Does your tradition have an overarching purpose?

As I read through the threads on this site, there seems to be a very wide array of individual reasons that people are choosing to practice various traditions of witchcraft: divine mysteries; honoring the earth; personal callings; sense of power and control; community; rejection of a judeo-christian tradition...I'm sure there are many more. However, I'm unclear as to whether other traditions have specific purposes.

For example: the purpose of my practice is to nurture and protect me, mine loved ones and mine space. No more, no less.

Blessings.

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Robert Chapman on July 9, 2009 at 9:11am: My group has at it's core a purpose of honoring the spirits of nature, honoring the Gods, and working on self-empowerment. We acknowledge Rites of Passage with specific rituals and we celebrate male and female mysteries. We are technically not a witchcraft trad, although we've blended elements of trad wicca (from my own experience and training) with more simplistic shamanic practices.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by WhiteSage on July 9, 2009 at 9:16am: Hi Robert,
Thank you for replying. I'm really trying to get a basic understanding of other paradigms surrounding craft. I had no idea they would be so different.

My group has at it's core a purpose of honoring the spirits of nature, honoring the Gods, and working on self-empowerment.

Does this mean that any spells you cast should be for the purpose of honoring spirits, deities, or empowering yourself?; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Robert Chapman on July 9, 2009 at 9:26am: Im not the type of person to do spells anymore, but rather I pray and honor my Gods and sometimes ask for aid in whatever it is Im working on in my life. But it's not spell casting in the witchy sense of it. I hope that makes sense. ;p; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by WhiteSage on July 9, 2009 at 9:46am: I think I understand. I'm struggling a bit with how craft and religion have become intertwined in other paths, but your answer makes me think that by your prayer and honor of your Gods your purpose is similar to mine in that you are nurturing your life and your space; albeit by different means ; )
Blessings; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Gavyn in the green on July 9, 2009 at 9:39am: This is culled from material which is to be used on our website when reactivated:

Our primary mission is to teach those who are called to be Priests or Priestesses to the Lady and Lord of the Wicca. We welcome those of diverse genders, sexual orientations, races/ethnicities, and age. We observe the New and Full Moons as well as the eight Sabbats of the Wheel of the Year.

All that said, our primary purpose is two-fold: teaching and service to the Gods.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by WhiteSage on July 9, 2009 at 9:49am: Gavyn Thank you for the information. I'm finding Wicca to be fascinatingly diverse from my path. This might be too broad of a question (or too obtuse of a question), but can you explain what it means to be a Priest or Priestess? Is one imbued with higher knowledge, power, or a sense of personal empowerment? And, if so, is one constrained in the way those abilities are used? I hope this makes sense.

I should add, that I personally am not drawn to the Wiccan path--I am honestly just trying to get a better understanding.

Blessings.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Gavyn in the green on July 9, 2009 at 10:01am: Your questions are more than welcome, WhiteSage. Being a Priestess or Priest of this Path means to enter into Their service via initiation and to worship and honor Them by observing the New Moons, Full Moons, and Sabbats...as well as additional circles as occasions warrant. It includes respect for one's self, for others, and for the Earth. It also involves developing and maintaining a growing awareness of Them and one's connection with Them.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Arachneh on July 9, 2009 at 9:52am: Wow, another great topic. :)

Does your tradition have an overarching purpose?

I'm sure you'd get a different answer from everyone in my trad on this . . . but to me, its overarching purpose would be a contextual framework for spiritual and personal development.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by WhiteSage on July 9, 2009 at 12:22pm: Hi Gavyn, Arachneh, and Sabrina,

This might sound bizarre but is Wicca a form of witchcraft? I guess I mean, does it practice what I would define as craft: the use of intent and will to influence events? It sounds like it focuses chiefly on connecting to and communing with higher beings. Is craftwork taught?

Thanks for your patience with me : ); ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Gavyn in the green on July 9, 2009 at 12:48pm: While Wicca, as I practice it, can include spellwork...the primary purpose is a deepening relationship with the Gods I serve. A colleague of mine and I were having a discussion once about the common perception that being Wiccan means casting spells to get what one wants. With regard to the particular circles in which I interact, nothing could be further from the truth. Having the growing relationship with our Gods provides its own rewards.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by WhiteSage on July 9, 2009 at 1:04pm: Wow, so there really is no relationship between what I do and your path?!
To be clear:
1) Where I don't worship either deities or spirits, Wicca is dedicated to worship
2) Where my practice/life is centered around craft, Craft is at the most secondary to Wiccan practice.
3)Whereas my practice is devoted solely to the nurturing and protecting of day-to-day space and life on earth, Wiccan practice is devoted to nurturing and developing a relationship with Deities on a higher plane.

So where does the idea that Wicca and Witchcraft are related come from? I had thought that Wicca was based on Witchcraft? I did try to read some of Gardner's writing, but I have to admit it felt kind of foreign to me and a little bizarre. I hope I don't offend anybody by saying that...; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Arachneh on July 9, 2009 at 3:30pm: This might sound bizarre but is Wicca a form of witchcraft?

Witchcraft is an intrinsic part of Wicca (all Wiccans are Witches), but the blend of theurgy and thaumaturgy will vary from person to person, coven to coven, trad to trad . . .

Gavyn is an example of someone who focuses on deity and the spirituality of service.
My own coven is probably as magically-oriented as deity-oriented, and we do a lot of craftworking. And even within covens, you have differing declared "specialties" among the individual initiates --- some will be oriented toward deity, some toward magical practices, some a combination of both. You'll probably get a somewhat different answer from every BTW or BTW-trained person here. :)

This is one of the difficulties people (including Wiccans) have in nailing down a functional definition of Wicca . . . as an experiential path, we often deal with a given spectrum of practices rather than a single or universal form of practice.; ▶ Reply to This