RIS+Describing+Practice

Practice of Wicca, specifically from the book //Bucklands Complete Book of Witchcraft// by Raymond Buckland. Buckland's Wicca is based on Gerald Gardner's book which is often cited as the beginning of modern witchcraft. It is known as Gardnerian Wicca. According to Buckland, there is a "Ultimate Deity" which is a "genderless force." Religion is a way to communicate with this deity, to ask it for what we need, and to thank it for what we have. He writes that in different geographical places and cultures, people would worship different gods who were modeled off of the people who were worshiping the gods. According to Wiccans, they are not worshiping different gods, but simply different representations of the same Ultimate Deity, simply translated into representations that could be best understood and related to by the people. While Christianity has both Jesus and Mary, a male deity is typically worshiped, while the female is ignored. In Wicca, while both aspects of the deity are worshiped, often times the female aspect is worshiped to the exclusion of the male. Ideally, both aspects of the deity (or all aspects of the deity) work harmoniously together in ritual work, just as the ideal permaculture farm takes advantage of all aspects of what is available and makes them work together synergistically.

"Witchcraft is a religion of nature, as any Witch will tell you. Everywhere in nature there is male and female, and //both// are necessary (I have yet to meet anyone who does not have both a mother and a father). It follows, then, that both the God and Goddess are important and should be equally revered. There should be //balance//." (22)

Similarly, balance is important in permaculture.

Buckland, R. (2002). //Buckland’s Complete Book of Witchcraft// (2 edition.). St. Paul, Minn., U.S.A: Llewellyn Publications.