition is termed 'Granny' from the prominent role played by older women in the mountain communities. Which calls to mind the image of “Granny” or “Doctor Granny” from “The Beverly Hillbillies” who, though a comic parody, was a fairly realistic representation of an actual Appalachian “Granny Witch”.

Therefore, the traditions of American Witchcraft are not a “new witchcraft”. They are not Wiccan, nor neo-pagan. They are simply the ways that pagan immigrants have found to bring the native spirits of their new homeland into harmony with their traditional beliefs and practices in order to find their way around the new neighborhood.

.
.

You Have A Pagan Student In Your School

A Guide For Educators

©1998 Cecylyna Dewr

Distribution is welcome

A student in your school practices a religion with which you may not be familiar. This leaflet is simply to give you information you may need to understand the different experiences this student may share with you, and answer any questions you might have.

What is a Pagan student likely to practice and believe?

Because Pagans generally follow a non-credal, non-dogmatic spirituality, there may be even more variants between Pagan religious beliefs than there are between denominations of Christianity. The most commonly practiced types of Paganism are Wicca, Asatru, Druidry, or simply Paganism, just as a Christian can be Catholic, Presbyterian, or simply Christian. All of these are somewhat different from each other. Because of this, the following statements may not be true for every Pagan you encounter. However, there are some practices that are generally common among Pagans; the student or his parents will tell you if their practices differ significantly from the following:

• A Pagan student will celebrate a nature-based, polytheistic religion
• A Pagan student will honor Divinity as both God and Goddess, sometimes with a feminist emphasis on the Goddess. One effect of this is that the student is likely to treat gender equality as an assumption.
• A Pagan student will celebrate religious ceremonies with small groups on Full Moons and at the beginning and midpoint of each season, rather than with large congregations or at a set weekly schedule. These celebrations are often called 'rituals', 'circles', ‘blots’, or ‘sumbels’, and the congregations called 'covens', 'groves', 'hearths', or 'circles'. Some of the items commonly found on the altar in a Pagan ceremony are statues of the Goddess or God, candles, crystals, wands, the athame, a blunt-edged dagger used as a symbol and not as a tool with which to cut, cups, cauldrons, incense, and a five-pointed star called the pentagram or pentacle.
• A Pagan student may wear a symbol of his or her religion as an item of jewelry. The most common symbol is the pentacle, a five-pointed star in a circle. The misconception of the pentagram as a satanic symbol is based upon its inverted use by those groups, in the same manner in which devil-worshippers may use the Christian cross inverted. The meaning of the pentacle as worn by Pagans is rooted in the beliefs of the Greek Pythagoreans, for whom the pentagram embodied perfect balance and wisdom; inserting the star in the circle adds the symbol of eternity and unity. Other jewelry that may be worn includes Celtic knotwork, crosses, and triskelions; Thor’s hammer; the labrys, a double-headed axe used as a symbol by Greco-Roman worship of Cybele; Goddess figurines; crescent and/or full Moon symbols; the Yin-Yang symbol; or the eye of Horus or horns of Isis from Egyptian mythology.
• A Pagan student will view Divinity as immanent in Nature and humanity, and view all things as interconnected. This often leads to a concern with ecology and the environment, and a fascination with the cycle of life.
• A Pagan student will believe in magic, and may spell it 'magick' to differentiate it from stage illusions. This may include belief in personal energy fields like the Chinese concept of chi, and may also include the use of rituals and tools to dramatize and focus positive thinking and visualization techniques. It does not mean that the student is taught that he can wiggle his nose to clean his room, summon spirits or demons, or do anything else that breaks natural laws, though if young, like any child, a Pagan child may pretend these things. It also does not mean that the student is taught to hex or curse; in our ethical structure such actions are believed to rebound on the sender, and therefore are proscribed.
• A Pagan student may believe in reincarnation. It is the most common eschatological belief held among Pagans, but is not universal. However, a Pagan student is unlikely to believe in either Heaven or Hell; she may believe in the Celtic Summerland, a place of rest between incarnations, or Valhalla, a realm of honor in Norse religions.
• A Pagan student may call herself a Witch, a Wiccan, a Pagan or Neo-Pagan, a Goddess-worshipper, an Asatruer, a Druid, or a Heathen. He is unlikely to call himself a Warlock, as that is believed to come from the Scottish word for 'oathbreaker'. And while a Pagan student may or may not be offended by the stereotype, she is likely to quickly inform you that the green-skinned, warty-nosed caricature displayed at Halloween bears no relation to her religion.
• A Pagan student will be taught ethics emphasizing both personal freedom and personal responsibility Pagan ethics allow personal freedom within a framework of personal responsibility. The primary basis for Pagan ethics is the understanding that everything is interconnected, that nothing exists without affecting others, and that every action has a consequence. There is no concept of forgiveness for sin in the Pagan ethical system; the consequences of one's actions must be faced and reparations made as necessary against anyone whom you have harmed. There are no arbitrary rules about moral issues; instead, every action must be weighed against the awareness of what harm it could cause. Thus, for example, consensual homosexuality would be a null issue morally because it harms no one, but cheating would be wrong because it harms one's self, one's intellect, one's integrity, and takes unfair advantage of the person from whom you are cheating. The most common forms in which these ethics are stated are the Wiccan Rede, "An it harm none, do as thou wilt," and in the Threefold Law, "Whatsoever you do returns to you threefold."
• A Pagan student will hold a paradigm that embraces plurality. Because Pagan religious systems hold that theirs is a way among many, not the only road to truth, and because Pagans explore a variety of Deities among their pantheons, both male and female, a Pagan student will be brought up in an atmosphere that discourages discrimination based on differences such as race or gender, and encourages individuality, self-discovery and independent thought. A Pagan student is also likely to be taught comparative religions; most Pagans are adamant about not forcing their beliefs on the child but rather teaching them many spiritual systems and letting the child decide when he is of age. However, a Pagan student is unlikely to have an emotional concept of Heaven, Hell, or salvation as taught by Christian religions, though he may know about them intellectually. And a Pagan student will be taught to respect the sacred texts of other religions, but is unlikely to believe them literally where they conflict with scientific theory or purport to be the only truth.
• A Pagan student is likely to enjoy reading, science, and helping professions. Margot Adler, National Public Radio journalist, reported the results of a survey of Pagans in the 1989 edition of her book, Drawing Down the Moon. The results showed that the one thing Pagans hold in common despite their differences is a voracious appetite for reading and learning. Pagans also seem to be represented strongly in the computer and health-care fields, so the Pagan child is likely to be computer-literate from an early age.

