Why is Wicca becoming so popular these days?

Question

I think Wicca is the least objectionable alternative to christianity.

Answer 1

Because Wiccans believe in the simple things like taking care of Mother Earth & respecting other's beliefs & not trying to cram it down anyones throat. They aren't out there saying you're all gonna burn in hell for not believing the same way they do. It is a simple & uncomplicated belief that alot of people are finding better suited to their way of living this life.

Answer 2

The main reasons, I think, are:

1) The recognition of a feminine Divine (as opposed to a strictly masculine monotheistic view), which provides a better sense of Balance.

2) The emphasis on nature and our place in the world around us (instead of being more focused strictly on man and his dominion over animals and the earth), which provides additional ways to honor the Divine.

3) The ability to question (instead of being told that "This is how it is and if you don't believe it you'll be damned for eternity"), which provides the ability to find answers.

4) The ability to have a direct connection to the Divine (instead of relying on intercessionaries like priests or popes to be the middleman between ourselves and God), which provides a more intimate and personal experience.


A note to band_geek: If your friends are saying "'Hey, I'm Wiccan now! I can put a curse on you!" then they're not Wiccan. There's this little thing called the Rede that Wiccans follow that says "An it harm none, do as ye will." Cursing people is a big-time violation of that.

They may call themselves Wiccan because they think it's "cool" but they have no idea what Wicca actually is.

Answer 3

Not to bash Wicca, because I know some very sweet people who are in the Craft, but Wicca appeals because it
1. makes very little demands upon the practicioner
2. allows the members enormous latitude in ceremony
3. forms a bond outside conventional society
4. has somewhat a sexual and drug use permissiveness
5. is a reaction to the stultifying effects of Christianity and reclaims some of the tradiational holidays

Wicca was in all probabilty invented by Gerald Gardiner and Alister Crowley as a way to get more women interested and in bed. I know it is cool to claim ancient roots but no ancient black books with definite lineage have ever been authenticated. There may be hereditaries going back earlier than 1950s but I think you would be very hard to find them. Covens spring up like martial arts dojos and last far shorter a time.

And many more "Wiccans" are now 'self-initiated" which means they read it out of Buckland, Starhawk or at best Scott Cunningham's books. No training in ritual work, no feeling of "oomphies" as my HP used to say. No supervision on creative visualization. Occasionally you get someone pretty powerful finally get to a place where they can be trained but often then they have sought out OTO or BOTA or Rosicrucianism or even Freemasonry. Ritual needs direction and intent.

It is easy to claim to be Wiccan and the shops sell provisions to just about anybody. What is more impressive is to find a person who LIVES like one.

Answer 4

Wicca has been popular for many years, BUT not accepted widely as it is today.
And being accepted allows us to come out of the closet.
Because we do not believe we are seen as more open minded.

"Gardnerian"
Definition: A Wiccan tradition started by Gerald Gardner in the 1950s. Many people consider Gardnerian Wicca to be the most 'authentic', but many of the details of this tradition are only available to those who have been initiated into a Gardnerian coven. Belonging to this tradition requires a great deal of commitment and learning. There is a specific hierarchy within any coven (initiate, 1st degree, 2nd degree, 3rd degree).
As with any Wiccan tradition, the defining qualities of an Gardnerian coven are not always clear-cut, and further research will help you understand the details of this tradition.

Answer 5

Wicca represents one of the oldest religions in the world. Wicca is basically a combination of all the old nature worship religions ever. As such, it appeals to people today who are concerned about the enviroment and our place in nature. Judaism, Muslims and Christians all try to place us above nature and therefore not concerned with anything but our own souls. Wicca also can encompass Judaism and Christianity. Muslims, though, are so wrapped up in themselves that they have no relation to Wicca

Answer 6

I think the majority of youth that is getting into Wicca isn't actually going in it for the religion, they just like the "witchcraft" part of the idea. It makes me sad when I see some of my friends that are like, 'Hey, I'm Wiccan now! I can put a curse on you!' and yet, I know that they can't, because I had a friend that was raised Wiccan, and I actually started reading about it. But, that's the main reason, is the appeal of Witchcraft to a younger generation.

Answer 7

Wicca, Paganism Goddess and all Earth based religions have been around longer than ANY other religion. So it is hard for me to think of Paganism as becoming popular. People are just being more open about it. As to the answers about witchcraft remember-All Witches are Pagan but not all Pagans are Witches.

Answer 8

Well sadly enough a huge part of it is that the magic aspect appeals to a lot of people, especially younger sorts who want to look cool to peers or who want to feel that they can gain power over their lives. It doesn't help that certain Wiccan authors (*cough*$ilverRabidwolf*cough* encourage that mentality.

For those who are not posers I think it's because they're looking for a spirituality that's a bit more holistic and accepting, not to mention balanced. They want a spiritual path that's more organic, and Wicca just happens to have the most readily available material out there so people seeking that organic, holistic, accepting, back-to-nature sort of spirituality flock to it. Later on some of them find other paths that do it (Druidism, Heathenry, etc) and migrate to them.

Answer 9

Young people are seeking alternative religions. There are others besides wicca, which unfortunately smacks of witchcraft and has parents greatly disturbed. Its a good thing that youngsters question xianity. Wicca and other neo-pagan religions are carefully explained on Wikipedia. Wicca is not he oldest Pagan religion, it emerged in 1954.

Answer 10

I think that it is just because it focuses on nature and taking care of nature, has the feminine divinity aspect that is forgotten in Christianity today, and also you aren't going to "hell" every time you turn around. Wicca has a lot of good aspects about it, the three-fold rule, being in-tune with nature, the forgotten female divinity, etc....