History of the Neo-Pagan Movement

 

 

 

The origins of Wicca/Witchcraft/the"Craft" are as varied as the traditions of this faith. One can only think of the pagan people of ancient times, the "witch" doctors, the "wise" women of old, healing, dancing, chanting, praying, playing drums for the raising of energy.

People of ancient times did not read, as most were illiterate and made their living totally off of the land. The natural passage of time is what made them look to the heavens, nature, the behavior of animals, the seasons, and their own survival which meant the acquiring of food and shelter, and various ways to heal illnesses and injuries for themselves and the animals they shared their lives with or used for food.

Gods and Goddesses and their attributes were different depending on where people lived and what kind of civilization was prominent in their homes. There were great traditions passed from generation to generation in songs and poetry and storytelling before man/woman figured out that they could write these things down in symbols for people to read later.

The first books that I read about Goddess worship before I realized that I was a witch helped me to see that there was indeed, a history of a common Goddess-worship and faith, and it was world-wide!!! The evidence of it is everywhere, from the Temples to Isis and Inanna, to statues, cave paintings, art, and archeological evidence of a matriarchal culture that promoted peace and not war.

As the World culture became patriarchal and some of the last outward vestiges of the Matriarchal rule died down, Paganism became associated with war...and war became the by-product of religion. It was the excuse that Man used to invade towns, cities and countries, in the name of "war-gods" that had given the soldiers permission to decimate, rape, plunder and kill...for lands, control, natural resources, ethnic cleansing, all of these or some of these together.

I like to think that the Goddess worship never died out, but survived in little pockets in remote corners and on the fringe of what was then known as "civilization"...and then the Romans took over and concentrated on ruling the world. But Rome soon fell and was taken over by the rapidly growing cult worship of Jesus by the Judeans. There were actually two cults going on at that time, the second one being the worship of Mithras, the war god of the Roman soldiers. The worship of Christ became the state religion and pagans were persecuted and killed and temples were destroyed or built over into Christian churches.

The Church grew to dominate the European countries at that time, even politically and the leaders made their plans and decisions based on the "needs" of the Church. Usually their decisions were based on what they themselves needed or wanted. The Church leaders and clergy controlled virtually everything, political positions, land-holdings, property, documents, books, higher learning, life passages, anything having to do with money, and did their best to manipulate the lives of the people in their churches in every way.

 

(TO BE CONTINUED...)