What is Wicca

Wicca is a Pagan religion, Pagan meaning country-dweller not NON-Christian  or ANTI-Christian. Wiccans are NOT anti anything. Often referred to as "The Old Religion", "The Craft of The Wise", "An Earth Based Religion" as it is based on the practices of our pagan ancestors and it is the worship of The Goddess and God through the Earth, Moon, Sun, crops, rivers, seasons, trees, water, air, fire etc.

For a long time the practice of Wicca and witchcraft was shrouded in secrecy, because of the slanders and propaganda that people did not understand, or had stereotype views of Wicca put out to the public. But now the time of secrecy is over and Wicca is being made more and more public and therefore more and more acceptable to the public as time goes on.

No person is ever pressured into being Wiccan, nor do we seek to recruit new members of the religion through persuasive or deceptive ways. Wicca is a very personal faith and there are many solo practitioners all around the world. We strongly believe that no one religion is right for everyone and believe that everyone's path, whether it be Christian, Hindu, whatever is a valid true path of spirituality. Many Wiccans believe that the Goddess has many names, Mary (Mother of Jesus) being one of them. The God is the same, he may be called by some God or Allah, or Jehovah. Initiates of the Wiccan faith are not "brainwashed" or badgered into entering Wicca and they inturn do not do it to others trying to "recruit" them. Wicca is not a human controlling cult masquerading as a religion.

In Covens, after the Initiation training, which takes about a year and a day, the Wiccan may be ready for initiation to the inner circle as a Witch, after about 2 years of in-depth training, from here the Witch may feel ready to ask for further advancement to a 2nd degree Priestess or Priest, this however is traditionally offered by the High Priestess when she feels the person is ready and not beforehand - as is the 3rd degree. Yet many Wiccans like to stay in the lower ranks, not feeling comfortable as a teacher or leader.

According to the Church of Wicca, there are six ways in which a Wicca differs from mainstream religions and these are:

1. WORSHIP OF THE GODDESS AND GOD

Wiccans feel that most of the modern religions are out of balance with only one all powerful male God, and only the use of male ministers, priests etc. Wiccans feel that a male deity revered without a female counterpart is only half effective, hence our worship revolves around both the male and the female personifications. (Unfortunately a lot of Wiccans are only goddess based and they too are out of balance)

2. REVERENCE FOR THE EARTH

Wiccans believe that our planet should be revered and respected as a manifestation of the Goddess and the God, and that nature signifies the process and wonders of the earth that are undetermined by humans. The earth is a living thing and therefore a gift for us from the deities and must be respected, contrary to the belief of other religions where the earth is said to be a tool that humans must dominate and subdue. Wiccans are all practicing conservationists and try to do all they can through daily life and spells and ritual to give the earth every bit of energy they can find to help its struggle for survival in today's harsh environment of pollution and damage.

3. ACCEPTANCE OF MAGICK

Magick is "cause and effect by effort and will". Magick plays some role in most religions, though they would not publicly call it so, rather miracles etc! In Wicca it is not religious magick, nor is it a magical religion. It simply embraces magick and recognises that magick is an opportunity to attune with the divine, earthly and human energies. However, because Wicca is truly a religion magick only takes a secondary role in rituals, even when a rite is performed to reach a magical end the Goddess/God is always evoked before the power is sent. In Wicca magick is viewed as a natural part of life and religion, and is available to all, not just priests or saviours as in the more mainstream religions, with one cause, Oneness with deity.

4. REINCARNATION

Most Wiccans accept that reincarnation is a reality. The doctrine of rebirth is the phenomenon of repeated incarnations in the human form to allow for evolution of the sexless, ageless human soul. Reincarnation is not an exclusive Wiccan concept, but it answers many of the questions of daily life and the mysteries of birth, death and rebirth. In the legend of the Goddess it is said: "that to truly fulfil love you must return again at the same time as your loved one and you must meet and know and remember and love them again".

