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Welcome to Alternative Faith. I have taken on the task of being the new moderator of this site and will be posting many thoughts, ideas, insights according to me. Grin. I welcome you to explore this site and add your comments as you feel inspired, but also understand this is not a venue to vent your hatred or prejudices. This is a venue toward understanding and peace. So with that said...Welcome and I look forward to a long journey with you.

It is exciting and a little daunting to have ones own web site that will be seen by hundreds, perhaps thousands of readers. Along with the queasy feeling one gets when embarking on some new adventure, is the thrill that perhaps one or two people will find something worthwhile in what you've had to say. Just maybe , someone will glean a nugget of wisdom, or a shred of insight from a few words that you've penned or written. That is my goal on this site called Alternative Faith. To share what we can with one another and to join with others in the pursuit of something more.

I am Michelle White Willow, Michelle is my given name while, White Willow is my chosen name. I have been an eclectic Wiccan for many years now, but have a deep and abiding respect for all religious beliefs. Throughout this format, I will attempt to inform others about my own lifestyle (I say lifestyle rather than religion), because being wicca or pagan means you've made an intentional choice to follow a diferent path and live a different lifestyle. Maybe this new path is the one that makes more sense to you and if truth be told, has been calling to your for a while, and maybe you'd like to find out more without joining an online school. If you're not ready to sign up but want to know more, you've come to the right place. Be at ease and be welcome.

So with that being said, I will end this brief introduction and will be posting more very shortly.
May you walk in the light and...Blessed Be

White Willow

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Posted By: Witch Willows Wanderings - Category: Wicca, Holidays, General Paganism, News, General Religions

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Review of TLC's "My Unique Family"

February 20th 2007 14:08

Bravo

Last night was the first chance to view “The Witches Next Door” on the TLC show “My Unique Family”. The show was an hour long and focused on the Rev. Kendra, her husband, and their 2 children. Kendra is a High Priestess of Duxbury’s First Church of Wicca and as a Priestess, decided to dress in black and wear a “priest” collar. To some this may be offensive and at first it does look a little “odd”. But after a few minutes I figured out why it seemed “odd”. It wasn’t only because she was not a Christian and was wearing something like this, it was because we are so used to seeing only men wear this, and mostly in Catholicism. However, not too long ago there was a woman that became a bishop in the Episcopal Church and yes she too wore the collar and dressed as the men do. Did it look odd at first? Yes it did. But only because it was something you weren’t used to seeing.

So why should Rev. Kendra be looked at any different for what she wears? She is basically the same “level” as a priest or even a bishop, just in a different religion. And as far as I know, Catholics and Episcopalians or any other Christian group, does not own the full rights to wearing a collar as part of their holy uniform. So, even though people may have been offended by they way she dressed or thought it was “odd”, I say it’s no more “odd” than various catholic clergy wearing uniforms that look like dresses of different color (all which are men…in what looks like a dress).

Anyway, I thought the show was great. There were really no Pagan bashing, except by a couple of the town’s people that didn’t like the idea of witches living and functioning there. For the most part, many of the people actually began to understand what Wicca actually is and found it not to be as “scary” as they thought. I think one of the really great parts was the interview with their neighbor (the Catholics). The woman openly said how much she liked having them as neighbors and thought their religion was very peaceful and earth based. She even allowed her daughter to play with the witch’s daughter without any fear of damnation. It was pretty amazing.

I don’t want to give away EVERYTHING that happened because it airs again tonight at 10, but I will discuss some of the things I truly enjoyed. Really, it was kind of refreshing to see Wiccans portrayed in a positive light on national TV. I know they had to take 200 hours of filming and edit it down to fit into the one hour show, so I wonder if there were even more positive footage that was left out. I think all in all, TLC did a pretty good job keeping it positive though. They didn’t make the family out to seem nuts and feared by everyone in the town, so that’s a plus right there.

I also liked how Rev. Kendra got to speak freely about various things that have to do with Wicca and Paganism. She was actually able to talk about the “real” things and TLC didn’t edit it to make her sound wacko.

The only 2 things that I think actually “hurt” the show was: #1) When they showed her first and foremost wearing all black and a “priest” collar. I’m sure this didn’t set well with some people, like I mentioned before. But she was able to tell everyone why she wears it. So that was a plus. And #2) The way they showed her children virtually begging for her attention. They showed the kids talking about how much time she gives to the parishioners and not really to them. HOWEVER…keep in mind the fact of editing 200 hours down to less than and hour of show time. There could have been more to this than what they showed…there normally is when it comes to “real” TV.

