Harry Potter and Real Witchcraft: How should Witches Act?

Ok, I have multiple youtube video's on this subject but not a single blog post about it. After the "enlightening" moment on Yahoo! Answers yesterday to a question that was asked, I thought how appropriate for this blog.
I will be the first to say that I will stand up and defend my religion as well as any other, I will get angry and frustrated, and simply, I am still only human. This subject has aggravated me so bad that at times I  have had to step away from the computer and take a quick breather before I say something I would later regret.  Part of Walking the Path of the Goddess is to experience your emotions, whether good or bad, and embrace them at that time, then immediately let them go. Dwelling on things is not healthy at all, and it's better to take a few deep breaths and release the agitation and anger to the universe so that it can convert it to energy that will be more useful. Now, to get back to what I wanted to say.


"Harry Potter has been said to be created by a woman who is of hell itself." My usual response to this is that J.K Rowling has flat out admitted in several interviews that she is openly Christian and when she decided to do these books, that they were completely fictitious, meaning they were fake.


"Harry Potter converts kids to witchcraft." This is another one that I hear a lot of. It's variation is that it's what real witches teach to convert kids to follow witchcraft so they will go to hell and fuel the fires there. This is just silly. Here's why: 1.) Witches do not go out and convert people 2.) Witches respect that everyone has their own spiritual path they need to follow and if they find their spiritual enlightenment on a different path, then that is where they belong. 3.) Most covens don't let anyone in under the age of 18 (some will make the exception for people around the age of 16 to be outer court members, but parental consent HAS to be there). 4.) Majority of Witches DO NOT believe in a Hell (some traditions may but this is more of a personal belief than a regular belief). We believe in the Summerlands which would be the Christian equivalent to Heaven so to speak. The Summerlands are where the soul rests before being reincarnated, and everyone goes here not just the good souls (many of us joke about the nasty people in life having to do the dishes and go on log duty as the summerlands are said to be a time of relaxation, feasting and fun).


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Here's a question I responded to on Yahoo! Answers:

Has the world been infiltrated with books on witchcraft that make it seem harmless, and it is a sleeping giant?

Harry Potter books
“Billy & Howard”
“Duumvirate”
Books that are being used to destroy our kids by getting them to delve into the occult through these kinds of books and the reader has No Idea they are Satanic and demonic in their origin.
All targeting our kids to bring them to the devil in droves. Teens will embrace anything their parents are against because of the rebellious factor that their peer pressure that get them to conform to their ways, dangerous as they maybe being foolish and a "dare devil" as we all know we were in our teens got us into things we never should have been in.

Additional Details

To all naysayers go to this link please:
http://www.bible-knowledge.com/blog/inde…

This is my response: 

Honestly, As a witch, I seriously don't believe in the devil. I'm not a satan worshiper, and there is nothing "demonic" about what I do. It's people that say things like this that truly show the full level of brainwashing and propaganda spreading that has happened over the years about religions that believe in something other than Christianity. I was raised Christian, so I know full well the extent some churches go to, to accomplish this. We aren't dare devils, we don't want your kids, we don't drink blood, we aren't green and we don't go around trying to shove the Good Word of the Book of the Dead down your throats. It's not a "rebellious teen or peer pressure thing" either like you tried to mention. Witch's, bards, druids, heathens, all of us pagans push for free thinking, learning on your own, pushing you to do your own research and find your own path. Your misunderstanding of other faiths that you "don't like" is your own opinion. If it wasn't for the Catholic Church though, and other practices, Modern Day Witchcraft wouldn't have existed. Where do you think Prayer comes from? Where do you think exorcism comes from? Communion? Funeral Rites? Christening? etc.. etc.. etc.. 

These were all taken from pagan based paths in the old world when Christianity was first on the rise. You should learn the truth of your own religion before you blatantly Bash and disrespect another religion just because you don't think it's the "right" religion. I hate to be the one to say it, but there is no "right" religion for everyone, everyone is different, and no one religion has all the facts or is entirely right for everyone. Everyone has their own spiritual or lack of spiritual path they need to follow to learn more about themselves, who they are, and their own beliefs. We all have a spiritual enlightenment at one stage in our lives or another. If Christianity is right for you, then that's great, revel in it and find your inner peace, Do Not, however, Spew the verbal vomit of brainwashed propaganda onto all pagan faiths saying we all are devil worshipers. I for one do not worship an entity who's name is a Job Title. Quit Stereotyping all of us.


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This is a constant and never ending issue. If people aren't picking on Harry Potter, it's other movies or TV shows that don't properly represent witchcraft. Shows such as Charmed, Supernatural, Vampire Diaries, or Movies such as The Craft (though this one will be saved for later as it was funded by an authentic Pagan group), The Bell Book and Candle, etc...


So, to get to the point of this post: How should we really act when confronted with such bigoted ideas and closed minded individuals?


Speaking from personal experience and being kind of a hot head sometimes, my advice is to either politely agree to disagree, take a deep breath and excuse yourself, politely say you are not interested in the discussion, or just walk away.


