What do you know about the Wiccan Religion?

Answer 1

What do you want to know about it? Wicca was started as an alternative religion in the 60's. Later became a recognized religion due to the efforts of Yvonne and Gavin Frost. There are different sects within Wicca (just as there are different denominations within Christianity). In all reality, it's a mix-n-match of different beliefs, some assumed, some can actually be backed up in history. It reminds me of Christianity, in the way that Christianity came out of Judaism and yet it tries it's best to tear down Judaism. Wicca came out of, what we know as, ancient pagan beliefs, yet has nearly destroyed some of the ideas about ancient pagans.

Answer 2

It encourages respect for all life (including your own) and being responsible. It includes using symbolism and activity as part of praying for health and improvement (rituals). Wicca encompasses many beliefs that Christianity has (the "ideal" ones) and has many variations in what it's members practice.
It's also a very misunderstood religion. A lot of people mistakenly believe that Wiccans are either evil manipulaters or fluffy vegans. While some people unfortunetly support these views with how they act, it's not the majority. Wiccans are average people that have a wide variety of personalities and interests.

Answer 3

Wicca is best described as a pagan version of Christianity. The similarities are striking if you compare the basic aspects of say, Wicca and Catholicism.

In Catholicism, the primary rituals revolve around the Virgin Mary, The Father, The Son, and The Holy Ghost. Ie: The Mother, and the Holy Trinity.

In Wicca, the rituals revolve around The Maiden, The Mother, and The Crone. All of which are female equivalents of the Catholic Holy Trinity embodied in one being. The aspect of the Mother directly relates to the Virgin, yet differs in her actual divinity as opposed to being revered as the human mother of the son of a god..

Like Catholicism, Wicca has absorbed pagan beliefs, adopted pagan practices, and as a result, splintered into a variety of cults. While the core beliefs of these cults remain true in all aspects of both Christianity and Wicca, the rites themselves, and the methods of worship vary from cult to cult.

Early Catholicism adopted Pagan beliefs as a means of expanding the world view of their God. Similarly, Wicca has adopted beliefs from other religions to expand the world view of their Goddess. For instance, many of the rituals surrounding Christmas are direct results of the effects of the Norse conversion to Christianity on Catholicism.

A quick example would be Christmas. Yule is a 12 day festival of giftgiving and fellowship to celebrate the new year. When the King of Sweden adopted Christianity as the state religion, pagan practices were allowed to flourish in private. Over the course of a few hundred years, the two religions became intertwined. Christs birth was absorbed into the Yuletide celebration as a way for people who still followed pagan practices to celebrate Yule publicly. An interesting twist, since the day of Christs birth is celebrated on Dec. 25th because of the cult of Mithra...

Coming from a seafaring people, the beliefs of the Swedes spread first to the Danes and other Norse cultures, and through them to the rest of Christendom.

Wicca has followed a similar path, they have also tried to adopt Norse pagan beliefs. Their method is a bit more straightforward. Rather than trying to convert others to their beliefs, they have re-written Norse pagan beliefs such as Asatru to conform with Wiccan practices. A good example of this can be seen by reading some of the books written by Edred Thorsson about runic lore. Thorssons books on Asatru begin as psuedo-historical works relating to the practice of rune lore. His later books introduce Wicca as a means of understanding the complexities of Asatru, and one of them even has a reference to his work as "Norse-Wicca".

Both Christianity and Wicca have splintered into cults. In Christianity, you have the Catholics, the Baptists, Mormons, Methodists, etc. These faiths have retained the core belief that Jesus Christ was the son of God. Wicca on the other hand, has splintered with the idea that all religions can become Wiccan. There are hundreds, if not thousands of books converting beliefs of various cultures like the American Indians, the Celts, and others to a Wiccan format as a venue to appeal to as many polytheists as possible.

-SD-

Answer 4

Can't say much that hasn't already been said here.

Wicca is an earth-based religion that worships a goddess and a god.

There are several good books and websites out there.

You may e-mail me if you have specific questions (I practice Wicca).

Answer 5

Wicca is an Earth based-pagan religion. Here are a couple of sites you might want to check into to learn more.

Answer 6

I am learning more everyday, but I can tell you it's a very peacful religion(as long as other religious groups leave us alone) and I have never been more relaxed and at peace as I have since converting to Wicca. Blessed be!

Answer 7

wicca is a branch off of some of the older pagan beliefs and it deals with earth magic and spiritual growth. the original wicca started over 50 years ago is closer to the older belief in magic of nature and the goodness of all life

Answer 8

There is a lot to know about Wicca, but the main thing to know is that Wicca ISN'T evil, but is accually very beautiful connection with nature.

Answer 9

I know a lot!

http://www.witchipedia.org/
http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wicca
http://www.witchvox.com
http://beliefnet.org/boards/discussion_list.asp?boardID=342

^__^ Those are helpful for learning. Oh, for a list of Gods and Goddesses...

http://www.godchecker.com/
http://www.en.wikipedia.org/category:dieties_by_association

There!

- 16 yo Pagan

Answer 10

I've read a lot about it. Not as "evil" as the Catholic church wants you to think. I personally don't practice it, but I've read a few books. You should check out your public library.