WICCA AND SHAMANISM by OneCrow

[Dept of PMM Artists & things]

SHAMANISM  has been
defined as the first religion.  It existed prior to the earliest
civilizations, before our ancestors took the first steps down the long
journey to the present.  Prior to this time, the shamans were the
medicine people, the power wielders, male and female.  They wrought
magic and spoke to the spirits of nature.
The shamans were the first humans with knowledge.  They created, discovered, nurtured, and used
it.  Knowledge is power; women and men who possessed it in those
far-flung days were shamans.
How did shamans capture or discover this power?  Through ecstasy---alternate states of consciousness in
which they communed with the forces of the universe.  Early shamans
first attained this state throuh the use of such "tools" as fasts,
thirsts, self infliction of pain, ingestion of hallucinogenic
substances, concentration, and so on.  Once mastered these techniques
allowed them to gain awareness of other, nonphysical worlds.  Through
such "awareness shifts," all magical knowledge was obtained. 
Conference with spirits and deities, plants and animals opened up
newwistas of learning among their own people, the shamans often shared
some of this knowledge, but reserved the rest for personal use. 
Shamanic lore wasn't for public consumption.
Later, shamans advanced in the use of tools to facilitate these awareness shifts, marking the
advent of magical ritual.  Shamans around the world still use tools
such as drums, rattles,  reflective objects, music, chants, and 
dance.  Indeed, the most effective shamanic rites are those that
utilize both natural and artificial tools--a sighing wind, roaring
ocean, flickering firelight, steady drumbeat, hiss of rattle.  These,
combined with darkness and chants, eventually overwhelm the senses,
forcing a shifting from awareness of the physical world to the waster
realm of energies.  Such are awareness of the physical world to the
vaster realm of energies.  Such are shamanic rites that exist to this
day.
From these primitive beginnings arose all magic and religion, including Wicca.  Despite current controversy as to the "antiquity" of
Wicca, it is spiritually descended from such rites.  Though refined and
changed for our world, Wicca still touches our souls and causes
ecstasy--awareness shifts--uniting us with deity.  Many of the
techniques of Wicca are shamanic in origin.
Wicca, therefore, can be described as a shamanic religion.  As with shamanism, only a select few
feel compelled to enter its circle of light.  
Today, Wicca has dropped the ordeals of pain and the use of hallucinogens in favor of
chanting, meditation, concentration, visualization, music, dance,
invocation, and ritual drama.  With these spiritual tools, the Wicca
achieve a state of ritual consciousness similar to those attained by
the most brutal shamanic ordeals.
I deliberately used the term "alternate states of consciousness."  Such changed consciousness states
aren't unnatural, but are a deviation from the 'normal" waking
consciousness.  Wicca teaches that nature includes a broad spectrum of
mental and spiritual states of which most of us are ignorant. 
Effective Wiccan ritual enables us to slip into such states, allowing
communication and communion with the Goddess and God.
Unlike some religions, Wicca doesn't view deity as distant.  "The Goddess and God
are both within ourselves and manifest in all nature."  That is the
universality:THERE IS NOTHING THAT ISN'T OF THE GODS.
A study of shamanism reveals much of the heart of magical and religious experience
in general, and Wicca in particular.  With ritual as a means to enter
ritual consciousness, the Shaman or Wiccan constantly expands his or
her knowledge, and knowledge is power.  Wicca helps its practioners to
understand the universe and our place within it.
At present, Wicca is a religion with many variations.  Because it is such a personally
structured system, I can only state generalities about its creed and
form here, filtered through my experience and knowledge, to create a
picture of the nature of Wicca.  
Wicca, in common with many other religions, recognizes deity as dual.  It reveres both the Goddess and
the God.  They are equal, warm, and loving, not distant or resident in
"heaven," but omnipresent throughout the universe.
Wicca also teaches that the physical world is one of many realities.  The physical
is not the absolute highest expression, nor is the spiritual "purer"
than the base.  The only difference between the physical and the
spiritual is that the former is denser.  
As in eastern religions, Wicca also embraces the doctrine of reincarnation, that
