[Raven0208]

I have become very interested in Wicca over the past year. I know all about it, but I, myself, am not a witch. I just would like to hear from any people out there that do practice Wicca. Do spells actually work? I don't mean to be skeptical, it's just that I have never tried one myself, and don't know anyone who has. I also understand that it's not all about casting spells. I just want some input from people who have actually done them. Thanks!

[Tralyn]

Forgive me if this is somewhat indirect... Wicca is far more than spells and I honestly think that if someone would look into Wicca for the primary use of spells they would falter.

... In other religions.. do you believe in the power of prayer? I relate the two. Sorry if that wasn't a very clear answer, my opinion though!

[tanyajaldecoa]

Hi Raven. I am extremely interested in this belief system/religion whatever Wicca is termed. I've been trying to look up info about it on line and I've tried to join a discussion board where I can ask practicing Wiccans questions. It is funny that I saw your post on this website because I came on here actually with a question about a ceiling fan. I didn't know that all types of topics were on here. Very cool. Well, I read an interesting book by E. Annie Proulx (close spelling?) called Salem Falls. It is a work of fiction but it gave me some insight into the practices of Wicca. Now, as far as the spells and stuff. Well, unfortunately my husband was cheating on me with a wicca. I was, of course, dismayed , etc. - still working through that all - but I was actually rather frightened when I found out her wiccan background. First of all, she is breaking the basic code of harming others. She harmed me and my family deeply so if her spells work, she is in for some trouble. But, on my birthday this year, in June, I woke up to find a huge, dead black crow right in front of my house. My mind went immediately to her. I haven't spoken to her, although I've tried. I have always been fascinated by Wicca and want to learn more. I hope to hear back from you and see what you've discovered. I know if you type in Wiccan Rede you'll get a lot of hits. Good luck and hope to hear soon.

[Raven0208]

Forgive me if this is somewhat indirect... Wicca is far more than spells and I honestly think that if someone would look into Wicca for the primary use of spells they would falter.

... In other religions.. do you believe in the power of prayer? I relate the two. Sorry if that wasn't a very clear answer, my opinion though!

Well, I understand that it's far more than spells. I am not looking into it for the primary use of spells. Like I said, I have been studying for a very long time. I was just wondering about that aspect of the religion, since it's the only thing I can't just look up and read about.

[Tralyn]

:)

Well, I understand that it's far more than spells. I am not looking into it for the primary use of spells. Like I said, I have been studying for a very long time. I was just wondering about that aspect of the religion, since it's the only thing I can't just look up and read about.

:o I would recommend looking into a book. There are many that explain all the aspects of the Wiccan beliefs and you can usually find one for under 15 bucks. 'Wicca For One' will explain many things.. there are books that reference Teenagers & Wicca. I am by no means a teenager but these are wonderful resources that break the core beliefs down. Wicca is based upon principles that are Very Earth Loving & People Respecting. A TRUE Wiccan knows that you are to never do harm unto others and to never wish harm unto others, you have respect for all life, all aspects of nature. Like most other religions many who are Wiccan are not practicing Wiccans, they simply hold the core beliefs in their heart... and like most other spiritual avenues, not every person claiming to be of that faith adhere to all the principles. If you have trouble finding the principles let me know and I will reference them for you here, no problem. Good for you for wondering what it's really all about - many today are interested in Wicca because of it's trendiness. It is far more than that believe me! Take Care

[Tralyn]

As I said earlier.. if you have any trouble locating the specific info let me know and I'll do what I can to help you out. Better to be informed properly than misinformed! :) Have a great day!

[Alder]

Hi, Raven

I, for one, have done Goddess-centered ritual magick (not strictly Wicca per se but a lot of what I do is very similar to specifically Wiccan method and belief) that has definitely had powerful effects. The one I'm most proud of was bringing a statue of Inana to life in Jamaica and calling upon her to weave with me a net of protection around the island which caused tropical storm Ernesto to bounce off it in August 2006. You can look at the national hurricane records that track the path of the storm. They were predicting it to nail Jamaica square on, but less than 12 hours before making landfall, it suddenly made a 90 degree turn to the right, right out of the projected area the meterologists had drawn for it. It then cut across an uninhabited stretch of cuba, brushed Florida but only took down a couple of telephone poles, then dissipated harmlessly in the Atlantic.

