Wicca

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Wicca
By Brooke STUDENT

• Wicca is a peaceful, Earth-honouring,
  polytheistic religion that has no connection
  whatsoever to Satanism. It was founded by Gerald
  Gardner in the 1950s and is a mixture of
  reconstructed Pagan beliefs and more modern
  ceremonial magick practices.

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Definitions of Wicca, Pagan, Witchcraft

• Wicca   A modern Pagan religion with spiritual
  roots in the earliest expressions of reverence
  for nature. Some major identifying motifs are
  reverence for both the Goddess and God
  acceptance of reincarnation and magick ritual
  observance of astronomical and agricultural
  phenomena and the use of magickal circles for
  ritual purposes.
• Wicce   Synonymous with Wicca. In some circles,
  Wicce is used for women and Wicca is used for
  men.
• Witch   A practitioner of folk magick,
  particularly that kind relating to herbs, stones,
  colors, wells, rivers, etc. It is used by some
  Wiccans to describe themselves. This term has
  nothing to do with Satanism.
• Witchcraft   The craft of the witch - magick,
  especially magick utilizing personal power in
  conjunction with the energies within stones,
  herbs, colors, and other natural objects. This
  belief system also has nothing to do with
  Satanism.
• Pagan/Neo-Pagan/Paganism   General term for
  followers of Wicca and other magickal,
  shamanistic, and polytheistic Earth-based
  religions. Also used to refer to pre-Christian
  religious and Spiritual belief systems.

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Common Misconceptions about Wicca

• 1) Wiccans worship Satan The figure of Satan is
  part of the Christian mythos. Those of us who do
  not follow Christianity, do not accept the
  existence of this character. We do not worship
  Satan, nor do we summon demonic forces to do our
  bidding.
• 2) Wiccans engage in ritual orgies This
  misconception may have arisen from the practice
  of doing ritual in the nude (also called
  skyclad). Not all Wiccans practice this way, and
  there is nothing sexual about it.
• 3) Wicca is only for women Wicca has attracted
  a great number of women because of the focus on
  the Goddess, which is an uncommon alternative
  among other mainstream (and male-oriented)
  religions. But Wicca is open to everyone, male or
  female.
• 4) Wicca has no rules This little untruth is
  often used by our detractors to show that we must
  live wild and unrestrained lives. We may not have
  books of commandments to bind our lives, but many
  Wiccans do follow one single law Harm None.
  Those two words have as much power as an entire
  book of rules. We refer to this statement as the
  Wiccan Rede (An it Harm None, Do as Thou Wilst)
  and is part of a longer poem.
• 5) Wiccans cast spells and hexes to control
  people If we really did this, Wiccans would all
  be wealthy, happy and powerful. We believe that
  for every action, there is a re-action, and that
  includes using magick for negative manner.
  Wiccans don't believe in a punishing God, but we
  do think that bad actions will come back and bite
  us in the butt (karmically speaking).
• 6) Wicca is a cult that is trying to recruit
  people Wiccans believe that each individual's
  path of spirituality is valid, and no one path is
  better than any other. We do not convert or
  recruit anyone. Proselytizing is not a practice
  we follow. As for being a cult, most people these
  days are solitary practitioners and not part of
  any group. Hard to be in a cult when you are by
  yourself.

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Father of Modern Wicca

• Gardner states that, in 1939, he was initiated
  into an ancient and secret tradition the witch
  cult.
• Sometime after World War II, Gardner began
  writing High Magics Aid. This span, probably of
  just a few years or less, was a time in which
  Gerald Gardners creativity and devotion to Wicca
  would change the religious landscape of the
  English speaking world for years to come, as this
  time was the stepping stone from which Gardner
  mustered his ambition and determined, decisively,
  that Wicca would flourish.
• What followed were the publication of two more
  books, the founding of a museum, the
  establishment of numerous covens and initiates,
  and fifteen more years of Gardner's life spent
  devoted to promoting modern witchcraft.
• The period between 1946 and 1949 is one of the
  least known periods of Gerald Gardners latter
  life, yet it is one of the most important for
  Wicca because the events of those three years,
  though not well recorded, committed Gardner to
  the role of Wiccas promoter and yielded, by his
  hand, early revisions of some of the religions
  most enduring rites.

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Pentegram

• Wiccan Symbol

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Ecclesiastical Law

• there are no rules in Wicca. Wiccans are not
  bound by an official list of commandments that
  tells what is allowed and what is not.

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The Wiccan Rede

• Bide you the Wiccan laws you must, in perfect
  love and perfect trust.Live and let live, fairly
  take and fairly give.Cast the circle thrice
  about, to keep the unwelcome spirits out.To bind
  the spell every time, let the spell be spake in
  rhyme.Soft of eye and light of touch, speak
  little and listen much.Deosil go by the waxing
  moon, chanting out the Wiccan rune.Widdershins
  go by the waning moon, chanting out the baleful
  tune.When the Lady's moon is new, kiss your hand
  to Her times two.When the moon rides at Her
  peak, then the heart's desire seek.Heed the
  North wind's mightily gale, lock the door and
  trim the sail.When the wind comes from the
  South, love will kiss you on the mouth.When the
  wind blows from the West, departed spirits will
  have no rest.When the wind blows from the East,
  expect the new and set the feast.Nine woods in
  the cauldron go, burn them quick and burn them
  slow.Elder be the Lady's tree, burn it not or
  cursed you'll be.When the wheel begins to turn,
  let the Beltane fire burn.When the wheel has
  turned to Yule, light the log, the Horned One
  rules.Heed you flower, bush and tree, by the
  Lady, blessed be.Where the rippling waters go,
  cast a stone, the truth to know.When you have
  and hold a need, harken not to other's
  greed.With a fool no seasons spend, or be
  counted as his friend.Merry meet and merry part,
  bright the cheeks and warm the heart.Mind the
  Threefold Law you should, three times bad and
  three times good.When misfortune is enow, wear
  the blue star on your brow.True in love you must
  ever be, lest their love be false to thee.These
  words the Wiccan Rede fulfll An it harm none, do
  what you will.

