Exam Results: 1 - Wicca Revealed

Just took my Wicca 101 exam for the first, out of twelve, lesson. :) I just have to say: yay!

Displayed below are the results of your exam. The correct answers have been highlighted in green.

Q1 : Wicca can be referred to as:

A: The Craft

B: Satanism

C: The Religion

D: The Cult

The answer you gave: The Craft

Q2 : “An’ it harm none, do what thou wilt” is known as:

A: The Witch Creed

B: An old saying

C: The Wiccan Rede

D: The Witches' Bible

The answer you gave: The Wiccan Rede

Q3 : Gerald Gardner claimed he was initiated into Wicca by:

A: Dorothy Clutterbuck

B: Dafo

C: Doreen Valiente

D: Vivianne Crowley

The answer you gave: Dorothy Clutterbuck

Q4 : Which of the following did Gerald Gardner not write?

A: Witchcraft Today

B: Witchcraft for Tomorrow

C: High Magic's Aid

D: The Meaning of Witchcraft

The answer you gave: Witchcraft for Tomorrow

Q5 : Alexandrian Wicca is named after:

A: Its founder, Alex Sanders

B: Alexander the Great

C: The Emperor Alexander

D: The Library of Alexandria

The answer you gave: The Library of Alexandria

Q6 : Raymond Buckland founded:

A: Seax-Wicca

B: Cochranian Wicca

C: Faery Wicca

D: The Alexandrian Tradition

The answer you gave: Seax-Wicca

Q7 : Mary Nesnick created:

A: The Algard Tradition

B: The Alcoch Tradition

C: The Enochian Tradition

D: The Faery Tradition

The answer you gave: The Algard Tradition

Q8 : The Feri Tradition was created by:

A: Raymond and Rosemary Buckland

B: Gerald Gardner and Doreen Valiente

C: Victor and Cora Anderson

D: Aleister and Vivianne Crowley

The answer you gave: Victor and Cora Anderson

Q9 : Starhawk was initiated into:

A: The Cochranian Tradition

B: Dianic Wicca

C: Alexandrian Wicca

D: The Feri Tradition

The answer you gave: The Feri Tradition

Q10 : Starhawk is also known as:

A: Vivianne Crowley

B: Miriam Simos

C: Janet Farrar

D: Doreen Valiente

The answer you gave: Miriam Simos

Q11 : Robert Cochrane claimed:

A: Witch ancestry dating back to 1736

B: To have been initiated into Witchcraft at age 5

C: To have known Alexandrian witches

D: To have formed a coven aged 5

The answer you gave: To have been initiated into Witchcraft at age 5

Q12 : Zsuzsanna Budapest:

A: Created Dianic Wicca

B: Was a Cochranian High Priestess

C: Helped found the Feri Tradition

D: Was a friend of Gerald Gardner

The answer you gave: Created Dianic Wicca

Q13 : Some people also refer to Hedge Witches as:

A: Bramble Witches

B: Briar Witches

C: Kitchen Witches

D: House Witches

The answer you gave: Kitchen Witches

Q14 : Margaret Murray was:

A: An assistant professor of Egyptology

B: A Fellow of the Royal Society

C: The founder of the Folklore Society

D: Assistant Director of Antiquities at the British Museum

The answer you gave: An assistant professor of Egyptology

Q15 : The Witch-Cult in Western Europe, was published in:

A: The 1930s

B: The 1940s

C: The 1950s

D: The 1920s

The answer you gave: The 1920s

Q16 : Ronald Hutton wrote:

A: The God of the Witches

B: Wicca

C: A Witches’ Bible

D: The Triumph of the Moon

The answer you gave: The Triumph of the Moon

Q17 : Which of the following did Doreen Valiente not write?

A: An ABC of Witchcraft

B: Witchcraft for Tomorrow

C: Where Witchcraft Lives

D: The A-Z of Witchcraft

The answer you gave: The A-Z of Witchcraft

Q18 : The Farrars were originally:

A: Alexandrian witches

B: Gardnerian witches

C: Faery Wiccans

D: Hedge witches

The answer you gave: Alexandrian witches

Q19 : Which of the following did the Farrar’s not write?

