First of all, we have had many wonderful letters from visitors who are Christian by faith, and have taken the time to explore our pages learning about who we are and what we believe. We have truly enjoyed sharing thought and perspective with you in an open and mature way which has resulted in a narrowing of the gap that separates our beliefs. We have however, also had our share of those which we clearly inspired by hatred, intolerance and complete misconception. This letter is more for that group so please understand that I am not trying to stereotype all Christians as one group.

This is an open letter to those of the Christian faith who have come here to tell us how lost we are and expound on the tired rhetoric of fire and brimstone without any concept or understanding of what our philosophies really are. You see, I have little patience for those who blindly follow directions to attack a group of people before they know if their facts are correct and their cause is just.

Understand, that I am interested in your views so long as you are open minded enough to listen to mine as well. This is especially true if you have the courage and maturity to voice your opinions and views in an intelligent historically correct way. If on the other hand you simply wish to anonymously spew hate based on ignorance of my beliefs, your mail will be deleted before it ever gets read.

Instead of perpetuating the hostility, intolerance and misunderstanding, I would much rather have an open exchange of thought and perspective. Therefore, I welcome you to visit our pages, and if possible, you are encouraged to step outside the myth, misconception, superstition and fear which has been presented to you by the misinformed. By doing this, you can view the information presented here with an open mind and begin to see the commonalties between our beliefs.

We are not the Devil worshippers or the evil lost souls you have been lead to believe. Actually, quite the opposite is true of us who truly follow the Old Traditions. We are peaceful people and many of the values and ethics you have been taught as Christian's were adopted from our belief systems by Christianity. I am not trying to entice or incite your anger, but it is simply an easily documented historical fact that Wicca, Paganism, Witchcraft and the Nature Based religions predate Christianity by several thousand years.

In getting to the main point of why you may have come here, lets talk about God and the age old controversy which has pitted Christianity against all other belief systems. This combative attitude of Christianity has resulted in far too much turmoil, pain and suffering throughout history. The time is long past for the misconceptions spawned during the middle ages to be evaluated, accepted for the baseless superstitions they are and for the fears and hatred to be discarded.

All Gods are One God, all Goddesses are One Goddess, all Faiths are One Faith and all things are Interconnected through the divine. It is through maintaining truth, honor, harmony and balance with all that exists as we travel our path on earth that we achieve a true connection to the divine. The divine is simply known by different names according to the cultural background or experiences of the people following that belief.

You have been taught that the Divine consists of God the Father, the Son which is Jesus and the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost whichever name you prefer.

In Wicca, we believe the divine consists of The One, and the God and Goddess which are commonly referred to as the Lord and Lady. Isn't the connection clear to see? The One of Wiccan beliefs, possess the same characteristics and qualities as God the father within Christian beliefs. The Wiccan Lord is essentially the same as the Christian Jesus and the Wiccan Goddess is the embodiment the feminine aspects as seen in the Christian Holy Spirit.

Since Wicca is a nature based religion and we accept that within nature, all creation is the result of masculine and feminine interaction either on a divine or physical level. All life which exists, has come to exist through this interaction and cannot exist without such an interaction. We simply associate and define these qualities of masculine and feminine in deity a little closer than some other belief systems.

Because a given culture or faith associates divinity with another name or pursues their connection to the divine through a different path does not change the qualities or message of the divine nor does it change our connection to them. So if you tell me that I follow a false God, you are talking about the same God you follow and are not making any sense whatsoever. In addition, I do not believe that any one faith can truthfully, or rightfully claim ownership of God or exclusive rights to a connection to or awareness of the divine.

While it may be overly simplistic, we can hopefully help you gain a clearer understanding of Wiccan tolerance toward other beliefs if we look at mankind's search for spiritual understanding and a connection to the divine, in the following way.

For a moment, let us visualize that divine awareness and connection is a beautiful meadow surrounded by a vast forest. With this analogy, we can momentarily cast aside the pointless and counter productive bickering which benefits no one to gain a broader understanding.

