Could someone please explain Wicca to me?

Question

I would really like to hear from someone who is involved in Wicca.

If you are simply stating opinions or personnal feelings, PLEASE feel free but be respectful.

I am looking to understand a subject I know nothing about. I'm not even sure if this is the right category.

Answer 1

This might take a bit but the best way for me to explain Wicca is to explain the Principles of Wiccan Belief. My comments will be in Parentheses I have been Wiccan for 8 years. Please feel free to contact me if you have any other questions.

There are 13 of them. Here goes nothin.

1: We practice rites to attune ourselves with the natural rhythm of life forces marked by the phases of the Moon and the seasonal Quarters and Cross Quarters.
(Our Gods are omnipresent. That means that their energy resides in everything. We attune ourselves with Nature to strengthen power, and become closer to the God and Goddess.
Nature is categorized in Wicca to the Four Directions. The Four Directions are associated with an Element of Nature. North=Earth, East=Air, South=Fire, West=Water. In addition, the year has 8 holidays, called Sabbats, that mark certain Solar events within the year, called the Wheel of the Year. The 8 Sabbats, mark the Quarters and Cross Quarters of the Year and are different depending on which Hemisphere you reside in.)

2: We recognize that our intelligence gives us a unique responsibility toward our environment. We seek to live in harmony with Nature, in ecological balance offering fulfillment and consciousness within an evolutionary concept.
(We believe that the Gods in Nature set in motion energy that has evolved on its own just as the plants and animals evolve.)
3: We acknowledge a depth of power far greater than that apparent to the average person. Because it is far greater than ordinary it is sometimes called supernatural, but we see it as lying within that which is naturally potential to all.
(All people have the capicity for clairvoyance and magick because the energy of the God and Goddess reside in us all.)

4: We conceive of the Creative Power in the universe as manifesting through polarity ~as masculine and feminine~ and that this same Creative Power lies in all people, and functions through the interaction of the masculine and feminine. We value neither above the other, knowing each to be supportive to each other. We value sex as pleasure, as the symbol and embodiment of life, and as one of the sources of energies used in magickal practice and religious worship.
( The God and Goddess are a polarity of not only of Gender but also of light and dark, cold and warm and an endless set of polarities that make up the universe.)

5: We recognize both outer worlds and inner, or psychological, worlds sometimes known as the Spiritual World, the Collective Unconscious, Inner Planes, etc. ~and we see in the interaction of these two dimensions the basis for paranormal phenomena and magickal exercises. We neglect neither dimension for the other, seeing both as necessary for our fulfillment.(As Wiccans, we recognize not only that Nature is embued with the power of the Gods, but we are also bestowed with power. We can manipulate our energy by adjust our consiousness levels and therefore effecting our brainwave levels.)

6: We do not recognize any authoritarian hierarchy, but do honor those who teach, respect those who share their greater knowledge and wisdom, and acknowledge those who have courageously given of themselves in leadership.
(In most cases, there is no need for a mediator between us and our Gods. Although there are people who lead rituals, we don't need them to contact our dieites or to work magick rituals.)

7: We see religion, magick, and wisdom in living as being united in the way one views the world and lives within it ~a world view and philosophy of life which we identify as Witchcraft~ The Wiccan Way.
(In short, Wicca is not just a religion, it is a way of life.)

8: Calling oneself "Witch" does not make a Witch, but neither does heredity itself, not the collecting of titles, degrees, and initiations. A Witch seeks to control the forces within her/himself that make life possible in order to live wisely and well without harm to others and in harmony with Nature.
(Only Witchcraft makes the witch)

9: We believe in the affirmation and fulfillment of life in a continuation of evolution and development of consciousness giving meaning to the Universe we know and our personal role within it.
(We believe in the cirlce of birth, life, death and rebirth.)
10: Our only animosity towards Christianity, or towards any other religion or philosophy of life, is to the extent that its institutions have claimed to be "the only way", and have sought to deny freedom to others and to surpress other ways of religious practice and belief.
(We do not claim to have all the answers, nor do we claim that non Wiccans, sometimes called Cowans, are not enlightened or somehow damned. )
11: As American {Or World-Wide!} Witches, we are not threatened by debates on the history of the Craft, the origins of various terms, the legitimacy of various aspects of different traditions. We are concerned with our present and our future.
(Wicca is a mystery religion. Therefore, an individual's Wiccan path is personal. They are not forced to believe in anything that they do not choose. )

12: We do not accept the concept of absolute evil, nor do we worship any entity known as Satan or the Devil, as defined by the Christian tradition. We do not seek power through the sufferings of others, nor accept that personal benefit can be derived only by denial to another.
( The Elements of Nature are both Helpful and Harmful. Water is cleansing and brings forth health and life, but it is also Hurricanes and floods that kill people and ruin their homes.)
13: We believe that we should seek within Nature that which is contributory to our health and well-being.
(An Harm Ye None, Do what thou Will. We believe that we should always be progressing towards better days with helpful actions.)

Hope this helps. If you want to learn More check out the websites and videos posted below.