A: Eight Sabbats for Witches

B: The Witches’ Way

C: A Witches’ Bible

D: The Spiral Dance

The answer you gave: The Spiral Dance

Q20 : The Spiral Dance is:

A: The first American book on Wicca

B: A book detailing the FeriTradition

C: The best selling book on Wicca

D: Co-written with Cora Anderson

The answer you gave: The best selling book on Wicca

Q21 : Wiccans generally:

A: Worship deity in its feminine aspect

B: Worship deity in its masculine aspect

C: Worship deity in its feminine and masculine aspects

D: Worship only a god

The answer you gave: Worship deity in its feminine and masculine aspects

Q22 : Which of the following do Wiccans not believe in?

A: Immanent deity

B: The creative polarity of the sexes

C: The power of the Moon

D: The useful nature of fixed rules and regulations in their religion

The answer you gave: The useful nature of fixed rules and regulations in their religion

Q23 : Which of these do Wiccans not do?

A: Work with seasonal and natural forces

B: Practice magic

C: Work for the good of the community

D: Practice extensive magic based on the Sun

The answer you gave: Practice extensive magic based on the Sun

Q24 : Meditation is best practiced:

A: Every now and then

B: On a regular basis

C: With background distractions

D: Under bright lights

The answer you gave: On a regular basis

Q25 : Dianic Wicca:

A: Is a feminist Wiccan Tradition

B: Is closely related to Cochranian Wicca

C: Was founded by Starhawk

D: Was founded in the British Isles

The answer you gave: Is a feminist Wiccan Tradition

Common Misconceptions of Christianity

Oh yes. I'm going there.

As you obviously already know, I am not Christian. I do not have any problems with Christianity as a whole. It is just a religion that is not for me. There are areas in the teachings that I do not agree with I do not feel comfortable with. If I don't feel comfortable, I'm not going to follow. That's just my own personal philosophy in everything. Again, I have no problem with the religion, it's some of the people who call themselves 'Christian' that I don't like.

Anyway, one thing that I have noticed is how people like to make comments about certain religions without actually knowing what they are talking about. It's one of those moments where I am left telling them that their stupid is showing. A lot of stupid is spewed against certain religions. Paganism is high on that list. However, Christianity is not immune either. Here is a small list I have compiled just for my own amusement.

Misconception: The Trinity is One.
Truth: Nowhere in the Bible does is state that Jesus is God and that God, the Holy Spirit, and Jesus are all one being. It does mention them as a unit. But like my daughter and husband are all aspects of one family, we are not One. Throughout the New Testament Jesus is found saying, quite frequently, that he is not better than his Father. On the contrary, he always says that he is inferior to his Father. The Holy Spirit is used as a messenger for the divine. If the Trinity were in fact one, they would be called Unity, don't you think? And in Genesis, would the plural, "Let us", still be used? I think not.

Misconception: The Bible is pure fiction
Truth: Whether or not you believe in Divinity, or, in this case, Jehovah, the Bible can actually be scientific. The Bible actually reveals that the Earth is round and hangs in a void.

• "He spreads out the northern [skies] over empty space; he suspends the earth over nothing" -Job 26:7 (New International Version [NIV])
• "He has inscribed a circle on the surface of the waters At the boundary of light and darkness" - Job 26:10 (New American Standard Bible)
• "When he established the heavens, I was there; when he drew a circle on the face of the deep" - Proverbs 8:27 (English Standard Version)
• "He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers." -Isaiah 40:22 (NIV);

This is just one topic. You can even find the water cycle and the destruction of cities in the Bible.

I'm sure there are a lot more misconceptions of Christianity out there, I just can't think of any right now. These two are in the front of my mind only because they were mentioned earlier in my day.

And now you know. :)

Full Moon

Today is the full moon, and so I took this time to honor the Mother and have some introspection.

I am content.
I am stressed.
I would like one more child.
Spiritually, I feel whole. I do not crave for anything in that department. I feel complete and do feel the need to go searching. I don't feel lost like I once did.

I was supposed to take my Wicca 101 test today in class, but forgot. I'll do it soon.

End of Week One

It's the start of week two and I can honestly say that the past week, other than reflection, I haven't done much to focus on my spirituality.