If we view this forest with the lush meadow at its center from high above we would see that depending on cultural history, or beliefs and life experiences of a group of people, there may be many paths through the forest based upon one's starting point. Now none can truly say that one path is better than the other unless we have traveled that path and have a clear knowledge and understanding of the lessons and experiences it would offer along the way. At the very least, one would need to research accurate information to truthfully understand the course of the other paths. In this way, we could make an informed and intelligent decision instead of basing our opinions on hearsay or information which may have become distorted by prejudice, misconception or intolerance over time.

Ultimately however, it does not matter which path we take to reach this meadow of spiritual awareness and connection as long as we maintain our commitment to ethical behavior, truth, honor, and respect for others as well as all that exists along the way. When we do this, we are following the divine truths and guidance to living a balanced and harmonious life as relayed to us by Jesus or any of the other spiritual teachers we have known throughout history. Gods words were very clear in this regard. "For all who believe in me shall find the kingdom of heaven." There were no stipulations or limitations to a particular belief or path given here.

Through Wiccan spirituality, we receive our teachings from the experience and wisdom of those who have traveled this path before us, from nature, the earth and her cycles as well as our inner voice as the divine speaks to us. Did God not say that these wisdom's are within us, the earth and the cycles of nature. We who follow the Old Ways are simply learning to listen to that voice and using these gifts from the divine to help and heal others as well as the damage humanity in it's infinite wisdom has done to Mother Earth and Nature.

By following the path of Wicca and the Old Traditions, we have chosen to discard the misconceptions and fears spawned throughout the middle ages which only serve to restrict our spiritual growth and well being. We choose to follow the beliefs, morals and ethics of our ancestors which still include an understanding and closeness to nature and the tides of the seasons because they also carry the spark and wisdom of the divine.

Within our religious structure, maintaining this awareness and attuning our lives with the cycles of the earth and nature are vitally important. At some point however, as mankind evolved away from being hunters/gatherers and workers of the land for survival, the Church discarded these important teachings even though they remain a crucial part of our spiritual path and God's Word. The need to be aware of these cycles and maintain balance with them is as important to our survival today as it was one, three or five thousand years ago. Mankind as a whole however has lost his understanding, his respect for, and his connection with nature and the cycles of life. Therefore we see the effects of ignoring these divine concepts in the current state of our environment and society.

As it once was with our ancestors, we of Wicca, Witchcraft and the Old Traditions seek to attune ourselves with the divine. We acknowledge the cycles of the earth and those of nature to build the strength of our individual family units and those of our clans through the ideals of the truth, moral strength, honor, dignity and respect for all living things. In this way, we who follow the Old Ways are re-learning to hear the voice of the divine as it speaks to us through nature and the earth. We are learning to understand our connections with all that exists, maintain balance and harmony through our actions, AND we are working to to heal others as well as the earth while using the gifts the divine has given us as we travel this path. Know now that the main and non negotiable tenant of our belief is Harm None. These appear to be points Christianity has clearly discarded throughout the centuries... 

Living with high moral standards, clearly defined ethics and the intent of seeking connection with the divine through nature; we speak the truth, live honorably and maintain a deep respect and reverence for all life as guidance from the divine indicates we should. Considering this, why then are we so evil to you and why are you so afraid of us? Are we really that different, or do you simply know nothing about who we really are?

Thank you for listening to my views and if still so inclined, you are now welcome to tell me how lost I am and that my soul will burn in hell forever for being a Witch...

If this is still your intent, you should know before you begin that I followed the Christian faith for close to 20 years as the son of an assistant Methodist Minister. If you choose to quote verses to me, expect that I will quote verses and passages in response to your view which will nullify your point completely. Clearly there are far more verses in the Bible which teach love, tolerance and understanding than there are those promoting hatreds, intolerance and prejudice. You will be poorly equipped for such an exchange.

Many Blessings and Gentle Breezes!

Herne