Please don't get into that,your going to get yourself hurt.Please trust in Jesus Christ, He is the Way the Truth & the Life. I pray for you right now to find people who will encourage you to live for Him, & to denounce witchcraft. Jesus died for you ,not so Satan can take your soul to hell with him, but so you can have eternal life with the Almighty God who hung on a cross for your sins & mine.
Please please please don't get into this, it's so dangerous.May God protect you & not allow you to venture into this anymore.In Jesus name I pray Amen.
my suggestion would don't rush onto the herbs and crystals just yet, essentially Wicca puts very little emphasis on these things. You should learn all the basics first, know the beliefs of Wicca and such. (its a religion remember? not just playing with crystals and herbs)
I would suggest you read books by Gerald Gardner (since he started Wicca, his books should be the ones first read...its kinda obvious). And Doreen Valiente's books should also be read, as well as Janet & Stewart Farrar's books, Charles Leland's "Aradia, or the gospel of the witches" is also a good book.
After you have grasped the fundamental principles of Wicca, then move onto the rest like Scott Cunningham (his books explains NOTHING about Wicca, trust me.) and Raymond Buckland etc.
Try Amazon.com, they sell it at a reasonable price.
Silver Moons is spot on with her answer I'd like to add to it.
The books she suggests are all written by genuine authors who work within the craft or who were there at the beginning - the founders. Now originally Wicca was coven based - to become a Wicca one needed to find and be trained by a coven and be initiated by that coven - so those books will have a slight bias to coven workings. Don't dismiss them because you're solitary tho. A bit of history on solitary Wicca, Scott Cunningham was the first to coin this term and SM is right, there is very little of original Wicca in his books, it's what we would term 'outer court' stuff - very basic. A lot of it he's made up - not that there's anything wrong with that, thousands of people do just that - but for a more balanced view if you take the time to read the suggested books you'll be a much better informed solitary than most The teachings work just as well for solitaries.
As to your questions - firstly I'd do a little research into how crystals are mined - there's a huge new age industry around 'healing crystals' and beautiful though they are the craze for the last est double termination or 'super healer' means that the earth is being harmed significantly by doubtful mining methods - likewise the workforce who do the mining - healing crystals are often the spoil from the gem industry - and quite a lot of them are dyed or heated to create something they are not (for instance smokey quartz can be created from either Citroen or amethyst (I forget which it is) by heating) From a religion that claims peace and harmony with the earth it's not a good start is it? Geniune Wicca had no link to these practices since it was formed before that craze started. If you want healing stones then keep an eye out in your local area, every stone has some kind of healing use and the ones you find locally, that are given to you by the earth are much more effective than something mass mined and sold in crystal shops. Quartz can be found naturally, as can Jasper's and agates - it's nice to do the research and find out what you have then find out what it's used for. Keep an eye out for a hag stone too - one of the best Traditional Witchcraft (not Wicca) tools
The same thing applies to herbs - now herbalism was more part of the original Wicca in that they can be used for healing by those people trained as herbalists, invest in a good book about herbs - not a witchy one - one that will cover such things as making tinctures and ointments, and one that will give you information about the dangers of some herbs (like what not to use for a pregnant woman) which is frequently missing in the Wicca 101 books - including Scotts (ditto his incense book) next go out into your own garden and local area and find out what grows locally and what it is used for - use the witchy books in conjunction with the herbalist ones for a better idea. (anna franklin does an excellent wiccan herbal) learn how to harvest - and from the witch point of veiw how best to work in harmony using moon phases and land or plant spirits when harvesting, learn how to dry and store them, how to prepare them. Ointments are very simple, you heat some carrier oil, some beeswax and some of the fresh plant in an enamelled saucepan slowly over a low heat stirring continously. when it's been on the hob for about an hour or so take it off and let it cool a little - check that it will set (if not add more beeswax) then pour into a jar and seal. In our group we make ointments each year, last year was lavendar this year it was aloe vera (very good for more or less every skin complaint) it's coming up to elderberry time and you can make a fantastic winter syrup from them that will stop most colds in their tracks . also don't pass over the weeds - nettle is one of the most wonderful healing plants in the world, even if you just start using local stuff in a salad it's a start
Basically what I'm saying is stop with the books, get out into nature and learn from the source meditate outside, really look at what's there - the turning seasons, note how people behave during the year. Regarding the sabbats, there are thousands of online resources but again - nothing beats hands on experience. Go out and get some corn from a farmer, grind it and attempt your own bread (mix it with bought flour if you can't get much corn) for lammas (just past but it's the season not the day - they're still harvesting round here) you can attempt a simple corn dolly from grass if you don't have corn available - there's still seeds in grass and even if you dont' eat it a seed is a seed Mabon is next, learn the meanings and then really look at how the land changes as the wheel turns. Work on your own connections to the land and to Spirit or the divine. Meditate, note down how each season makes you feel - from this you can spot anything that you need to work on. Also good information can be got from old country lore books - there's a lot hidden in those that is of valuable use to a Wiccan Genuine Wicca is a learning path, and you never stop lol. I'd also suggest getting onto an online forum so you can swap notes with other solitaries
I am Wiccan (over 45 years now) I do not follow Gardener nor his group either. I am solitary. Ask away. Any books on Herbs and Crystals are good, if you are going to be a witch as well or a healer. I hate it when people point to Wicca and say it is a new belief just because one person started their own path. Not all Wicca paths are new. Also ANY book is good, even if it is a bad author. Even they have something to impart, if you are smart enough you can weed out the bad from the good. I understand your predicament. I too live in a small town.
