Coven Oldenwilde
a Traditional Wiccan Coven
Witchcraft spirituality, metaphysics, lessons, spells, counseling,
magic books, and much more
As publicly active Witches in a religiously conservative part of the country, we have been working hard to dispel the lies and stereotypes about the Craft that have led to cross-burnings, beatings, firings, and other forms of harassment of Witches in the so-called Bible Belt. Here are documents that we have found very helpful in our efforts. Feel free to download, print, link to, or distribute them.
Clicking on a bold title takes you directly
to that document. Clicking on a regular title takes you first
to a brief summary of the document. (Click on an icon to browse
these summaries by category.) From the summary, you can retrieve
the document by once more clicking its title, which is marked
by a 
.
Table of Contents
 |
What is Witchcraft? |
|
|
|
 |
America is a Pagan Nation! |
|
|
|
 |
Wiccans and the Law
|
|
|
|
 |
Medical Issues |
|
|
|
 |
Wiccans and the Military |
|
|
|
 |
Persecution of Witches |
|
|
|
 |
Sacred Substances and Altered States |
Summaries
What
is Witchcraft?
- Frequently Asked Questions and Answers about
Wicca
- If you don't know anything about Witches except what you've
seen in the movies or been told in church, then you need to read
this. If you are a Witch who is coming out of the "broom
closet" to your family and friends, this may be a good document
to download and print for them. Or if you are an Elder who is
doing outreach to the press, hospitals, prisons, etc., then we
strongly recommend that you either use this document or write
an "FAQ" of your own to give to journalists, chaplains,
etc. They will thank you for a concise and informative answer
sheet they can use for story background or for writing administrative
policy.
- Wicca and Teens
- We receive numerous inquiries about Wicca from interested
teenagers. They agree with a Craft book they've read, or feel
magically inclined or reverently drawn to Nature. They want to
know how to get involved, but don't really know where they may
fit in, or what teen Witches really do. "Wicca and Teens"
offers real help for concerned parents and young people alike.
- Wiccan Symbols
- We drew this up for a talk we gave to a law-enforcement class at a local college. Too often, overzealous police or misinformed parents discover a Witch's altar and assume that its pentagrams and horned-god figurines are signs of "Satan worship". Many people mistakenly believe that only "black witches" use the sign of the upside-down pentagram, and leap to the wrong conclusions when they find it inscribed on Wiccan magical implements or jewelry. This collection of typical symbols describes their true usages and meanings.
America is a Pagan Nation
- One Nation, Under
Many Gods
- This short essay about the actual religious beliefs of America's Founders -- which were far more radical than what fundamentalist Christians would have you believe -- accompanied our press release for Asheville's 7th Annual Samhain Rite in 2001.
- America Was Founded on Pagan
Ideals
- Why do our government buildings look like temples? Why is our flag spangled with pentacles? Why is Liberty a Goddess? And why should Pagans object to reciting the Pledge of Allegiance?
- The Pagan Pilgrim:
Thomas Morton of Merry Mount
- You've heard of the Puritans who landed at Plymouth Rock. But have you heard of their rival, Thomas Morton, who erected a Maypole and celebrated May Day with the Indians?
Wiccans
and the Law
- N.C.
State Law Forbids Disrupting a Ritual
- Fundamentalist protestors who shout, pray, sing psalms, proselytize, or harass people attending a Pagan or Wiccan religious event are breaking the law and are subject to arrest.
- Federal Freedom of Religion Legal Memo
- This was originally posted on the Church of All Worlds listserver. It contains potentially useful legal information for attorneys who are defending Wiccans or Pagans from religious persecution.
Medical Issues
- Wiccan Medical Guidelines
- This document consists of our answers to a clergy questionnaire provided us by chaplains of our local hospital. If you are a Wiccan priest or priestess, we strongly recommend that you contact your local hospital chaplain and arrange to meet with them to inform them about the unique medico-spiritual needs of Wiccan and Pagan patients, and to inform them that you are available to assist or counsel any patients who request Wiccan or Pagan religious services.
Wiccans and the Military
Most Wiccans are strongly opposed to war, because it violates our core ethical belief: "An it harm none, do what ye will." Many of us, however, are young enough to qualify for the Draft, should the government decide during its next spasm of war fever to reinstate it. Others have already enlisted in the military before their Wiccan beliefs took shape, and now realize that they could not morally participate in the brutality and destructiveness of modern war.
- Pagans and Conscientious Objector Status:
An Anthology of Statements About War and War Resistance by Pagan
Individuals and Groups
- This anthology of powerful and eloquent essays on paganism and war by Starhawk, Judy Harrow, CoG, CAW, BloodRose, and others is indispensable for any Wiccan or Pagan who would declare himself -- or herself, if present trends continue -- a conscientious objector in time of war.
Persecution of Witches
- The Black Ribbon Campaign
- Millions of Witches have been killed by religious bigotry. Anti-Wiccan prejudice and persecution continue unabated today. Join the Black Ribbon Campaign to end religious intolerance.
- Institutional Prejudice Against Witches
Denies Religious Freedom
- A commentary on the modern methods that public institutions and officials use to discriminate against Wiccans and Pagans.
Published in the Mountain
Xpress, Nov. 22, 2000.
Sacred Substances and Altered States
Since the beginning of time, shamans and priest/esses in every human culture have used sacred substances -- hallucinogenic mushrooms, hashish, peyote, wine, to name a few -- to achieve altered states of consciousness, the "divine frenzy" that opens a magician's mind to the realm beyond the ordinary. When Xtianity imposed on Western culture its puritanical fear of ecstasy, the lore of sacred substances was kept alive by the hidden children of the Old Religion. Don't believe the rote anti-drug disclaimers printed in popular books on the Craft -- Witches really do mutter enchantments over our cauldrons (or at least our cooking pots) as we stir handfuls of strange herbs into magic potions and flying ointments. The use of mind-altering substances for ritual purposes is as integral to Wicca -- and as historically well attested -- as it is to any other indigenous religion, and we consider the outlawing and persecution of traditional sacred plants such as cannabis (marijuana) and Amanita Muscaria (the "fairy mushroom") to be a direct violation of Wiccans' First Amendment right to freedom of religion.
Return to table
of contents.
Return to Coven
Oldenwilde's home page.
Latest update: 30 May 2013
