DIANIC WICCA: First pinpointed by Margaret Murray in 1921 in "The Witch-Cult in Western Europe," this term appears to include a mixture of various traditions. However, their prime focus in recent years is on the Goddess, and has been pegged as the "feminist" movement of the Craft.

Dianic Feminist Wicce is a tradition started by Ann Forfreedom that is both religious and practices magick. It includes both female and male practitioners ("It is not lesbian oriented and not separatist" states Ann), solo practitioners, mixed covens and all female covens. "Dianic Feminist Wicce encourages female leadership, insists that a Priestess must be present for a Circle ritual to be held and involves its practitioners in feminist and humanist issues." Groups work either skyclad or robed.

(See also: DIANIC WICCA, Pagan Organisations, Paganism, Pagan Dictionary, Wicca, )

Feminist Witchcraft:

Several new monotheistic religions started since the early 1970s by women in the feminist community who belonged to the women’s spirituality movement and/or who had contact with Neopagan Witches. It is partially an outgrowth of Neopagan Witchcraft, with male deities booted unceremoniously(!) out of the religion entirely, and partially a conglomeration of independent and eclectic do-it-yourself covens of spiritually-inclined feminists. The religions usually involve worshiping only the syncretic Goddess and using Her as a source of inspiration, magical power and psychological growth. Their scholarship is generally abysmal and men are usually not allowed to join or participate.

(See also: Feminist Witchcraft, Pagan, Paganism, Pagan Dictionary)

DIANIC FEMINIST WICCA: A Wiccan tradition started by Ann Forfreedom that includes both female and male practitioners , solo practitioners, mixed covens and all female covens. Dianic Feminist Wiccans must have a Priestess present for a Circle ritual to be held and encourages practitioners to be involved in feminist and humanist issues. Groups work either skyclad or robed.

(See also: DIANIC FEMINIST WICCA, Magickal Traditions, Magickal Paths, Paganism, Pagan Dictionary)

TRADITIONS: A sect or division within Paganism, Wicca, Magick. The use of tradition as "sect" is not a new use, nor is "new tradition" an oxymoron.  Systems of training in the Craft: Some traditions are: Gardnerian, Celtic Traditionalist, Welsh Traditionalist, Y Dynion Mwyn, Alexandrian, Continentalist, Stregha, Fairy, Feminist, Dianic, etc.

(See also: TRADITIONS, Witchcraft, Wicca, Paganism, Pagan Dictionary)

The Craft:

(1) Old term used by Freemasons to refer to their activities and beliefs.

(2) Current term used by Neopagan, Feminist and some other modern Witches to refer to their activities and beliefs.

(See also: The Craft, Pagan, Paganism, Pagan Dictionary)

Dianic Witchcraft:

(1) A postulated medieval cult of Diana and/or Dianus worshipers.

(2) Term used by some henotheistic Neopagan Witches to refer to their concentration on the Goddess.

(3) Term used by some Feminist separatist Witches to describe their practices and beliefs.

(See also: Dianic Witchcraft, Pagan, Paganism, Pagan Dictionary)

DIANIC WICCA: A group of Wiccan traditions that focus primarily (but not always exclusively) on the Goddess. Known as the "feminist" movement in Wicca, it was first identified by Margaret Murray in 1921 in "The Witch-Cult in Western Europe". Most Dianic Wiccan traditions follow a Roman or Eclectic Pantheon that reveres Diana, but the term has been applied to traditions embracing other pantheons that are Goddess focused.

(See also: DIANIC WICCA, Magickal Traditions, Magickal Paths, Paganism, Pagan Dictionary)

Cone of Power:

Term for the focusing of a group’s magical energies, visualized as a cone of psychic power based upon a ritual circle containing the participants (who are usually Neopagan or Feminist Witches). There is some confusion among various groups as to what exactly should be done with the energies at the moment of “firing.”

(See also: Cone of Power, Pagan, Paganism, Pagan Dictionary)

DIANIC TRADITION:

1) A feminine based craft movement, which rejects the concept of the Male God, concentrating on the worship of the Goddess. Named after Diana, virgin goddess of the hunt; a stem of the Old Religion which has all-female members.

2) The Old Dianic Tradition. This a particular English tradition of Witchcraft honoring the Goddess Diana. It is a structured tradition and fairly similar to Gardnerian Wicca. Morgan McFarland, Mark Roberts, and Sybil Leek brought this tradition from England. It is called the Old Dianic tradition as opposed to the New Dianic tradition started by Z. Budapest.

3) The New Dianic Tradition is a particular tradition founded by Z. Budapest and other modern feminists. It has a loose ritual structure, a small core of feminist teachings, and encourages spontaneity among its members. Most covens accept women only, some accept only lesbians, a few accept women and men.

4) The original tradition of Shan, Clan Mother to the House of the Goddess in London, England. This tradition seems to have used a little of everything in it's formation, but primarily derives most of its teachings from the New Dianic Tradition. In the Dianic Tradition, there is much diversity in ritual and religious practice. Most covens honor the Goddess primarily or exclusively. Quite a few are Goddess Monotheistic.

(See also: DIANIC TRADITION, Witchcraft, Wicca, Paganism, Pagan Dictionary)

“WITCH” (Women’s International Terrorist Conspiracy from Hell): A feminist organization on American college campuses in the 1960’s. WITCH purported that the original guerrilla fighters against the oppression of women and minorities were witches and gypsies.

