As for the power of Wicca, much of the power of a practice stems from the measure of spiritual energy behind the practice. The cultural and inherited weight of the symbols and practices involved, as well as the integrity of the practical lore that goes with it. So, as much as Wicca is a modern evolution of older and mostly lost beliefs, this by no means implies that it lacks truth, meaning or spiritual power. If anything, it is able to tap into an extra measure of spiritual vitality for its essence being a “living” faith.
The modern wiccan deities, of which there are diverse examples, are a modern conception of older paleolithic figures, and if anything that just means that man’s relationship with the spiritual presences behind them has evolved, perhaps as it should. They continue to practice a mix of magickal practices that though they originate from other magickal systems are no less effective for being used with a Wiccan intent.
The witches ladder, as it’s called, was a talisman taken from old Egypt. The witches ladder came from an amulet carried by Egyptian nomads to ward off ills they encountered in the desert. It was a cord tied with nine knots each evoking a different traditional prayer. The Persians carried a similar cord and largely for the same reason.
The use of poppets was imported from Ethiopia and places south, as well as using lore that originated specifically in western European culture. Most of the “craft” of what some call witchcraft is actually old European lore. The use of poppets were “voodoo dolls”, and didn’t manifest in the form we think of today in Europe until late in the feudal era.
Do you think there is an “ancestral” connection to the type of paganism that attracts different people? Well, if science is correct that temperament is perhaps inherited as much as it is cultural and environmental. I would say that there is truth to the idea that one may have a special affinity for one cultures practices or models of spirituality and divinity.
Your thoughts are welcome. Be well friends.
Travis Saunders
Dragon Intuitive
~science,mysticism,spirituality~