A Hellenic offering ritual, for example, has elements similar to Wiccan rituals. The participants are purified through the use of consecrated water, and sometimes modern Hellenic pagans choose bloodless offerings as many Wiccans who are trying to observe the Rede strictly do. Yet a more traditional ceremony differs in some important ways. If an animal sacrifice is used, its parts each have a different use within the ritual format. Often, inedible parts of the animal are set aside for the gods. Hestia, as goddess of the hearth, frequently received the first offering, with all other deities associated with the ritual following. The parts set aside for the gods were frequently burned.

In my mind this is one of the greatest differences between Pagan and Wiccan ritual. The Pagan practitioner has the option of bloodletting and other things like scarification, branding, and death magic’s open to them, as they may not follow the Rede. This is not to say that Pagans who use these ritual tools are practicing evil or black magic, and it is very important to recognize the difference! Pagans and Wiccans are found in every possible permutation, so there are very few (if any) hard and fast characteristics of either. Keep learning! I like to collect stories of what Paganism means to each individual practionier; I can almost guarantee that every answer you get will be at least slightly different!

Be clever, crows!

~Rose

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