Why do pagans say blessed be

This seems to fit Paganism very well; with such a variety of deities, and indeed with some forms of Paganism and witchcraft having no deities at all, wishing blessings upon another without reference to where those blessings are coming from would be appropriate for any Pagan, no matter what their individual creed.

Secondly, the imperative form of the sentence leads to another interesting implication. And within most witchcraft traditions, willing something is the basis for magic. In this way, Blessed Be is a very empowering statement; saying it with sincerity is literally a magical and spiritual act.

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Previous Post. Next Post. Browse Our Archives. Alex K-W, Long Sutton. Q: What ar the basics about wicca? Q: i have been interested in wicca for some time but i would like to find other witch's in my area but not sure how to go about it, could you help please?

Kate, Gloucestershire. Darrena, Georgia. For information it is best to log on to www. There is also an Irish branch of C of A that you can approach and they will have the details. I also have a website www. In regard to a mentor, the best thing is to go through the Children of Artemis contacts, as you will need someone close to home. Good luck with your quest.

Q: Can you prove what you are saying? Is this a new Religion? What exactly do you want me to prove? I am not in the business of proving anything anyway - I do not mind if people do not 'believe' in my path as long as they are happy for me and others like me to follow it.

It is based - we believe - on some very ancient ideas of nature-worship. It is new because it has been adapted for the 21st Century. It is, strictly speaking, a spiritual path rather than a religion because religion may imply dogma, and we do not have dogma our simple rule being 'Harm none'. I really want to read it and I've only been into it for like two months, but when can I actually call myself Wicca?

Like is it when I do my 1st ritual, or meet the goddess, or what? Let me know if you have problems and we can correspond privately about it. You can call yourself a Wiccan or witch as soon as you feel deep inside that it is the path for you, but usually when you make this decision you will want to do a dedication ritual or self-initiation, to mark it. There is no need to rush, just take your time, explore and enjoy!

Is it possible to find out about past lives? It is possible, Katy, under hypnosis or through meditation. It's not something to explore lightly, however, especially when you are young, because you are still getting a strong foothold in this life!

If you really want to know more, sit in your circle and look deep into a piece of amethyst. First ask for a blessing from the Goddess. See what impressions come to you, but keep your feet on the ground! Q: I have a very basic understanding of the wiccan ways, and I would love to find out more beyond books.

I've been interested in it for years, but am still faltering at my first few steps.. Wiccan groups like to get to know people before they invite them along, so the best way to meet like-minded people is in a less formal way. She will give you information on moots and meetings if you give her a ring - maybe see you there! Q: I am 12 years old and me and my friend Ellie have been practising wiccanism for about a year now. We are confused about what wiccans believe happens to us after we die, is this something we have to decidefor our selves or what?

Hello Angharad, thank you for your question. Wiccans don't have a dogma about what happens after you die so to some extent you make up your own mind. However, we do believe the soul goes on and most of us believe in reincarnation in some form. We certainly do not believe in hell or any horrible punishment, but we believe all comes back to you and you have to learn and progress.

You sound serious and sensible about your path, may you both find great fulfilment and joy upon it. Q: As an astrologer can you experience preminitions?

Q: Hi, im intrested in wicca and i have a book with spells in and is it wrong to try some of the spells? Kiri - Derbyshire.

Q: Why does the Bible say that anything that has to do with any kind of witch craft is wrong? Why does the Bible say its wrong! Jess - grantville. A: Hi Jess, I don't have a very high opinion of the Bible in many ways, I'm afraid, and I'm tempted to say 'so what if the Bible says it's wrong! However, the Bible is a book that is held in awe by many people so let's have a closer look at this.

I believe it was actually James Ist in the Seventeenth Century who caused the phrase 'Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live' to be added! Much of the Bible was no doubt inspired by divine revelation, in some form, but that doesn't mean it is all literally 'true' all over.

I'm afraid I see the Bible as largely a book to keep certain people in power and lots of others afraid. Those who remain in power by wielding some sort of 'spiritual' authority do fear those who have genuine mystical experience and genuine spiritual feelings, rather than just fear and obedience. Witches seek their own spiritual revelation. The Bible is part of the Establishment with all that entails, and so lots of people feel threatened if it is questioned.

I f the Bible says something is wrong it is probably, alas, because it suited some old patriarch, many centuries ago, to say it was 'wrong'. As a witch you are in good company, however, because I'm sure that sex outside marriage - now practised by many people- is also called 'wrong' by the Bible.

Adultery is forbidden in the Ten Commandments so where does that leave the millions of people on their second or third marriage? If you follow the witches' creed 'Harm none' you will be a highly moral person, and in my opinion better than many of those judgemental Christians, who do not seem to have read The Sermon on the Mount which is a great part of the Bible! Hope that helps Many blessings Teresa. A: My answer to Katrina if she is starting alone, is to observe the seasons and start celebrating the eight seasonal festivals in the way that feels most natural.

She'll need a book to help if she has no companions. A: My answer to Jessmina is that it is certainly possible to make things move and I've seen it happen. Who or what is doing these things is another matter.

I would advise young people not to experiment wildly but to start by practising forming the magic circle and dissolving it, meditating and celebrating the festivals to get a proper grounding and 'feel' for the subject. If you don't have some framework you can encourage 'loose' vibrations and this can be a negative experience. This article is user-generated content ie external contribution expressing a personal opinion, not the views of BBC Gloucestershire.

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Explore the BBC. BBC Homepage. Contact Us. Teresa Moorey has written 38 books about witchcraft. See Also. Internet Links. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites. Made public in with the publication of Gardner's "Witchcraft Today," it is considered to be the first modern Wiccan tradition and, while the veracity of Gardner's claims as to the antiquity of the belief system he promulgated has since been questioned, most Wiccans agree that it is from Gardnerian Wicca that all other traditions are ultimately derived.

While the phrase "blessed be" appears in many different religious traditions, it made its first appearance in Wicca as part of the Gardnerian rite of the Five Fold Kiss, part of their "Drawing Down the Moon" ritual. As a ritual blessing, it is also often used in initiation ceremonies. Clearly, given its prevalence among Wiccans of virtually every tradition, "blessed be" has become much more than a simple reference to a decades old ritual that is itself far from universally observed.

It has become an idiom and, as such, is linguistic shorthand not just for the blessing from which it came but for the act of blessing, itself.

Its use as a greeting and farewell communicates two things. First of all, it confers a blessing upon the hearer but it also implies that the person who utters it is blessed as well.

They're more than simply glad you're here.