Exam 3 Defs and ?s

Question 1

little angel, spirit of deceased child

Answer 1

angelito

Question 2

the deceased

Answer 2

difunto

Question 3

offering

Answer 3

ofrenda

Question 4

sugar skulls that represent the dead

Answer 4

calaveras

Question 5

wiccan tool that has double edged blade, used in rituals

Answer 5

athame

Question 6

“and so long as it hurts none do what thou wilt”

Answer 6

wiccan rede

Question 7

meeting that takes place between major holidays, full moon meeting

Answer 7

esbat

Question 8

holiday meetings, coincide with the eight spokes of the wheel of the year, includes equinoxes and solistices, plus their midpoint

Answer 8

sabbat

Question 9

introducing a child to the craft, similar to baptism

Answer 9

wiccaning

Question 10

wedding ceremony/commitment ceremony, making a ritual promise

Answer 10

handfasting

Question 11

transition from mother to crone, gaining knowledge, honors older women

Answer 11

croning

Question 12

How do people from Oaxaca define souls and what happens after they die?

Answer 12

There are two parts to a soul: the first is invisible with human like qualities, it goes on an immortal journey after death and comes back for Day of the Dead (el otro yo), the other is a shade that can leave your body or be stolen during life.

Question 13

Give three examples for how Dia de los Muertos is a liminal time.

Answer 13

Changing of the seasons (transition from harvest and life to cold and death), the dead are between their world and ours, mediates between you and your ancestors.

Question 14

List three places where altars appears.

Answer 14

Homes, markets, churches

Question 15

Why might folks leave their altars after November 2nd?

Answer 15

So spirits who didn’t have an altar have a chance to be remembered and celebrated.

Question 16

What is the relationship of the church to Dia de los Muertos in Oaxaca?

Answer 16

The church tries to refocus the day onto jesus and the saints, they hold mass on the same day and have a feast that also undermines the tradition, it’s antagonistic

Question 17

Discuss Orion’s positionality in her research.

Answer 17

She used participant-observation research and observed two covens (initiated into one), she was accepted into the coven easily due to her artistic background

Question 18

Wicca rejects Diabloism and a belief in the devil. Why?

Answer 18

The devil is a christian idea and wicca is pre christian so they don’t believe in it, along with that they reject harming others which is a fundamental tenet of diabloism

Question 19

Discuss the circle as a liminal space.

Answer 19

The circle works as a barrier between the members and regular time/space, it also creates a space where the members can interact with their gods, and it is aplace of worship (earthly) and magic (supernatural)

Question 20

What do deosil and widdershins motions do?

Answer 20

The deosil motions create harmony with the sun and helps build the circle, widdershins motions destory or banish and is counterclockwise

Question 21

Discuss the elementals.

Answer 21

The elementals are spirits of the universe that appear in mythical form. Earth-associated with salt, gnomes, physical matter, and north. Fire- associated with salamanders, candles, South, and passion. Air- associated with incense, sylphs, east, and intellect. Water- associated with water, ondines, emotions, and the west

Question 22

Discuss the symbolism associated with the Mother Goddess and the Horned God.

Answer 22

The Mother Goddess symbolizes fertility and life, associated with the moon and represents the cycles of a woman’s life (maiden, mother, crone), spring and summer, the Horned God is her partner, associated with the sun, death, and winter

Question 23

Discuss All Saints’ Day and Samhain.

Answer 23

All Saints’ Day- christianholiday that celebrates the saints coming back to Earth on November 1st, you attend church, honor ancestors, visit cemeteries and place candles on the grave
Samhain- one of the sabbats for wicca, marks the beginning of winter, get rid of the past and celebrate something new, time to celebrate those who’ve died, veil between our world and the afterlife is its thinnest

Question 24

What is drawing down the moon?

Answer 24

It is calling upon the goddess for ritual possession of the priestess, they invite their gods to bestow divine inspiration on them

Question 25

What is the threefold law?

Answer 25

Anything you send into the universe will return to you three fold

Question 26

Discuss the cone of power.

Answer 26

The cone of power is the drawing together of energy from the coven that members visualize as a cone that they then send out into the universe to affect change, way to create energy

Question 27

Discuss the celebration of the great rite and the ceremony of cakes and wine.

Answer 27

The great rite is a celebration of opposites combining to generate energy, with the ceremony of cakes and wine the athame is dipped into a glass of wine (simulating penetration) and then cakes are dipped into it and both are shared among the members

Question 28

What do many neopagans view as the cause of illness?

Answer 28

They view energy blockages/stagnation from rigid social structures can lead to illness

Question 29

How do witches understand the prevalent worldview of the US?

Answer 29

They see it as inauthentic and pathological, it has a large patriarchal influence and embraces positivist science while also being monotheistic

Question 30

What are the two creation myths of contemporary Wiccans?

Answer 30

Neolithic evolution of religion where they began to believe in the goddess and horned god, the burning times-survived through the severe persecution

Question 31

Discuss the three-fold form of the Triple Goddess of the Wiccans.

Answer 31

She is the maiden, mother, and crone, represents reproductive cycle of woman’s life, related to phases of the moon (waxing=maiden, full=mother, crone=waning)

Question 32

Discuss the curse removal ritual as a rite of passage.

Answer 32

Separation: separating your oil, herbs, and powder, curse can cause issues in personal relationships
Transition: person prays/thinks pleasant thoughts thus changing the negative energy surrounding them, use of the three items to cleanse the energy
Reincorporation: energy leaves the person and they return to “normal state”, white light leaves the person after ritual