Teawitch is right - any book can help you learn about crystals and herbs. But they do take a lot of study - and practice! - to really know what you're doing with them. As long as you realize it's not an "overnight" kind of lesson......
As for the suggested books by Buckland....he's OK....but beware, cos he does also tend to go off on the whole "buy my stuff!" rant every now and then......
Remember - this is a nature-based religion- nature provides all.
If you want guidance, go to the link below. The people there answer questions and give advice, they do not water things down and they will give it to you straight. Or, ask individual questions here.
Scott Cunningham isn't the worst author you will read, but I can't say he's the best. His way is simple. But I must impress upon you that the Wicca you get out of books is Neo-Wicca. Traditional Wicca requires you to go through initiation in a coven.
I know what it is like to live in a small town. I had to learn mostly on my own too. You can't learn everything all at once. It takes years and years and you never really stop learning. Just be self-disciplined and read everything... even the things that you don't like and the things other people tell you not to read. Learn to discern made-up history from facts. Go to your library and read on the subjects you are interested in. You'll find that everything you learn can have some connection to the Craft.
Check on Witchvox.com for their listings of local groups, people, and events in your area.
Check on Meetup.com to meet Pagans in your area. You might end up having to drive to a nearby town or city, but it is worth it.
I'm in the same situation, I think your best bet is the Internet, specifically Wilcox.com. Like someone already mentioned, you can find covens, groups, and shops (there's even one in MY small town O.o) close to or in your city. For the herbs and crystals you can order "Wicca Craft: The Modern Witches Book of Herbs, Magick and Dreams" by Gerina Dunwich on bicentennial.com
http://www.angelfire.com/empire/serpenti?
The Origins of Satanism
Satanism is not a Christian invention
Satanism predates Christianity and all other religions
Satanism is not about spooks, goblins, vampires, Halloween monsters or other related entities
Satanism is not about "evil"
Satanism is not an invention of, or a "reaction" to Christianity
Satanism is not a creation of Anton LaVey
Satanism is not about death
True Satanism is about elevating and empowering humanity to reach equality with the Gods, which was our True Creator (Satan's) intention
"IN THE SECRET OF MY KNOWLEDGE THERE IS NO GOD BUT ME"
-SATAN
From "Peace Be Unto Him"
Due to centuries of misinformation, lies, and the systematic removal of knowledge, few people these days understand or even know what ?Satanism? really is all about.
Christianity has been at liberty to dictate without any opposition, what they CLAIM Satanism to be. In order to accomplish this, the truth had to be destroyed. The Catholic Church (the original Christian Church, from which all Christian sects have evolved), heinously tortured to death and mass-murdered millions of innocent men, women and children in what was known as "The Inquisition." Some children who were burnt to death in what were known as "witch houses" were as young as two years of age.?
Christians forever rant and rave concerning the "one world order" where all identities, cultures, personal privacy's, and liberties will be lost and humanity, after being systematically bar-coded, will be lumped into a one-world slave state. What they fail to see is how their own so-called "religion" and bible have always been and are the roots of and blueprint for this regime. Everything in the Judeo/Christian Bible has been stolen and corrupted from religions predating Judaism, Christianity, and Islam from hundreds to thousands of years. Through Judaism and its tool of Christianity, all of the original spiritual teachings from around the world, (which are CONCEPTS) have been stolen from, lumped together into the "one," and corrupted into Jewish archetypes and characters and fictitious places. This has given the Jewish people as a whole a false history, political power and "spiritual" authority to which they are not entitled.
The bible is a very powerful subliminal tool to control the masses. One can see this is a man-made work as there are endless contradictions. The bible has been systematically drummed into the minds of the populace from a very early age. A lie must always be enforced as opposed to the truth which can stand on its own. Because spiritual knowledge and occult power have been removed and kept in the hands of a "chosen" few, the unknowing populace has been helpless against it. The agenda here is to create a one-world slave state with the "chosen" few ruling at the top. The perpetrators of course blame Satan to create a necessary distraction, while they use occult power to accomplish their ends. They have a history of stealing from and blaming their enemies for everything they really are and do, while always holding themselves in the highest esteem and innocence.
The original religions now known as "Satanism" (by the way, "Satan" means "enemy" in Hebrew), were all based upon what is known as the "Magnum Opus" or Great Work. The one known as "Satan" is our True Creator God. He was prevented by the other Gods from finishing his work on humanity, that of the godhead. The godhead is physical and spiritual perfection. Now, if you continue to read on, I will prove this.
The serpent is seen everywhere in ancient relics and structures. The serpent was held sacred in all areas of the ancient world. Satan is the God Ea, aka ENKI, one of the first of the Nephilim to arrive on this planet and establish the first civilization. In Sumerian mythology, Enki's symbol was always the serpent.
The serpent represents the DNA, the life force and the kindling and has survived as the emblem of the American Medical Association and Veterinary medicine, where it is symbolic of life and healing. Only with the coming of Judeo/Christianity, has this sacred symbol been desecrated and blasphemed.
help im studying wicca but im on my own and i live in a small town ive read scott cun
I'd like to add to it.
