Wiccans enter the craft in various ways. Here are stories of Wiccans—their journey into the craft and how their families and friends took it.
Melina
Melina, a 22-year-old graduate student and customer service professional, was raised as a Roman Catholic. She started practicing Wicca when she was nine, although she didn’t know then what it was called.
“I guess you could say that the process of coming into it was more instinctive than anything else,” she said. “I did little rituals on certain days of the year, called the corners in my own way, familiarized myself with the importance of the elements. Eventually, I managed to acquire more information … and then later I started collecting books.”
She then started to integrate elements of various spiritualities. “I take from what I read. I let things happen as they are, habits to form as they wish.”
Melina’s parents and friends know about her Wiccan practices. But while her mom is accepting, her dad tends to judge harshly.
“Not all will be ready to receive it with an open heart and mind,” Melina says.
Alon de los Reyes
Alon de los Reyes, treasurer of the Philippine Association for the Sociology of Religion (PASR) and an MA Anthropology student at the Ateneo de Manila University, entered Wicca in college.
“I was looking for some kind of liberating path,” she says. “I found it in Wicca, I found it in the craft.”
She singles out the empowering character of Wiccans for females. “Ang structure ng [Catholic] Church natin dominantly male. Pano ‘yung mga babae? Sa Wicca may ma-gli-glimpse ka na power ng female, so nakaka-empower.”
De los Reyes’ family was a big factor in her spiritual life.
“My mother calls herself a Catholic, but her ways are pagan. Father ko naman, ex-seminarian, sobrang religious … [but] he’s very open to Eastern traditions—from new age to psychoanalysis to depth psychology to witchcraft. I had good models.”
Melina
Melina, a 22-year-old graduate student and customer service professional, was raised as a Roman Catholic. She started practicing Wicca when she was nine, although she didn’t know then what it was called.
“I guess you could say that the process of coming into it was more instinctive than anything else,” she said. “I did little rituals on certain days of the year, called the corners in my own way, familiarized myself with the importance of the elements. Eventually, I managed to acquire more information … and then later I started collecting books.”
She then started to integrate elements of various spiritualities. “I take from what I read. I let things happen as they are, habits to form as they wish.”
Melina’s parents and friends know about her Wiccan practices. But while her mom is accepting, her dad tends to judge harshly.
“Not all will be ready to receive it with an open heart and mind,” Melina says.
Alon de los Reyes
Alon de los Reyes, treasurer of the Philippine Association for the Sociology of Religion (PASR) and an MA Anthropology student at the Ateneo de Manila University, entered Wicca in college.
“I was looking for some kind of liberating path,” she says. “I found it in Wicca, I found it in the craft.”
She singles out the empowering character of Wiccans for females. “Ang structure ng [Catholic] Church natin dominantly male. Pano ‘yung mga babae? Sa Wicca may ma-gli-glimpse ka na power ng female, so nakaka-empower.”
De los Reyes’ family was a big factor in her spiritual life.
“My mother calls herself a Catholic, but her ways are pagan. Father ko naman, ex-seminarian, sobrang religious … [but] he’s very open to Eastern traditions—from new age to psychoanalysis to depth psychology to witchcraft. I had good models.”
Ishilta
22-year-old Ishilta, a BS Geography senior at UP Diliman, started learning about Wicca when he was 10-15 years old.
Modern witchcraft was new to the Philippines then. In high school, Ishilta and his friends started reading the script of “The Craft,” the popular movie which featured witches.
“Kami kasi active ‘yung imagination. ‘Sige, gayahin natin,’” Ishilta says. “May binili kami na starters book. And the weird thing is, anecdotal yung book. Pinagtiyagaan namin, nag-dabble dabble kami. Ako naramdaman ko na na it’s the real thing, it’s really my path. For them, it’s an adventure, ‘let’s venture into it, cool ‘yun.'"
Like in Melina’s case, Ishilta’s mom was open, but his dad was not.
“’Yung mom ko nung times na ‘yun she doesn’t disallow me from practicing, but sometimes she worries at the back of her head,” Ishilta says. “Sa dad ko may time na una may resentment, ‘pag may ipapakita akong mga gamit… May time na may tolerance, although alam ko ‘di siya open. Silence na lang.”
At present, Ishilta is a healer who incorporates Tibetan Buddhism and Wicca.
22-year-old Ishilta, a BS Geography senior at UP Diliman, started learning about Wicca when he was 10-15 years old.
Modern witchcraft was new to the Philippines then. In high school, Ishilta and his friends started reading the script of “The Craft,” the popular movie which featured witches.
“Kami kasi active ‘yung imagination. ‘Sige, gayahin natin,’” Ishilta says. “May binili kami na starters book. And the weird thing is, anecdotal yung book. Pinagtiyagaan namin, nag-dabble dabble kami. Ako naramdaman ko na na it’s the real thing, it’s really my path. For them, it’s an adventure, ‘let’s venture into it, cool ‘yun.'"
Like in Melina’s case, Ishilta’s mom was open, but his dad was not.
“’Yung mom ko nung times na ‘yun she doesn’t disallow me from practicing, but sometimes she worries at the back of her head,” Ishilta says. “Sa dad ko may time na una may resentment, ‘pag may ipapakita akong mga gamit… May time na may tolerance, although alam ko ‘di siya open. Silence na lang.”
At present, Ishilta is a healer who incorporates Tibetan Buddhism and Wicca.
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