Wiccan beliefs and traditions- Complete by Friday 2/29 at 9pm

Here are two articles to read about the Wiccan faith.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/paganism/subdivisions/wicca.shtml

The above article is the BEST the internet has to offer about general the general Wiccan belief system. It is objective in nature.

Before looking at the second article, I think it is important to note that it is the personal writing of a person deeply involved in the Wiccan faith. It is not objective in nature, but like the second link under the Hindu post, offers a personalized view of both the rituals and traditions of the faith.

There is a holy ton of information here:
http://zer0dmx.tripod.com/summer_land.html

After reading/absorbing the articles, take a look at the following poem and offer a response. I am looking for a clear understanding of the articles which should show in your response. If I can’t see evidence that you’ve read, I can’t award you a good score.

Carry Only Love
By Starhawk

Beloved one, you are dying [dead],
but you are not alone.
We are here with you,
the beloved dead await you.
You go from love
into love.
Carry with you
only love
May our love carry you
and open the way.

This poem was written to perform as part of a death ritual. With the understanding of the two articles in mind, what general Wiccan beliefs as well as afterlife ideas are apparent in the poem? Why/how are these words appropriate to say while grieving a Wiccan?

Better answer = more points. Don’t disappoint or be a cheeseball.

The general beliefs of Wicca is that they believe in reincarnation. This rebirth is a major part of Wicca. Their basically considered witches in a way that practice their studies alone or study in a group of people. The afterlife to them is a place where thy are reborn again and again and keep coming back until there's nothing else for them to learn then they die. They believe that their placed on earth to learn a lesson. A lesson that you'll use before you die. In the poem it said that you are dying but your not alone. The reason why your not alone is because when you actually reach Summerland, which they relate to as heaven you met your loved ones and spend time with them. Their loved ones are waiting for others to join them so that they can keep living their lives over and over. It says that "you go from love into love and carry with you only love may our love carry and open the way". This means that you go from lesson to lesson with love in between and you carry your love and lessons with you so that it will open the way until you die. These words are appropriate to say when your grieving a Wiccan because it helps them see how much love and interest you really have in them. It shows them that even though you are going to die you learn lessons on the way that help you see your life in a different, alternative way.

The poem expresses common Wiccan beliefs that concern the idea of life after death. First off, according to Wiccan philosophy, souls are viewed as shapeless balls of energy that are readily transportable. Through reincarnation, once a body no longer functions, its soul is relocated to another body. Because reincarnation is supported by Wiccan faith, death is not the ending and therefore it is not looked upon in negative light. This is why the farewell poem is written lightly with comforting words. Moreover, it is thought that reincarnation gives souls opportunities to learn new lessons and experience different adventures. When the spirit is reborn again, it will be given the chance to rekindle preexisting relationships that were established in past lives. Once a spirit has absorbed and learned everything that it possibly could, reincarnation ceases and the spirit enters Summerland, a place of everlasting tranquility. So the poem presents the idea that the dying are not alone because they will soon be reincarnated to another body and reconnect with past loved ones. Furthermore, a Wiccan believer leaves earth with a warm blessing from fellow Wiccan followers and renter earth with a warm welcoming of love into the Wiccan faith.

A major part of the Wiccan belief is reincarnation. They come back with multiple lives. In the poem it says that you go from love into love because according to Wiccan belief, once you die, your spirit is reborn and meet those in your past life. Like the Hindu beliefs, reincarnation isn't to escape our life on earth. Wicca's believe that they want to be reincarnated to learn everything they can over and over again so it absorbs. They go to a lovely place described as Summerland.

Wiccans believe in a pagen form of witchcraft. When you think of witchcraft, you often associate mean spells, but in fact, wiccans only use their spells to help people. Reincarnation is a huge part of their religion also. After you die, you go to a place called Summerland, kind of like a heaven, where you review your life on earth and realize what you need to learn and improve on for your next life. Your next life will help you learn what you need to improve. Wiccans also believe that they will reunite with their loved ones after death. The quote given shows how death isn't a scary event, but something to help you learn more about life. It also says how they will meet up with thier family after death and they are awaiting them.