5. SELF RESPONSIBILITY

We need to be more responsible for ourselves, what happens to us is usually because there is something that we need to notice, and wonder what the universe is trying to teach us. It is always easy to blame someone else for what is happening to oneself, but in the end it is the Self that must accept full responsibility for everything in ones life. To blame the Devil (Wiccans do not believe in nor have the concept of the Devil in there system of beliefs) for something that has gone wrong is futile, and to thank God for something that we do right is also wrong. When we do something wrong or something happens to us we must blame ourselves, and listen to the lesson that it is trying to teach us. Likewise when you do something good and something goes well for you - pat yourself on the back.

6. KARMA: THE LAW OF THREEFOLD RETURN

Whatever we do comes back to us three-fold, so if we do ill to someone or something, or even ourselves, Karma will give us a scolding - but threefold. When we do good, we also will be rewarded by the law of three. This Karmic debt is usually returned in this lifetime but may, if serious enough, continue into the next incarnation.

     When I was in high school, I had a good friend that was an exchange student from Italy. When I told her that I was Pagan, she exclaimed, "Oh, that’s terrible! Why don’t you pick a better word?" However, we call ourselves Pagan because we are Pagan. The negative connotations of the word Pagan are just a result of many years of assumed definitions and the influence of the major religions of the western world.

     First, it is important to examine what people think Pagan means. Many people think that it means "non-Christian." In fact, a friend of mine once told one of my students that he was, by definition, a Pagan. When asked what he meant, he told my student, "I am not Christian, and therefore, I am a Pagan."

     There are also many people, as evidenced by my Italian friend, that take the connotation one step further and define Pagan as something "bad." I imagine that images of orgies and demons accompany this particular feeling. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary does, after all, start off its definition of Pagan as "heathen."

     However, neither of these ideas are actually accurate. Their presence in the modern "vocabulary" is a result of the circular nature of word definitions and the dominance of some religions, including Christianity, in today's society.

     One of the best sources to examine for a definition of Pagan is the Old Testament. The word Pagan is used numerous times throughout the work to refer to non-Israelites. This is an immediate tip-off that Pagan does not mean "non-Christian," as the concept of "Pagan" is used in the Bible many years before Christ is even born.

     We examine a bit farther to find what our disputed word does mean. The Israelites were different from rest of the world in two major ways. The first was their monotheism. Worshipping a single god was an incredibly radical idea during Abraham’s life in Ur. Most people worshipped thousands of gods, from gods of the sun and the rivers and the sky to gods dealing with each individual city, profession, and time of day. Many monotheists were even ostracised, for their refusal to worship the gods of the city could bring downfall to the entire population! The other fundamental difference between the Israelites and their neighbours is not so obvious and takes an above average understanding of the Bible to comprehend. The nature of Yahweh, the god of the Israelites, and the gods of their neighbours were very different. For instance, Baal, the principal God of Abraham's neighbours, was a fertility and harvest god. Worship of him ensured a good harvest and, in turn, survival. Yahweh, however, was never worshipped particularly to ensure a good harvest. When the Israelites followed Yahweh's laws and kept the faith, Yahweh protected them from invasion. However, when they strayed from his laws and broke the covenant, they were conquered and endured hardship. This is the fundamental nature of Yahweh--a god of war and of history, not of fertility and nature. The Pagans were different from the Israelites not simply because they weren't Israelites, but because they worshipped many gods and worshipped directly in nature. We can see this in all of the societies described as Pagan in our well-taught but forgotten high school history classes--the Galls, the Romans, the Greeks, the Norse...