The Goddess is alive and Wicca is a wonderful way to come to know Her. Such a refreshing change from all those religions created by men, for men, for the worship of a male God.

Blessings,

Alder

Tanyajaldecoa, that's a pretty intense omen, having a dead crow appear on your lawn on your birthday. You might want to see if some wise crone on your discussion board can look into that for you and help you sort out what it means, and whether this is something beneficial or harmful.

[MikeS2255]

I too know someone who made a statue come to life, but that also could have been the two tabs of acid they decided to try. In all seriousness though, as Alders accomplishments are, I'd much rather see Abe Lincoln's statue come to life so that he can protect us from any terror attacks in the future. So Alder if you could work on that for us, we would greatly appreciate it.
In all seriousness however, Wiccan revolves more heavily around concoctual remedies. Remedies that are formed from mixing different ingredients found in nature, cooking them together, and using them for their intended purpose.
When I was younger I read about their spells and sought to try them myself. But upon reading into it, I realized it is, as Tralyn put it, a matter of how much you believe in the religion. Some people believe prayer is powerful enough to make concrete change.
Others believe curses can send someone to their death in a matter of weaks. The point is, if you seek out a religion strictly for having the power to do something, you won't have any success because before power comes belief.
You have to really believe in what you do if you want to perceive its effects.
In other words, the genunine part of Wiccan relgion is the remedies they create, many of which actually do work. The spell casting, cursing, and blessing are all a matter of belief.
In other churches, charity and helping the needy are the concrete ideals that actual form and shape tangible successes, but the prayer, hope and faith are also all a matter of belief.
All in all, you should know, after reading all of our responses, that it is clear you seek the religion as something fun to mess around with and your genuine intent to be apart of that religion are not there.
Besides, you don't want to end up like the guy who thinks he summons statue's in Jamaica do you? I think that guy did a spell to get smarter and it backfired. But that's just me.

[Tralyn]

I think that was very well put.

When you find your spirituality - you will know. It is then you will realize that it is simply a part of you, that it runs through your being and you will feel very much so at home. Whether you practice your spirituality publicly, privately, or not at all is at your discression , you will have a lot of comfort knowing that it is yours. It is then you will draw power from your beliefs and it is then that you will find that you are actually drawing power from yourself, from your own heart and being. There are many many many different spiritual beliefs out there today, it is important to try and be respectful of all of them. To each his own. I encourage you to read up on things, find out the facts for yourself. Be careful what you believe about powers. : )

[Alder]

I too know someone who made a statue come to life, but that also could of been the two tabs of acid they decided to try. In all seriousness though, as Alders accomplishments are, I'd much rather see Abe Lincoln's statue come to life so that he can protect us from any terror attacks in the future. So Alder if you could work on that for us, we would greatly appreciate it.

<Chuckle.> FYI, Wiccans believe in "calling down the moon," or bringing the real presence of the Goddess into their midst. It's not so different from the Catholic belief in transubstantiation. So if I say I called upon the Goddess and she came to me, why does that upset you?

Personally, I find the best way to fight terrorists is to not vote for them. ;)

[Tralyn]

I don't think it upset MikeS2255, I think he is just questioning the validity of your claim.

[simoneaugie]

According to some, a spell works 10% of the time. I've had them work more frequently and was frightened by the hugely impacting results. As a result, I am very specific and cautious now.

Intent and clarity of purpose and the ability to clearly visualize the outcome helps to work the spell on a personal level. Spells can reach far beyond the personal level, having influence that you may never have thought of.

Witches keep the power "at home" by limiting spells to blessings and protections. Be careful, you are wielding the power of the universe. Never use it without the full respect it deserves. And yes, spells do work.

[Tralyn]

Witches keep the power "at home" by limiting spells to blessings and protections. Be careful, you are wielding the power of the universe. Never use it without the full respect it deserves. And yes, spells do work.

