Wicca & Hinduism

[Guest guest]

Namaste-

 

As a practicing Wiccan, who has been heavily influenced by Hinduism (I call

myself a Shakta Witch), I can say that it doesn't surprise me that there are

similarities. As Wicca, as it now stands, was really founded in the 1940's after

the occult revival of the 1800's, where much Eastern knowledge was made

available to Westerns, and from which it drew much of it's ritual framework.

 

However, if you take the train of thought that Wicca was also drawing from

older oral sources (as I believe also contributed to it, although it was

certainly not the only, or even the main contributing factor) from the Celtic

traditions, an interesting correlation can still be drawn, as the Indo-Aryans

are believed to have inhabited the UK....especially Ireland. There many

linguistic similarities between sanskrit and ancient Irish dialects. That is not

to say that Hinduism made it intact to Ireland somehow, but elements may very

well have travelled.

 

It is a facinating line of study.

 

~D~

(Yes!! Hinduism travelled west and not vice versa. The original gypsies were

shaiva evangelists travelling west to convert the people of the west to

shaivism)==> Moderator

 

 

Personals

Single? There's someone we'd like you to meet.

Lots of someones, actually. Personals

 

 

[Guest guest]

I did not know that the East wanted to claim conversion as part of

their way of teaching. It's refreshing to see it acknowledged openly

here by the Moderator's note.

 

, ~Devi~ <prana_devi>

wrote:

>

> Namaste-

>

> As a practicing Wiccan, who has been heavily influenced by

Hinduism (I call myself a Shakta Witch), I can say that it doesn't

surprise me that there are similarities. As Wicca, as it now stands,

was really founded in the 1940's after the occult revival of the

1800's, where much Eastern knowledge was made available to Westerns,

and from which it drew much of it's ritual framework.

>

> However, if you take the train of thought that Wicca was also

drawing from older oral sources (as I believe also contributed to

it, although it was certainly not the only, or even the main

contributing factor) from the Celtic traditions, an interesting

correlation can still be drawn, as the Indo-Aryans are believed to

have inhabited the UK....especially Ireland. There many linguistic

similarities between sanskrit and ancient Irish dialects. That is

not to say that Hinduism made it intact to Ireland somehow, but

elements may very well have travelled.

>

> It is a facinating line of study.

>

> ~D~

> (Yes!! Hinduism travelled west and not vice versa. The original

gypsies were shaiva evangelists travelling west to convert the

people of the west to shaivism)==> Moderator

>

>

> Personals

> Single? There's someone we'd like you to meet.

> Lots of someones, actually. Personals

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

, ~Devi~ <prana_devi> wrote:

> Prana Devi wrote:

> [....]

> Wicca, as it now stands, was really

> founded in the 1940's after the occult revival

> of the 1800's, [....]

 

Yes. Wicca draws very heavily on the Western esoteric sources

and tradtions. While the Victorian ceremonial magicians (and

members of other secret societies) did have some access to

eastern traditions, it seems to me that they drew more

heavily from the more-or-less "classical"

Western sources--Greek, Roman, Jewish/Kabbala/Hebraic

and so on.

 

The prominent use of "the five elements" in Wicca

most likely has an indirect connection to Hinduism/India.

It's probably *primarily* an adoption from the Greek system,

which in turn, is most likely a borrowing from Hinduism.

 

My theory, anyway.

 

By the way, Linda Johnsen has a book coming out in 2006

on "the ancient Greek sages and their connection with India."

Should be interesting! From my reading of Linda's previous

work, I expect this book will detail the east-to-west flow

of ideas.

 

Since Wicca developed in Great Britain, it was also

strongly influenced (as Prana Devi points out)

by then-current understanding of Celtic mythology

and traditional customs.

> if you take the train of thought that

> Wicca was also drawing from older oral

> sources ([...] not the only, or even the

> main contributing factor)[...]

> Indo-Aryans are believed to have inhabited the UK.

> [....]

 

A friend of mine says there are even more striking

similarities between Icelandic myths/sagas and

traditional Hindu stories. As he understands it,

these could be traces of Proto-Indo-European

diffusion of culture and language.

 

Wikipedia has some pretty decent short summaries of

the current (i.e. peaceful diffusion) theories

regarding PIE language and culture.

>From Wikipedia:

 

The Proto-Indo-Europeans are the hypothetical speakers of the

reconstructed Proto-Indo-European language, a prehistoric people of

the late Neolithic and early Bronze Age.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proto-Indo-Europeans

 

The Proto-Indo-European language (PIE) is the hypothetical common

ancestor of the Indo-European languages. The existence of such a

language is generally accepted by linguists, though there has been

debate about many specific details.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proto-Indo-European_language

 

On the history of Wicca:

The following article from the Atlantic does a reasonably

good job of summarizing the history/chronology of Wicca.

Unfortunately, it suffers from a rather rude tone, misrepresents

Starhawk, and so on. I am very amused by the author's contention

that a pantheon can't contain both multiple goddess forms AND the

concept/reality of the Great Goddess.

 

http://www.belili.org/allen.html

[Guest guest]

You don't need to convert to Hinduism.

 

There is no common ritual like baptism. Can the Moderator please explain

from where he concluded "shiva evangalists" travelling west ! Swami

Vivekananda was, in recent times the first Indian swami across the seven seas,

followed by Yogananda, followed by Swami Rama, Osho and others. Other than

sincerity, there is no predefined path to

God/Moksha/Nirvana/Rishihood/Sainhood/Mahaparinirvana/et all. Let's say at

best the 'Hindu attitude' is allowing and if possible supporting an individuals

'Realisation' of what they seek.

 

So the question of converting from Christ to Shiva is non essential, because

ultimately both are forms of 'God'. A barfi is as sweet as a Mars bar, depends

which you like.

 

Wicca the way of the wise is another path to 'be'. The rules are the same as

in Tantra/Aghor - 'Blessed Be" and 'The Rule of Three'..

 

Why be confused with "cuisine'. None is superior. Narda Muni's Ashram was

at the Niagra Falls, Dhronacharaya's at the source of the Danube in Germany,

and Anajeya's (Anuman's) in Trinidad & Tobago.

 

India does not hold spiritual superiority, and if we do claim it, then again

it is due to all other races and peoples who were kind enough to bestow it on

us. Some of the best spiritual insights have travelled West due to

experiencers like Svoboda and Sir John Woodroffe, and organisations like the

Theosophical Society.