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Wicca

The terms Wicca and Witchcraft can be used interchangeably, but there is a subtle distinction. Wicca is a contemporary Neo-Pagan religion and Witchcraft is the practice of natural magic. Not all Wiccans are witches, and not all witches are Wiccan. I am both and the information I will share will come from that perspective. I invite you to explore the world of magic. Through this portal you will discover unknown worlds.

What Wicca Is?

Wicca is a Neo-Pagan religion with many traditions that date to pre-Christian (and prehistoric) Earth religions. It is based on a deep respect for nature and the certain knowledge that we do not have the right to exploit it for our own gain. Wiccans are deeply concerned with conservation and ecology, and as in all Neo-Pagan religions, Wiccans believe that both animate and inanimate objects possess a spirit which forms part of the Whole. Note that we do not use the term "spirit" in the Judeo-Christian sense of a "ghost," but rather that essence which every object possesses that links it to nature and makes it an inalienable part of the universe.

Wicca is a celebration of the life-forces of nature as personified by the Goddess and her consort, the God.

Wicca may includes the practice of magic which is defined as the process of causing change through the focusing of our natural powers. It is important to note that magic is natural. There is nothing supernatural about it. We use certain tools such as spells, visualization, chants, candles, amulets and meditation to help us focus our power, but the power comes from within -- it is not in the tools. Our ancestors knew how to use it effectively, but it is a largely forgotten art in modern times.

What Wicca is Not?

Wicca is not a cult. A cult presupposes blind faith in a central figure whose every word is regarded as ultimate truth, and the utter conviction that no other way or philosophy will lead to this truth. You would be very hard pressed to find a Wiccan anywhere who would blindly follow anyone else. Wiccans are historically very independent people who seek truth from within through rituals, meditation, magic, study and communion with nature. Wiccans respect the right of everyone to worship in their own way. We do not feel that Wicca is the only way -- only that it is our way.

Wicca is not synonymous with Satan worship. The very concept of a supreme evil spirit is alien to Wicca. In fact, most Wiccans do not even believe in Satan. The devil is a Judeo-Christian construct and as such, it has nothing to do with Wicca. The notion that witches worship Satan was propounded by the Roman Catholic Church as it made its way across Europe, in an effort to suppress the native earth-based religions prevalent at the time. They succeeded to the extent that they drove the practitioners of these religions underground where much of their knowledge and traditions were lost. Through the work of the Golden Dawn, as well as anthropological and archeological research, many of these traditions have been rediscovered and incorporated into Neo-Paganism, an umbrella term for most modern earth-based and shamanistic religions.

Wicca does not include flying on brooms. Mostly, witches drive cars or ride bikes, although I have often wished for a flying broom when I'm caught in rush-hour traffic. There are many rituals which include brooms, however, and these may be the source of the flying-broomstick stories. In parts of Europe, some people run across their fields astride a broom to coax the grain to grow. They may also jump over a broom handle asking the grain to grow as high as their highest leap. It is also common for a ceremonial broom to be used to sweep away negative forces from any area one wishes to cleanse.

Common Questions about Wicca, the Old Religion.

Q: "Do Wiccans believe in God?"

A Not only do we believe in and worship God, we honor the Divine as Goddess. Worship is a very personal thing among Wiccans. Wicca is nondogmatic, subscribing to no one "official creed" or belief. Some Wiccans view Deity as a single force or energy; others are polytheistic, worshiping many Gods and Goddesses, and honoring the Ancient Ones of many cultures. We honor our Deities and our spiritual and familial Ancestors on holy days, called Sabbats and Esbats. In general, Sabbat Festivals mark the changes in season and are primarily solar-based. There is an emphasis on the God as he changes through the cycle of the year from a God of Vegetation and Grain to a God of the Harvest and the Hunt. Esbat rituals are attuned to the changing lunar phases as we honor the Goddess in her Triple Aspects of Maiden, Mother and Crone.