I, personally, try to educate people as politely as possible. This can be very very difficult with some people as there are some who would rather quote bible scripture than give you an opportunity to actually state your beliefs and opinions on the subject matter. Anyone reading this has either stumbled across this blog by accident or was directed here from either Youtube (http://www.youtube.com/user/thedarkmoonmidnight ) or my facebook, or even possibly my Google account to which this blog is linked. Either way, I hope those of you who read this find yourself surrounded with the love of the Goddess and try to walk as closely to her as you can. I try my hardest to lead by example, but because even I am not perfect, I still make mistakes. Please Weigh your actions and inactions before you make a decision. Think before you speak, and take into consideration how you would feel if you were on the receiving end of what you are about to do.


Walk Firmly Knowing The Goddess Is With You Always,
Until Next Time
Rev. Lady SilverVixen








Feel free to check out my youtube channel 
My Website
and
My Coven (we are still just getting people together, I'm hoping to get things up and running soon)


Also, I know I haven't said this yet, but feel free to leave comments and opinions.

Silence

Usually I have tons to say, but lately, I have had nothing really to say. Sometimes it's better to be silent and enjoy it, than to open your mouth and verbally vomit all over everyone you talk to.

Today, I'm going to keep silent aside from these few words.

Walk in the path of the Goddess.

Being True To Yourself Is One of Many Ways to Honor the Goddess Within

So for this edition to Walking with the Goddess, I wanted to touch on being true to the self.
In being true to yourself and having sovereignty (the right to make your own decisions, and the power to implement such decisions), you are taking control of your life. You step out of the shoes of the person people want you to be, and be the person you are. Because of the functionality of portraying yourself as something you are not, this is very difficult for a lot of people. My favorite exercise for this is to image yourself as an onion, with many layers (just not as smelly).  Every time you strip a layer away, you are taking away one layer of imposed views, and the imagery of what is beautiful and what you should look like, or how to act, and even how to dress. Over time you will notice a happier and more motivated you, a more spiritual you, and most importantly, you will notice the YOU, that YOU WANT TO BE!

Walking with the Goddess is being true to yourself, honoring your personal beliefs and views, your experiences, and the ever so often thanks you may give to the Goddess for her perfection in creating you the way you were meant to be. We all have struggles and strifes, but we are all adept at persevering and overcoming even the toughest of obstacles that are laid before us. Remember to be true to who you are, and don't fight it.

"Walk firmly on your path, knowing you are always walking with the Goddess" ~Myself

Dream Recall

Dream recall is just as it sounds. It's you remembering your dreams. This takes a lot of practice and a constant record of what your dreams.
For starters though, Why should we really remember our dreams? The mind dumps them for a reason right?

Fist, your dreaming mind has more access to vital information than your waking mind does. Your dreams can serve as window to your subconscious and reveal your secret desires, your fears, and feelings.

Remembering your dreams can allow you to gain knowledge about yourself and your surroundings, as well as general self-awareness and you can even learn to heal yourself. Dreams are truly an extension of how you perceive yourself and others. Dreams can be a source of deep inspiration, wisdom, joy, imagination and overall improved psychological health (cause not all of us are completely sane anyways :P lol).

Learning to recall can help you become more assertive, confident and even a stronger individual. By remembering your dreams you can face your feelings and problems head on, and express yourself with confidence. Dreams help guide you through difficult decisions, relationship issues, health concerns, career decisions, or any little or big life struggle you may experience. Basically, by remembering your dreams you help yourself overcome and come to terms with stressful aspects of your life.


So how exactly do you remember your dreams?

For the following you are going to need a pen/pencil and a notebook and a lot of practice and effort.

Before you go to bed, try to keep a quiet mind. I'm not using clear here because honestly, lets face it, what average joe shmoe who works several jobs can clear their mind? Quieting is just letting things settle and becoming more aware of your surroundings. Let the thoughts just pass through without you over thinking them. Having too many thoughts on your mind can distract you from remembering and before sleep, tell yourself "I will remember what dreamed when I wake up." Through this power of suggestion you are instilling the motivation needed to remember before your brain does it's memory dump.

Set a regular bedtime schedule and wake up time. Make this your routine. Going to bed and waking up at a regular time every day aids in your learning to perform proper dream recall. I also find that writing everything down right after you wake up, no matter how small the detail, helps too.

Avoid alcohol, taking medication, eating fatty foods or anything high in sugar, right before bed. This can hinder your progress.

As I stated earlier, you need a pencil and a notebook, or for those that are tech savvy, a digital voice recorder next to your bed. As soon as you wake up, write everything you can remember down. Having a small lamp next to your bed is also very helpful.

Contrary to popular belief, you should not get out of bed immediately for this. Stay in bed and relax for a minute upon waking, then go right to how you felt in the dream, try to replay it, then write it down.

Write as many details as possible, and don't judge the content, or try to make sense of things. Sometimes your dreams aren't going to really mean anything at all. The idea is to just get the idea(s) down on paper.

Drawing pictures is also a good technique for those who are good at drawing.