WITCH members demonstrated for numerous causes dressed in rags, wearing pointed, conical hats, carrying brooms, and shrieking curses at the Establishment. WITCH maintained that any woman could become a Witch by saying “I am a Witch” three times.

(See also: WITCH, Pagan Organisations, Paganism, Pagan Dictionary, Wicca, )

WEBWEAVING "Witchy" and Feminist term for Networking

(See also: WEBWEAVING, Witchcraft, Wicca, Paganism, Pagan Dictionary)

Pentagram:

Another word for a five pointed star, used as a symbol for the occult in general and Neopagan and Feminist Witchcraft in particular.

(See also: Pentagram, Pagan, Paganism, Pagan Dictionary)

God as Mother: Celebration of the Mother Principle

Durga Puja is to Bengal what Ganesh Chaturthi is to Maharashtra - an occasion to celebrate, worship, bond together, to get festive, to exhibit one's artistic abilities, and all in the name of the Divine Mother.

Relating to God as Mother forges a personalised relationship, strengthening the bond between bhakta and bhagvan, as between a child and mother. Celebrated as Navratri in other parts of India, these nine nights are devoted to the worship of the Divine Mother - some do it through dancing the Garba or Dandiya Raas as in Gujarat, and some do it through austerities and fasting.

Read more here: » God as Mother: Celebration of the Mother Principle

Witchcraft: TWO WITCHES A Modern Craft Fairy-Tale

Once upon a time, there were two Witches. One was a Feminist Witch and the other was a Traditionalist Witch. And, although both of them were deeply religious, they had rather different ideas about what their religion meant. The Feminist Witch tended to believe that Witchcraft was a religion especially suited to women because the image of the Goddess was empowering and a strong weapon against patriarchal tyranny. And there was distrust in the heart of the Feminist Witch for the Traditionalist Witch because, from the Feminist perspective, the Traditionalist Witch seemed subversive and a threat to "the Cause".

Read more here: » Witchcraft: TWO WITCHES A Modern Craft Fairy-Tale

Baha'i Perspective On Gender Divide

Nearly 121 million children around the world receive little or no schooling, and the majority of these children are girls. Why is the gender divide so deep? What is holding us back from pursuing a policy of enlightened self-interest?

The Baha'i international community has long recognised the importance of educating girls because as future mothers, they would be better equipped to encourage Generation X - of either gender - to go to school. Nearly 90 years ago, Abdu'l-Baha said: "The education of women is of greater importance than the education of men, for they are the mothers of the race, and mothers play an important role in rearing children. So, they must be capably trained in order to educate both sons and daughters".

Read more here: » Women Rights: Baha'i Perspective On Gender Divide

Paganism & Pornography

At times my political views seem to lead me into contradictions. Last month saw me writing a furious letter to Penthouse magazine concerning their misinformed story on Witchcraft. Within two weeks I was writing to the head of the QuickTrip Corporation protesting the removal of Penthouse from their stores. You'd think I would have been happy at a blow struck against a magazine that maligned my religion. Not so. At stake is the free expression of ideas. Misinformation and censorship are both threats to that freedom. Of the two, I judge censorship to be the greater threat. As long as publishing continues unimpeded, retraction of misinformation is possible. When publishing is censored, even that becomes impossible.

Read more here: » Paganism: Paganism Pornography

Recently, at a theological meeting in Rome, scholars had a heated debate on the subject of the ethnicity and nationality of Jesus. One by one they offered their evidence:

Read more here: » Spiritual Jokes: Spiritual Jokes - Jesus was...

Reflections on OLD GUARD PAGANISM

'Old Guard Paganism'. The phrase started out as a joke, but then caught on. This tells us something. It tells us there is a NEED for such a term. It also implies its own antithesis, 'New Guard Paganism'. And it indicates that there is some difference between the two -- a 'difference that makes a difference' -- and thus requires differentiating labels. (It should perhaps be noted that the word 'Paganism' is used in the present context -- however inaccurately -- to refer to modern Neo-Pagan Witchcraft, or Wicca. With grave misgivings, I have adopted this usage here.)

Read more here: » Paganism: Reflections on OLD GUARD PAGANISM

A Kundalini release can be triggered by meditation, yoga, prayer, bodywork, psychedelic drugs, a life crisis (such as extreme physical or emotional trauma, a near-death experience or the death of a loved one), childbirth, menopause, certain ascetic or sexual practices, and so forth. Kundalini can also awaken spontaneously from no apparent cause. This out-of-the-blue Kundalini arousal occurred in my own case in 1991. Since then, I have communicated with hundreds of people whose Kundalini rose involuntarily, initiating a long transformative process.

Read more here: » Kundalini: Danger, High Voltage - Kundalini Awakening

SEXUAL COME-ONS AT PAGAN FESTIVALS - An Open Letter to the Web of Oz

Like many another Neo-Pagan, I began life under the heavy indoctrination of Christian precepts. Like many others, I found this upbringing to be not only painful, but psychologically damaging, as well. It has taken years of disciplined work to shrug off the feelings of guilt and self-recrimination foisted upon me during those years. Especially, I remember the pain of being taught to feel shame and remorse over each and every thought I had of a sexual nature. And any overt sexual act (other than narrowly defined exceptions) was anathema -- a cause for eternal damnation. 

Read more here: » Paganism: SEXUAL COME-ONS AT PAGAN FESTIVALS - An Open Letter to the Web of Oz