Wicca is a religon
Wicca is a religon
Hi sweatydog here, I thought I’d outline a bit about Wicca as a full religion and what it means to me. I’m not going to tell anyone not to judge us or accept us without knowing the facts. What I am going to do is give you my form of and understanding of Wicca.
Who are we?
Some Wiccans prefer the term “Wiccan” or just “Wicca” and some like to call themselves “Witches” but when the word witch is brought up, what comes to mind for most people are green faces, warts on noses and pointed hats. While some Wiccans or Witches might like to dress up once in a while (I’ve been a pointy hatted witch for two Halloweens) most of us are just every day people. We don’t all run around in bell sleeved robes day in and day out, we wear jeans and T-shirts just like everyone else! You may think of Wicca and think of the teenage girl rebelling against her parents or the creepy goth guy with the pentacle on the bus, while these people may or may not stick with Wicca as their chosen path that brings Wicca into the realm of a fad. Wicca is an actual religion, not just something we do to freak out society. With the facts you can see what Wicca means to us as a religion and why we stick with it. I’ll start off by saying Merry Meet and Blessed be, although the phrases are cliché, they do embody what Wicca as a religion is about.
Morals and the Wiccan Rede.
Most Wiccans follow the Wiccan rede and the law of three or three fold law.
The Wiccan rede is “An’ it harm none, do what ye will” with this phrase there is a lot of room for interpretation, for me it means following my own instincts on what I know is right for me. For me the emphasis is on human (and animals and natures) rights and freedoms. I believe firmly that everyone has a right to complete information and to make decisions for themselves. I’m not going to tell you what TO think I’m going to tell you what I know and you can think whatever you want to think. You can personally interpret “Harm none” in whatever way it works for you.
The three fold law is “Whatever you do comes back to you x3”. So whatever you do, good or bad, right or wrong, comes back to you three times what you sent out into the universe.
Solitary, Eclectic, Traditions and covens.
Traditions such as: Alexandrian, Dianic, Gardnerian, Seax-wicca etc. Are groups of of Wiccans and Covens that follow a particular set standard and are either come from a lineage of a tradition or can only be of that tradition through initiation by a coven of that tradition.
I am, as are most Wiccans who study Wicca via the internet, libraries and bookstores, an Eclectic Solitary Wiccan. Eclectic means I take from different sources what works for me and don’t adjust myself to fit a set standard that I don’t feel is right for me.
Solitary means, I don’t have and have not been initiated into a tradition or coven. This does not mean I’ve never done a circle with others, which I have done with my friends and family. It just means that I don’t belong to a coven or regular group of practicing wiccans.
Being an ecclectic solitary I follow the most basic of Wicca and I’m not too concerned with traditions. Some will claim if you do not belong to a tradition you aren’t really a Wiccan.
Covens
Covens simply are groups of practicing wiccans who have circles and rituals together for each of the Sabbats, esabbats and inbetween. Some covens have High Priest and Priestesses who represent the God and Goddess durring rituals or circles. A coven may also have a Book of Shadows where rituals and spells and their own practice of the craft are recorded and passed on to the next generation of that coven.(solitaries also keep BOS or like this community a web BOS as a way to connect with and learn from other Wiccans) A wiccan is initiated to be a member of a coven though some covens have open circles where all are welcome. A number thrown around as the appropriate number of members per coven is thirteen.
God, Heaven, After life.
Wiccans believe in the God and Goddess and the balance of nature. Some wiccans you will see talking about spirits, fairies, dragons, and familiars. Some of those entities (Fairies, dragons, sprites) to me are a representation of the spirit and souls of nature. The God and Goddess are in everything in nature. The Goddess has three aspects in Wicca the Mother, Maiden, and Crone. The God is most often known as the Horned god or Pan. Wiccans believe in reincarnation and a rest between lives in what some call “Summerland”.
Magic and spells.
As we’ve had discussion about on this forum everyone veiws magic and spell casting a bit differently. Some see it as a form of prayer to the god and goddess, others see it as a directing of energies or both. Some people believe interference through spell work following the rede of “Harm none” is acceptable while others think any interference is by default harming if it is done without the individual or individuals knowledge or will. I will summarize magic in wicca as this in my own understanding, Magic and spellwork particularly in circles and rituals are a plead and form of prayer to the god and goddess and a building and direction of energies through meditation, visualization and symbolism.
Rituals and Circles.
Rituals and circles are different for every Wiccan, Solitary and Coven. A circle most usually includes an altar with magic tools, wand etc, items to symbolize the elements and god and goddess, a drawing of the circle three times and the calling of the elements or any spiritual entity the Wiccan or coven wants to work with. Within that it varies entirely depending on that individual, group or tradition. While some consider moon phases and day of the week for plotting out their rituals others depend solely on the Wheel of the year and the sabbats.
Sabbats
Wiccans follow the Wheel of the year.
Samhain (sow' en) OCT 31st or November 1
Samhain is the Wiccan New Year. The most common representation I have seen is lighting candles in windows or jack-o-laterns. Its about guiding the spirits of those who’ve passed on.
Yule Winter solstice around December 22
Imbolc (im' molc) or (im' bolc) February 1
Imbolc is the beginning of Spring.
Eostara (os tar' a)
Vernal equinox around March 22
Beltaine May 1
the start of Summer, I have known Beltaine as a time for lovers.
Litha
Also known as Midsummer
Summer solstice (around June 22)
Lughnasadh (loo' na sah) or (loon' sah)
Also known as Lammas August 1
Lughnasadh is the start of Autumn
Mabon
Autumnal equinox (around September 22)
Wiccan mythology: Decline of the God
(I don’t do much for the sabbats and don’t know as much as others might about them.)
( source for sabbat info : http://wicca.timerift.net/)
The elements, the pentacle.
The elements of Earth, Air, Fire, Water and spirit are in all things in our environment and all things we do and Wicca is largely focused around honoring these. The elements are also symbolized in the points of the pentacle (pentagram). Which is seen in our eyes as a form of protection not as a symbol of evil or Satanism.
Symbolism.
For me personally most of the ritual in Wicca is about symbolism The god and goddess the cycle of the seasons and the years the pointing of wands, sweeping and drawing circles. They are all physical representations of spiritual things, the moving, molding, building, and focusing of energies. If you sit in any room and close your eyes, focus one at a time on each element and I’ll bet you can find one thing around you that stems from each of them, (if not the air you breathe alone, what about the clothes you wear? Or the material that makes your desk? Do those things not come from earth?). To me Wicca is about respecting the energy in all things and treating all things on earth with as much respect as you’d treat yourself, your children, your parents. To quote a favorite song of mine:
“We are all in this together” -Ben Lee.
Let me know if I missed anything and if there are any holes or information you'd like to fill in. THANKS!~SD