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Elijan Wicca
Author:
Posted: November 14th. 2001
Times Viewed: 25,064
History
Over many centuries, the practices of folklore witchcraft (wise women and healers) were well established in villages throughout Europe. The imposition of state-mandated Christianity greatly impacted the outward form of religious practice, but left the inner faith of these healers unchanged. From the Black Forest hexenmeisters of Germany, a group of families emigrated to the lands which are now called Romania, near Transylvania. They were promised land by Kaiser Wilhelm, in return for settling these lands. These farming families continued their folk traditions, glazed with an outward veneer of Christianity. On their walls, they hung a rosary, for the neighbors to see. In their hearts, they continued to practice the faith of their ancestors. As time went on, they mingled their faith with the practices of Romanian healers. In the early 1900's, they emigrated to America, where they settled in Pennsylvania, and became part of the community which came to be known as the Pennsylvania Dutch.
This new American land offered many opportunities. They set about the task of assimilating into the culture. One of these assimilating tactics was to blend in and cause no trouble among their neighbors. They dutifully dressed up on Sundays to attend the local Christian church. Their attitudes and belief systems, however, remained unaffected by church attendance. They knew in their hearts what they believed about God, and it was this faith, with its attendant magickal practice, which they passed on to their children.
In 1965, a group of eight of these young people of German descent decided to define and summarize what they knew of the practices of their forebear's faith. They used these principles to spring themselves into life careers. Thirty years later, Lady Raya prevailed on the others to give their energies to make public a full doctrine of these faith practices. She did this out of concern that the practices needed to be passed on and disseminated, for the time was right. The others agreed to assist, but under the condition that their identities never be revealed through any means. Their concern was with their careers and reputations, which had been established in mainstream America. They feared the time for public disclosure of their backgrounds was not here. All their lives, they had kept their faith hidden from neighbors, employers, customers, and sometimes even families. Lady Raya herself had been passing as a staunch Methodist for quite some time, so much so that she was once elected Vice President of a chapter of United Methodist Women.
At first, Lady Raya taught in her home in Luray, Virginia. Then, she began teaching in a rented room at the Unitarian Church in Rockville, Maryland. Incorporated as the Temple of St. Catherine, the group letterhead allows for closeting of a Wiccan who feels his or her career or child custody could be jeopardized by disclosure. Raya currently offers online training in Elijan Wicca. Her book, 13 Lessons for Pleasing the Divine: A Witch's Primer, is offered by Red Wheel/Weiser, and is available in bookstores nationwide. The book is a text primer of the principles of the tradition. In preparing her training, Raya included ritual and techniques which are commonly considered Wiccan, combining them with the coven's original practices of folklore witchcraft.
Philosophy A primary difference between Elijan Wicca and many other forms of Wicca is its attitude toward Christianity. Elijan Wicca incorporates the belief that the Pagan 'sun' worship is the original derivation of Christian 'son' worship. Mary was the adaptation of the Great Mother, distorted when patriarchy took control. The life of Christ is a misconstrued story based on ancient Pagan mythology. This belief allows Elijan Wiccans to accept Christianity as a (distorted and misunderstood) form of their own faith.
Elijan Wiccans clearly acknowledge both a Lord and a Lady, and do not prefer one over the other. They see the Lord as both the son of the Lady, in the form of the Sun King who is born on Yule, and also as the consort of the Lady, in the form of the Dark Lord who rules winter. Elijan Wiccans do not, however, believe in Christian doctrines such as original sin, hell, the devil, the subordination of women, judgement day, the humanity (or even existence) of Jesus, the sinfulness of sexuality, the shame of nudity, or the villainization of homosexuality. We do believe in reincarnation, the balance of karma, and the deity of the Goddess. We believe all gods are one god, aspected by the many gods that reveal to each person. We believe the deity is both male and female.
Core beliefs The Church of Elijan Wicca ascribes to one and only one law, which is: An it harm none, do as Thy Will. We believe the discernment of one's true will is such a difficult task that we could not bear to have additional laws. We believe the will of the Goddess is written in each of our hearts, and we need only follow our heart to learn our true will. We believe in magick, and we strive to perform it. We derive the name "Elijan" Wicca from the Old Testament prophet of Jehovah who performed many acts of magick in service to his God.
Structure Elijan Wiccans behave more like a group of solitaries than a structure of covens. There is a one year and a day training program before initiation, but initiation may be self-directed and does not require one on one interaction. We believe no one can initiate except the Goddess, and only the Goddess decides who belongs to Her. There is no degree system. After initiation, Wiccans are encouraged to select a specialty for further study, such as herbal healing or astrology, but there is no conferring or designation of titles.
There is a formal ordination process which leads to recognition as a high priest or high priestess in the church. This process assists the applicant to register as legal clergy within the laws of their state.
Role of clergy The ordained HPs in a Church of Elijan Wicca fulfills a role as faith counselor, and are able to perform legal marriages within the laws of their state. Clergy may also perform handfastings that are not registered with the state, at the option of the celebrants involved.
Ways of Worship and Holidays We acknowledge the esbats and sabbats, worshipping both publicly and privately, in groups or alone. We believe worship is a way of life, not a scheduled service.
Standards of Conduct Elijan Wicca ascribes to an ethic of personal responsibility. We believe our lives are of our own choosing. We believe in the law of karmic consequence. There is no formal governing body which decides whether any individual is or is not behaving in accordance with any proscribed standard. We believe the intent of the Goddess is primary, and She will use the laws of the universe to police Her own. If we hear that a particular person is behaving in a manner to dishonor the Goddess, we will ask them politely to stop using the name Elijan Wicca. We feel confident that this will be sufficient.
We are Witches, in a timeless and ancient tradition, and we find the label fits.
Readings and resources We operate a website at http://www.LadyRaya.org which includes a discussion forum, chat rooms, and virtual covens. Our primary text book is Lady Raya's 13 Lessons for Pleasing the Divine.
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