(Me And The Craft)

Greetings, Merry Meet, bonjour...

I'm an 18 year old Pagan and I've been involved in the study of various Earth Religions
for about 5 years. Here's a little about myself...

Full Craft Name: Calista Caitlyn Inez Ilithyia Mnemosyne
Craft Tradition: Ecclectic Wiccan (Elementalist/ Hellenist)
Familiars: Harvey (a guinea pig), Prickles (a hedgehog),
Astraea (my eagle)

Sun Sign: Virgo
Moon Sign: Pisces
Mars: Scorpio
Venus: Libra

I live in Singapore which is a hell hole to practice
Earth Religions of any sort because, well, let's just say the people here aren't
the most open-minded and accepting of mortals.

At first I was what you call a "Closet Wiccan", only exploring my interest
and researching all I could behind closed doors. Reasons? All the usual.
What would my Catholic parents say? My narrow-minded friends are all gonna think
I'm a total weirdo.....Am I being hypocritical practicing 2 faiths
simultaneously? Am I SURE this is absolutely what I want?

I've since gotten over the stigma of it all. Paganism fulfils me spiritually
and though I disagree with parts of the religion, I connect on a
higher level with many of their practices. I believe strongly in the
law of three. I believe in the invocation of the spirit. I believe in
chakra healing and crystal energy. I believe in the elements, corners and
karma.

It's probably because of the same reason I've chosen not to forsake my
Catholic roots. There are MANY things I disagree with in the Catholic
faith but I do believe in the consecration of the host and in the power
of the Holy Spirit and I'm even in the church choir. Mass is actually
extremely ritualistic, even paganistic, if one observes the rites carefully,
comparing them to pagan ones, such as the offering of the host, the
scriptures etc. The Apostle's Creed/ Profession of Faith is also similar
to the Wiccan Rede

Why then, many ask me, do I practice Elementalism if I'm already Catholic by
birth and go to church every Sunday? Well, believing in one religion
does not equal being suited to its practices and ways of worship. Firstly,
it is my firm belief that no matter what religion we take upon ourselves
and whatever ways we choose to worship, we're all really worshipping
the same God, we merely address him (or her) by different names. Christ,
Diana, Ra, Allah, Vishnu.....As far as I'm concerned, they're all one and the
same. We simply address him/her according to what our method of worship
suggests we do. What matters is not what you call God or how you worship
him but the way you lead your life and the truth in your heart.


I've been studying and practicing Earth Religions for 5 years
now and was initiated at the age of 14. I performed a
self-dedication rite and though some Wiccans believe only a Wiccan can dedicate
another Wiccan into the practice, I quote Scott Cunningham :


" Some say only a Wiccan can make a Wiccan,
I say only God can make a Wiccan.
Who's more qualified? "

You may notice that although there are many branches of Wicca and Paganism,
such as the Alexandrian and Gardnerian traditions, the Celts,
the Norse, the Hellenics and so forth, I still use the
term "Wicca" many a time on this webpage as a general term
for Earth Religions.

At present, I'm a solitary practitioner. Not really out of pure choice, though.
It'd be great to have a coven to practice some of the more elaborate
rituals but it's hard finding people who share the same beliefs as you
and whom you can give your total trust to. Right now, I don't talk about
my beliefs much with other people but I do discuss power thoughts, spells
and rituals with fellow practitioners, some of whom have their own covens.

Now, for the benefit of the misinformed and the unenlightened, I'm going to clear up
some popular myths about Wiccans propagated by misleading books and
movies as well as beliefs of our time generated by an era past.

  • Firstly, Wicca is a religion of spirituality and inner peace which is why
    I was drawn to the religion in the first place. True Wiccans who abide by
    their faith do NOT go around hexing and cursing others, wishing other people
    harm and unrest. It has a peaceful almost zen-like quality to it, so please
    do not send me mail begging me to cast evil spells on your Math teacher
    who flunked you twice.

  • Two, the answer is no, I cannot fly. I do not rise from the ground and
    hover in mid-air like Nancy, Rochelle and Bonnie from "The Craft", nor
    do I twitch my nose and disappear like Samantha in Bewitched. The only
    use I have for my broom is sweeping the floor before rites to cleanse
    the area. (Sorry to disappoint those with high hopes of my anti-gravitational
    powers. Wiccans have better things to do with their time though it WOULD
    be nice if we never had to take public transport to get to town again)

  • Thirdly,we do not make animal and human sacrifices. We do not slaughter
    chickens for their blood nor do we toss toads into our cauldrons to make
    Toad and Centipede broth. Many Wiccans I know are actually vegetarians.

  • Four, though witches DO have familiars, that is, a special pet (commonly a
    cat but could very well be a guinea pig or an iguana all the same), our
    familiars do not sing or dance or bring bad luck to those who stare at them.
    They also do not have special morphing capabilities nor can they speak.
    They are, to witches, what Alter Boys are to Catholics.

  • Fifth, Witches do NOT worship Satan or the devil. The Wiccan faith does not
    believe in a being of supreme evil. We acknowledge that evil exists and
    that everything worldly contains a mixture of evil and goodness but the thought
    of worshiping someone whose presence we don't even acknowledge is preposterous.
    Furthermore, most Wiccans seek spiritual peace, enlightenment and purity, the
    anti-thesis of what Satan stands for. Satan-worshippers are Satanists, not
    Wiccans. References to the "Horned One" in Wicca refers to the Egyptian
    God, Osiris and his equivilant in different languages and countries, NOT
    the devil.

  • We're a religion, not a band of miracle performers. So don't expect us to stop
    the flow of the Niagara Falls with a few chants, bring Elvis back to
    life or restore Michael Jackson's popularity. Niagara Falls is a job for
    David Copperfield, resurrecting Elvis is for the impersonators to accomplish
    and as for MJ, there are things even a witch can't do.

  • We don't blaspheme against other people's religions or damn their Gods.
    We possess an immense respect for the faiths of others and believe that
    each individual should have the right to choose their form of worship,
    so we'd appreciate it if others show the same kind of respect towards our
    faith. For Christians who go around condemning us as anti-Christ heathens,
    instead of damning us to eternal hell, think about what the bible preaches:

    Tolerance, Love, Compassion, Respect for mankind.....

    Remember, I'm a Catholic who has read the bible too. Before you open your
    mouths to shoot us down with poisonous words, think to yourselves, "What
    would Jesus have done?"

    If you have any questions, I'm open to e-mails or you may pop by and have a
    chat with me on icq (uin 9000350, nick is ~Morgan Le FaY~). However, if all you wish to do is tell me how
    wrong Wicca is and what a betrayal this is to Catholics all over, or call
    me Satan's minion, I'd only hold you in disrespect and pity because of your
    immaturity and inability to accept another person's beliefs, therefore don't
    bother mailing me. I don't give a damn and you'd be wasting your time and breath
    on someone whose faiths are already firmly rooted and is not gonna give 2 hoots
    about what a total stranger may whine and bray, so go in peace my friend.

    Blessed be.......

    Email me on:
    [email protected]