Wicca a modern version of witchcraft and religion
Witchcraft didn’t exactly fade away after the Salem witch trials. In fact, witchcraft and other such beliefs are still alive and being practiced today, but today’s witches won’t be flying around on brooms and tormenting small children this Halloween.
Gretchen Faulk, 49, of Salt Lake City, works for the government in environmental health, has been practicing Wicca for the last 13 years. Wicca is a modern form of witchcraft according to “The Witches’ Voice” Web site www.witchvox.com and www.witchvox.net.
Halloween is observed by Wiccans as a holy day known as Samhain to remember dead ancestors because the earth is also dying and changing to winter around this time, Faulk said.
The Catholic church got the idea of celebrating the dead from the Celtics on “All Hallows Eve” and “that is why all the little kids are now running around in spooky costumes,” Faulk said.
This Halloween she will be attending a ritual where she and other Wiccans will remember their ancestors in what ways they deem appropriate.
The Wiccan religion falls under Paganism. Faulk defines Paganism as anyone who is not Christian, Muslim or Jewish.
“All Wiccans are Pagans but not all Pagans are Wiccans,” Faulk said.
Just as other religions such as Catholicism have different denominations, the Wicca faith has different traditions including older and newer forms of the religion.
Although all Wiccans do not follow exactly the same belief system, generally Wiccans of all traditions usually worship according to seasonal cycles, believe in a masculine and feminine deity and practice magick (spelled with a k to differentiate it from stage magic), according to witchvox.
Wiccans are also commonly very environmentally sound because of their beliefs that deity exists in all things and forms of life.
“We are not separate from other life,” Faulk said.
Wiccans often practice their beliefs in groups called covens with around 13 other Wiccans or practice by themselves.
Faulk said many Wiccans believe in reincarnation.
Faulk practices Dianic Wicca which combines feminism with traditional Wicca.
“Wicca, in general, deals with deity as embodying both masculine and feminine or gods and goddesses. In Dianic Wicca we recognize that but focus just on the Goddess,” Faulk said.
“We see the gods as responsive to human needs,” she said.
Faulk was raised Catholic and as a young adult got interested in Native American spirituality which taught her a lot and eventually led her to search for information on Wicca. Around 1975 Faulk found information on Wicca in the magazine Sage Woman which she later wrote for.
“I really felt at home there,” Faulk said.
In 1989 Faulk organized a Wicca study group with some friends and seven years ago founded the Goddess Worship Service which is the only open Wiccan church in Salt Lake City.
Faulk and other members who attend the church she opened meet once a month.
“It’s pretty basic Wiccan format. We create a sacred space and invite the deity we are working with to be with us. It’s like a church,” Faulk said.
Faulk feels many people simply don’t understand Wicca and said the most common misconception is that of devil worship. Wiccans do not worship the devil and simply do not care about the idea of Satan.
“Hollywood doesn’t help any,” Faulk said. “We really don’t interact with Christian concepts and Satan is a Christian concept. We prefer not to participate in that system.
“We believe that karma shows up now and can affect you in this life depending on what you do,” she said.
Living in a predominant Christian community has not been hard for Faulk, who said she believes many in Utah who are Latter-day Saints because of their heritage know what religious persecution is like.
“One thing about Utah is that it’s highly polarized about religion and people often have a high degree of respect of that,” Faulk said. “Many people with Mormon ancestors don’t want to drive others out because of their past persecutions.
“We are not prejudice against Christians unless they interfere with our beliefs,” Faulk said. “We do believe that there are multiple paths to the spiritually divine and that Christianity is probably one of them and Wicca is one of them. I have not experienced prejudice but there are a lot of misunderstandings. We are just pursuing our own spiritual paths like we assume everybody else is doing, and in America we are lucky enough to be able to do that.”
Many misunderstandings arise when talking about magick or casting spells. Faulk does cast spells and considers herself a witch, but describes spell-craft and magick as “an organized method of trying to accomplish something in your life,” and “the art and science of moving reality according to your own will.”
“Prayer is a form of magick, the belief in miracles and other common things in other religions are forms of magick. It’s not casting spells and turning people into frogs,” Faulk said.
New Age and Metaphysical stores can be found most anywhere, and sell statues, books, herbs, tarot cards and crystals among other things to help “you on your path”, she said.
Spells are cast for health, peace of mind, prosperity and other things one might need. However, in general, Wiccans do not believe it is ethical to cast a spell on or for anyone but yourself or your family, Faulk said.
In response to those who wonder about “evil” or “bad” witches, according to Witchvox, just as there are “bad” or “good” Presbyterian’s or people of other faiths there are also “good” and “bad” witches.
Witchvox sites are maintained by a group of volunteers with neo-pagan beliefs who provide information on Wicca and other similar belief systems as well as give information on becoming a witch and getting in touch with others with alike beliefs and practices. According to witchvox there are practicing Wiccans all over the world.
“You do have active Pagans in Logan. There was even a student group at the university once,” Faulk said.
Faulk said the only official Pagan Boy Scout troop is in Ogden, and was formed by those active in the Asatru religion which focuses on old Scandinavian and Viking beliefs.