Answer 2

Wicca is a fairly new religion that is based on the world's oldest nature based religions from the caveman/woman times.

Wiccans tend to value a gender balance (and a balance on the whole in everything) and therefore worship a Goddess and a God who work together.

It is possible to adhere to Wicca without practicing witchcraft, as it is first and foremost a religion. It is also possible to practice witchcraft without adhereing to Wicca--this just makes you a "magician". Furthermore, I practice magick, but do not call myself a "witch", as the media has picked up on this and made it way too cheesy.

Most Wiccans and Pagans are NOT gothy emo kids. Some gothy emo kids are attracted to Wicca because they want a false sense of power and want to appear "cool" to their friends. If this is the reason you are interested, I would wait a while before diving into it.

Any books by Scott Cunningham or Raymond Buckland are great, easy to read resources for what Wicca is all about. I would suggest picking up one of their books.

Blessed Be,
A Wiccan

Doctrine: Funny you should say that. I am happier than I EVER was as a Christian, as I am not constantly encouraged to hate myself anymore. Further, the Wiccans and Pagans I know seem to be a lot more comfortable with life than most of the Christians I know.

You should have read the question: If you aren't Wiccan, BE RESPECTFUL!!

Answer 3

Wicca is also called the old religion. It's the same thing as Paganism. Both religions believe in multiple gods and goddesses. Instead of praying like you do with Christianity you do spells. So instead of carrying the rosary, you could carry a gris gris bag. It's a very feminine religion because the belief is, without women, mankind wouldn't exist. You can practice alone(solitary) or within a group (a coven).
There are 8 major holidays - the equinoxes and solstices, and then the 4 main ones - Samhain(Halloween), Imbolc(February 1), Beltane(May 1) and Lughnassah(August 1).
I've practiced on and off for over 15 years. It's the sort of thing that can be very personalized.

Answer 4

Wicca is a nature-affirming religion that honors Earth, the cycles of nature, and worships Divinity as a Goddess and a God out of respect for the balance between male and female. Though not all Wiccans are Witches, you do have some who practice magic. But most Wiccans put worship of the God and Goddess and reverence of nature before any sort of magic. They live by a basic code of conduct which is basically Living according to their own Will and Purpose without tampering with the Wills of others and doing the least bit of intentional harm to others as possible. You can find more information here: http://wicca.timerift.net

Answer 5

Wicca is an earth-centered religion that believes in the inherent interconnectedness of everything. The main ethos is : AN IT HARM NONE, DO WHAT YE WILL. This means that if your actions, mundane or magickal harm no one or nothing to include yourself, then it is permitted. If you think about it, it is easier said than done. In addition, there is the Law of Three Fold Return: Whatever you do gets returned to you, times three, be it actions, energy, etc. Wicca mostly is about venerating the Earth and recognizing the divinity within all living things. A male God and female Goddess are often recognized. Many women are drawn to Wicca due to the aspect of female empowerment, and a deity they can relate to.

Answer 6

In general and briefly....Wicca is a Neopagan religion and a religious movement found in many different countries, though most commonly in English-speaking cultures. It was first publicised in 1954 by a British civil servant named Gerald Gardner[1] after the British Witchcraft Act was repealed. He claimed that the religion, of which he was an initiate, was a modern survival of an old witch cult, which had existed in secret for hundreds of years, originating in the pre-Christian Paganism of Europe. Wicca is thus sometimes referred to as the Old Religion.

You might want to go to this website(URL)

http://www.religioustolerance.org/witchcra.htm

http://witchonthego.com/whatiswicca.html

Answer 7

Wicca is an Earth-based religion that worships the forgotten Gods and Goddesses and the Elements Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and Spirit. Wicca is not evil in any way! We believe in the three-fold law which is to harm none and what you give comes back on you three times good or bad. Our spells are like Christian prayers only using nature as our guide.

Answer 8

I'm not involved with Wicca but I have read a bit about it and can make some recommendations as to books you can read. Gerald B Gardner, Margaret Alice Murray, Margot Adler's "Drawing Down the Moon", Raymond Buckland, Scott Cunningham are all good to start with. Check your local Borders or Barnes and Noble for these. Best of luck to you.

Answer 9

You can go to the yahoo chat and click on religion and than wicca. The people there will give you information, but watch out for the kooks. Plenty of them there also.
Wiccan beleive in nature and honor nature. They are somewhat like treehuggers in that they beleive that everything you can find peace anbd love in gopd you can find in nature. Their have actually been around eons before any of the major religions and it;s members are nice people who welcome you but do not attempt to force anything onyou.
They are mainstream america and the world(majority white but asians and blacks are now joining their trek back to nature.
They or some of them think of themselves as witches and a natural part of nature. They carry on rictuals in fun and companionship, much like a church would have sunrise services.

Answer 10

Wicca has many different beliefs. but most involve the worship of nature itself.not all wicca is about witchcraft.and satan has nothing to do with wicca whatsoever.so don't believe the religious when they say that! do your research.BlessedBe

Answer 11

Wicca is a Neopagan religion and a religious movement found in many different countries, though most commonly in English-speaking cultures.