Q: "Where does Jesus fit in?"

A: Jesus is a Christian deity. Wicca is not anti-Christian, but it is non-Christian. Many Wiccans acknowledge Jesus as a prophet or Enlightened Being. These individuals honor Jesus as they would any of the other great spiritual prophets, including, but not limited to: Mohammed, Moses, Krishna, and Buddha. Some Wiccans honor Jesus and Mary as patron Deities, their personal image of the Lord and Lady, but this is probably not common practice.

Q:"Can a person be both Wiccan and Christian, (or Jewish, etc.)? "

A: In general no one in Wicca is asked to renounce or turn aside their religious ancestry or practices. Most followers of Wicca hold that all traditions and religious practices are valid, and that there is more than one true way to enlightenment. Many faiths such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and Bahai also follow this philosophy. It must be kept in mind however, that Christianity, Judaism and Islam specifically prohibit the following of any other faith or the recognition of other Gods. Therefore many individuals who are drawn to Wicca find that, after a time, they must make a personal choice of religious paths.

Q:"Are you Satanists?"

A:NO. Wiccans do not believe in a personification of absolute evil, nor do we worship any entity known as "Satan" or "the Devil" as defined by Christian Tradition. Wiccans do worship the God as the "Horned One," the Consort of the Goddess, and a living symbol of fertility, joy and love. During the times of the Inquisition, the Christian Church declared that the ancient Horned God of the Pagans was actually the Devil. They extracted signed confessions, acknowledging the devil as the leader of the witches, by subjecting thousands of innocent people, mostly women, to horrific torture, imprisonment and death.

There is a religious movement called Satanism, which began during the Middle Ages as a political-religious protest to the control exerted over the masses by the Church. Satanism continues to this day under a variety of names. Satanism has nothing to do with Wicca.

Q: "A Witch and a Wiccan are the same thing, right?"

A: No. Anyone can practice witchcraft, meaning simple folk magick, and call themselves "witches" regardless of ethics, beliefs, or philosophy. Wicca is nondogmatic, with no centralized book of teachings. However, all Wiccans follow a basic ethical and moral code, which includes dedication to a spiritual path, worship of the Goddess and/or God, adherence to the Wiccan Rede, and belief in the Three-Fold Law. Many Wiccans are reclaiming the word 'witch' as a word of power, believing that this word has been unfairly maligned. There are people who use the term 'witch' who follow a spiritual/religious/ethical path, but who are not specifically Wiccan.

Q:"What is the Wiccan Rede?"

A: Wiccan philosophy and ethics can be summed up in the following 'traditional' poem, which, for all intent, is a Wiccan Code of Conduct:

"Bide the Wiccan Law ye must,
In perfect love and perfect trust
Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill;
An ye harm none, do what ye will.
What ye send forth comes back to thee,
So ever mind the Rule of Three.
Follow this with mind and heart,
And Merry Meet and Merry Part!
"An'" is an archaic form of the word "if," and "harm none" refers to life on all levels - physical, spiritual, magickal, mental, emotional, etc. The Wiccan Rede is a reminder to live consciously and responsibly.

Q: "Do Wiccans cast spells?""

A: Yes. Most Wiccans practice magick (spelled with a 'k' to distinguish it from stage illusion). The Wiccan Rede dictates that no spell or work of magick be directed at anyone with an intent to cause harm. Even spells for healing and assistance should be undertaken only with express consent or a request from the individual for whom the work is done.

Q: "What does the pentagram mean?"

A: The Pentagram, or five-pointed star, is a general symbol of Witchcraft. It symbolizes Humankind reaching outward and inward from our environment (the circle). The five points may symbolize the head (intellect or Air) arms (activity or Fire) legs (Physical Form or Earth) and emotions (Water). The central enclosed area is the Divine or Spirit. This is only one of a variety of spiritual and magickal meanings associated with this ancient symbol. The Pentagram is worn as magickal amulet for protection and luck, and as a symbol of our faith.

