“What is Wicca?” has become an interest to many people in recent years, furthermore many publications report that Wicca is the fastest-growing religion in the United States.
Naturally, people are interested in explanations about what Wiccan beliefs are all about and, consequently, how it fits into religion and spirituality.
Wicca is a recognized official religion by the United States; and is eligible for nonprofit status with the Internal Revenue Services. Wicca is also gaining recognition by the United States military.
Wicca, as a pagan belief system, is very versatile and diverse. It has no official doctrine, no Holy book such as the Bible, no centralized organization, and no clergy, therefore I can see how you could be confused and bewildered by reading various books about Wicca.
I am going to try and simplify the fundamental beliefs and practices for you.
Most noteworthy is the variety of pagan traditions or sects that exist in the practice of Wicca.
A few of the traditions are the Dianic, Gardnerian, Feri, Seax, Reclaiming, Shamanistic, and Eclectic. Each tradition has its own beliefs and practices that vary from one another.
A Wiccan can choose to practice alone without a group or Coven. Wiccans that choose an independent path are called a Solitary.
The practice of Wicca is called “the craft.”
Within a Coven, there will be a Priestess. These individuals can be considered elders who offer support, advice, skills, and lead rituals. Most noteworthy, these individuals are not clergy in the classic religious sense of the word.
Wicca is a religion or spiritual path of worship. Witchcraft is the practice of magic.
All Wiccans believe in magic, not all practice witchcraft.
My practice
As a solitary witch, I began my studies about 40 years ago. Very few books were available regarding Wicca before the 1970s. I read as many as I could when they became available.
Over the years, I have interacted with other Wiccans. I have found that the freedom of a solitary practice suits me. I have studied books and learned magic by trial and error over the years.
what is Wicca exactly?
Wicca is a continuing ancient pre-Christian pagan path of spirituality and religion.
We strive to connect with the nature-based universal cycle of energy in all living things. This global cycle of power includes the earth and all living things.
what Wiccans believe
These are the beliefs that are held by most Wiccans. There may be those that disagree with me. One of the freedoms of Wicca is to blaze your path.
- A Pre-Christian religion, Wiccans do not believe in Satan or the Devil or Hell.
- Wiccans believe in universal divine energy. It encompasses all living things in nature.
- Humans are part of nature, not apart from it.
- This universal divine energy is representative of a deity. It takes different forms with different traditions and practitioners.
- Wiccans believe in the Wiccan Rede. “Eight words the Rede fulfills, “an it harm none, do what ye will.” It is noteworthy to understand that “harm none” includes yourself.
- There is a recognition of the spiritual connection to the elemental energies.
- Spirits of the north represent the earth, the body, and material things.
- The spirits of the east represent air, the mind, and intellect.
- Spirits of the south represent fire, action, energy, and creativity.
- The spirits of the west represent water, emotions, and intuition.
- Magic and ritual utilize elemental spirits.
- Wiccans respect the sacredness of all life.
- Life includes balances and harmonies such as; male/female, destruction/reconstruction, as above/so below, good/bad, as within/so without, young/old.
- The universal divine energy has a male and a female component. The male and female are considered equal.
- Female energy is associated with the Goddess, who represents the earth ( Mother Earth) and relates to the moon.
- Male energy is associated with the God and relates to the sun.
- There is a representative story that follows the Goddess and God through the wheel of the year.
- There is no official name regarding the deity of universal energy.
- Some traditions choose to include other representative Gods and Goddesses. Ancient Gods of the Romans, Greeks, Norse, Celtic, and others may be involved. No matter how perceived, they all represent the universal divine energy.
- Wiccans do not recruit others to join and become a Wiccan.
- Wiccans do not charge money to study with them on a personal basis.
- Everyone is welcome to learn, without regard to sex, race, or sexual orientation.
- All Wiccans believe in magic manifested by sending positive energy with intent and purpose out into the universal energy to effect a change.
- Respect the path of other religions.
- Believe in reincarnation.
- Wiccans believe in reincarnation as part of the cycle of nature, birth, death, and rebirth of the soul. Energy changes form but it cannot be destroyed, that is a scientific fact.
- The soul doesn’t die. At death, the soul returns to “the other side” sometimes referred to as the Summerland. The soul undergoes a life review. Souls may return to physical life to learn additional lessons or decide to remain in the Summerland.
- It is possible to cross paths with people who you shared a relationship with during a previous life. You may immediately feel like you have known them forever.
- Wiccans believe in The Rule of Three or Three-Fold Law.
- The universal cycle of divine energy interconnects all reality. Whatever action you take and send out, good or bad, will return to you with three times the intensity in some form or fashion.
- Every action results in a reaction.
Wiccans seek a relationship with the divine energy of the universe because everyone and everything is part of the divine. It is a spiritual path of self-discovery.
How Wiccans Worship
Wiccans worship with rituals, and sometimes magic on the nights of the full moon. Witches also worship and enact magic during the eight major holidays.
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Holidays during the year are due to celestial relationships. Therefore the sun’s movement through its cycles, the solstices, the equinoxes, and their agricultural cycles are essential.
- Yule, the Winter solstice
- Imbolc, February 1
- Ostara, the Spring Equinox
- Beltane May 1 https://harvestmoonenchantments.com/wiccan-beltane-lifestyle-celebrate/
- Midsummer or Litha, the Summer Solstice https://harvestmoonenchantments.com/celebrate-midsummer/
- Lammas August 1
- Samhain October 31
- Mabon, the Autumn equinox
Conclusion
I hope I have answered the questions you have had regarding the Wiccan practices.
Finally, I can recommend a couple of books and websites that can help you along your journey.
Resources
Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner by Scott Cunningham
The Circle Within by Dianne Sylvan
The Covenant of the Goddess https://cog.org/
Circle Sanctuary https://www.circlesanctuary.org/
If you would like to get a start on a magical practice, I offer complete candle magic kits with instruction and spellwork for love, health, prosperity, fertility, and protection in my store at Etsy https://www.etsy.com/shop/harvestmoonenchants?ref=shop_sugg
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