Remember, this is not going to happen over night, so don't get discouraged. At first you may only remember a few fragments, but with practice you will be able to work more with your dream and it will be easier to recall. Eventually dream recall will just happen automatically.

Any questions please feel free to leave a comment, and I'll try to answer them to the best of my abilities. If you have non-topic related questions, message me and I'll consider them for the blog here.

Immoral Heathens- I Don't Think So

So, being a witch for 12 years now, I have to say I hear that Pagans in general are immoral, dirty, Heathens trying to take over the world, trying to steal kids, make converts, etc... Now in my first ever blog post using blogger.com, I mentioned that we don't want your kids, we don't need the converts, and I'm saying this now for good reason, we don't want to take over the world, we want people to respect the planet we live on. How is any of that nor moral? We want to respect everyone and be respected in turn. How is that not moral? Most of us adhere to not causing harm to others, whether it be the Wiccan Rede, or other tenet from another path. How is that not moral? Pagans today may be re-constructionists of older paths, but that doesn't mean our religious views are less important than others, it doesn't mean we should be subjected to persecution, it doesn't mean we should get special attention. Pagans today have every right to participate in society no different than any other religion, and have the same rights as any other religion. Has society really stooped so low as to name call, rather than show love to your neighbor? your brothers? your sisters? Really?

A Few tips for dealing with Bullying in School:

1.) Get your school to en-state a Zero Tolerance for Bullying.
2.) Ignore the bullies unless you are forced into a corner, then by all means, defend yourself
3.) Stand up for others you see being bullied and show the Bully's that their behavior is not tolerated
4.) Talk to teachers and school administration when you see bullying happen

A Few tips for dealing with Bullying in the Workplace.

1.) En-state Zero Tolerance of Bullying
2.) Talk about using an open door policy if there isn't one
3.) Document everything, and take it to the boss


The reason I wanted to place this in here, is because, as pagans there were a lot of us that dealt with bullying as kids. The sad part, is that no matter how old you get, there will always be a bully somewhere that will be waiting. These tips are based on experience, and further research into the psychology behind bullying. As you can see, it's not just schools, but workplaces as well. Utilizing open door policies, working with other co-workers, or students, the administration, etc... we can reduce bullying overall. This is a huge problem right now, keep yourself and children aware.

What is Wicca and what are common misconceptions?

What is Wicca?

Wicca is a nature based, re-constructionist religion, that honors nature and worships a God and Goddess. It is the largest of Neo-Pagan religions, though many of us detest the label of neo-pagan. Many of us are solitary practitioners rather than group practitioners. Groups in Wicca are usually called Covens, sometimes they are called Groves (this is more towards Druidism though), and is a group of witch's who gather to honor and celebrate the changing of the seasons, and the changes in life. 

Favorite Quote about this:  "We are not evil. We don't harm or seduce people. We are not dangerous. We are ordinary people like you. We have families, jobs, hopes, and dreams. We are not a cult. This religion is not a joke. We are not what you think we are from looking at T.V. We are real. We laugh, we cry. We are serious. We have a sense of humor. You don't have to be afraid of us. We don't want to convert you. And please don't try to convert us. Just give us the same right we give you--to live in peace. We are much more similar to you than you think." Margot Adler 

What about Magic and Spells?

Some of us do use spells, but it's of a personal choice whether to do so. You can be a Wiccan and NOT a Witch. 

Are Spells Evil?

Some people will say yes, some will say no. My personal view on the matter is that a spell is only as "evil" as the intent of the user.

So you have sex orgies?

No

Do you practice in the nude?

This is called Skyclad, and yes some of us do, while others do not. Again, this is another instance of personal choice.

Do you worship the Devil?

No, in order to worship the "Devil" you have to believe in him, and thus in turn believe in God as well as Jesus Christ. Most Wiccan's and witches in general, do not, thus we can not worship an entity we do not believe exists.

What are some of the BIG misconceptions about Wicca and are they true?

* We are Green, Ugly, Old Hags- this is not true at all. (I know I'm not green the last time I checked)

* We wear all black- personal choice and not true of all

* We are all women- Men are just as able to follow and practice as women, so this is a false statement.

* We are a cult- Nope, there may be some of us who are weird but we are not a cult

* We are Satanists- This goes back to the whole Devil worship thing, which we don't do

* We steal children in the night to eat them - you have to be pretty naive to believe this one - False

* We make it a point to convert Christians and others- We do not convert anyone, everyone has a path to follow and we respect that Wicca is not right for everyone. 

* Wiccans are immoral heathens- this isn't true either, we do have morals and basic tenets we follow, such as the three fold law and the wiccan rede.

* You gain "ultimate power" through witchcraft - no, you can't turn people into toads and such.

* Wiccan's are anti-Christian- Nope, wrong again. Like I said before, we honor that everyone has a chosen path, and Wicca may not be right for them. If Christianity is your chosen path then you should walk it with pride and honor. 

*Witchcraft is "Black Magic"- First of all there is no such thing, unless you are describing the intent of the user using magic. 

There's a lot more than this, but I'll post more in later blogs. If anyone has any questions, feel free to post them in comments.