Letters
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Words and What They Really Mean
A reply to Donald Michael Kraig's Words and What They Mean from NMR 4:2.
For too long Wiccans have spent tremendous amounts of time and effort in trying to distance themselves from the popular misconception of Witchcraft which persists due to an uneducated and hostile media. The problem is that we, and I include myself, have been too caught up in denying the existence and validity of a group of people who have every legitimate right to the name Witch as any of us. By adopting the very attitudes and thought processes of the people who've oppressed us, we as Wiccans have become hypocrites. To deny the existence of established Traditions, no matter their origin or our personal feelings towards them, is intellectual dishonesty and spiritually repressive.
Devil-worship is primarily a Christian heresy, but that does not limit its adoption by non-Christians. I find it amusing that Wiccans who belong to some of the most eclectic Traditions there are speak so arbitrarily about the absolute non-existence of people who might be practicing something that upsets them, or makes them uncomfortable, or has its roots in another Tradition.
Wicca does not promote Devil-worship; neither does it preclude it. Just as Christ is seen by many to be another face of the Divine Masculine, so Satan, Lucifer or `The Devil' is also very much another aspect of the same Divine Masculine Principle, or God if you prefer. Everything has its place in the pattern of it all. The energies expressed by the mythic-image and Deioform of what is generally labeled as `The Devil' and no less real, no less valid than any others. They are very specific, and very definitely not suitable for everyone. Like everything else, they have their role to play in life, and their place in the cycles and great pattern of existence.
Instead of denying someone else's path, or rejecting their Tradition out of distaste or insecurity, Wiccans might want to consider trying to come to terms with these issues and begin working upon showing people what we are, and let go of what we are not. Actions speak louder than words, so I suggest that Wiccans and Pagan get off their butts and start doing things which openly reflect our diverse, but life affirming and positive views. Accusations of Devil-worship will have little impact upon a person who is openly seen to be a strong and decent human being in the greater community around us all. It's not enough to be a big-name Pagan; we all have to express our spirituality through our actions within the world around us, otherwise no one will ever know the difference between a Devil-worshipper and a Wiccan. It's up to us to show them.
***
Despite all the screaming to the contrary, there are indeed Devil-worshipping Witches in the world and there are several varieties of them at that. I have met a few and I assure you that they really are people, not necessarily like you or me, but human beings and Witches non the less.
Since the publication of Anton LeVay's The Satanic Witch there has been an established and published tradition which has adherents who refer to themselves as Devil-worshippers, Witches and Satanists. Their path is every bit as valid as any other group who claims the heritage of Witchcraft and if anything it is perhaps a bit more honest than some.
But these folks are fairly modern and not exactly the sort of Devil-worshippers which might appeal to those of us with lineages and Traditions reaching all the way back to the Fifties and perhaps even further back to the Golden Dawn. (Yawn)
Perhaps you've heard of Aradia, it's another very old book that purports to be the `Gospel of the Witches.' Aradia is the daughter of Diana; her father is Lucifer. I'm sure most of us either know or remember enough from the Bible to recall that Lucifer is the name of the fellow who became known as Satan after he lost the revolt against JHVH a while back.
Originally Lucifer was not necessarily considered to be the Devil, as he was the most favored of the Heavenly host previous to his failed coup attempt, but later on, during those glorious Middle Ages when one of the fads was to hang, drown, or burn supposed witches, the name of Lucifer was equated with Satan or given to an altogether different demon. Since the Luciferians became a recognized heresy, Lucifer is also a Devil. My theory is that he had a lousy lawyer.
It follows that many of the Witches that follow a tradition based on Aradia are in fact worshipping the Devil's own daughter, and a case could very well be made to link them with Devil-worship. While I most certainly do not hold this view, it is one option that might well be considered before making sweeping generalizations.
