Wednesday, September 5, 2007
The history of Wicca or "The Craft" is complex but traditional Wicca is rooted in the so called "British Mystery Traditions", for example the Picts, who existed before the rise of Celtic consciousness, the Celts, and some Celtic Druidism.
Wicca predates Christianity by about 28 000 years.
A variety of archaeological discoveries, reveal that the history of Wicca can be traced as far back as the Paleolithic peoples who worshipped a Hunter God and a Fertility Goddess. Cave paintings, that are dated at around 30,000 years old, depict a man with the head of a stag, and a pregnant woman standing in a circle with eleven other people.
Modern American Wicca has its roots in British Wicca, brought to the United States in the late 1950's by English and American initiates of Gardnerian, Alexandrian and Celtic Wicca. These are different forms of Wiccan tradition. All of these cultures form part and parcel of the history of Wicca.
The ancient Greek Mysteries of Eleusis, Italian Mysteries of Rome, Etruria and the general countryside, Mysteries of Egypt and Persia before Islam, and various Babylonian, Assyrian and other mid-eastern Mysteries also find a place in the history of Wicca and its beliefs and traditional practices. Perhaps the best way to describe Wicca is to call it a modern religion, based on ancient witchcraft traditions. But do bear in mind that not all those who practice witchcraft today are Wiccas.
Wicca is a both a belief system and a way of life. Over the years information about how Wiccan ancestors lived and worshipped has been lost due to actions of the medieval church. However, modern Wiccas have tried to reconstruct the history of Wicca in an effort to lay the foundation for their practices.
During ancient times Wicca was called "The Craft of the Wise". This name was derived from the fact that most Wiccas aligned themselves with the forces of nature. They also had knowledge of herbs and medicines, gave council and were important in the village and community as Shamanic healers and leaders. The history of Wicca indicates that Wiccas once had a prized place in society which is quite a contrast to how they are viewed today.
Ancient Wiccas felt that man was not superior to nature, the earth and its creatures. Instead they were only one aspect of the world. The idea of sustainable development to maintain balance and equilibrium was central to the belief systems of the ancient Wicca. The history of Wicca is a far cry from the way that man views the earth today.
In the last several hundred years, witchcraft and witches have been incorrectly labeled as evil and unrighteous. Where do these ideas that form so much a part of the history of Wicca originate? Some Wiccas believe that the medieval church of the 15th through 18th centuries created these myths.
This was done in an effort to covert people to Christianity. The history of Wicca contains many stories of the persecution of witches based on so called "evil" practices.
Another theory about the history of Wicca is that as medical science became more prominent in society those who did these initial studies did not understand female physiology, especially menstruation. This "mystery" seemed to fit in with the churches agenda in labeling healers as evil heathens and placing power and respect in the hands of male physicians.
Many of these myths and superstitions have survived in modern times giving The Craft a bad name. While Wicca is essentially witchcraft, those who practice it usually do not refer to it as such because of these negative connotations. The history of Wicca is important since it is the persecution of those who practiced it that has led to its current ethic of "religious freedom first".
Photoblogging @ shutterchance
shutterchance.com your blog in photos
A new company has been set up by four photographers dedicated to meeting the needs of photography enthusiasts seeking to showcase their work online without all the hassle of internet programming.
shutterchance.com offers a trendy photoblog hosting service. The minimalist design and easy to use interface combine to provide a stylish online platform allowing photography enthusiasts' to readily showcase their work.
The focus of shutterchance is to create a community that helps photographers share and improve their work
Whereas traditional blogs (i.e. web-logs) are online journals focusing on the text, a photoblog focuses on the image. These journals are intended to allow the author to express to the general public their situation at that point in time, and in the case of photoblogging always allow for the general public to comment back on the image displayed.
Photoblogs have become very popular recently and are enabling photographers to exhibit their work to a large audience. The commentary by other photobloggers motivates photographers to constantly strive to improve the quality whilst the expectation by the public to periodically post new photos ensures the photographer gets the practice.
shutterchance is a new photoblog hosting company, focusing its efforts on building a community and helping its photographers improve. It does not view its photographers as stand alone bloggers; it views them as part of the family. When new members sign up they are pleasantly surprised at the positive reaction they get from other members and the shutterchance team.
John Claeys, Director of shutterchance, says:
"At shutterchance we have a team that is focused on our members. We have Jide Alakija, a renowned photoblogger, who plays an integral role in ensuring that the needs of our photographers are met. It is simply a joy to see different cultures getting together to comment on photographs."
Despite the idea only being agreed 4 months ago, shutterchance already has over 30 fully subscribed users based around the world from Alaska, through Brazil to Singapore, and even more users are signing up daily. With so many blog services out there it is refreshing to have a different take on things. The shutterchance website can be viewed at http://www.shutterchance.com
So what's a Podcast, and how can I use it on my website?
So what's a Podcast and how can I use it on my website?
If you are considering promoting your website on the internet, you might want to look at this great new method to add value to your site.
Podcasting describes the use of audio and video on the internet, using RSS or syndication. A podcast is an audio file made available on the Internet for anyone to download or subscribe to. Anyone can create a podcast, all you need are a computer (if you're reading this, you've probably got one already!), a microphone and a voice editing program. You don't need any experience to succeed in podcasting.
As well as reading about your product, your customers will also be able to hear about it too. Podcasting is a really powerful marketing tool. However, before you place a podcast on your site, you may wish to consider whether this is the most appropriate way to market this particular product.
Millions of householders use MP3 player technology - they could be listening to your audio message. You'll improve relationships with your customers and improve your sales. You can put your podcast on iTunes where over 40 million listeners are looking for downloads.
For example, if you have a website on debt consolidation, you could use debt consolidation podcasting, to increase the visitors to your site and improve sales of your product.
You can use this latest technology to generate income and develop some great relationships with your customers.
Podcasting technology has taken off as individuals have found out how easy it is to share audio content using podcasts.
You can find out more on using RSS feeds, blogs and podcasts, visit Podcasting from home
Find out more about Starting your own Home Internet Business
Jen started her own home internet businesses in 2005 and writes articles to share her experiences in building an online business. She is an alterpreneur in her own right, choosing to build a home business rather than work full time.
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