What is your opinion on Wicca or witchcraft?

Answer 1

Wicca was started by Gerald Gardner in New Forrest England circa 1950. He was a nudist & masochist and basically created Wicca as a sex cult. Followers nowadays like to forget that part, and instead fantasize they have magical powers.

Adian Kelly wrote a book on the history of Wicca called "Crafting The Art of Magic" in the 1980's. Wiccans had a fit when it was published, and pressured Llewyllyn to take it out of print. It was supposed to be the first in a series of books. I think Adian Kelly probably summed it up best when he said this about the Gardnerian "Book of Shadows", the closest thing Wicca has to a sacred book:

" [M]any of the Book of Shadows rituals did not exist in 1954 (when Witchcraft Today was published) but instead were still being written. [T]he major sources from which the rituals had been constructed included: (a) Mather's edition of the Greater Key of Solomon; (b) Aleister Crowley's Magic in Theory and Practice; (c) Leland's Aradia (d) some Masonic rituals akin to those described by Duncan and those of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn (aside from those transmitted by Crowley; and (e) Margaret Murray's The Witch Cult in Western Europe. There were also bits and pieces from other works by Leland, Jane E. Harrison, Gilbert Murray, James Frazier, and other great classicists from the 19th century. That accounted for EVERYTHING in the rituals! There was nothing left that differed in any important way from what you can find in those sources- - but that is NOT at all what Gardner had claimed!"

It's a religion where anything can be added in, where the followers mistakenly think they have magic powers, and it's not older than rock and roll, even though it's called the "Old Religion". Authors like Gavin and Yvonne Frost, Silver Raven Wolf, Raymond Buckland, Scott Cunningham crank out books about how to get love, money, and above all else "protection". The Frost's Magic Power of White Witchcraft says "Witchcraft Can Make You Rich in a Ghetto" according to the title of chapter 11. However, the Frosts themselves aren't rich. Coincidentally, they claim to have taken a "vow of poverty" according to one of their webpages, to explain why they apparently can't make their spells work either.

When I visited England (the birthplace of Wicca) in May, I found it was practiced mostly by juvenile deliquents, much the same way Satanism is here in the U.S. No one seems to take it seriously over there. An very knowldgeable historian I talked to in Kent, when asked about Wicca, told me I should try a pub!

Eventually Ronald Huitton wrote his own history of Wicca, called "Triumph of the Moon". Hutton is a history professor at Oxford, so he is not easliy dismissed. Even though some Wiccans have realized their history is a sham, they still want to cling to the "witch" label & call it a "reconstructionist movement". But you can't reconstruct something which never existed in the first place. Even so, these types still seem to allude to their religion being thousands of years old.

Answer 2

i've got been analyzing and working in direction of Wicca and witchcraft for extremely some years. i'm not Wiccan anymore, to be greater particular i'm an eclectic witch. yet besides, everybody could have different critiques on if spells incredibly artwork, yet from my own adventure they do. Over my years of working in direction of i've got finished many spells and that i've got had a pair of 70% achievement value. And when I examined the 30% that did not i could factor out precisely why I they failed. i would be truthful and say that it could merely be a accident, despite if it do not think of so.

Answer 3

I follow a path that is strongly influenced by Wicca, so I have to say "I have a very good opinion of Wicca."

I don't, however, have as good an opinion of some folks who call themselves "Wiccan", but that's something that you find in every group, regardless if it's religious, secular, social, etc. etc. etc. That's an issue with the individual, not with the philosophy.

Quick note to clusium - not all Wiccans think that "Wicca" and "witchcraft" are synonymous. Not all Wiccans are witches, and not all witches are Wiccan. And "Harm none" is a Wiccan belief, not a rule that applies to all magic users... those who believe otherwise need to study more. =)

Answer 4

Let me start by stating that Wicca and witchcraft are not automatically the same thing. Witchcraft is a technique, like prayer, that is practiced in many religious contexts; Wicca is one of the religions where it's often practiced. So: most Wiccans are witches, but not all witches are Wiccans.

As for my opinion... as a Wiccan, I believe that my religion is one path among many paths to the Divine. It will suit some people very well, but certainly not all, or even most. I appreciate its solid ethical core (the Wiccan Rede, "If it harm none do what you will"), its concept of Deity (honored in male and female polarities) as being immanent in the world around us, the cycle of the seasonal festivals, the beauty of its ritual forms, and the joy of communion with the Goddess and the God, among other things.

Wiccans do not seek to convert others to our path. As far as we're concerned, if you're meant to find us, you'll do so. But if you want to learn more about Wicca from an objective (non-Wiccan) source, I advise the Wiccan section at religioustolerance.org, at

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

Wiccans do not worship Satan -- we have no equivalent to Satan in our cosmology. We do not sacrifice animals or hold orgies. To quote Margot Adler, "We are not evil. We don't harm or seduce people. We are not dangerous. We are ordinary people like you. We have families, jobs, hopes, and dreams. We are not a cult. This religion is not a joke. We are not what you think we are from looking at T.V. We are real. We laugh, we cry. We are serious. We have a sense of humor. You don't have to be afraid of us. We don't want to convert you. And please don't try to convert us. Just give us the same right we give you--to live in peace. We are much more similar to you than you think."

Best of luck to you on your path.

Answer 5

Wicca is alright, I suppose, but, it is not the only religion which practices witchcraft, & yet, Wiccans seem to think that they are the only ones which do.

Voodoo is a witchcraft religion(African witchcraft), & there are some others.

Moreover, contrary to what Wiccans will tell you, some witches ARE Devil worshippers(eg:Satanists, Luciferians, etc).

Answer 6

Wicca is a fine religion and witchcraft is a rewarding practice.

Answer 7

Wicca is a beautiful and fulfilling religion to those who are called to it.

The practice of witchcraft can be useful but it takes long-term commitment. There aren't any real short cuts.

Answer 8

Being a witch means that you celebrate the earth and elements and utilize the good things that the earth shares with us. There is no devil in the craft. Although some claim to be practioners of black arts I have never met any personally. Besides that which we put out negatively comes back three-fold.....so be nice to everyone!

Answer 9

Some Wiccans can be weird, but in general I think we're nice normal people. Just remember to stay away from 'Mama Silver.'

Answer 10

i must say that wicca is a pretty interesting religion and has some nice concepts to it