Maggie's Farm

Air Force Academy

Somewhere around '97/'98 an Air Force airman sued for the right to practice his religion which was listed as Wiccan. He won. Soon after a revised edition of the U.S. Air Force Personnel Data System added Dianic Wicca, Druidism, Gardnerian Wicca, Pagan, Seax Wicca, Shamanism, and Wicca as recognized religions. It was quickly followed by the Military Chaplain's Handbook which acknowledged Wicca and outlines procedures for interacting with Wiccan and Pagan soldiers, sailors and airmen.

For those of you who haven't received the benefit of knowledge with respect to pagan/wiccan religious beliefs, allow me to explain.

Dianic Wicca - also known as Dianic Feminist Witchcraft is a traditional form of Wicca notable for its focus on the worship of the Goddess and on feminism.

Druidism - the odd thing is that nobody knows what Druids believed. So you make it up, call yourself a Druid and presto - there you go.

Gardnerian Wicca - aka Gardnerian Witchcraft is a...um...more contemporary and modern form of pagan/wiccan beliefs (1939/40 or thereabouts). Based on the beliefs of Gerald Gardner who was a bureaucrat in the United Kingdom's government. It is a "mystery" cult - kind of like the Freemasons in that you have to endure a secret "initiation" into a "coven" which consists of a High Priest and Priestess and 13 other members. What is interesting about Gardnerian Wicca is that it was declared as totally bogus by the founder of Cochranian Witchcraft Robert Cochrane. One could make the obvious joke about "bitchin' about witchin'" but I will refrain.

Pagan - I'll have to copy the standard definition because I can't make it up "The widest definition of the term uses it to refer to all religions that are not in the Abrahamic category (i.e. the monotheistic faiths with their origins in the Middle East, like Christianity, Judaism and Islam); within this category are pantheistic and polytheistic religious movements" So its a kind of "you pick'em" in terms of god, goddess or multiples thereof and what you believe.

Seax Wicca - another relatively recent innovation in the Wiccan belief system. Formed by Raymond Buckland, an English-born High Priest of Gardnerian Wicca after he moved here to the US in 1970. He wrote a book called "The Tree". Pretty much a Norse mythology with Odin, Thor, Mother Goddess, etc.

Shamanism - at its core, Shamanism is a very interesting and time honored indigenous religious practice. It has great traditions, it practiced by both lay and professional practitioners in native settings. It crosses all ethic and racial lines. It is a true religion as traditionally practiced.

However, Shamanism became associated with the New Age/New Wave paganism belief system when a gentleman by the name of Michael Harner synthesized and combined various shamanic ritual/belief systems into a new form of shamanism. Kind of a neo-shamanism if you will.

Wicca - a general all encompassing term - see Gardnerian Wicca because that's where it pretty much all started.

So there - now you is edumacated on pagan religions. No need to thank me - I live to serve.

And don't ask me how I know all this - you wouldn't believe it anyway. :>)

You wouldn't believe me if I told you. I will but you won't believe it.

I took a course in Paganism offered by the local community college. Why did I take the course? I needed to kill time in between two EMT classes I was the Lead Instructor for. There wasn't enough time to get from Danielson to Woodstock, sit down for ten minutes then drive back. And the class was right across from the auditorium where the EMT class was.

Made sense to me. :>)