From reading both articles and the poem, wiccan’s strongly believe in the process of reincarnation, which means you have multiple lives, but every time you are reborn you are a different type of human with a different type of situation. Throughout the poem it talks about only one love, carrying the love and you go from love into love, explaining and relating to the lessons us humans learn every time we get reincarnated. The beloved dead that a wait are in the Summerland, a place where you have no body but the spirits wait for the right time to go back to Earth. For the wiccan belief there is no hell and only the Summerland that is equivalent to heaven. The word love described in the poem shows how the wiccan belief is very positive and with the idea of reincarnation it allows all people to be a good person once they have learned all their lessons, once you reach your final incarnation, no one really knows because it is too hard for the human mind to comprehend.

Wiccan believe in the concept of reincarnation after death. This poem expresses the process of reincarnation along with the steps that need to be overcome. The wiccan believe that the purpose of each life is to learn something new and expand the knowledge of the bigger picture. As a result there is no hell but simply the chance of being reborn into a new life. Sometimes a wicca is stuck inbetween death and reincarnation putting them at a standstill of achieving the lessons that ought to be taught. When this occurs the spirit gets sent to Summerland, similar to heaven, which allows them to study their lives, as if watching a film for understanding. The part in the poem refering to not being alone is simply reminding the spirit that it will be reunited with loved ones in Summerland. The other Wiccan might recite something similar to this poem to assure the wicca that they are not alone and to help them through to their next life. All in all the Wicca do not mourn death but instead encourage the success of the spirit in achieving the highest goal of understanding, which is too complex for the human brain.

Wiccans are strong believers of reincarnation, in hopes to evolve as a soul and attain enlightenment. Wiccans believe that in reincarnation, you are a shapeless form that moves from one body which is no longer needed, to the next. They also believe that we are placed on Earth to learn a lesson, and when we have learned all we need to in life, then we die. Death means that you have completed one step on the incarnal ladder, and you get to go to Summerland, which is like our Heaven. There you review your life, of what you did right or wrong and what you need to change. Also after death, your spirit is reborn and you will meet again with the people you had close relationships with in your previous life. The purpose of reincarnation is to enjoy experiencing life until everything that can be learned has been absorbed. The poem talks about how death is the not the end, more like the closing of a chapter in a book. In addition, the poem shows that there is love after death and love into the new life. Also, dead or alive, one is never alone, because you will either have friends on Earth during your life, or in Summerland. This is good for grieving a Wiccan because it puts a positive spin on their passing away, and they will be loved and accompanied forever.

Mrs. Franzen you werent kidding this wiccan religious stuff is quite interesting. Such as the gods they worship, such as, The Divine or the Horned God. Plus all of the multitude of ritual occasions that they have , as summer and winter slocestice, etc. The thing that got my attention was the mention of the "Book of Shadows." A long dark history inlays within the words of that book. BEWARE!!!!

The Wiccan is a belief of a traditional religious witchcraft. People had thought that it was some sort of magic and that it would worship the god or goddesses. The Wiccan is also a recarnation of death and that the souls can gain an enlightment. The Wiccan believes that if you have done something wrong then you can fix that mistake to make it right. Then when death comes your spirit will be reborned and that you can meet those who were close to you in your previous life and that it is not for you to get away from earth.

Wiccans believe in reincarnation so that their soul can come back again and again until it reaches enlightment. In reincarnation, supposedly, you are a shapeless form that moves from one body to the next. They believe that we are placed on this earth with a purpose/reason and to learn a lesson. Once we have learned the lesson then it's our time to die. When you die you go to a place called summerland which is like heaven to us. When you die your spirit gets to meet with the people you knew before. The poem tells how death isn't the end, but it's actually the beginning. The poem also shows that death is not something to fear, but to embrace and love. It shows that no one is ever alone, alive or dead.

