The Adventure Begins

Take a ride with one of our newest writer in town, know more about her in this article which will take you back in her past, her beliefs and her magickal experiences in life. By Sapphire Soul.

Dear Jesus, I think I’m a Witch
It took a while before textbook Wicca sunk into my preconceived Catholic philosophies. For one, I had always adhered to the One God Policy because more than one was heresy. Unfortunately, the rest of the package has never been able to fully explain my unusual experiences as a kid, and I was not inclined to simply dismiss my encounters with the elementals, for example, as the devil in disguise.

Whether by destiny or by coincidence, I stumbled upon Wicca in my search for alternative remedies/herbs for migraine and insomnia. Although I have always been interested in alternative religions, Wicca called to me. I ate up books and web sites on the topic. And the more I learned, the more I realized how much I’ve practiced the craft without consciously knowing it.

How, during early afternoon walks with a friend or two, I would pour a small amount of my drinking water to the ground in a silent thank you to the earth before drinking some myself. How I would soak in the light of the rising full moon until it was high enough to hurt my neck. How at times I could see future events with uncanny detail, and so much more. Wicca seemed perfect, except for its polytheistic nature that firmly ran against the first commandment.

Echoes of the Past
As I began to practice the basic Wiccan circle during the course of my study, certain elements of my preferred altar layout became eerily familiar. A memory from my college days surfaced, from a field trip to Northern Luzon. My professor was hoarse but still shouting through the din of students more than enough to fill 9 buses. We were in front of one of the oldest churches in the Philippines. “Notice how the altars of old churches ALWAYS face east. You can take a compass and check the orientation of the old churches, they will all be facing east. This is because Jesus is symbolized by the rising sun, reminiscent of Catholicism’s pagan influences.”

Altar candles lit, I picked up my wand, pointed it outwards and outlined my circle, going south, west, north, and back to my east-set altar. My professor’s voice droned on in my head. “The masons also added more clues to the pagan past. Notice the church façade. They may be symmetrical but the symbols on either side are not the same. Phallic symbols are placed on the right (south) and feminine symbols are placed to the left (north).”

As I sat inside my circle and closed my eyes, images of museum effigies from the same field trip came to mind: antique figures of Mary the mother of God, standing on an upturned crescent moon, with a crown of stars above her head.

Full Circle
I never anticipated that in studying Wicca I would take a second look at the religion given to me. Although there are similarities between the two that are hard to deny (even the Sabbats, from an agricultural point of view were strangely similar to Catholic holidays), it seemed practically impossible to shed overnight everything that I had always believed in.

There are inevitable fears for contemplating a new path. It may be adventurous and exciting, but as crazy as it seems, I fear to lose my ignorance. Not knowing stuff frees me from the responsibility that comes with the knowledge. I fear being alone more than I already am, with people always thinking I get weirder and weirder every day. I fear losing my old religion and the comfort of doing routine, habitual customs and traditions. I fear being more emotionally distant than I already am with my family.

But the bottom line is, I knew that if I was to go any further in my studies, I would have find a way to seamlessly blend the two within myself. I would have to resolve the issue on the One God Policy.

I believe in God, the Father Almighty – the first line of the Nicene Creed, internalized since childhood, and source of my uncertainty for plunging headlong into this new path. Looking at it now through Wiccan eyes, nowhere did it say I should not believe in the Goddess.

Creator of… all that is seen and unseen – the elementals, part of this unseen world were also created by God, therefore must not be necessarily evil, or the devil in disguise.

For now, my take on the Creed will hold my beliefs together and allow me to explore this new path.

About the Author: A claustrophobic Virgo, SAPPHIRE SOUL is a licensed forester and is currently working as an information officer for an agro-forestry research org. Because of her eclectic mix of beliefs ingrained since childhood, she sees no contradiction between Catholic and indigenous belief systems (as well as Wicca), and have found a way to seamlessly blend the two in her life.

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