Witchcraft. Occult. Pagan. Heathen. To some people, these words create images of ungodly people participating in sinister acts, grim practices and drunken orgies. But, this couldn't be farther from the truth. So, why is this so and what is the true spirit of Witchcraft?

The word pagan is derived from the Latin paganus, which simply means villager or peasant, and heathen is derived from an Old English word that simply meant 'inhabiting open country.' Occult simply means that which is concealed, hidden, or secret. Christians used the words pagan and heathen during the times of the Crusades and the Inquisition to describe people who had not yet been "Christianized." These terms applied to anyone who did not conform to the Christian beliefs and denounce their former religion. Consequently, anyone who belonged to any religion other than Christianity was called a heretic. This line of thinking brought about the senseless torture and wholesale massacre of countless innocent lives--men, women, and children alike. This included not only Witches, who were in all probability a minority, but people from any number of religions, including Jews, Muslims, and even other Christians.

Witchcraft, or Wicca as it has become known, is a benevolent, life affirming religion based on the beliefs and practices of pre-Christian religions. Witches generally don't believe in the concepts of absolute evil and original sin as defined by the Christian tradition--and we certainly don't worship any entity known as "Satan" or "the Devil." Wicca doesn't have a religious hierarchy or religious texts. We believe that each of us is responsible for his or her own spiritual growth, and that each of us has within ourselves all the tools necessary to achieve spiritual union with God.

Wiccans don't see Divinity as purely masculine as some religions do, but as a balance between opposites, and we value neither opposite above the other. Most witches therefore worship Divinity as God and Goddess, Father and Mother of all Creation, though some do tend to worship only the Goddess. Our only 'law' is "An it Harm None, Do What Thou Wilt." This means the we are free to do what we will, as long as we're not harming anyone, not even ourselves. We also believe in the laws of karma and the three-fold law; we understand that each one of us is responsible for our own actions, and that whatever we send out returns to us threefold--whether good or ill.

Just as we believe in the laws of karma, most witches believe in reincarnation. And, as such, we see death as a graduation of sorts, and not something to be feared. We believe that each soul goes through many incarnations before we can ultimately attain spiritual liberation. As reincarnation teaches us that we have more than one chance to live, witches see every aspect of life as a lesson. We believe that if we run from our problems and don't confront them in this life, we'll have to confront the same problems in another life. But, although many witches believe in reincarnation, we have no uniform beliefs on how we reincarnate. For example, some believe that we only reincarnate as people while others believe that we've 'evolved' from animals. Some believe that each time we reincarnate, we reincarnate as the same sex, while others believe that we must experience lives as both male and female.

Witches embrace magick, and we see it as a natural occurrence in everyday life-- a baby born, a flower blooms, a prayer is answered, the day starts anew, people fall in love--to witches, this is magick! Magick is after all an act of creation, and the greatest creator is Deity.

We define magick as the art and science of using Divine energies to create a change, and we use it to build better lives for ourselves. We don't use magick to control or dominate others. In fact, we denounce the idea that personal benefit can be obtained only through the denial of another.

Witches practice occultism in the sense that we seek to better understand ourselves and the world around us. We delve into the unknown realms of our inner-selves and seek to uncover the latent powers within ourselves. We do this to grow--spiritually, mentally, emotionally--and become better individuals and live more harmonious lives. Witchcraft is a Nature Religion, and some people would say that we worship nature, but this isn't true. We see all things in nature as creations of Divinity, and we worship the Divine energies present in nature. We also practice rites to attune ourselves to these energies and to the natural cycles of nature.

So, what does it mean to be a witch, and what kind of people are attracted to Wicca? Being a witch means taking responsibility for your actions, and taking control of your life. We don't try to blame 'evil' on "the Devil" or "Satan," we believe that we're given choices in life, and it's up to us to make the right decisions. Witches see themselves a protectors of the Earth, and many of us are environmental activists or support environmental efforts in one way or another. Also, just as we try to protect the Earth, we try to protect it's inhabitants. We believe that since all life comes from Divinity, that we are all connected, and whatever we do not only affects ourselves, but everyone else as well--including our relatives in the plant and animal kingdoms--so we seek to live lives that are in harmony with the world around us.