This makes a lot of sense because when you go to paradise you aren’t alone because other spirits are there waiting for their recreation. I think this poem has a lot to do with love because there is no hell or devil there is only paradise where you go and learn the mistakes you have made in your past life and what you can do to make it better. This isn’t what I expect I thought witches worshiped the devil I am glad I learned about their beliefs.

In the Wiccan religion they strongly believe in reincarnation. They believe that you are placed on Earth to learn a lesson and in order to do that you have to go through different lifestyles to learn them. Once you have learned the lesson you are sent to learn, you die in order to move up a step on the “incarnal ladder”. The Wiccans Heaven is called the Summerland which is where you are brought to once you die. In the Summerland is where the spirits review and learn about what they’ve done right/wrong in that life and wait for the right time to return to Earth and onto learn their next lesson in the next life. In the poem it is basically just saying that when you die you won’t be alone. You’ll be with many others spirits who have died too and you will go from love back into love again. By dying you are not being punished. The Wiccans view death as a good thing and believe that you are only learning lessons about good and love, which is what they describe in the poem.

When we died, our soul has to move on and we can’t stick to each other even thought we love dearly. Wiccan believes that after someone dies, the spirits is reborn and will meet again those with whom it had close personal ties in previous lives, also known as reincarnation. The purpose is that we have to learn variety of life experiences and get to learn all the stuff that you need to know while you are alive so that everything we learned can be absorbed and we need to move on until we are done with that. Wiccan doesn’t believe in Satin and they don’t look death as punishment or bad thing. They don’t believe in devil and hell either. Everything we learn while we alive is all we need to know and keep learning lessons until we hit the Heaven like called Summerland. It is a place for rest after life on earth and the deceased will be rejoined with friends and loved ones. There, that person will have time to look at their lives on earth and they will have to return on Earth to learn and experience more and more. Wiccan teaches death as Reincarnation and that’s why whoever you love, they will still be in your heart no matter what and try to understand that that he or she was die for a reason and they will come back to see you as your love and to make your life better.

It makes sense that love is a dominant force in a poem for a Wiccan death ritual, as there is no designated “Hell” sinners go to and that Wiccans believe in reincarnation. Even after the spirit has been reincarnated to learn and love as much about the world as it can, it goes to a beautiful place, full of love, called “Summerland” or “the Land of Youth”. It is comforting for a grieving Wiccan to know that while their loved one no longer has the physical body they remember, their spirit is still present. I think the entire poem, especially the last lines, are very honoring towards a dead Wiccan, showing that the ones they left behind have only love for them and accept their death as a part of a never ending circle.

Wicca was originally used to distinguish the tradition of Witchcraft practiced as a religion. People describe themselves as wiccans, they mean they believe in a pagan form of witchcraft. When I think of witchcraft I think of scary spells that are used negatively, but they only use their spells to help people. Reincarnation is a huge part of their religion also. After you die you go to a place called Summerland which is kind of like a heaven. When your there you review your life on earth and realize what you need to learn and improve on for your next life. I read all throughout the poem it talks about only one love, carrying the love. I think it is explaining and relating to the lessons us humans learn every time we get reincarnated. Summerland is also a place where you have no body but the spirits wait for the right time to go back to Earth. The wiccan also believe there is no hell and only the Summerland that is equivalent to heaven. The Wiccans view death as a good thing and believe that you are only learning lessons about good and love.

In Wiccan belief, after you die you will be reincarnated. Your spirit lives a life, dies, and then is reborn. When you are born again you will meet with your close friends and family of previous lives. If you believe in Wicca than you believe that you have had and will have multiple lives.When your spirit is done reincarnating, it goes to “The Land of Youth” a.k.a. “Summerland”. This “Summerland” almost sounds like their heaven or final resting place. Wiccans believe that you are reincarnated to experience the joys of Earth over and over again until you have learned everything you can process. Like Scientology, you are considered energy. Your purpose on Earth is to learn a lesson. I believe that this farewell poem is written so casually because the writer knows that death is not the end for you. You will be reborn and better yourself, and keep improving yourself each life. The writer knows that you will be reunited with your loved ones again in your next life, so he/she is saying not to worry. They send their love on your way out.

