![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
(originally posted on Diaryland.com, 2003-08-23 - 2:28 a.m.)
Nope! And we don’t worship Satan, sacrifice chickens, or have orgies (though I must admit, I was a bit disappointed when THAT part of it didn’t turn out to be true... ;-)). While Wicca has become a fad these last several years -- some people seem to think they’re Wiccan because they’ve watched a few episodes of “Charmed” :-P -- the religion, when seriously followed, involves a commitment to personal responsibility, practical compassion, and a lifelong dedication to learning.
The following is a reprint of an article I wrote a few years ago, as a handout to give to media people, Christians, and the simply curious when they ask, "just what IS Wicca, anyway?" It's my attempt to answer the most basic questions about my religion, and has been generally pretty helpful.
********************************
Wicca 101, or, "So you're curious about Wicca!"
(copyright Laurie E. Smith 2002)
I'll give you my take on the subject, and then point you at some references which may corroborate or contradict my opinions. This does not claim to be a comprehensive list; these are only my personal observations, and may be challenged or added to as I progress and learn.
To start with, Wicca is a denomination of the modern NeoPagan religious movement, whose primary characteristics are pluralism (many paths to Truth), polytheism (many Gods, often aspects of a single Deity), and pantheism (God interpenetrates the material world and all living things).
Wicca is defined as its own distinct religion in the following respects:
1) its moral code. Wiccans follow the Wiccan Rede ("If you harm none, do what you will") and often believe in the Rule of Three ("whatever you do, for good or ill, comes back upon you three times over).
2) the practice of witchcraft, a technique which, like prayer, is practiced by other religions besides Wicca; in Wicca, how one uses witchcraft for is generally determined by the Rede and the Rule mentioned above.
3) initiatory membership (at least in the more formal traditions; many Wiccans operate independently of any coven).
4) focus on trance induction techniques to achieve religious ecstasy (chanting, drumming, dancing).
5) the concept of Deity as having two aspects, male and female, which are necessary for each other's existence.
6) the following of eight holidays through the year, called Sabbats, which fall on the solstices, the equinoxes, and equal points in between.
It must also be said that although Wicca draws inspiration from the pre-Christian religions of Europe, it has in and of itself only been in existence since the 1950's, when an Englishman named Gerald Gardner published a book called "Witchcraft Today" which started the modern Wiccan movement. However, its theology and theosophy are based on older schools of thought, and continue to have relevance today.
There are many different denominations (called Traditions) of Wicca. Some Traditions require coven initiation, while others allow practitioners to work alone or in casual groups. Some emphasize the worship of the Goddess over the God. Others revere both equally. The common element is a practical and earthy approach, based in the ancient fertility religions in which Wicca is rooted.
As noted above, Wiccans do not have a Bible. Each Wiccan follows the Rede and often the Rule, which are generally considered to be the only essential moral commandments of the faith -- individual worship can take almost any form, so long as those commandments are followed. Each Wiccan may keep their own personal journal, called a Book of Shadows, detailing their path of discovery in the religion, which may contain anything from meditations on the nature of the Gods to the mundane tasks of growing and harvesting herbs, spells, notes from religious research, and recipes for sabbat cakes and other traditional ritual feast items.
The eight sabbats fall on the solstices, the equinoxes, and four points in between (it works out to a sabbat every six weeks). The sabbats celebrate the agricultural course of the year, from the birth of vegetation in the spring to the cold shroud of winter, after which the Earth will once again give birth to new growth. This idea of "time as cyclical" is echoed in the common Wiccan belief in reincarnation.
Since Wicca is a fertility religion, it is not surprising that Wiccans tend to have a healthy and loving attitude toward sex and procreation; remember, in our world-view there was no Original Sin, and the flesh is not therefore sinful. Most Wiccans look at pleasure, sexual and otherwise, as a gift of the loving Gods to us, Their children, to be used responsibly and with harm to none. The core symbolism of Wiccan liturgy tends to be sexual, reflecting the eternal dance of love between the Goddess and the God.
********************************
For more info, try The U.S. Army Chaplains Guide to Wicca. For general information on Wicca and NeoPaganism, see The Witches Voice. Also,The Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance has an excellent entry on Wicca.
A good book for beginners is Scott Cunningham's "Wicca: A Guide For The Solitary Practitioner" available at many book shops or at Amazon.com.