Modern day Witches also wear jewelry containing many other mystic symbols such as the Egyptian Ankh; the Equal-Armed Cross (Solar or Brigit's Cross); stars containing a variety of points from five to nine, depending on personal symbolism and tradition; astrological and planetary symbols; symbols representing personal animal totems; and folk-lore symbolism associated with the Craft such as four-leaf clovers, frogs, dragons, brooms, cauldrons, crystals and stones. This list could go on endlessly.

Q: "Do Witches really dance around naked or wear long, black robes?"

A: The art of magickal garb, or dress, is an ancient and well-honored tradition. Many people who are disturbed at the thought of people wearing long robes to religious rituals seem to forget that this custom is common among the clergy of most religions, from the vestments of the Pope, to the habits of nuns, to the saffron robes of Buddhist monks. Not all Wiccans choose to wear the color black, but many do. To us, black is a color of power, a color strongly associated with the Goddess. We do not associate black with negativity and death (and it should be noted that to many cultures, black is the color of marriage, and white is the color for funerals). At any given Festival, one is likely to see robes of all colors and designs. Sometimes the color represents a particular aspect of the season (such as green or white at Ostara, the Spring Equinox); but most often the color is personal choice.

There are Wiccans, associated with specific Wiccan Traditions such as Gardnerian Wicca, who practice ritual 'sky-clad' (naked - clad only by the sky). One reason (there are several) is the belief that magick (and the flow of energy) is best worked when the body is as close to its natural state as possible. This work is taken very seriously; anyone who tries to join a sky-clad working group for the wrong reasons (believing sex to be an end result, for example) will find themselves disappointed and, probably, out on their ear very quickly!.

Q: "Do Witches really use ritual daggers, brooms, cauldrons, etc?"

A: Yes, but not for the reasons some would believe. Here is a very brief list of Traditional Craft Tools, and their general uses:

The Athame: or ritual dagger, represents the Element of Fire (or Air, depending on Tradition) and is used for projecting energy, especially for constructing a ritual circle. The Athame is NEVER used to cut anything, and certainly is not used for activities such as as drawing blood.

The Broom: used for psychically clearing the ritual area, and is often used in fertility magick. One example is the tradition of "jumping over the broom" at Handfastings, a Wiccan ritual of marriage.

The Cauldron: An ancient symbol of the Goddess and of the cycle of death, rebirth and life. Often used in circle to represent the Element of Water or Spirit. Water is also represented by the Chalice.

The Wand: represents the Element of Air or Fire (again, depending on personal Tradition). The wand is often used in place of the Athame, and is used to project energy. There are different types of wands, each charged with a specific purpose. Many wands of the crystal type are used in healing.

The Pentacle: A flat, round disc of wood or metal onto which a five-pointed star is drawn. This is the symbol for the Element of Earth. Earth is often represented through the use of salt.

Other items on a Wiccan altar may include: an incense burner; stones, feathers; candles; offerings to the Goddess, such as flowers, shells, or "holed" stones; offerings to the God such as antlers, crystal pyramids or obelisks; a scrying mirror; a bowl of water; and food sacraments of wine or juice and cookies or bread.

Traditional Wiccan Terms

"Blessed Be"

found ritually in the Ritual of The Five-Fold Kiss. It means, roughly, "Be Blessed and Whole" or "The Blessings of the Gods be upon you."

"Merry Meet" and "Merry Part"

greetings and salutations which are often used in ritual. Wicca is a religion of joy and celebration and we are reminded to come together in and part in "perfect love and perfect trust."

"So Mote it be"

modernly translated as "So be it." It is used by many Wiccans in the way that other faiths use "Amen."

Ritual Circle

all celebrations, worship rituals, and events take place inside a protective circle. This method is used to separate the physical world from the spiritual one, and to keep out unwanted influences.

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Most recent revision June 14, 2025 08:40:34 PM