Conference hydra::dejavu

    DEFINITION: A "BAD" witch, as you refer to it, is one who is a so
    called 'Devil Worshipper'.(Of which I have no belief in). A "GOOD"
    witch, or Wiccan, is similar to an herbolagist. In other words the only
    true form of witchcraft is in dealing with "Good ol' Mother Nature". 

    Re .0 (Lorenzo):
    
    Hi, brother!
    
    > ... I've noticed from time to time some of you mentioning that
    >you were witches: correct?  If so. What's the "purpose" of being
    >a witch?
     
    I'm not a witch, nor have any inclinations to become one, but maybe
    I can answer that sorta academically.
    
    There are several forms of witch.  In this notesfile, though, one
    type is predominant: the Wiccan Witch.  Wiccans base their Craft
    on a form (or forms) of Paganism.  To that extent, their witch activities
    are religious ones.  In that sense, I suppose, it's like asking
    anyone of any faith,   "Why do you want to be a[n] <x>?" where x=
    any faith or creed.
    
    The author of _Real Magic_, P.E.I. Bonewits, broke down witch
    classifications to something like half a dozen (though I suspect
    he was unnecessarily splitting hairs).  There's a whole note on
    witches elsewhere in the file (note 103 "What is a Witch?"), which
    might be worth perusing.
    
    Steve Kallis, Jr.

    Should I take your "I'm MEEELLTTTIIINNNGGGG!!!" title for your topic
    seriously, I would be offended by your Hollywood Wizard of Oz 
    inference to witches as pointy nosed,black dressed old hags with
    screechie voices...
    
    But since I won't take it seriously and won't champion the wiccan
    friends I do have in this conference, I'll dismiss your topic title
    as an unfortunate stumble of misplaced humor.
    
    -Arthur

    Re .3 (Arthur):
    
    >Should I take your "I'm MEEELLTTTIIINNNGGGG!!!" title for your topic
    >seriously, I would be offended by your Hollywood Wizard of Oz 
    >inference to witches as pointy nosed,black dressed old hags with
    >screechie voices...
     
    Before this takes an unfortunate turn, a few cautionaries:
    
    The "old hag on a broomstick with pointed hat" image in _The Wizard
    of Oz_ was:
    
    1) derived from a variety of earlier "witch" pictures, such as those
       seen in some Hallowe'en decorations; and
    
    2) represented only the Wicked Witch of the West; the Good Witch
       of the North (Greselda) was brightly dressed, neat, and sunny.
       Quite a contrast (Greselda put the ruby slippers on Dorothy's
       feet with a wave of her wand)
    
    Now, no matter how stereotypical and unfortunate that image is,
    to someone who has no knowledge of the depths and breadths of what
    collectively is called Witchcraft, that's been the only image presented.
    The question posed was an honest one, and I hope my pointer to Note
    103 will prove instructive to anyone who wants basic information
    on the subject.
    
    Steve Kallis, Jr.

re: .-1 (Steve)

    > the Good Witch of the North (Greselda) ...

    Now, is this nit picking, or what??? ;-)

    Wasn't it Glenda or Glinda?  (Auntie) Greselda was a character in an old
    Monkyee's song (Poor Old Auntie Greselda)  ;->

    Terry

It was Glenda, and I hardly think Lorenzo meant offense by the title
of this topic.  Actually, I found it rather humorous, something that
has been missing from this notesfile for quite a long time.

Lighten up.

Carla

    re .6 (Carla)
    
    From now on I promise to enter only jokes....:-)
    
    Guy

    As a member of the International Wizard of Oz Club, I can
    authoritatively state that the Good Witch of the North was named
    "Glinda," with an I, not "Glenda" with an E, and certainly not
    "Grezelda."
    
    As a further bit of Oz trivia, MGM took certain liberties with the plot
    (as is common in cinemazations of books) and combined two witches.  In
    the original, Dorothy encountered all four witches of the compass (if
    you allow squashing someone accidentally with your house to be an
    "encounter").  There was the Wicked Witch of the East (squashed) and the
    Wicked Witch of the West (melted).  When she stepped out of the house,
    she met the Good Witch of the North who was NOT Glinda but a sweet 
    grandmotherly type reminiscent of Mother Goose.  She only met Glinda,
    who was originally the Good Witch of the South, at the very end of the
    book.
    
    Glinda shows up a lot in the 39 other Oz books.  She rules the southern
    quarter of Oz (the Quadling country), is one of the chief advisers to
    the crown, and one of the main bastions of defense for the kingdom. 
    She is tall and queenly, red-haired, sometimes a tad severe, and dresses 
    all in red.
    
    Earl Wajenberg

    Maybe Lorenzo can speak for himself, but I don't think that he
    had any malicious intentions by posting his topic title either
    ya'll. I'm glad that pointers were placed so the guy could
    inform himself more about the subject.
    
    But if someone went into the CHRISTIAN conference and asked
    why do you want to be a Christian and titled their new note
    I'm C R U C I F I E DDDDD!!!! wouldn't you want to point out
    the rather *naive* and in bad taste stereotypical stumble of
    humor?
    
    Believe me I wasn't Slamming Lorenzo.
    
    -Arthur
    
                            

    
    re: .9 (Arthur)
    
    Also, if one were to say "I'm Crucified!" offense would certainly
    be taken because one has placed oneself in Christ's shooz.......
    
    Guy

    
       I saw a movie titled "The Kiss"; and it was about this lady,
    who was ideed a witch; but the witch craft she performed was evil.
    
