Post by Mysti on Aug 6, 2007 19:40:42 GMT -5
Greetings!
This is our first class of this type of format. These board classes are a work at your own pace kind of thing and you may join in at any time. All I ask is that you work the lessons in order and not worry where others are in thier work. These classes are for your growth personally. After each section there will be questions. Please answer them to the best of your ability. This will test not only your knowledge of the material but also allow you to meditate on where you are at in your path so that you may grow.
Hugs,
Mysti
________________________________________________________
Lesson 1
As w/ the beginning of all things we begin w/ history. Some may wonder why we begin this way and so I will tell you. To know your path you must know your roots. These roots are not only w/ in witchcraft or Wicca but also within all Paganism. Knowing your roots helps you to develop a firm foundation of thought and belief.
Paganism as a whole can be traced back to Palaeolithic times. In general back about 25,000 years. We can see an unbroken line of teachings, development, and beliefs. Humanity back then depended on hunting to survive. Without a successful hunt humans would die. Humanity also recognised and were in awe of everything around them. Only someone or something greater then they could have created all of it. And so they ascribed each element, animal, and force of nature a deity. This kind of religion is called Animism.
To begin with most of the animals that were hunted had horns and so human kind pictured the god of hunting to have horns. The first god to be pictured had the face and torso of a human but the horns and feet of a deer .. some pictures depicted a longer tail then a dear .. it was all according to vision.
Magick in this time was Sympathetic. This term indicates a kind of magick that worked like this: like attracts like.. so if you acted out a successful hunt... then the real hunt would be successful... if you acted out a fertility ritual.... then the animals and humans would be fertile. etc..
At this time there was also the Goddess. To begin with She was ascribed only to fertility. If the animals were not fertile then there would be no meat and other things for humans.. if humans were not fertile then the race would not survive. And so she watched over these things.
As time went on people evolved and so did thier religion. They farmed and so the Goddess also watched over the fertility of the land.. And as they learned the store food the Hunting God became a God of nature and death and what lies after. The Goddess was still of Fertility and also of Rebirth.. Each dominated over half the seasons.
Priests and Priestesses came w/ the developement of different rituals.. They were known as the Wicca or Witan "Wise Ones". They were the doctors, lawyers, magicians, and priests. The rulers would not make a major decision w/o talking to them first.
When Christianity came into the picture they were a baby religion and man-made. For the first 1000 yrs or so they competed very heavily w/ the old religion. Many times when countries were classed christian, it was only the rulers who converted and then it was only superficially.
Next lesson will continue w/ the history.
Questions--
1. How does knowing your history (religious and mundane) help you to understand who you are?
2. Do you feel that in studying the history of your path that you have a better understanding of where you walk?
3. Define Sympathetic Magick and give some examples that you use in your everyday walk.
4. (This question is for thought and leads into the next lesson) Give the similiarities and differences of Christianity and Paganism. What other main stream religions have similar points of views?
I will give feedback for all who answer. Happy Studying!
Mysti
This is our first class of this type of format. These board classes are a work at your own pace kind of thing and you may join in at any time. All I ask is that you work the lessons in order and not worry where others are in thier work. These classes are for your growth personally. After each section there will be questions. Please answer them to the best of your ability. This will test not only your knowledge of the material but also allow you to meditate on where you are at in your path so that you may grow.
Hugs,
Mysti
________________________________________________________
Lesson 1
As w/ the beginning of all things we begin w/ history. Some may wonder why we begin this way and so I will tell you. To know your path you must know your roots. These roots are not only w/ in witchcraft or Wicca but also within all Paganism. Knowing your roots helps you to develop a firm foundation of thought and belief.
Paganism as a whole can be traced back to Palaeolithic times. In general back about 25,000 years. We can see an unbroken line of teachings, development, and beliefs. Humanity back then depended on hunting to survive. Without a successful hunt humans would die. Humanity also recognised and were in awe of everything around them. Only someone or something greater then they could have created all of it. And so they ascribed each element, animal, and force of nature a deity. This kind of religion is called Animism.
To begin with most of the animals that were hunted had horns and so human kind pictured the god of hunting to have horns. The first god to be pictured had the face and torso of a human but the horns and feet of a deer .. some pictures depicted a longer tail then a dear .. it was all according to vision.
Magick in this time was Sympathetic. This term indicates a kind of magick that worked like this: like attracts like.. so if you acted out a successful hunt... then the real hunt would be successful... if you acted out a fertility ritual.... then the animals and humans would be fertile. etc..
At this time there was also the Goddess. To begin with She was ascribed only to fertility. If the animals were not fertile then there would be no meat and other things for humans.. if humans were not fertile then the race would not survive. And so she watched over these things.
As time went on people evolved and so did thier religion. They farmed and so the Goddess also watched over the fertility of the land.. And as they learned the store food the Hunting God became a God of nature and death and what lies after. The Goddess was still of Fertility and also of Rebirth.. Each dominated over half the seasons.
Priests and Priestesses came w/ the developement of different rituals.. They were known as the Wicca or Witan "Wise Ones". They were the doctors, lawyers, magicians, and priests. The rulers would not make a major decision w/o talking to them first.
When Christianity came into the picture they were a baby religion and man-made. For the first 1000 yrs or so they competed very heavily w/ the old religion. Many times when countries were classed christian, it was only the rulers who converted and then it was only superficially.
Next lesson will continue w/ the history.
Questions--
1. How does knowing your history (religious and mundane) help you to understand who you are?
2. Do you feel that in studying the history of your path that you have a better understanding of where you walk?
3. Define Sympathetic Magick and give some examples that you use in your everyday walk.
4. (This question is for thought and leads into the next lesson) Give the similiarities and differences of Christianity and Paganism. What other main stream religions have similar points of views?
I will give feedback for all who answer. Happy Studying!
Mysti