     The Biblical evidence is supported by our current English language. Yes, it is true that the Merriam-Webster Dictionary starts off its definition of Pagan with the word "heathen." This word has negative meanings to everyone--even to a non-native speaker like my Italian friend. However, if we take the time to look up the definition of heathen to which it is referring, we find:

     This certainly does not mean "evil"! In fact, all it’s really saying is that a heathen is a person who has not been exposed to the ideas of Judaism or Christianity. The Merriam-Webster definition of Pagan continues as:

     This supports our finding of Pagans as polytheists from the Old Testament. We can also examine the word origin that Merriam-Webster gives for Pagan:

     This further supports our sense of Paganism as a nature-based religion. And this is, in fact, what myself and a whole burgeoning world of Pagans (or "neo-Pagans," as some are often called) mean when we present ourselves. The fact that I am Pagan means that I follow one of many religions that are polytheistic and nature-based. I myself am Wiccan, a religion that worships both a goddess and a god and does so within a natural, fertility-based framework. Other Pagan religions include Druidism, Native American spirituality, Ancient Egyptian religion, and many others--all of which still have many followers.

     I was sitting at lunch one day with my friend, Sarah, and some other people that we'd never really met before. Out of the blue (perhaps because of the way my friend was dressed), the girl sitting across from me looked at Sarah and I and asked, "Are you a good Witch, or a bad Witch?" We stared at her, startled. I wasn't prepared to explain my whole philosophy and religion that day, so I just shook my head and giggled. Thinking that she'd offended me, the girl then said, "Oh, no, I don't really think you're a Witch! I'm sure you're very nice." So Sarah and I had to try to explain that it was okay to think we were Witches, because we actually are... well, it all got very complicated.

     This girl's question actually provided a lot of insight into what people think about Witches. The average person's ideas about Witches can be split into the "good Witch" and "bad Witch" category. Let's explore the attributes of a "bad Witch" first.

     The American Heritage Dictionary defines Witch as:

     No wonder the girl thought I'd be insulted when she called me a Witch! This definition refers directly to the "bad Witch" ideas that people hold. The characteristics of a bad Witch are:

     I say that "Doesn't really exist" is a characteristic of the stereotypical "bad Witch" because most people, even staunch Christians, do not believe that the power given to people by either God or the devil is enough to give a person the power of Magick or that this "bad Witch" is anything more than a Biblical metaphor or a Halloween legend.

     The characteristics of a "good Witch" have splashed themselves across our TV screens more than once--not only in the form of Glinda, but also with Samantha and Sabrina. The good Witch is most often seen as a device of storybooks, movies, and other such media.

These characters all have the following in common:

     These two kinds of Witches are similar in many ways--they are both female, practice magick, and most people don't actually believe they exist. However, they are different in the ways that they become Witches, in the way that they practice magick, and in their appearance. It's obvious that the quality of the bad Witch's magick is responsible for her ugly appearance, and likewise for the good Witch's magick and her beauty.

     There is only one real (and, in my opinion, obvious) reason that Witches are viewed in this way. The definition of Witch in the American Heritage Dictionary continues to say the following:

     When the Christian religion started on its organised and hierarchical path, it required its priests to be celibate, and its followers to be likewise unless married and trying to reproduce. However, the hearts and bodies of men (and women!) are not this easily chained. Men fell in love with women "against their will," and couldn't even admit or explain to themselves that it was natural for them to do so. They blamed their lust on the women, saying that these women were in league with the devil to bring them to their knees. This and other factors started a centuries-long war against these "Witches." Like most wars that are supposedly about religion, this one had nothing to do with ideas about God or spirituality. Regardless of the motives behind it, this war generated ideas about Witches--their ugly appearance, black cats, etc.--each useful in the quest to make people fear these women. The ideas about good Witches followed because there were always people who knew in their hearts that, if there was evil magick, there had to be good magick as well--especially since God is more powerful and giving than Satan.

     Out of all of the ideas I've presented about good Witches and bad Witches, only two are actually true. We actually do exist (obviously!), we are not in league with the devil (most Witches don't believe in this scapegoat creature that Christians call the devil), we are not immortal (at least, I hope not!). There is no typical appearance, age, personality, or sex for Witches--yes, there are male Witches! (Contrary to popular belief, however, male Witches are not called warlocks. Warlock comes from an Old English term that means "oath breaker." Witches, male or female, are called Witches.) The only ideas I've presented about good and bad Witches that are actually true are that people become Witches by choice and Witches are people who practice Magick.