Despite their sometimes misunderstood beliefs, earth-based religions have grown steadily throughout the past few decades, and provide a satisfying spirituality to their practitioners. With the current appreciation of diversity and tolerance, more people now understand that different cultural backgrounds bring perspectives that can be valued instead of feared. It is our hope that as an educator this will provide you with the information you need to be able to facilitate understanding.

©1998 Cecylyna Dewr
Distribution is welcome.

Pagans In The Workplace:

A Guide For Managers and Human Resource Directors

©1998 Cecylyna Dewr

Distribution is welcome

An employee at your company practices a religion with which you may not be familiar. This leaflet is simply to give you information you may need to understand the different experiences this employee may share with you, and answer any questions you might have.

What is a Pagan employee likely to practice and believe?

Because Pagans generally follow a non-credal, non-dogmatic spirituality, there may be even more variants between Pagan religious beliefs than there are between denominations of Christianity. 

The most commonly practiced types of Paganism are Wicca, Asatru, Druidry, or simply Paganism or Neo-Paganism, just as a Christian can be Catholic, Presbyterian, or simply Christian. All of these are somewhat different from each other. Because of this, the following statements may not be true for every Pagan you encounter. However, there are some practices that are generally common among Pagans; the employee can tell you if his practices differ significantly from the following:

• A Pagan employee will celebrate a nature-based, polytheistic religion
• A Pagan employee will honor Divinity as both God and Goddess, sometimes with a feminist emphasis on the Goddess. One effect of this is that the employee is likely to treat gender equality as an assumption.
• A Pagan employee will celebrate religious ceremonies with small groups on an astronomical schedule, rather than with large congregations or on a set weekly schedule. Most observe the beginning and midpoint of each season as major holidays (sometimes called Sabbats); some also celebrate on Full Moons (sometimes called Esbats). These celebrations are called rituals, circles, or blots, and the congregations called covens, groves, hearths, or circles. Some sects believe that holding the ceremony at the exact astrological moment is important. Others will schedule their gatherings at the closest convenient time. Your employee may want time off during some or all of these times. Requests should be treated the same as any other religious time off request; that some Pagans do not ask for time off should not invalidate the needs of the others whose tradition follows a more structured calendar.
• A Pagan employee may wear a symbol of his or her religion as an item of jewelry. The most common symbol is the pentacle, a five-pointed star in a circle. The misconception of the pentagram as a satanic symbol is based upon its inverted use by those groups, in the same manner in which devil-worshippers may use the Christian cross inverted. The meaning of the pentacle as worn by Pagans is rooted in the beliefs of the Greek Pythagoreans, for whom the pentagram embodied perfect balance and wisdom; inserting the star in the circle adds the symbol of eternity and unity. Other jewelry that may be worn includes Celtic knotwork, crosses, and triskelions; Thor’s hammer; the labrys, a double-headed axe used as a symbol by Greco-Roman worship of Cybele; Goddess figurines; crescent and/or full Moon symbols; the Yin-Yang symbol; or an ankh, eye of Horus or horns of Isis from Egyptian mythology.
• A Pagan employee will honor Divinity as immanent in Nature and humanity, and view all things as interconnected. This often leads to a concern with recycling, ecology and the environment, and a fascination with the natural life cycle and seasonal patterns.
• A Pagan employee may believe in magic, and may spell it "magick" to differentiate it from stage illusions. This may include belief in personal energy fields like the Chinese concept of chi. Quite often it also includes the use of rituals and tools to dramatize and focus positive thinking and visualization techniques, many of which are virtually identical to the techniques taught by motivational leaders and found in books such asThe One Minute Manager and Unlimited Power. Just as in motivational training, the object is to focus on positive issues. Therefore, a Pagan will not attempt to "hex" or curse; in their ethical structure such actions are believed to rebound on the sender, and therefore are proscribed.
• A Pagan employee may call herself a Witch, a Wiccan, a Pagan or Neo-Pagan, a Goddess-worshipper, an Asatruar, an Odinist, a Druid, or a Heathen. He is unlikely to call himself a "Warlock", as that is believed to come from the Scottish word for "oathbreaker". And while a Pagan employee may or may not be offended by the stereotype, she is likely to quickly inform you that the green-skinned, warty-nosed caricature displayed at Halloween bears no relation to her religion.
• A Pagan employee will hold ethics emphasizing both personal freedom and personal responsibility. Pagan ethics allow personal freedom within a framework of personal responsibility. The primary basis for Pagan ethics is the understanding that everything is interconnected, that nothing exists alone, and that every action has a consequence. There is no concept of forgiveness for sin in the Pagan ethical system; the consequences of one's actions must be faced and reparations made as necessary against anyone whom one has harmed. There are no arbitrary rules about moral issues; instead, every action must be weighed against the awareness of what harm it could cause.  Thus, for example, a Pagan employee could consider consensual homosexuality a null issue morally because it is an individual decision involving sharing love with another person. Yet stealing would be wrong because it harms one's integrity and the business environment, and causes the costs of the theft to be absorbed by innocent consumers. The most common forms in which these ethics are stated are the Wiccan Rede, "An it harm none, do as thou wilt," and in the Threefold Law, "Whatsoever you do returns to you threefold."
• A Pagan employee will hold a paradigm that embraces plurality. Because Pagan religious systems hold that theirs is a way among many, not the only road to truth,and because Pagans revere a variety of Deities among their pantheons, both male and female, a Pagan employee will believe that each person is free to choose his or her own destiny, and will not believe in evangelizing or proselytizing.  One advantage of this is that a Pagan employee will thrive in a pluralistic environment, eager to support an atmosphere that discourages discrimination based on differences such as race or gender and encourages individuality, self-discovery and independent thought. A Pagan employee is also likely to have knowledge of other religions; most Pagans have explored other spirituality before deciding on their own. Because Neo-Paganism’s mainstream popularity is less than 50 years old, few Pagans were born in the faith, but those who are were likely taught about many religions as well; Pagan parents are adamant about not forcing their beliefs on the child but rather teaching them and letting the child decide when he is of age. While a Pagan employee will focus more on individual experience of the numinous than written dogma, she will respect the sacred texts of other religions, but be unlikely to believe them literally where they conflict with scientific theory or purport to be the only truth.
• A Pagan employee is likely to enjoy reading, science, and helping professions.Margot Adler, National Public Radio journalist, reported the results of a survey of Pagans in the 1989 edition of her book, Drawing Down the Moon. The results showed that the one thing Pagans hold in common despite their differences is a voracious appetite for reading and learning. Pagans also seem to be represented strongly in the computer and health-care fields, so the Pagan employee is likely to be computer-literate and highly effective in any helping profession.

Despite its sometimes-misunderstood beliefs, Paganism is believed to be currently the fastest-growing religion, and provides a satisfying spirituality to its practitioners. With the present appreciation of diversity and tolerance in the business environment, more people now understand that different cultural backgrounds bring perspectives that can be valued instead of feared. It is our hope that as a manager or human resources executive this will provide you with the information you need to be able to facilitate understanding.

For more information contact Pagan Pride Project 

http://www.paganpride.org 

(317) 916-9115

 133 West Market St. 

  Indianapolis, IN 46204-2801  

.

*****

 . 

If you should find the information provided on this website to be helpful please.consider making a contribution to help support Spirit Walk Ministry

. ..Keeping these pages up and running, as a free resource, requires time and expense.and any small donation will be greatly appreciated