But really, I think it was great. Very positive. And I think TLC did pretty good with the editing, not know what the rest of the footage was. The funny thing is, what if this was the “worst” of the footage they could pull together? What if there wasn’t any “oddities” for then to show so this was the worst they could do. Funny to think about how “normal” a wiccan family can be, huh? Kendra’s husband stated he does IT consulting and they had a very nice and NORMAL house. The family dressed completely normal, aside from her wearing the “uniform”, but that’s only because she is a high priestess. And trust me, I’ve seen some of the REALLY odd things a high priestess can stroll around the streets in. Wearing all black with a white collar is nothing. So they are just a normal everyday family, but just “Unique” enough to be put on “My Unique Family” on TLC.

If you didn’t catch the show last night, then try to catch it tonight on TLC at 10PM. Learn more about everyday Wiccans and see for yourself that we all don’t run around chasing garden fairies and magical invisible dragons.

Blessed Be

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Posted By: Miss Faith - Category: Wicca

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Spreading Religious Tolerance through TLC

January 29th 2007 15:45

For those of you out there that are interested in learning more about Pagans, specifically Wiccans…or would like your children to see religious diversity, then tune into TLC (The Learning Channel) on February 19th or 20th at 10 P.M. Okay, so those with smaller children probably wouldn’t allow them to stay up to watch it, but you can record it or Tivo it for them. My hat off, so far, to TLC for their new show named “My Unique Family”. In this new series they follow “unique” families around for around 200 hours of footage and then edit it into an hour show.

On February 19th and 20th they will be showing a Pagan/Wiccan family and subtitle the show “The Witches Next Door”. They followed the Hovey’s around for about 200 hours during October and Halloween time. The family consists of a mother, father and 2 children (11 and 8). They taped them going to “church”, at home, and even going out for ice cream. Yes, even Pagans eat ice cream, not our own children. They show them celebrating Samhain with their congregation and Alana (the 8 year old) meditating. Kendra, the mother is a High Priestess of Duxbury’s First Church of Wicca and boasts a very “unique” picture for the news article that was run in the Patriot Ledger online.

I just hope this show doesn’t do the same thing the one show about switching wives or mothers did….and show Wiccans to be a little off their rocker, to say the least. I would like to see one of these TV shows actually follow a regular everyday Pagan family that you wouldn’t know they were Pagan if you were talking to them face to face. Because believe it or not, there are a lot of us out there that have children and are married, but are not a high priest or priestess or wear a pentagram around our neck that is the size of a silver dollar for shear shock value. There are many of us that live normal everyday lives and look like the person next door or the person that sits in the cubicle next to you at work. You would never know if we are Christian, Pagan, Hindu, or Jew because we don’t openly profess our beliefs to people only to see the look on their faces. Yes, there are many that do this, but it is not only Pagans…but Christians and others as well. But, I guess if they did an hour long show on a “normal” family that was Pagan, it wouldn’t be considered “good TV”.

Blessed Be

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Posted By: Miss Faith - Category: Wicca

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Widow Receives Plaque in Time for Anniversary

November 21st 2006 15:27

Finally, over the weekend, the memorial plaque was installed for Sgt. Stewart. His widow, Roberta Stewart, was notified Monday at around 10:30, to which she automatically went out to see it for herself. The plaque is as promised and shows the Wiccan symbol, the pentacle or 5 pointed star. She was very relieved to see that the state of Nevada had followed through with their promise. What is really cool about when they installed this is that their wedding anniversary is on Wednesday. So, what a great anniversary present this must be for Roberta Stewart. This is also memorable in another way. This is the FIRST time a pentacle has EVER been placed in a Veteran’s cemetery in the entire history of the United States. So we are taking steps forward, even though they are baby steps, they are steps none the less.
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Posted By: Miss Faith - Category: Wicca

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VA to Get Sued Over Burial Rights

November 13th 2006 01:47

According to the Air Force Times, a group named Americans United for Separation of Church and State filed a lawsuit yesterday against the VA for the use of the Wiccan symbol on grave markers. Well it's about time someone was able to start the ball rolling on this! I honestly don't see why it had to come to this point, but it has. Hopefully this will get someone at the VA moving finally after 9 years of petitioning.

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Posted By: Miss Faith - Category: Wicca

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