Nope! And we don’t worship Satan, sacrifice chickens, or have orgies (though I must admit, I was a bit disappointed when THAT part of it didn’t turn out to be true... ;-)). While Wicca has become a fad these last several years -- some people seem to think they’re Wiccan because they’ve watched a few episodes of “Charmed” :-P -- the religion, when seriously followed, involves a commitment to personal responsibility, practical compassion, and a lifelong dedication to learning.
The following is a reprint of an article I wrote a few years ago, as a handout to give to media people, Christians, and the simply curious when they ask, "just what IS Wicca, anyway?" It's my attempt to answer the most basic questions about my religion, and has been generally pretty helpful.
********************************
Wicca 101, or, "So you're curious about Wicca!"
(copyright Laurie E. Smith 2002)
I'll give you my take on the subject, and then point you at some references which may corroborate or contradict my opinions. This does not claim to be a comprehensive list; these are only my personal observations, and may be challenged or added to as I progress and learn.
To start with, Wicca is a denomination of the modern NeoPagan religious movement, whose primary characteristics are pluralism (many paths to Truth), polytheism (many Gods, often aspects of a single Deity), and pantheism (God interpenetrates the material world and all living things).
Wicca is defined as its own distinct religion in the following respects:
1) its moral code. Wiccans follow the Wiccan Rede ("If you harm none, do what you will") and often believe in the Rule of Three ("whatever you do, for good or ill, comes back upon you three times over).
2) the practice of witchcraft, a technique which, like prayer, is practiced by other religions besides Wicca; in Wicca, how one uses witchcraft for is generally determined by the Rede and the Rule mentioned above.
3) initiatory membership (at least in the more formal traditions; many Wiccans operate independently of any coven).
4) focus on trance induction techniques to achieve religious ecstasy (chanting, drumming, dancing).
5) the concept of Deity as having two aspects, male and female, which are necessary for each other's existence.
6) the following of eight holidays through the year, called Sabbats, which fall on the solstices, the equinoxes, and equal points in between.
It must also be said that although Wicca draws inspiration from the pre-Christian religions of Europe, it has in and of itself only been in existence since the 1950's, when an Englishman named Gerald Gardner published a book called "Witchcraft Today" which started the modern Wiccan movement. However, its theology and theosophy are based on older schools of thought, and continue to have relevance today.
There are many different denominations (called Traditions) of Wicca. Some Traditions require coven initiation, while others allow practitioners to work alone or in casual groups. Some emphasize the worship of the Goddess over the God. Others revere both equally. The common element is a practical and earthy approach, based in the ancient fertility religions in which Wicca is rooted.
As noted above, Wiccans do not have a Bible. Each Wiccan follows the Rede and often the Rule, which are generally considered to be the only essential moral commandments of the faith -- individual worship can take almost any form, so long as those commandments are followed. Each Wiccan may keep their own personal journal, called a Book of Shadows, detailing their path of discovery in the religion, which may contain anything from meditations on the nature of the Gods to the mundane tasks of growing and harvesting herbs, spells, notes from religious research, and recipes for sabbat cakes and other traditional ritual feast items.
The eight sabbats fall on the solstices, the equinoxes, and four points in between (it works out to a sabbat every six weeks). The sabbats celebrate the agricultural course of the year, from the birth of vegetation in the spring to the cold shroud of winter, after which the Earth will once again give birth to new growth. This idea of "time as cyclical" is echoed in the common Wiccan belief in reincarnation.
Since Wicca is a fertility religion, it is not surprising that Wiccans tend to have a healthy and loving attitude toward sex and procreation; remember, in our world-view there was no Original Sin, and the flesh is not therefore sinful. Most Wiccans look at pleasure, sexual and otherwise, as a gift of the loving Gods to us, Their children, to be used responsibly and with harm to none. The core symbolism of Wiccan liturgy tends to be sexual, reflecting the eternal dance of love between the Goddess and the God.
********************************
For more info, try The U.S. Army Chaplains Guide to Wicca. For general information on Wicca and NeoPaganism, see The Witches Voice. Also,The Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance has an excellent entry on Wicca.
A good book for beginners is Scott Cunningham's "Wicca: A Guide For The Solitary Practitioner" available at many book shops or at Amazon.com.