Extremely well put! I don't think I have heard it stated better, kudos to you!

[michealb]

To answer the OP's question.

If you were to have a wiccan cast a spell that was suppose to do something and test it repeatedly. It would work no more often than your control test.

However the way the human mind is composed is we tend to forget when things don't work and remember when they do. There are all sort of quarks of the human brain that unless people actually know and pay attention to it, their mind plays tricks on them.

[simoneaugie]

That's true, our forgetting the part we didn't like is human nature. That's why it's good to keep a journal of what you did, why, particulars and outcome. I may not remember a spell, from say, 2 years ago in May. My journal does.

[Raven0208]

In a response to MikeS2255 (I don't know how to quote a specific part of the answer, as I am new to the site), I don't know how you can possibly know that "it is clear i seek the religion as something fun to mess around with and my genuine intent to be apart of that religion is not there," because that's not true. But, because I'm am sick of being judged, I won't be looking at any more answers posted here.

[Credendovidis]

In a response to MikeS (I don't know how to quote a specific part of the answer, as I am new to the site), I don't know how you can possibly know that "it is clear i seek the religion as something fun to mess around with and my genuine intent to be apart of that religion is not there," because that's not true. But, because I'm am sick of being judged, I won't be looking at any more answers posted here.

So because MikeS posted a critical comment, you simply "won't be looking at any more answers posted here" ?
Are you so insecure of your own views, that you can not accept any criticism?
I post as Secular Humanist frequently at the Religious Discussions board. And several religious fundamentalists criticize my views vehemently and aggressively. But for me that is no reason to hide for their attacks.

When you posted this topic you just asked questions about Wicca, I know.
But did you at a board frequented by a lot of Christian activists expect only pro-Wiccan replies ?

I wish you all the best !

:)

·

[simoneaugie]

Cred, for some it is nearly impossible to be "so secure in their own views" that they keep coming back for more. For me, childhood bullying has caused me to be extremely reticent. The reticence and "hypersensitivity" can be lasting, whether the person was born that way or if it was beaten into them.

Being gentle with one another is one answer. Assuming that a person is coming from the same place that we are, is a common mistake. Another thing people shy away from is debate. Debate and argument assume that one person "must" be wrong.

As humans, we believe that we are right. To do otherwise is to accept insanity. Whether someone is Wiccan, Christian or Secular Humanist, being sane is a priority. Tuning out cruel comments, assuptions and argument makes sense in this light.

One of my favorite quotes is from a rock band, Bush, "in the middle of the world on a fish hook, you're the wave, you're the wave, you're the wave." We are all waves not knowing exactly where the hook resides in another's flesh. Being both strong and gentle in our interactions is an art.

[lwelch]

No spell will ever perform as well as a good education, patience and hard work. There isn't any harm in lighting a candle, burning sage etc. But I have never seen or heard of a fortune ritual that can conjur up the same sort of cash as a dedicated hedge fund manager or plastic surgeon.

[Credendovidis]

As humans, we believe that we are right. To do otherwise is to accept insanity. Whether someone is Wiccan, Christian or Secular Humanist, being sane is a priority.

With all respect : I do not "see" it that way at all. As Secular Humanist I am very tolerant to any worldview. From me you may believe whatever you want to believe. No problem at all ! So far I never heard anyone telling me that I am insane. And why should "being sane" be a priority?

That said : I am not tolerant to unsupported or subjective supported religious claims. I am not tolerant to people stating that what they believe is if that is a reality. To them it may be seen as reality, but it is not reality just because they believe that.
So I am intolerant to statements like "God wants ...." or "God does ....", as long as there is no OSE for God to exist and be the one claimed to be in the first place. That is why I keep suggesting to state such claims after "I believe that ....".

As to Raven : it's a pity if someone just asks a question, but is than attacked in such a way that he/she drops any further contact. Whatever MikeS2255 intended with his post(s), he was rather unsuccessful in "spreading the word". So why Mike? Feel good now?

:rolleyes: