What is Inclusive Wicca?
Merry Meet,
I know it sounds silly, but what is Inclusive Wicca? In all of my Googleing Oak and Mistletoe is the only website that i have come across the term.
Blessed Be,
Rhiannon
Merry Meet,
I know it sounds silly, but what is Inclusive Wicca? In all of my Googleing Oak and Mistletoe is the only website that i have come across the term.
Blessed Be,
Rhiannon
Inclusive Wicca is...
Inclusive Wicca is the name of the tradition which Oak and Mistletoe belongs to. There are a number of trads around the world as you probably know, Gardnerian, Alexandrian, Dianic, UEW, Faery etc and there's Inclusive Wicca. It is underpinned by the Communiyt Church of Inclusive Wicca Inc which is a legally formed and incorporated church in Australia that services the global community of Inclusive Wicca followers and supporters.
Inclusive Wicca is a trad which upholds the right of the individual to choose hwo they pracitice their form of Wicca (within reason of course) and so is veru inclusive in terms of what it sees as being respectiful and honourable to the religion, to deity and to practitioners. The students get to elarn lots more about IW of course as they go through our teaching program and can eventually apply for legal clergy status as a minister through the Community Church of Inclusive Wicca Inc.
Anyone else want to add any points about what makes Inclusive Wicca a little different from other Wiccan traditions?
With smiles and blessings,
Amethyst
Oak and Mistletoe Founder, Elder and Chair
Inclusive and Eclectic
Ok... so is this right and can it be expanded on Please! I am an Eclectic, Inclusive, Solitary Wiccan (a mouth full?)
Inclusive : I am inclusive because I accept more spiritualism in my wiccan path than in comparison to other strict wiccan ways such as Dianic or Alexandrian for example. I consider Inclusive a general term like "Including"
Eclectic: I am eclectic because I honour many pantheons and have both gods and goddesses. I "collect" and practice from all valid wiccan beliefs which makes me eclectic.
Solitary: Again to be taken as literally as the term for Inclusive,( but I do share my solitary path with an online coven and have the opportunity to share ritual from time to time).
Wiccan: I am wiccan because I acknowledge a modern Wicca religion that has pagan roots.
Does that sound right? I've never asked the question before and am glad someone did. Thanks.
Butterfly Spirit!
Fairly spot on Butterfly Spirit
Very close indeed Butterfly Spirit.
Inclusive Wicca is the tradition of Wicca you follow. So rather than being a Dianic or an Alexandrian or whatever, you're an "Inclusive". The trad especially asks people to explore their practice for themselves but essentially it's just a title for the trad.
The term "eclectic" is traditionally used to describe a way of the Craft that incoprorates many different types of practice. So it could include a bit of Alexandrian high ritual (Alexandrian Wicca is very ceremonial), it might include some of Ray Bucklands ritual aspects (Saxon Wicca or Seux as he called it), it might even include some geographically local relevent aspects such as native American inclusions (where this is appropriate and not "stealing" and bastardising a sacred practice). Inclusive Wicca is by it's very nature eclectic and in fact the BTW, Alexanrian and Gardnerians might consider anything outside those tradtitions as being eclectic!
So yep, you're an Inclusive solitary Wiccan but because you're Inclusive, you're eclectic by design anyway.
Make sense?
With smiles and blessings,
Amethyst
Oak and Mistletoe Founder, Elder and Chair
Thanks Amethyst ! and thanks for this thread!
I needed to further clarify these things. I'm sure I'm not the only one! Terminology gets confusing sometimes!
I'm a big 'why' person, always asking 'why' - and I feel comfortable with this fact because "I can get the right answers that will help me truly move on". Sometimes it stiffles me or becomes a hinderance to others, but the understanding of it is what is important, and I don't like just 'accepting' an answer or definition and moving on.... that would make life too easy :)
This post helped make more sense of it all. Thanks Amethyst for you help and everyones posts.
With Love, Buttefly Spirit!
IW
Merry Meet,
Amethyst covered it very well. The one thing that really drives it home, for me, is "freedom". IW provides all of the foundation blocks and allows us to build the way we practice our religion. We believe in the Rede, as our main guide post, backed by the "Law of Return". If we can fashion a life/belief system that conforms to these, I believe we can be at peace with the world. That is what IW means to me. It's wonderful to have someone to talk to about your journey and the path you have chossen to walk, and be meet with understanding and compassion, This is home. Sorry about the soap box.
Take Care
Blessed Be
Stone Bear
I think the closest term that
I think the closest term that I found to describe Inclusive Wicca, is one that I found in a Silver Ravenwolf book; eclectic. I quite like this term, as I like to be a bit different in most things and from what I interpret the term as, is taking an idea from this tradition, a couple from another and this idea from another and almost forming your own tradition. Happily, this falls under Inclusive Wicca. As long as you're following the Rede, it's Wicca and Inclusive Wicca allows you to follow that path in whatever way you see fit and that works for you (as Amethyst says, within reason)
Good question
I remember when I first started I also had trouble with "inclusive" wicca. My problem was that I was over thinking what it was. Amethyst summed it up good. It's just a name for the type of wicca that we learn. It's the "way" we learn about wicca.
Pheonix2 makes a great point, and I have to agree.; eclectic is a great comparison to OM's inclusive teachings. Of course this is just my interpretation. I have the feeling when you are done reading these posts you will have the AHH moment in which it makes total sense to you. Any question is not silly especially when it pertains to learning about wicca. I have learned so much by asking questions here, and take solice knowing that there is a place like this to guide me on my journey. If I feel that a question I ask is to small; I think again, because it is not,.
Thanks for all of the replies
Thank you all for your replies. I have a much better understanding of what IW is now. I cant wait for the books that i have ordered through here to turn up so that i can begin learning and celebrating my faith, and sharing it with my children. Although with them being 3 and 1 i dont think they will understand, but i want to show them that there are alternitives to Christinanity.
Blessed Be
Rhiannon :)
Inclusive Wicca
e are very lucky to have such a thing as Inclusive Wicca and a place of learning such as Oak & Mistletoe.To me, on a personal level the words inclusive wicca mean I feel included, I am not expected too highly of to follow a certain style of wicca and i know that I am included in a diverse community which regards all people with good intentions to become part of a group of well informed students who are of like minds and are of good faith.If we follow our O & m elders and listen and be open to learning we can become spiritually whole and very fulfilled.
Thank you Oak & Mistletoe!
what i am
i`m definately an inclusive / ecletic wiccan,,, i love the freedom of choosing whats feels right for me and going with it, religion what ever path you choose should fit like a comfy jumper, warm and cosy but allows freedom of movement in any direction,,,, aahhhh inclusive you cant get any better than that.
love and light to all
Merry Meet Rhiannon.. I am
Merry Meet Rhiannon..
I am so glad you asked this question as I was slightly confused by it myself..
While I would be considered a witch and walk quite closely in the wiccan ways I also draw in beliefs from other religions.. This has made it quite difficult for me to for want of a better word 'pidgeon hole' myself.. I practice witchcraft always believing in the laws of return and with harm to noone.. but I also practice a lot of spiritual new age-y things as well... I have a wonderful blend of things that works for me.. It seems to me that here at O&M we have the abilty to take what is at hand and blend it and make it our own and isnt that what being a wiccan/spirtual being is all about???? To have the opportunity to learn and grow in such an open and respectful environment with the support of other eclectic people is truely wonderful.
Blessed be )o(