Wiccan people believe in reincarnation, they are put on earth over and over again to learn a lesson until they achieve their final incarnation and there is nothing else left to learn. Then, no one knows where they go. They are not here to cause harm but to cause good. Once you have achieved your final incarnation you go to summerland which is like heaven. There is no devil or hell. Wiccan people practice witchcraft, usually to help or heal people. The idea of life is to learn as much as you can. In the poem when it says, "That you are dying, but not alone," it means that not only you are dying, but others are aswell, but you will be back in a new body. It also says that, "You may go from love into love and carry with you only love may our love carry and open the way" Which may mean that each lesson you learn and each love that you are in, will only get you closer to Summerland, therefore opening the way.

Wiccans are very very big believers of reincarnation, they hope to evolve as a soul and reach enlighmnet.they believe that in reincarnation, you are a shapeless form that moves from one body which is no longer needed, to the next. They say that we are placed on Earth to learn a lesson, and after we learned all we need to know in life, then we die. then we go to summerland, which is their Heaven. There you go over your life, of the goods and bads that u have done. The purpose of reincarnation is to enjoy experiencing life until everything that can be learned has been absorbed. they say that in death you will never be lonely because u will always have someone there for you.the poems says that death is only the beginning into a whole nother world. they say that in death u can love agian.

After reading over the two articles, I learned that Wiccans believe in reincarnation. The spirits are reborn when you die and you will meet again with those close to you in your previous lives. They say that you are a ball of energy and you are placed on this Earth to learn a lessen. The poem is saying that you will not necessarily "die." Because of the belief of reincarnation, when you die, your loved ones will stay with you. When your soul is born again into the next step or life of reincarnation, you will meet others whom you loved and they will stay with you and follow you. Instead of going to a Heaven, Wiccans go to Summerland. That is their Heaven, and they have no hell. There you will learn what you did wrong in life and you will learn your lesson. Because Wiccans have mulitple lives, this is why the poem is saying that their loved ones will always be there even though they died.

Reincarnation is a big process in the wiccan belief, when someone dies they are not technically dead but still loved and alive with a reborn body. Therefore the poem is expressed with reincarnation ideas and the wiccan philosophy. The poem says that once u die it’s another beginning or as if nothing big has occurred but experimenting the ideas of life. With the enlightenment of your soul at death it is met with those close to you in your previous life and mistakes can be corrected in the new life. In withcraft they don’t believe in bad for themselves only in love. This poem is about death being the beginning and is something to love and not hate.

Wiccans believe that when you die you are reborn in a new life and will find your friends one day in that next life. In that they don't feel sorry that they had lost thier friend because they will be returned to them soon enough.

Some general beliefs are that the soul lives on forever and you are reunited with those close to you. The Wiccan religion believes in reincarnation. Poetry is a path to spiritual growth. It helps the soul obtain everything the soul can obtain. The words help strive to live in harmony with others and with themselves.

In the wiccan beliefs, when you die, your spirt returns to the "summerland" in a source of engergy with no shape or sex. The poem fits the beliefs because when a loved one dies they are sent to this 'summerland' where their loved ones from past lives wait, and you all wait to be returned to a new mortal life to learn more and more. When you die you leave loved ones and rejoin other loved ones. There is no hell, so u are constantly surrounded by love. The poem is very honorable, and shows that the wiccans accept that they are now dead and will be moving on to another life full of new love.

I believe this poem is showing what the Wiccan Followers think will happen after death. Witches think of the afterlife as life not ending, but starting over and over in reincarnation. This poem shows the emotional feelings that come with that, death is not a sad affair because you will be reborn and see all of your old friends in your next life. So when the poem says "But you are not alone. We are here with you" it means that when you die your closest companions will still be there for you and take care of you. Even if you were not reborn you would go to a place of bliss and happiness called the "Summerland" therefore no matter what you will "go from love into love". The Religion of Wicca keeps an optimistic and interesting outlook on death and the afterlife.