In response to the question asked of me: “Christian and Wiccan? Please explain that one to me…” I penned this response, and I thought it worth sharing to others who may be curious and perhaps also attempting to define their own beliefs. Thanks for listening.

To explain how I am both Christian and Wiccan can take a bit of time; I still haven't worked out a 'sound bite' answer to it, so please bear with me. First off I was raised, baptized and confirmed into the united church, but as I grew older found it to be lacking 'something', so began my search for something more. I really didn't have a clear knowing of what was missing, for me, but something was.

It's only been recently, say in the last six months, that I’ve begun to understand my reasons for setting out on that search over 15 years ago, and have had that search bring me right back to my roots. Along the way I've picked up a lot of information and knowledge, some of it sits with my faith and some of it doesn't.

What I've come to understand is that God, is an all-powerful universal energetic entity completely beyond human comprehension. We can no more count all the grains of sand on a beach, than understand the true scope of God. (Or creator, or universal divine, or goddess- whatever word suits). Humans in an attempt to understand and cope with such an awe inspiring, and admittedly terrifying, truth about the higher power has anthropomorphised God into something they can understand. Humans humanized God, gave the creator human attributes that relate to the society in which humans find themselves.

Case in point, God in the Old Testament and God in the New. It's the same God, and yet the Hebrews relationship at the beginning of the story with their God is drastically different from their later relationship where Jesus enters it. Same God, who's evolved along with His worshippers.

Understanding This, I see that the stories and myths from all religions are humans continued attempt to have relationship with God. There are universal symbols that move through most if not all religions that symbolize God- stars, light, the sun, doves and other birds, flames etc... These are all, again, attempts for humans to have a relationship in a 'knowable way' with a higher power that is completely unknowable.

For me there are practices within Christianity, and symbols, that enhance my relationship with God, just as there are practices within Wicca that do the same. Then there are the crossovers such as the symbolic use of, for me personally, stars and doves.

I have often been told that religion is an 'all or nothing' kinda thing. I can't 'pick and chose what I like from Christianity' but I see that happening all the time within Christianity. Baptists are very different from Unitarians who are very different from Catholics. Some could say that the different beliefs within Christianity have 'picked and chose' for themselves. I say that now, to you, because I'm thinking it, and remembering the last time I answered this question, and that being the response of the last person to question me.

So, to try to sum up, I believe 'religion' to be symbolic and humanized practices that are VERY Necessary, attempts to comprehend a higher power that we can not ever hope to understand fully. A metaphor would be, if the higher power, or God was a diamond we can look at the many faces of that diamond and see them each differently, but they are all part of the same whole that is more beautiful that any of its individual facets. Wiccan’s see one facet, Christians another, I am hoping by looking at as many facets as I can to perhaps, one day, catch a glimpse of the whole.

How was that answer for you? Did it make enough sense to you? I understand that you may not agree, and I’m certainly not asking you too. Please ask any question you may have, if this has brought up more questions for you, I’ll do my best to answer them.

In light, Fairmoon

PS, here are a couple other statements I’ve made in posts/ or blogs (can’t remember where) that are other ways that I explain my beliefs, though I may be stirring the pot too much by adding them, I hope they help.

“I believe that we all have our own way on 'seeing' God. We visualize the unknowable in a way that is Knowable. If one person sees a Goddess and another sees a God, or an animal or an angel, we're all seeing an image of the Divine that we can understand and have relationship with.”

“I believe we see the Creator as something beyond our ability to comprehend and put a face to it because that’s the only way that we as humans can cope with something so utterly huge and overwhelming..."