Swearing within Wicca

[Mahala]

You guys and gals must have heard you share of the expletives used nowadays.
How do you guys and gals feel about swearing? I know that LDS and catholics don't condone swearing at home or in their house of worship. Would it be the same if I accidentally swore in my circle or during a ritual or spell? Would the God and Goddess punish me? Do you think that Wicca should allow swearing if it isn't used as an insult? (Almost impossible with some words.)

[Windwalker]

Swearing is great. It diffuses frustration
If I dropped something in ritual, I would probably swear automatically. I don't think the gods mind.

As for taking the names of the gods in vain.... When I'm stunned, shocked or surprised I'm guilty of saying "Holy Mother!" on occasion, and "Great Goddess!". Usually I say "gods!", "bigods!" or "ye gods!". They don't seem to mind. In fact they seemed to find the question rather amusing. I don't mean any disrespect, and they know that.

Occasionally my latin class and I would come out with a "di immortales!" (immortal gods) which is rather fun to say. It always amuses me when people say things like "by Jove!" but I never use the phrase myself.

[Mahala]

If only my old bishop could see his son at school... that boy can swear a blue streak out of a green sky. I myself am prone to swear under my breath when I get ouchies or when I'm [email protected]#$% off at somebody.

[runewulf]

Swearin is swearin... not polite or politicallty correct, but most all of us tend to do so to various degrees. Personally, I think it should be avoided during workings and meditations. If I have a neeed to do so then, I work to channel it into a piece of stone or crystal, then we have a burrying afterwards to bury the new stone that's charged with the energies and emotions that were driving me towards the bought of profanity duiring class/circle/ritual.

Offloading this to another machine, like gmail, gives you the ability to clean your machine e-mail wise of times where you've had to "sear", but also gives you a backup of e-mails too.

Wassail

[Ragnar]

You guys and gals must have heard you share of the expletives used nowadays.

ME!!??

NEVER!

[Eretik]

I 'curse like a trooper' as my dear grandmother put it. Here the word 'arse' is so much part of the vernacular that it isn't considered swearing, even. I have one friend who peppers every conversation with c**t, he uses it as a term of reference when talking about a stranger i.e. 'I was going down the road when this c**t came over and asked directions...' He uses it all the time and so do lots of folk I 've encountered here in Glasgow. Calling a woman a 'cow' here ,is more offensive than most other combinations including the one above [ the 'c 'word] Yet, I have friends from London who use 'cow' all the time i.e. 'silly cow' and it's a friendly term. It varies by locality. I would never,though, be deliberately irreverent around the older generation or polite company, horses for courses, I think.

[Crazy Healer Lady]

I don't usually swear. This is not to say I won't. Certain people, certain situations, just make it so easy

In a sacred setting, I do not swear. Mind, I have been known to cry, "SH**!!!!! if I drop anything burning, or my charcoal block does something funky. O_O Those things are unpredictable!!!! I'd play with candles for hours as a young-in, and I am very safe with fire, because I play with it so much. (Heh heh... sounds strange reading that part aloud O_O) But charcoal blocks are the only things that make me nervous!!

Anyway, I think swearing can be OK. I choose not to because it is another way to show respect with the powerful beings that are choosing to share their space with me, who have come to lend their talents.

Another thing I really want to address:

Would the God and Goddess punish me?

Many people after converting still carry old beliefs. Who here has not carried over the guilt, the embarrassment, the fear that drove us away from them? Many of us are successful in ridding ourselves of this, but it takes a long while after a lifetime of conditioning.

Don't feel like if you do something wrong, you will be punished. You seem like a very good person, high morals and a sincere desire to be good in the eyes of the Divine and to your fellow human beings. You are a good person. If you slip up, if you mispronounce a god's name, if you trip over something in your circle and scatter a sacred offering across the floor, DON'T WORRY. Laugh ^_^ If you feel bad, say sorry, but ENJOY your practice ^_^Don't be afraid that something bad will happen if you make a mistake. Life is about mistakes! If we were born perfect, we wouldn't have interesting lives. Because we are not perfect, we are expected to make mistakes, encouraged.

I really was plagued with guilt, fear, and an outright timid nature when I first started, and even up to recently. The Divine wanted something, I did it. If I stepped on a plant in the woods, I'd feel VERY badly and say sorry a million times. Then my Guides and all these power animals started harrassing me. "WE HAVE TO TEACH YOU THIS NOW!" "SPEND TIME WITH ME!" And I realized this was a lesson. They were teaching me not to be a doormat. I am very grateful to them. Now, I walk in the woods, and I step on a plant, and I still feel badly for a moment, say my sorry, but I do not let it consume me.

Do you understand what I am trying to say?? Im sorry if this does not make sense.

[Willow]

I tend to evaluate on a situation by situation basis.

Around friends at the pub no problem.

In a job interview, not such a good thing.

However, as you know this board is G-rated, and I think that is fairly important as some people are put off by swearing and it is an easy way to make us a more welcoming people. And I think when I as a pagan decide yto use eloquence rather than expletives it does more for outsiders to respect us then telling then they are F%$#@&() stupid fundies.

But those are my thoughts, I can't stop someone else from using that language.

[Kitsune]

At work, I swear not at all. Generally, if anything I'll use shakespearian sounding bit of language to soften the blow. ("Stupid little chit!", is a particular favourite of mine!)

But get me outside of work, and I can get more explosive. In ritual, I don't, but I've never dropped something, so I'll have to wait until I do to know. I think I would, the gods know I'm cursing my mistake, and not them.

[morgana]

I myself tend to curse like a sailor when around friends and even my mom. I try NOT to curse at work, but it tends to slip out at times...ALOT. During ritual I've never really had reason to curse, so I can't say. If the I were to get punished for every time I cursed though, I'd probably be dead by now, lol.

[Mahala]

So many different views... I think that if I accidentally drop something or burn myself, I might swear under my breath, but I will apologize. Now, if I swear loud, I usually feel bad about it, it makes me sound like a trashy person.

[iriseyes]

I myself tend to curse like a sailor when around friends and even my mom. I try NOT to curse at work, but it tends to slip out at times...ALOT. During ritual I've never really had reason to curse, so I can't say. If the I were to get punished for every time I cursed though, I'd probably be dead by now, lol.

(dragging legs).
I curse like a sailor to.. I just cant help it.. I stump my toe and it gets all sorts of colorful around me.
I have a pretty upscale job in a very important office so I have to be "cleaner" there.. I also I don't know that I would tell my coworkers that Im pagan as well.. I think they would rather me say the F word 10,000 times.
See my one of my coworkers is Cathleck and the other one is a devout baptist.. It is not that I'm ashamed of my path it is I can't have that kind of commotion it would cause for me coming out of the broom closet sort of thing.

[Jescissa]

I don't swear off-hand, but if I'm clumsy, curses just seem to escape I think that even if I was in a circle and I was clumsy a curse would slip out before I would realise it! I think God and Goddess are understanding enough to know I'm not angry with them, I've just spilt hot wax on my skin or slipped whilst holding a ritual blade and hurt myself!