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What is Wicca

What is Wicca There have been numerous religions throughout time, many of which are still in existence today. One of the oldest and most highly debated religions is called Wicca, a nature-based religion that is said to date back to pre-historic times. There are many misconceptions throughout the world, especially in Christian religions, about Wicca and what it and its followers represent. This paper is my attempt to help myself and others better understand the reality of the Wiccan religion. I would like to start off by offering a bit of history on wicca, or “the craft”. Wicca is a pagan religion, which means that it doesn’t acknowledge the Christian concept of God. Generally, wiccans worship more than one god or goddess while also paying reverence to the earth and to nature herself as a source of life and all that we are. It is said that wicca evolved during the days of pre-historic man who developed a strong bond with his surroundings. Early man found a sense of “divine power” in the world around him, attuning himself to the rhythms and cycles of nature. In a time that preceded science and better understanding of the workings of the world, early man learned to predict weather patterns, distinguish between beneficial and dangerous herbs, and to use nature’s boundless gifts to their advantage. These early wiccans recognized an assortment of deities as protectors and benefactors of various aspects of daily life. Their primary deities were the Mother Goddess, who represented the fertility of the earth, and the Horned God, who died and was resurrected, symbolizing “the earth’s regenerative powers.” To honor these gods and goddesses, people held numerous festivals and celebrations. This concept was not an exclusive one to wiccans, although it is one that has continued to be an integral part of the wiccan religion. Wicca has evolved in numerous ways through the years. The modern form of the religion that is observed today, known as a neopagan religion) has its roots in the early nineteenth century, primarily due to the teachings of Gerald B. Gardner (1884-1964). Mr. Gardner was an English witch and the father of contemporary witchcraft. It is rumored that he was, in fact, a con man whose ideas were the foundation upon which most of the modern forms of Wicca are based. His Gardnerian witchcraft is said to have set in motion the entire neopagan movement (Hawkins 28). As I previously stated, Wicca is very much a nature-based religion. The belief is that all living things are a part of the dominant God and Goddess, and that the Earth itself is a living organism. Each and every living being is seen as an important part of that organism. Most wiccans are actively involved in protecting and promoting earth and her natural resources (Dewr). Wiccans also see their gods and goddesses as being a part of the here and now, of all of life’s events, as compared to being all-seeing, non-participatory deities (Dewr). The gods/goddesses observe and directly participate in many aspects of daily life. A primary value of Wicca is experience. Much like other areas of life, the perspective of experience in witchcraft is based in great part upon personal interpretation. While witches, as Wicca followers are known, do adhere to certain common beliefs, there is the possibility for each person to have a unique and personally fulfilling experience based on their own sense of perception. The more open a follower is to freeing themselves from material concerns and opening their minds, spirits and even bodies to what Wicca has to offer, the more profound their experience is (Hawkins 29-30). By tuning in to the messages of the earth and nature, a bond is formed. Another strong value of wiccans is tolerance (Hawkins 30). Witches are firm believers in allowing and encouraging diversity, even amongst themselves. Witches believe that we are bestowed with certain divine rights, such as freedom of thought, belief and actions, independence and free will. It is believed that by practicing these behaviors and rights, we are promoting balance and harmony (Hawkins 30-31). True Wicca followers do their best to be tolerant and respectful of all others, but like anyone else who feels that their rights and beliefs are being threatened, they may experience anger or intolerance toward those who they see as being judgmental of them. This is something that many wiccans often experience in relation to other, more traditional religions (Hawkins 30-31). There is one key law in the Wicca religion and it is called The Wiccan Rede. It reads as follows, “An it harm none, do as ye will.” There is a strong desire for peace and harmony among witches. They desire this not only within their religion but also with all of nature’s creatures. Followers are allowed freedom in all that they do so long as it doesn’t bring any intentional harm to any other living beings. Wiccans consider their religion “a positive philosophy” (Dewr). Unlike some of the world’s more traditional religions, Wicca doesn’t have a concrete doctrine as such. They do have some explicit religious beliefs that could be equated to a doctrine, however, and they are as follows (“A Brief History..”): A. The Deity is immanent and transcendent. B. Every living entity has a spirit, which is connected to, and part of every other spirit. Humans are a part of Nature. C. Divinity manifests itself through all living beings. Nature itself is divine, as is the Cosmos. D. God and goddess images are recognized as aspects of a greater divinity. Wiccans also hold the following ethics to be a core part of their religion (“A Brief History..”): A. The