much-misunderstood subject.  Unlike some eastern philosophies, however,
Wicca doesn't teach that upon physical death our souls will reincarnate
in anything other that a human body.Also few of the Wicca believes we
we began our existence as rocks, trees, snails, or birds before we
evolved to the point where we could incarnate as human beings.  Though
these creatures and substances do possess a type of soul, it's not the
sort we humans have.
Reincarnation is accepted as fact by many millions in the east and west.  It answers many questions: what happens
after death?  Why are we sometimes strangely attracted to places or
people who we've never before seen?
Surely, reincarnation can't answer all these questions, but it is there for those who wish to study
it.  This isn't something that should be believed.  Through
contemplation, meditation, and self-analysis, many come to the point
where they accept reincarnation as fact.  
The Wiccan ideal of mortality is simple:  "DO WHAT YOU WANT, AS LONG AS YOU HARM NONE!" 
This rule contains another unwritten condition:  "DO NOTHING THAT WILL
HARM YOURSELF!"  Thus, if you as a Wiccan abuse your body, deny it the
necessities of life, or otherwise harm yourself, you're in violation of
this principle.
This is more that survival.  It also ensures that you'll be in good condition to take on the tasks of preserving and
bettering our world, for concern and love of our planet play major
roles in Wicca.
Wicca is a religion that utilizes magic.  This is one of its most appealing and unique features.  Religious magic?  This
isn't as strange as it might seem.  Catholic priests use "magic" to
transform a piece of  bread into the body of a long-deceased "savior,"
Jesus.  Prayer--a common tool in many religions,is simply a form of
concentration and communication with deity.  If the concentration is
extended, energies are sent out with the thoughts that may in time make
the prayer come true.  Prayer is a form of religious magic.
Magic is the practice of moving natural (though little-understood) energies to
effect needed change.  In Wicca, magic is used as a tool to sanctify
ritual areas, and to improve ourselves and the world in which we live.
Many people confuse Wicca and magic as if the two words were
interchangeable.  Wicca is a religion that embraces magic.  If you seek
only to practice magic, Wicca probably isn't the answer for you.
Another fundamental point: "Magic isn't a means of forcing nature to do your
will."  This is a completely erroneous idea, fostered by the belief
that magic is somehow supernatural, as if anything that exist can be
outside of nature.  MAGIC is natural.  It is a harmonious movement of
energies to create needed change.  If you wish to practice magic, all
thoughts of it being paranormal or supernatural must be FORGOTTEN!
Most Wiccans don't believe in predestination.  Although we honor and revere
the Goddess and God, we know that we're free souls with full control
and responsibility of our lives.  We can't point at ani mage of an evil
god, such as Satan, and blame it for our faults and weaknesses.  We
can't blame fate.  Every second of each day we're creating our futures,
shaping the courses of our lives.  Once a Wiccan takes full
responsibility for all that she or he has done (in this life and past
ones) and determines that future actions will be in accord with higher
ideals and goals, magic will blossom and life will be a joy.
That perhaps is at the core of Wicca--it is a joyous union with nature.  The
earth is a manifestation of divine energy.  Wicca's temples are
flower-splased meadows, forest, beaches, and deserts.  When a Wiccan is
outdoors, she or he is actually surrounded by sanctity, much as is a
Christian when entering a church or cathedral.
Additionally, all nature is constantly singing to us, revealing her secrets.  Wiccans
listen to the earth.  They don't shut out the lessons that she is so
desperately trying to teach us.  When we lose touch with our blessed
planed, we lose touch with deity.
These are some of the basic principles of Wicca.  They are the true Wicca; the rituals and myths
are secondary to these ideals and serve to celebrate them.
Don't shut out the physical world in favor of the spiritual or magical
realms, for only through nature can we experience these realities. "WE
ARE HERE ON THE EARTH FOR A REASON!"  Do, however, use ritual to expand
your awareness so that you are truly at one with all creation.  The way
is open.  The ancient Goddess and God await within and around you.  May
they bless you with wisdom and power.

-OneCrow-

from:  WICCA  by:  Scott Cunningham