ing: Cleansing, which is used to remove any negative energies from a person or place involved. Also they have Blessings, which are done usually after a thorough Cleansing of a new place or person, where they feel the gods and goddess’ fill the place with positive energies. Then there is Divination, which is the art of foretelling the future and finding the right advice. Next are Healings, which are done for one’s self or for the healing of others. Last, but not least, Prayers, which are another form of spells in which most Wiccans try to reach a specific goal. As a tradition, all Wiccans see living things in nature as Sacred, and many are vegetarians because of this. Also, Ritual jewelry is very important to many Wiccans because they believe it shows off their love and dedication for their religion. The other branch of witchcraft I talked about earlier is Paganism. It is believed to be a very spiritual way of life. Like Wicca, it focuses much on nature and also “honors the divinity in all its aspects, male or female, as parts of the sacred whole. Every man, woman and child is, to a Pagan, a beautiful and unique being”5. They respect the rights of every living soul, whether it be human, plant, animal or even a rock. They take responsibility for themselves and their actions at all costs. They encourage free thought, creative imaginations and learning to spend your life in harmony with the natural world around them. Paganism stresses personal spiritual experiences and often they find it through their relationships with nature and the things they love most to become one with something they call The Devine, however each person perceives it. They are trying to find their inner self, a place of peace and self-satisfaction. Many Pagans have teachers and leaders of all sorts to help them to reach their own sense and interpretation of Divinity but most learn on their own using their personal experiences. A...