ethical set is summarized in the Wiccan Rede: Eight words the Wiccan Rede Fulfill: If it harms none, do what you will. B. Guidance is given by many earth-plane teachers and by spiritual (discarnate) guides. C. As above so below. We believe spirituality to be our utmost goal. There are many who wish to change the here and now through magical workings, which is a mundane change and using your much greater abilities to affect instead of accepting today’s spiritual lessons. We believe that this is derogatory to spiritual growth. We can learn much better how to accept our spiritual path and today’s obstacles through meditation and working with our Guides to understand this path. We view spiritual growth as far better than mundane growth. Spiritual growth comes through knowledge and understanding—learn all you can, through books, Guides, courses, healing, etc. Some, but not all, witches have regular group gatherings. These groups are called covens, of which there are many worldwide. While there is no clearly defined chain of authority in wicca, covens are generally led by a high priestess, both a high priestess and high priest, or in some rare cases, a high priest only. Such people are usually veteran members of both the religion and the coven and are seen as elders of the group. There is no book or document that witches follow as part of their belief system. However, most covens keep their group rules and practices in a Book of Shadows. The regular meetings that covens hold are called esbats. During these meetings, the group usually conducts coven business, holds teaching and training sessions (magic and devination), witchcraft rites, and such rituals as initiations and other ceremonies. Esbats are usually held at either full or new moons of which there are thirteen annually. According to author Craig S. Hawkins, in addition to esbats or regular meetings, witches also have eight major holidays called sabbats. These are primarily planned around major nature events, seasons and life cycles. There are four major sabbats and four minor. The four major holidays were originally to celebrate the changing seasons and to celebrate the hunt and harvest. Modern witches use these dates to celebrate life and to perform rituals to honor their interpretation of the meaning of these days. The minor holidays are celebrated in relation to the solstices and equinoxes. The holidays are as follows (Hawkins): � October 31: November Eve - Samhan (Halloween), Calan Gaeaf � Circa December 21: Winter Solstice - Yule, Alban Arthan � Circa January 31: February Eve - Bridget, Candlemas, Imbolc, Imbolg, Oimelc � Circa March 21: Spring (Vernal) Equinox – Ostara, Alban Ellir, Eostar � Circa April 30: May Eve – Beltane, Walpurgis Night, Cyntefyn, Roodmass � Circa June 21: Summer Solstice – Alban Hefin, Litha, Midsummer � Circa July 31: August Eve – Lughnasadh, Lammas Eve, Lady Day Eve � Circa September 21: Autumn (Fall) Equinox - Mabon Witches take part in various rituals that symbolize their faith and strong sense of belief. Some of these rituals include magick*, meditation, channeling, and divination. Most often, these acts are carried out to promote health, happiness, harmony and spiritual growth and awareness. Wiccans do not feel the need to use their skills and abilities to profit in material ways, nor do they use them for any unkind purpose. When most people think of witches, they think of the stereotypical Hollywood image, complete with black hat and dress, long pointy nose sans wart, and of course the broomstick and black cat. That is a far cry of the real thing. Many modern witches are your everyday, garden-variety woman and man on the street. For the most part, you probably wouldn’t know who they are unless they told you, which is something that a lot of witches are afraid to be open about. Although Wicca has been accepted by our own government and many others as a valid religion, many witches still fear persecution from other religions and people based on folklore, rumors, and fear of the unknown. Even in these modern times, not everyone is as accepting of the unfamiliar as we might like to think. Speaking of folklore and rumors, one of the biggest misconceptions that exist about Wicca is that it is devil worshiping. This is not true for one rather simple reason; Satan or The Devil is a belief of the Christian religion. Wiccans do not accept the concept of an absolute evil, and they do not worship either Satan or The Devil. Witchcraft is in no way about promoting or provoking harm or ill intent toward anyone or anything. Contrary to popular belief, witches do not use magick* or spells to benefit from others’ misfortune. I learned a great deal while studying this topic. It seems amazing the way in which your perception of a different belief or lifestyle can be influenced by your surroundings. Prior to doing this paper I had quite a few questions about witchcraft. I had always been taught that witches were a bunch of spell-casting, sacrifice-offering people who tried to use magic against other people so that they could gain somehow. I now have an entirely different view of this ancient religion and plan to do a little more exploring into this subject. I guess this goes to show that things aren’t always what others make them out to be. Bibliography: Works Cited “A Brief History of Wicca.” Church and School of Wicca. 1997. 18 April 2002. . Dewr, Cecylyna. “What is Wicca?” 1998. 14 April 2002. . Guiley, Rosemary E. The Encyclopedia of Witches & Witchcraft. 2nd Ed. New York: Checkmark Books, 1999. Hawkins, Craig S. Witchcraft: Exploring the World of Wicca. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1996.

Word Count: 1838