I cannot find this statement anywhere else, but I read in a Gardnerian book that people initiated into Wicca must take a vow of silence and not tell anyone of their practice.
I am also a little confused as to what I should do with the rituals that require wine- I'm underage.
I'm sorry about bombarding you with questions, but I'm real new to this.
Silence?
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the vow of silence is toward not going around promoting your witchery. But some people believe that if you talk about your magical working to other people (even witches) it loeses power. A vow of silence even for a few hours gives you a lot of insight to your everyday life that you maybe unaware of.
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vow of silence and wine-substitutes in Gardnerian Wicca
Hi Love_For_All. Interesting questions. Such rules would usually be covered in the course of practice if you were working with a coven, so it sounds like you are practicing solitary.
Out of curiousity, I thought it would be interesting to forward these questions (along with other related ones I have recently received in PM) to a local Gardnerian Wiccan high priestess that I know of in my area, to hear her take on them. I'll get back with you on this within the week, after I hear back from her. Until then, the suggestions in this thread (above) sound reasonable. I think the sincerity of your emotions, and the conviction of your intentions matter most. Rules and regulations anyone can do; you'll learn them as time goes by. Mistakes are forgivable things, especially if you're new at something. So, no worries, ok. Don't stress at this point.
Focus instead on enjoying the path. For instance, connect with and find peace in the energy of each element. Get to know them like you would get to know friends. Most importantly, get to know your own power, because each element is within you --fire, water, air, earth and spirit. Spend some time in meditation and learn how those elements present themselves in your life. What I have found most inspiring about witchcraft is the appreciation for the power of "the word." Witches don't sit back in life, crossing their fingers and hoping their fearful prayers get heard by some judgmental god on a throne somewhere. They work with the elements and use tools that have been available to humankind since the beginning of our time on this planet, including the power of the spoken word (i.e., spellwork), the power of intention, of will, along with other tools such as herbs, crystals, etc. They use these tools to bring about changes around them.
It may be a good idea for you to sit down and meditate on the goals you want to achieve in your life, and more importantly, why you want to achieve them. Write in a journal what your purpose on this planet is. Write about the gifts and talents you bring to the Earth. Then, consider the obstacles that stand in the way of you fulfilling that purpose (whether situations or people). What needs to be overcome? Use your spiritual path as a witch to help you overcome those obstacles. Write some spells to counteract and/or eliminate those obstacles and clear the way for you. This is when your spirituality becomes more than following a set of rules. It becomes practical. It becomes your lifestyle.
[I normally would insert some kind of picture here to break up all this text, which gives me a headache to read otherwise. But I'm headed out the door right now, so I don't have time
.....]
Gerald Gardner only set up the rules in Gardnerian Wicca so that Wicca, and witchcraft in general, would have some kind of standardization in a modern, industrialized world. In order for it to be a recognized religion, it had to be standardized in some way. He had done extensive research in the 1950s, but he wrote these rules merely as the "framework" for a witchcraft practice. His associate, Doreen Valiente, helped with standardizing things in that religion. But as Greymalkin (who knew Doreen) pointed out in a couple of his posts, Doreen herself said she didn't even follow all the rules, that she herself helped write. She didn't need to. They based their work on pre-existing, ancient practices, yes. But the reason ancient practices remain relevant is because they are practical in some way, they "work." I noticed that useless things always seem to fall away with time, yet useful things never really do. So make your witchcraft work for you. That's the important thing, not adhering to rules to the letter.
I doubt the Gardnerian Police are going to drop by and check your altar to verify you've got real wine in your ritual, or that they're tapping your cell phone to verify whether you've been breaking any vows of silence hahaha
Again, no worries; I think you're good.
Just enjoy!
Anyway, I'll let you know when I hear back from the HP. This should be interesting.
Take care.
.
Out of curiousity, I thought it would be interesting to forward these questions (along with other related ones I have recently received in PM) to a local Gardnerian Wiccan high priestess that I know of in my area, to hear her take on them. I'll get back with you on this within the week, after I hear back from her. Until then, the suggestions in this thread (above) sound reasonable. I think the sincerity of your emotions, and the conviction of your intentions matter most. Rules and regulations anyone can do; you'll learn them as time goes by. Mistakes are forgivable things, especially if you're new at something. So, no worries, ok. Don't stress at this point.
Focus instead on enjoying the path. For instance, connect with and find peace in the energy of each element. Get to know them like you would get to know friends. Most importantly, get to know your own power, because each element is within you --fire, water, air, earth and spirit. Spend some time in meditation and learn how those elements present themselves in your life. What I have found most inspiring about witchcraft is the appreciation for the power of "the word." Witches don't sit back in life, crossing their fingers and hoping their fearful prayers get heard by some judgmental god on a throne somewhere. They work with the elements and use tools that have been available to humankind since the beginning of our time on this planet, including the power of the spoken word (i.e., spellwork), the power of intention, of will, along with other tools such as herbs, crystals, etc. They use these tools to bring about changes around them.
It may be a good idea for you to sit down and meditate on the goals you want to achieve in your life, and more importantly, why you want to achieve them. Write in a journal what your purpose on this planet is. Write about the gifts and talents you bring to the Earth. Then, consider the obstacles that stand in the way of you fulfilling that purpose (whether situations or people). What needs to be overcome? Use your spiritual path as a witch to help you overcome those obstacles. Write some spells to counteract and/or eliminate those obstacles and clear the way for you. This is when your spirituality becomes more than following a set of rules. It becomes practical. It becomes your lifestyle.
[I normally would insert some kind of picture here to break up all this text, which gives me a headache to read otherwise. But I'm headed out the door right now, so I don't have time
.....]Gerald Gardner only set up the rules in Gardnerian Wicca so that Wicca, and witchcraft in general, would have some kind of standardization in a modern, industrialized world. In order for it to be a recognized religion, it had to be standardized in some way. He had done extensive research in the 1950s, but he wrote these rules merely as the "framework" for a witchcraft practice. His associate, Doreen Valiente, helped with standardizing things in that religion. But as Greymalkin (who knew Doreen) pointed out in a couple of his posts, Doreen herself said she didn't even follow all the rules, that she herself helped write. She didn't need to. They based their work on pre-existing, ancient practices, yes. But the reason ancient practices remain relevant is because they are practical in some way, they "work." I noticed that useless things always seem to fall away with time, yet useful things never really do. So make your witchcraft work for you. That's the important thing, not adhering to rules to the letter.
I doubt the Gardnerian Police are going to drop by and check your altar to verify you've got real wine in your ritual, or that they're tapping your cell phone to verify whether you've been breaking any vows of silence hahaha
Again, no worries; I think you're good. Just enjoy!
Anyway, I'll let you know when I hear back from the HP. This should be interesting.
Take care.
.