Dark Side of the Craft

    You know, I named this page the Dark side of the Craft only because I lacked a better name for it. I really don't think that there is a real dark side to the craft, but also that the craft is not what it used to be.

    If you look at some of our founder's works, especially like Charles G. Leland ( I personally haven't read too much of Gardner's actual works or Doreen Valente's so I can't make a pure blanket statement), things have changed a bit. For instance, in Aradia the Gospel of the Witches, Aradia the "founder" of witchcraft talks about poisoning and revenge a lot ( especially to their oppressors ), and how Diana tricked Lucifer ( her brother and son ) into intercourse, and how angry he was afterward.

    To me that doesn't sound like ... and it harm none, not even yourself... , and also they talk about how we must be naked in our rites. Many groups do not practice that.

    I have seen a website that has mentioned that the author liked wicca but didn't like the wiccans, because what they have done to wicca. He especially quoted the old rules which stated that we must not reveal the secrets of our groups, and hide our identities. He also quoted a lot of Gardner's works. He also called the majority of wiccans fluffbunnies, and had very little respect for wiccans in general, (if you want the site e-mail me).



    There are many flaws in this thinking. The first is that if you followed his train of thought that if you reveal what and who you are, and coven secrets and the secrets of wicca you are not really a witch, then that would negate all of his quotes from Gardner, because he did just that. He declared himself a witch, and also began publishing the secrets of witchcraft. So according to his train of thought Gardner wasn't a witch, so he has no basis for his arguments. The other is that wicca is a living religion, it changes with the people. Think about it, "Aradia Gospel of the Witches" (Leland), "The Witch's Bible" (Janet and Stewart Farrar) these are Christian terms not wiccan ones. The truth of the matter is that especially in our not too far gone history, I would assume that most wiccans, witches or whatever you want to call yourself, were raised in some form of Christianity or another. Even if you weren't Christianity is so ingrained into our society some of the terms creep into even the most devout Pagan. I have heard witches say 'OH My God', which could easily be explained away as "I meant the God as in the God and the Goddess", or the bumper sticker and saying "In Goddess We Trust".

    Another one is explaining to people who are in the Christian mindset that we don't believe in Heaven or Hell, in God or Satan, and that we do not worship the Devil. In truth we DO worship Satan; HOWEVER ONLY in the mind of a Christian person, because anyone who doesn't worship God (in their minds anyway), worships Satan.

(By the way any quotes from this page must be made in their entirety.) We know that isn't the truth, but according to their truth we do. I know I'm just as guilty in this aspect as the next. It is called EDUCATION. When a child is learning math in school (like 2nd or 3rd grade) they are taught that the problem 5-9=? can't be done. Later they learn that it can be done it is a negative number. It is the same way, they are taught that if you are not Christian then you are a Devil worshipper, but through education they can learn that there are many forms of belief and that just because they are different, it doesn't make them wrong (or Devil Worshippers).

    All in all, every religion has problems, and witchcraft is no exception. But we are learning and evolving. Just because our ancestors believed in "an eye for and eye..." doesn't mean we can't change, and search for the higher meaning in our beliefs. Conflict does come and it comes too often and if it can be avoided, or a gentle compromise where everyone is the winner then that should be the right way to do things. Granted we are granting new life to old ways, but we are using the past to forge a new future, not to bring the Dark Ages back.

    So in conclusion, for those who read books from Buckland, Ravenwolf, and many of the newer authors out there, just keep in mind where we once were. Trust me I'm not saying that these authors are bad, quite the contrary I think they are wonderful authors and have many of their books myself, just that we need know where we came from and why we are headed the way we are.

Mobius

Home