     This, as a matter of fact, is the one and only answer to "What is a Witch?"--a Witch is simply a person who practices Magick. Magick is a combination of prayer and meditation that uses the energy within your body, and I will talk about it more later. Anyone can become a Witch--it doesn't involve any unique, "supernatural" powers or a magickal set of ancestors. Witches come from all backgrounds--Wiccan, Pagan, Native American, Atheist, and even Christian. Many people openly proclaim themselves Christian Witches--people who believe in God and the salvation of Jesus Christ, but also believe in the power of Magick and internal energy. Witches acknowledge that there are positive and negative forms of magick. It is impossible for everything a person does to be positive, but it is the duty of a Witch to steer their Magick and their lives in a positive direction. A person does not have to be Pagan or Wiccan to be a Witch, and not all Pagans are Witches. However, it's rather rare for a Pagan not to be a Witch, and almost unheard of for a Wiccan not to be a Witch--Wicca is, after all, the religion of Witchcraft.

     I've never been able to find a definition of Wicca in a dictionary. Then, the other night, it happened! I opened up the American Heritage Dictionary and there is was:

     This is, however, not close to the truth. The definition of cult in this dictionary reads as follows:

     If we assume that the dictionary was referring to definition number one when it says Wicca is the "cult of Witchcraft," then it could be an accurate description of the religion. The other definitions of cult, even number four, are better suited to the major religions of the world than to Wicca. The American Heritage Dictionary then defines witchcraft as:

     This is nowhere close to accurate. It's obvious that, even though it's actually made its way into the dictionary, Wicca is still misunderstood. Most people, I would guess, still have never heard of it. Those who have are either open-minded and understand the details of the religion, or they're people who could know everything there is to know about Wicca and still believe that we're devil worshippers or child molesters. There's nothing that I can do (or want to do!) other than say simply what Wicca is.

     Wicca is a polytheistic Pagan religion. It involves worship of a goddess and a god and reverence of the natural world. It is not a Satan-worshipping religion, as Satan is a creation of Judeo-Christian culture and Wicca is not. A Wiccan is, of course, a person who follows the Wiccan religion.

     Many people will say things that aren't necessarily true about Wicca, Witches and Pagans. And, abstractly, we don't even necessarily have the right to say what's the "truth" and what's not. But if you want to know what I am, what I do, or what I believe, there's a very easy way to find out--

     Ask me.

The Origin of the Word "Witch"

Most books on modern witchcraft will tell you that the word witch is derived from the word wicca, and that this used to mean either a) to bend or shape, or b) to know. From the latter we often hear that the term Witchcraft means craft of the wise ones. Both of the above meanings are poetic, but wrong!

According to Professor Russel, from the University of California, the ultimate origin of the word witch is an Indo-European word Weik. This word had four families of derivatives, and all had something to do with magic and religion. The most relevant of these derivatives is the word Wikk, which simply meant magic or sorcery. From this particular source came the Middle German word Widden - meaning to predict. Then came the Old English word Wicca, which was pronounced Witcha and was used to designate a male witch; and Wicce, which was pronounced Witcheh and was used to designate a female witch. From these words came the Middle English term Witche, and this word eventually became the Modern English equivalent... witch.

So the original meaning of the word witch can be traced back through various forms to simply mean exactly the same thing... a witch. When Gerald Gardner wrote down his ideas about witchcraft, he chose to pronounce the word Wicca as Wikka (instead of its original form Witcha), and by consensus (or sheer laziness) this is now how everyone pronounces this word.

The word Wizard is derived from the Middle English word wis and appeared around the year 1440 meaning wise man or woman - and it is only after 1825 that the word wizard was used in a magical sense.

The term Warlock originally meant an oath breaker, or traitor. In approximately 1460 it was equated with the word witch. It was applied equally to both female as well as male witches, and there seems to be no historical justification for using the word Warlock to specifically designate a male witch. I believe that it is now only the Hollywood movie makers who still use the term in this way.