Lesson One

I would like you to read this and answer the questions below. Write them in your notebook if you want. We'll discuss this in the first class on Wednesday, July 23rd.

THE BURNING TIMES

The Burning Times is the name used by many modern Witches and pagans for the era of the Inquisition, and of the other witch hunts (including Salem) which sprang from it. During that time, many women and some men were persecuted for practices objectionable to the Church, especially witchcraft. The "Malleus Maleficarum" was a guide on how to torture accused witches into confessing to whatever they were accused of. At the height of the persecutions, entire towns were left with only one or two women in them, and to this day no one knows for sure how many people were brutally murdered during this craze.

As is often the case, this horror sprang from fear and misinformation -- most of the people who were arrested, tortured and killed were not Witches (or witches) of any sort, but simply people who had gotten on the wrong side of someone who had the local magistrate's ear, or who somehow didn't fit in (particularly beautiful or ugly women, widows who had wealth or owned land, the handicapped and retarded, and even overly intelligent people are all examples of those who became primary targets of this persecution).

QUESTIONS:

  1. How does this make you feel?
  2. What other examples of this sort of persecution are there?
  3. How are Wiccans treated today?
  4. Why did this happen?
  5. Why is the knowledge of these times important to modern Wiccans?
  6. Do you, as a Pagan (or future Pagan) feel any differently after reading this? (If you previously were aware of these atrocities - and this is only the tip of the iceberg - How did you feel after you were made aware?)
  7. HOMEWORK: (Optional) Pick something from the burning times. (Instance, person, piece of literature, etc.) and research and explain it. Post your findings to the group. Perhaps a good resource would be Joan's Witch Directory ( http://www.ucmb.ulb.ac.be/~joan/witches/index.html ). Good Luck. I look forward to hearing your findings.
Lesson written by Moonleaf.

Now...for the first Exercise:

EXERCISE 1 -- Connecting with the spirit of nature. Wicca is an Earth-based religion. Some of us believe there is spirit or divinity in all things. For this first exercise, get outside and enjoy, connect, and listen to the spirit of nature around you. Watch a sunrise and/or sunset, lie in the grass, bird watch, hold a rock, listen to the wind, walk in the rain. These are just examples. Do any or all or come up with your own way to connect with nature. Start by calming yourself, let your thoughts flow for a little while, then try to clear your mind. Whatever you've decided to do, pay attention....use your outer and inner senses. If you wish, record what you felt, saw, heard in your journal.

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