The Order of the Crystal Moon FAQs

The following are frequently asked, or wondered about, questions and are taken from Lesson 1 for 1st Degree. These questions and many other subjects are covered in that lesson.

WHAT IS WICCA?
Wicca is a nature religion that recognizes Deity as both God (male)and Goddess (female); respects natural forces and that is constantly growing. Nature religions in one form or another date back to the beginning of human life.

BUT IS WICCA A "REAL" RELIGION?
Wicca not only has world wide recognition, it is legally recognized as a valid religion. The U.S. Department of the Army pamphlet-#165-13, "Religious Requirements and Practices of Certain Select Groups: A Handbook for Chaplains", gives instructions along with the legal rights of Witches to practice their religion. If you're in the U.S. armed services and tell your chaplain you're "Wiccan" he must do his best to find you a Wiccan group to worship with.

WHAT WICCA ISN'T.
In Wicca you do not use black magick / sorcery, which is magick to control others. There are no orgies, drugs or heavy drinking, and we don't practice Satanism. (You must believe in Satan to worship him. Since we don't believe in Satan, it would be "difficult" to worship him.)

WHAT DOES WICCA MEAN?
The word "Wicca" means the "Wise Ones". They were the priests and priestesses of The Old Religion. It is said that many of England's kings would consult with the "Witam", the council of Wise Ones, before making important decisions. They were the doctors, lawyers, magicians, & herbalists of the time and were quite respected. So, Wicca has become known as "The Craft of the Wise" or "The Craft".

WHAT DOES PAGAN MEAN?
"Pagan" is taken from the Latin word "pagani" which means "country folk". And the word "Heathen" means "one who dwells on the heath". Heath is a tract of open and uncultivated land or waste land overgrown with shrubs, also the heather plant.

WHAT IS A MATRIARCHAL RELIGION?
Also, in "olden/farming" societies, religions were "matriarchal" and emphasis was placed on the female image, or Goddess, who was responsible for birth. They also worshiped a Horned God. His horns were symbolic of the animals that they ate for food.

WHAT IS A PATRIARCHAL RELIGION?
In "patriarchal" religions, such as Judaism and its descendant Christianity, men ruled and did not give women an equal role to play. Christianity, which copied the ancient Egyptian religion in many ways, gave Mary a secondary role but still kept her unequal, she would never be worshiped as Deity.

IS THERE A TRINITY OLDER THAN THE CHRISTIAN TRINITY?
It is believed that the Egyptian Trinity is the oldest trinity to be believed in. In the ancient Egyptian religion you have the "God" Father -- Osiris, "the Goddess Mother" -- Isis and the "God" Child -- Horus. In Christianity you have the "God" Father, the "almost but not quite Goddess" Mother -- Mary, and "God" Child -- Jesus.

DO WICCANS WORSHIP DEITY AS BOTH MALE & FEMALE?
In Crystal Moon Wicca, we believe, as did the peoples of ancient farming communities, that within religion you must recognize the "Supreme Force" as both "Male and Female". Therefore, we worship Deity as both Male and Female in the form of a God and a Goddess. We feel this is more balanced and that it would be short sighted to think of Deity as only "Male - God" or only "Female - Goddess".

MUST MEMBERS OF CRYSTAL MOON WICCA WORSHIP "CERTAIN" GODS OR GODDESSES?
It is felt that all Goddesses are aspects of "Goddess" and all Gods are aspects of "God". This is the reason that members of The Lyceum of the Goddess of the Crystal Moon allow each person to recognize the God/Goddess by what ever name/aspect they are drawn to.

WHAT ARE THE BASIC BELIEFS OF CRYSTAL MOON WICCA? The basic beliefs of Crystal Moon Wicca are simple, they are:
A Belief in Deity as both Male/God and Female/Goddess
A belief in reincarnation
A belief in Magick
A belief in living in harmony with nature
A reverence for all living things
And the one main rule to live by - The Wiccan Rede, "An it harm none, do what thou wilt"

WHAT IS MAGICK? (In Wicca, "Magick" is spelled with a "K" to differentiate between "real" Magick and "stage" magic.)
In Wicca you use magick to obtain what you can not obtain by "conventional" means. Other religions call these workings "miracles". Magick is not used to gain control over anyone or to manipulate anyone, this would be "black magick".

WHAT ABOUT THE DEVIL, DO YOU WORSHIP HIM?
NO, NO, NO! Witches/Wiccans do not believe in the existence of a "devil". They do however recognize the existence of "evil". Satan was used by the Christian church to control the actions of others. You can't enforce laws unless they can be backed up with penalties. To enforce these laws, the Christian religion threatens "sinners", breakers of Church law, with the penalty of, "eternity in hell administered by the Devil."

WHAT ABOUT THE HORNED GOD OF WICCA, ISN'T HE THE DEVIL?
Once again, NO, NO, NO! Interestingly enough, to stop the worship of "The Old Religion", the early Christian church took the "Horned God" and turned him into their devil. The Gods of the old religions seem to become the devils of the new religion -- the one currently in power.

CAN CHRISTIANS, JEWS OR BUDDHISTS ALSO BE WICCAN AT THE SAME TIME?
No. Wiccans are Pagans. They are not Christians, Jews, or Buddhists. Those who think of Jesus Christ as their personal savior, Buddha as their source of enlightenment, or God as a dominating male image, are not Wiccan. Remember, these religions do not recognize Deity as both God and Goddess. Wicca is a separate religion just like any other.

ISN'T THE FELLOWSHIP OF ISIS JUST FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE INTO EGYPTIAN TRADITIONS?
No. F.O.I. is a multi-cultural orgainization whose members can be of any Pagan tradition.

IN THE FELLOWSHIP OF ISIS, WHAT IS AN "ISEUM"?
An "Iseum" is your own personal group/coven, (once again, it can be any Pagan religious tradition - not just Egyptian).

IN THE FELLOWSHIP OF ISIS, WHAT IS A "LYCEUM"?
A "Lyceum" is an official teaching branch of the College of Isis, Ireland. Lyceum leaders have been authorized by Olivia Robertson, (F.O.I. Co-founder), to conduct religious studies and issue degrees through classroom and correspondence courses.