Willow and Wicca Inspiration in the real world

[Taake]

So at a lecture today we were discussing "new religious" themes (new age has grown dated and offensive in some academic circles) and wicca was among them. My teacher was utilizing pop culture to show the reason for wicca's rise in the last decades and mentioned that specifically for Gen Y a certain Miss Willow Rosenberg was one of the primary wicca inspirations. 🙂

What do you guys think?
Was Willow a real life inspiration to turn to wicca?
Are there any wicca's here who were inspired by her?

 

[EVIL UU]

You might be onto something.

Speaking as a millennial Willow is most certainly the most popular pop-cultural depiction of a wiccan I know of off, quite possibly ever. OK, she's the only one I know of off, her and Tara obviously.

Anyway, unsurprisingly I know *nothing* about Wicca so keep that in mind but is Willow even a legit Wiccan? I mean, in a religious sense? I know that she describes herself as a Jewish Wiccan. Still, I ask because we get to see Willow do some religious/traditional Jewish shit ( like putting stones on Tara's grave ) her wicca-ness however is always about doing magic. She doesn't, like, well...whatever it is wiccans do during worship purely for the sake of worship. Basically, Willow's relationship with Wicca doesn't exactly strike me as something based around faith as opposed to her Jewishness.

 

[Skanky Vamp]

I know that she describes herself as a Jewish Wiccan.

Did she? I never knew that. Can you provide examples? Was it in the show or the comics? It's just an oxymoron. I cant image any abrahamic religion being wiccan- it sorta goes against the whole point.

 

[EVIL UU]

new age has grown dated and offensive in some academic circles

You know what, I'm not even surprised at this point.
 

Was it in the show or the comics?

Yes, it's in the comics:



This one's off the top of my head, I'm sure there are other examples. And by the way, holding the priest like that? Might be magic, of course, but in case it's not - damn, Willow's been pumping iron!

 

[Buffy Summers]

I'm pretty sure Willow doesn't really epitomize the religion in real life - only going by the say so of my friend who is one.

 

[Skanky Vamp]

going by the say so of my friend who is one.

A Jewish Wiccan?

 

[Buffy Summers]

No, just a regular one. 😉

 

[Skanky Vamp]

No, just a regular one. 😉

Oh.. oh well. That's blase. I was wondering as there seems to be much more Jewish mysticism than Christian or Islam if there actually would be practicing Jewish Wiccans. It seems odd to me that there would be but you never know. I have met alot of odd in my day. But... opps! I did it again, going OT.

 

[Buffy Summers]

EVIL UU: Yeah, Willow's kinda too hot for a Wiccan 🙂

I'd never go to "hot" with Willow, but maybe that's your point. Though my friend is of above average attractiveness, but maybe she's an outlier.
 

Oh.. oh well. That's blase. I was wondering as there seems to be much more Jewish mysticism than Christian or Islam if there actually would be practicing Jewish Wiccans. It seems odd to me that there would be but you never know. I have met alot of odd in my day. But... opps! I did it again, going OT.

Well, if you consider Judaism an ethnic group rather than a religion, I guess it would be possible. And what's with all that Kabbalah stuff? 🙂

 

[Skanky Vamp]

"Yeah, Willow's kinda too hot for a Wiccan " A hot little wiccan chick from OH made me give up my religion (as it were) so don't go discounting them looks!
 

Well, if you consider Judaism an ethnic group rather than a religion, I guess it would be possible. And what's with all that Kabbalah stuff? 🙂

That's why I said practicing, to differentiate the two. Was the kabbalah rhetorical or would you like me to answer? I've a few... dozen... books I could send you if really interested! haha

 

[Buffy Summers]

It wasn't really rhetorical. More along the lines of, aren't there some different things within Judaism that might be a little more in line? I say this knowing next to nothing about the Kabbalah.

 

[Skanky Vamp]

aren't there some different things within Judaism that might be a little more in line? I say this knowing next to nothing about the Kabbalah.

Same as with Christian gnostics, but at the heart both still believe in their God and their Messiah, as both are monotheistic, whereas wiccan is generally thought of as being polytheistic. The core beliefs of both gnostics and kabbalists (I believe) would clash with that of those that practice tradition wiccan or paganism in general.

That being said those who are more strident in their beliefs could easily consider a gnostic or kabbalist as pagan, lumping them in with wiccan and the goddess for their view of Sophia and Khokhmah; the gnostic and kabbalistic female embodiment of wisdom respectively.