Lastly, I have encountered individuals who were putting together their own Solitaire Tradition of Witchcraft based upon the historical records of the Inquisition and other sources such as the Malleaus Malifarcum, Black Pullet, etc. This is a strange mix of black magic, folk beliefs, lies and very twisted mythology which has been fleshed out by liberal doses of eclectic occultism, punk music and drugs. It's not necessarily what most Witches would define as being part of the Craft, but it does exist and it is something that very definitely passes itself off as Witchcraft. Not only that, but these folks have a better chance of being recognized as Real Witches by the authorities and especially the Church due to their use and adoption of the fraudulent text manufactured and used by the Church itself during the Inquisition.
Now, I grant that these are not the most common sorts of Traditions to be found within the Craft, or the so-called `neoPagan Community,' but they damn well do exist and Wiccans/Pagans would do well to realize this fact. Not only do these sorts of people exist, they have every right to the name Witch, even as any other Tradition. Instead of screaming, maybe it's time to face reality and start finding more effective means of dealing with this situation. Instead of predicating the identity of a Tradition of Wicca upon the supposed non-existence of certain types of Witches, perhaps it is time to start defining what makes our various ways different from the sorts of negative or stereotypical forms which we do not wish to be associated with or mistaken for.
Personally, I do not have a problem with Darksiders, but then that's my personal choice. I don't particularly feel any need to uphold the Devil any more than I'd care to deal with JHVH, but that again is a matter of personal choice and there are those who do indeed find something rewarding about doing either or both. Remember the Wiccan rede: And Ye harm none: Do what Ye will, and though I prefer the Thelemic version, it seems to sum up my feelings about this fairly well: there are Devil worshipping Witches, so what? There's more important things to do, like establishing our individual paths as positive, life affirming ones and doing legitimate service to our communities, etc. than to stand around and spout religious bigotry.
Blessed Be Y'all! J. Garrison
Minneapolis, MN
Pagan Peace in Our Time?
There are a couple of points I feel need to be made with respect to Scott Cunningham's essay, The Spirit of the Craft (NMR 3:5).
First of all, while Wiccans in general have a duty not to gossip or engage in wars of words, it is not always possible simply to say nothing. For example, suppose you knew of a group or individual that practiced black magick or severe hazing? What if you knew that some individual had set up a coven as a scam and was ripping off people's life savings? Would you feel any responsibility to warn others away from such people?
Second, not all Wiccans have the same level of responsibility. A person who operates a Pagan Information Line, for example, may find himself called upon to comment on other people or groups in the course of any given day. What sort of information is appropriate to share over the phone?
Harm none is a wonderful general principle, but it's easy to get in trouble over specific applications. (Has anyone else run into trouble here, or should I just change my Craft name to Pasta?) This is especially tricky since at least two traditions amplify the definition of harm none by noting that allowing harm to continue unchecked is not harming none.
My own experience might be enlightening. A year and a half ago, a friend told me some things about a group he was looking into that set my hair on end. All attempts to check out this group yielded no information, except for a Pagan Information Line that made vague references to reports of unethical practices. The line also gave me a name for the High Priestess of the group that turned out to be wrong.
The only thing that got any kind of results was posting an article in Pagan APA. Looking back on it, I would have refrained from mentioning what it was I had been told, since none of it turned out to hold water.
Half a year after I published that article, I finally met face to face with the High Priestess of the group in question, and we had a very nice chat. One point that was mentioned was that she considered her group fairly well known in Pagan circles. I mentioned the trouble I had finding anyone who had heard of it, and she agreed that well known is definitely a relative term. (Does anyone know who Pat Robertson is? Now that's well known!)
So, when you get wind of someone, especially in the Craft, who may be engaging in harmful practices, do you:
A) Refuse to get involved since it's all gossip anyhow?
B) Immediately boycott the person and anything he's connected with?
C) Check the story out to the best of your ability, preferably going to the person involved, before making any decisions?
In case it's not apparent, I advocate C. Notice that I said, preferably going to the person involved. Sometimes this is easier said than done. One law almost every tradition of the Craft is that of secrecy. This law has the virtue of protecting individuals from persecution. But it can make it hard to find groups if you have questions for or about them. It may be that we need a sort of Craft directory, where groups and their contact people can be listed. I had considered the possibility of starting up a Craft version of the Better Business Bureau, but maybe giving people access to qualified representatives of any group would be sufficient.
K.L.
Los Angeles, CA | 
