Читать книгу 20 MINUTES TO MASTER … WICCA - Vivianne Crowley, Vivianne Crowley - Страница 13

Wicca has many aspects. To help us understand these we can divide them into five branches. These relate to what are known as the ‘Elements of the Wise’. In magical philosophy, these make up the whole of creation – Earth, Air, Fire, Water and Ether or Spirit. Ether or Spirit, the fifth non-material element, is that which binds the other four together, but which is greater than the sum of their parts.

The pentagram is a symbol strongly associated with Witches; sometimes with sinister connotations. However, there is nothing sinister about it. The pentagram is the five-pointed star that represents the five elements. It is also a symbol of the perfected human being. The four elements of material creation are surmounted by the fifth element of Spirit – the element that links us to the Divine.

In the Western magical tradition, each point of the pentagram relates to a particular element. The symbols beside each point of the pentagram are the alchemical symbols for the element.

Air in magical tradition relates to the mind, intellect, word, thought, philosophy, our ideas about the universe and our world view. Fire equates with energy, passion, will – in Wicca the magical powers. Water is the element of love, that which unites and binds us to others and to the universe around us. It is from love that our worship of the Gods, our respect for one another and our veneration of Nature springs. Water represents the religious element in Wicca. Wisecraft is Earth – the practical knowledge of the Wise Woman and Cunning Man that was the precursor of modern science. Spirit represents Wicca as an initiatory Mystery Tradition, the mystical aspect of Wicca.

This book is about these five aspects of Wicca. It does not tell you how to run a coven, but it talks about the basis of Wicca – how to begin to create a magical and spiritual life. Wicca is about many things but in particular it is about love and respect – love and respect for the Earth, its people, our environment, those near and dear to us and for ourselves. It is also about empowerment – about learning to use our energies and powers wisely and well. It is about growth and change – a spiritual growth and change that take us nearer the source of our being, the Gods. It is about harmony and rhythms: attuning to the cycle of seasons and change within our own lives and outside in the universe, and finding a sense of inner peace and harmony by becoming aware that we are part of a greater whole.

These ideas are not peculiar to Wicca. They are within all spiritual and magical traditions. Each tradition, however, speaks in its own language and symbols and has its own emphases. The Wiccan tradition speaks in the language of the Western mystery and magical tradition, some of which will be familiar to people from astrology. It also speaks in the language of Paganism – its deities are Pagan Goddesses and Gods. Wicca speaks therefore to those who recognize that the Divine does not choose to manifest itself in only one form and through a single revelation. It is constantly showing itself to us through different images until at last we understand the whole. Wicca also speaks to those for whom the energy of the Goddess is as important as that of a male God. It speaks, in short, to modern men and women who love the Earth, for whom women and men are equal, and who can respect the traditions of others while valuing and revering their own. In other words, Wicca speaks to the Wise.

All this can sound very serious but it is important to remember that while Wicca has much in common with other religions, there are important differences. To many people the word religion implies impractical ideas about sex and contraception, boring church services, a ridiculous set of beliefs, being a killjoy and going around telling other people what not to do. Wicca is a religion that celebrates the joy of being alive, the beauty of nature, the miracle of existence and consciousness, the gifts that Nature gives us. It involves solemnity but also mirth – drumming, chanting, dancing, feasting and above all fun. People are Wiccan because they enjoy it. In Wicca we follow the way of the Bodhisattva and not the way of the Buddha. We are interested in the world and seek to change it and not to flee it or retreat from it.

Let us look therefore at the Wiccan universe. But before cluttering up the brain with more words, you might like to try a simple exercise.