As to what kind of people are attracted to Wicca, we certainly have our share of 'bad apples,' as does any religion, and we're certainly not perfect, but the majority of witches are normal everyday people from all walks of life. People from police officers and schoolteachers, to lawyers, grocery clerks, and business executives. So don't be surprised if you know or have met someone who is Wiccan. It may be that they just haven't "come out of the broom closet" yet.

Submitted By: W. T. Johnson

So long ago we use to live in little communities or tribes. Humans were close knit and communicated with each other. Now it seems we are seperated by concrete and steel; technology is our wiring to let us speak to one another. Is this healthy? Probably not. I would think and it could use a serious rehaul. Long ago if we needed spiritual assistance in our tribes we would go to the local shaman down the path of the forest and speak to him about such things as problems, issues, or have a lodge meeting. Now, we do it on the internet or we go to some live televised church where we are made to feel guilty about some mistake we made over and over in our minds. Plus required to give 10 percent to them for making us feel guilty or giving us a spooky picture of hell if we do not straighten up. This world could seriously use more shamans in our midst.

Sure, I am sure they are hiding out there and could be found, but are there any pure ones who have not sold out to commercialization, book signings, and Oprah? Where are the medicine men this world needs and calls out too? Visionaries, leaders, and great men and women to bring us through a spiritual era of enlightenment past all this darkness? Coming from surburbia, I sure don't see any, except through books and the internet. All we got is some white, sweaty guy at the pulpit talking about gimme some money. I want sacred pipes, sweat lodges, rituals, and to be the big chief down at the lodge. Instead, I get to go to some christian barbeque and get ate up mosquitos and lets gossip about some folks. Where is this headed? Strait to hell I think in the long run and some of us are already there. The point being we must seek out the wisemen in a society, full of charlatans, or we must become them ourselves to dance with the divine like our ancestors of old.

Submitted By: Jeffery

Latin Name: Avena sativa
Gender: Feminine
Planet: Venus, Mercury, & Jupiter
Element: Earth
Associated Deities: Venus
Magical Uses: Money, Prosperity, & Sexual Magick.
Medical Uses: Nervous exhaustion, sexual debility, general weakness, chronic insomnia, drug addictions, insomnia due to drugs or alcohol, colds, coryza, prostration of mind, sleeplessness after mental exertion, bad effects of morphine or heroin, disposition to masturbation, alcoholism, nervous palpitations, Parkinson's disease, inability to keep mind fixed on any one subject, amenorrhea and dysmenorrhea with weak circulation, impotency, and numbness of limbs
Other Uses: Improves the nutrition of the brain and nervous system
Chemical Constituents: Saponins, flavonoids, starch, alkaloids (trigonelline, avenine), steroids, calcium, iron, B vitamins, lysine, & methionine

The information presented here is for educational purposes only. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

The American Heritage Dictionary identifies "empathy" as an "identification with and understanding of another's situation, feelings, and motives." There is great debate over how do humans feel empathy. Some scientists say that humans are "mind readers." Read the full story at the link below.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com

This class is free for all who want to learn about Nogardianism. There is no need to sign up or anything. If you want to attend the class, please do so by going to our Yahoo Group Chatroom. Please have speakers or headphones because the lesson will be taught over the Voice Chat. Class will start promptly at 3:00 PM Central Standard Time (-06:00) each day. At the end of the course, each Nogardian Knights member (does not include prospectives) who attends at least 9 of the 11 courses will receive a certificate from The Nogardian Knights for completing the course. This means members must have their identification numbers that were issued to them on sign up in order to attend the class for roll call purposes. At the beginning of each class, each member will be asked to Instant Message the teacher with their identification number. Go to the Department of Education page for course syllabus.