I am currently on vacation, staying at my in-laws. My own mother just lives down the street from my mother-in-law. Mother is a nondenominational-Protestant pastor. I took my daughters to her church on Sunday and they had done the Last Supper/Holy Communion/Sacrament that day. I can honestly say that I don't like her church. The people there are nice enough, don't misunderstand, it's just the feeling of the whole institution. I felt out of place. I hadn't been there since my middle child was about 9 months old, and now, with my third child at 10 months, it may have just been the large gap in time. Then again, time doesn't really matter to me. If I feel comfortable in an area, it doesn't matter if I've been there before or if a large time has elapsed since my last visit. I will always enjoy it.

I felt horribly awkward on Sunday. I left immediately after the service was over. My daughters had had a decent time, but even they preffered going to the Latter Day Saints church and even the Jehovah's Witnesses' Kingdom Hall over my mother's church. I just did NOT like the vibe I was getting in that institution. I enjoyed seeing old friends, but I could have had a better time bumping into them at a barbeque.

Faith focus was accidently put on the back burner. I've been spending time with my family and enjoying the free time with friends. I rarely get to do that back home without my kids, so I've been enjoying my time. Maybe this week I'll do a bit of study on my refresher course.

Day Two: Reflections: Birthday

Today marked my 24th birthday. I was bombarded with e-mails, phone calls, text messages, and other forms of electronic messaging, all wishing me a wonderful and happy birthday. It made me realize just how blessed I am to have so many wonderful people in my life.

I spent the day with my family. Though I am obviously old enough to go to a club or bar, get drunk and party, I'm not that kind of girl. I had a few errands to run, which I did, but I enjoyed spending this time with my husband and daughters. They are special to me and having another year of my life spent with them is a blessing. Even though my children were acting like they had just snorted crack and were high on life, I liked having shared my birthday with them. Having all these people take the time, if even just a second, to wish me a happy birthday had me appreciating the time I've spent on this planet.

So my reflection for today was focused on how wonderful the people I have in my life are. Yes, they are human and have their moments of what-the-fuckery and hatefulness, but they are there for me, and I for them. I appreciate any time they give me. I know sometimes it is not always easy to take the time to just say a hello or a kind word, but the fact that someone out there does that for me makes me feel...I don't have words to express it. It's positive and priceless; that's all I can say about it.

I have been blessed by having friends who call me at midnight to say hi and wish me a great day, who message me at the end of the day to make sure that I had a great day. I have siblings who made a contest to see who wished me a happy birthday first (ready, set, SEND!) and a mother who mentioned how dumb my siblings can be. I have a mother in law who took the time to ask me if there was something special I wanted to for birthday, and a bunch of friends who not only wished me a happy birthday, but attached a fond memory to make sure I had a smile. I couldn't ask for more. Yes, my house is a mess. Yes, I still need to pack for my trip to visit family. Yes, I'm anxious and stressed. my joints hurt thanks to this humidity, and my children are bat-shit crazy, but I couldn't ask for more. I am loved and wish to love in return.

What small thing are you blessed with that you take for granted?

Day One: Reflection: Some Goals

Finally! The first of the month is here! Have I mentioned that I am super excited? Can you tell?

We're going on vacation in 3 days, so I've been busy cleaning the house, packing, and making sure things are in order. I will probably continue this until Thursday when I hope everything is done. I don't want to panic at all on Friday. So today, between my shifts of schoolwork (even though I am a week ahead), dishes, and errands, I've been taking time out for a bit of reflection. I have some goals I hope to accomplish by this time next year or sooner. I've been organizing them in my head while I sit and meditate.

I am not happy with my weight. If I don't end up pregnant again, which seems to be the norm here, I hope to have lost twenty pounds. It's true that I could probably do this within a couple of months, but I'm not happy with my personal eating habits either, and that's going to take some time to change. We'll see how it's gone at the end of the year.

My marriage needs a little work, I think. It's nothing drastic, or dramatic; we're good communicators, but in times of stress, we seem to take it out on each other. I, at least, go to therapy to vent to a shrink for an hour once a month and come home feeling refreshed. I also smoke, which is a nasty habit. I hope to find other, healthier, outlets for stress. I don't want to end up bitter and grumpy. I like being perky.

I will be making a lot of adjustments, both in my life and in this house, within the next twelve months, and only a few house projects will be easy. I want this house, like my soul, to feel like sacred space. I don't care that my husband is atheist and doesn't give a damn about theology, but I do and I want to incorporate it into our lifestyle as comfortably as will be allowed. J is okay with me being religious, he just doesn't want any religion shoved down his throat.

More reflection to follow.