     The question I asked wasn't meant to be taken as an attack or insult:
    I just wanted to hear from people who confessed to being a witch,
    why they chose that path?  The reason I put THAT title, was because
    I couldn't think of anything else. I meant no offense!
    
    
    Lorenzo
    

    Re .11 (Lorenzo):
    
    >   I saw a movie titled "The Kiss"; and it was about this lady,
    >who was ideed a witch; but the witch craft she performed was evil.
     
    Actually, I've seen that one, too (reviewed in MOVIES -- Note 2208).
    She wasn't really a witch -- to say exactly what she was I'll put
    on the other side of a formfeed so that I won't spoil it for people
    who might like to see the film.
    
    But what was happening -- you bet it was evil!!!  Just not witchy.
    
    Steve Kallis, Jr.
    <spoiler>
    
    The person (an aunt) was actually a walking corpse, more or less,
    possessed/inhabited by a snakelike entity.  The body this thing
    took over would last from childhood through about a generation,
    then begin to decompose.  The entity would then require a new body
    to inhabit (like a snake shedding its skin -- or better, a hermit
    crab looking for a bigger shell), and the transferrence was effected
    by a mouth-to-mouth kiss.  Nasty critter, but compatible with some
    forms of nature-spirit worship.

    re: .0 and .11
    No offense taken -- lighten up folks.
    
    As to Why a Witch? I have been a Witch since my initiation at age 15,
    though I only made this publicly known about 10 years ago. I feel a 
    sense of belonging that I never had with the religion of my parents
    (Roman Catholic) and no guilt trips being shoved down my throat by
    an assortment of "experts". (sorry-flame off). I currently practice
    as a druid priest and senior druid of my grove.
    
    	The various Wiccan and Neo-Druid groups that I know of all pratice
    their crafts as a form of Healing. As a whole the groups that I know of
    tend to have a very negative viewpoint of Satanism in general.
    
    An It Harms None; Do As You Will.
    
    	(22 years in the craft and counting)
    
    					Blessed BE
    				Bob Beecher
     

    Re.0 and .SK
    
    Lorenzo - I thought the title was great!  Made me laugh...(;^)  Thanks 
    for the reminder too - I must make sure to have a good friend see this
    movie in the near future as he comes from another country and hasn't
    seen it yet.
    
    Steve K. - Though I've seen the film at least 25 times over the years,
    I'd forgotten that Glinda was a Good Witch.
    
    As for bothering the folks in CHRISTIAN - hey, I think the group has
    changed a bit as they're lightening up too.  Not completely but they're
    on the way.  
    
    Times they are a changin'.
    
    Cindy

re.10
FWIW- Christ diden't have an exclusive on crucifixion(sp?) that was simply the
method of capitol punishment popular at the time less humane but no different
from the electric chair of today.

-j

RE .7 (Guy)

>                                -< I mean it! >-
>    From now on I promise to enter only jokes....:-)

Are you *really* serious here....? ;-)

Arie

    
    re: .15 (Gortmaker)
    
    I was referring to the *symbolic* crucifixion.....
                                         
    
    re: .16 (Arie-head)
    
    Never! :-)
    
    guy

    Well, that's a good question.  I waded through topic 103 (until
    it diverged to Medieval dental hygiene) and saw nothing about 
    "Why *be* a witch?".  So, why a witch?  Were you brought up by
    a witch (or whatever)?; influenced by a friend or neighbor?;
    felt you were different and when you were exposed to "witchcraft"
    naturally gravitated towards it?; were already practicing your
    own form of it & then stumbled onto the title?; attended a 
    uhhh-"ceremony" and said, "Hey, *that's* for *me*!"?; seek it out
    as a natural course in your life?; or were you just "walking down 
    the street & somebody pulled you into the room" and proclaimed you 
    a witch?   Did you know you you had the "power" from an early age
    or did you reach a certain age before the "call".
    
    For myself, I've had no desire to explore it further than reading
    a bit about it & maybe see an occasional movie or two.  (Heck, I
    figure with my luck my first serious encounter with witchcraft would
    coincide with an FBI raid.)
    
    Now, I don't expect a lot of explanations, nor do I feel this is
    an easy question to answer (for a lot of reasons), and I don't expect
    a lot of "darkside" witches to reply, but I'm curious.  Kind
    of like asking a skydiver why he jumps out of a perfectly good 
    airplane--it is something I do not understand.  
                                                  
    						Don

    Re .18 (Don):
    
    >Well, that's a good question.  I waded through topic 103 (until
    >it diverged to Medieval dental hygiene) and saw nothing about 
    >"Why *be* a witch?". ...
    
    That was never directly answered in .103; however, you quit too
    soon.  Should've pressed on to at least .35.
    
    Regards,
    
    Steve Kallis, Jr.
    

    Well, you can go home tonight knowing that you got me.  I read
    the rest of the note.  All the way to .59.  I learned there are 
    8 celebrated holidays, and that a witch can disipate a hurricane 
    or suck the youth off an adolescent girl. 
     
    But I didn't see anything on "why".
                                       
    						Don

Re .4 (me):

    >2) represented only the Wicked Witch of the West; the Good Witch
    >   of the North (Greselda) was brightly dressed, neat, and sunny.
 
I just remembered: "Greselda" was the advisor to the princess in the movie,
_The Court Jester_.  Not the same one at all.

Steve Kallis, Jr.