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Holy Days (Sabbats)

• Imbolc Feb 2 -Candlemas, Imbolg, Brigid's Day,
  Groundhog DayDay to celebrate the first glimpses
  of Spring, also dedicated to the Celtic Goddess
  Brigid. Make new starts in life, as you give your
  home a thorough cleaning.
• Ostara Approx. March 21- Spring Equinox, Lady
  Day, EasterEggs and bunnies are typical symbols,
  representing new birth and new life. Plant the
  seeds of long-term goals.
• Beltane May 1- May Day, Walpurgis NightThe God
  born at Yule is now a man, and the sacred
  marriage between God and Goddess is consummated.
  Beltane is a celebration of fertility, growth,
  love and passion. However you celebrate Beltane,
  do it with joy and happiness.
• Midsummer Approx. June 21- Litha, Summer
  Solstice, WhitsunMidsummer is the longest day of
  the year, and the strength of the Sun God begins
  to wane. The Goddess has left her Maiden form of
  Imbolc and is now in her Mother aspect. Refill
  your herb collection for the coming year.
• Lammas August 1-Lughnasadh, As the first of the
  three harvest festivals, much of the symbolism
  for Lammas revolves around grains and bread.
  Sacrifices were common, though mostly symbolic,
  in order to ensure the continued success of the
  harvest.
• Mabon Approx. Sept 21-Autumn Equinox,
  CornucopiaDay and night are equal again, and the
  weather grows colder as winter approaches. This
  is the second harvest festival. Rituals of thanks
  at this time have brought about the modern
  holidays of Thanksgiving. Take some time to think
  about what you are thankful for.
• Samhain Oct 31- Halloween, All HallowsSamhain
  (SOW-en) is the one Sabbat that is also widely
  celebrated amongst non-Pagans. The God has died,
  and the Goddess mourns him until his rebirth at
  Yule (Christmas). It's the last harvest festival,
  and the end of the Wiccan year.

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How to Become a Wiccan or Witch

• Read everything you can get your hands on that
  will tell you more about the beliefs of Wicca and
  Witchcraft. Only by learning as much as you can
  about the basic beliefs and tenets of this path
  can you decide if the old way's are right for
  you.
• Write down the reasons you think Witchcraft is
  your path. What does being a Witch mean to you?
  What do you hope to achieve and learn? What do
  you fear about following this path? How do you
  see the Goddess and God? What does the Divine
  mean to you? This notebook will help you design
  your dedication/self-initiation ritual and
  eventually evolve into your book of shadows.
• Most importantly, listen to your inner voice. It
  is usually very good council and will not lead
  you astray. If something you read, hear or are
  told does not feel right, then it usually isn't
  right for you. If everything still feels right
  and you are sure Witchcraft is the path for you
  wish to follow after all this studying, now is
  the time to perform a dedication ritual.
• This ritual should be yours. Design it however
  you want to and in a way that will be most
  meaningful to you. A dedication ritual means
  exactly what it sounds like. You are dedicating
  yourself to the Craft and making the decision to
  live life in closer harmony and balance with the
  earth and nature. You are making a commitment to
  yourself and the divine.
• Before you begin working with magick, you need to
  understand what it is, where it comes from and
  the ethics involved. You will also need to learn
  and understand the basic structure of rituals,
  Casting circles, calling quarters, invoking the
  Goddess and God, raising and directing energy,
  grounding, centering and closing the circle.
• Magick is raising and channeling the energy found
  in yourself, nature and in the Divine. A Witch
  combines this energy with their focused efforts.
  It takes dedication, effort, energy and hard work
  to achieve a desired result. The main ethical
  tenet to always remember is the point of the
  Witches Rede An It Harm None, Do as Thou
  Wilst.
• If you are interested in joining a Coven, most
  will require the traditional year and a day of
  study before initiating new members. This gives
  you time to explore the religion and decide if it
  is the right path for you as well as giving you
  and the Coven members time to get to know one
  another. Covens are generally very selective and
  rightfully so. There are many out there who seek
  this path for all the wrong reasons.

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Suggested reading list for Initiates studying to
become a Wiccan Elder

• Aradia Gospel of the Witches Charles G. Leland
  (Phoenix Publishing, Inc. 1893/1990)
• Witchcraft TodayGerald Brosseau Gardner (Magical
  Child 1954, reprint by Citadel Trade, 2004)
• Witch Cult in Western Europe A Study in
  Anthropology Margaret A. Murray, (Oxford
  University Press, 1921, Kessinger Publishing
  2003)
• Mastering WitchcraftPaul Huson (Perigee, 1980)
  Interesting non-Wiccan perspective on
  Witchcraft.

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Sources

• http//www.wicca.com/
• http//paganwiccan.about.com/
• http//www.geraldgardner.com/
• http//www.oldways.org/
• http//www.7th-house.com/
• http//www.religioustolerance.org/