What is Wickein?

Question

A girl in my class told me that she & her friends belive in wickein. And when I ask what is wickein, she told me that a boy cant not kown.

so can some one help me out.

Answer 1

It's Wiccan.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiccan

Answer 2

I'm guessing she means Wicca, or the Wiccan religion.

And she is mistaken about boys/men not being able to know about it - there are many Wiccan practitioners who are men. It's just that in response to so many years of male-lead Christianity, some denominations (if you will) of Wicca head to the OTHER extreme and try to make it a woman-only thing. There are many people, however, that practice as Solitary. Scott Cunningham comes to mind first.

There are loads of books on this subject in Barnes and Noble (look near the religion section, it's usually under the heading "New Age" near Philosophy). I'll also give you a couple of links.

Answer 3

This is my standard reply to such questions, I'll admit. :-) But here goes...

The central tenet of the Wiccan religion is the Wiccan Rede: "If you harm none, do what you will." This is a deceptively simple "commandment" which can take a lifetime to contemplate and to master.

Wiccans honor Deity as both male and female, God and Goddess -- or at the very least as Goddess. We believe that the universe is the body of God/dess, and therefore that all things contain Divine energy and that the world itself is sacred. Some Wiccans are polytheists (many God/desses); others are duotheists (God and Goddess, of whom all other Gods and Goddesses are simply aspects); others are monotheists (God and Goddess Themselves are simply aspects of an unknowable Source).

Wiccans do not believe that God/dess is separate from the world; therefore, we have no concept of salvation, since God/dess is present to all and always. Many Wiccans believe that God/dess is too big to fit inside one religion -- all religions/spiritual paths are ways of reaching the same goal, and atheism and agnosticism are honorable perspectives on the mystery of life.

Each Wiccan operates as their own priest/ess. We do not have a distinction between clergy and laity. Therefore, each Wiccan is responsible for their own personal development and for forging their own relationship with God/dess. Some Wiccans practice in covens, which are generally initiatory and require a long period of study (traditionally a year and a day) before entering. Others practice in loosely affiliated groups of solitaries, which are Wiccans who practice outside of traditional coven structure. Others simply practice alone.

Wiccans do not usually have churches. We create sacred space as and where needed, by casting "circles" of energy which function as temples. When inside those circles, we invite the spirits of the four Platonic elements (air, fire, water, and earth) to join us, as well as the Goddess and the God (or at minimum the Goddess).

Many Wiccans practice witchcraft, which we see as working with the Divine energy that permeates the world to bring about change. In accordance with the Wiccan Rede, the vast majority of Wiccans will not curse or perform magic to bring harm upon anyone else.

A relatively objective (non-Wiccan) set of articles on what Wiccans do and believe:

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

(And she's wrong about the "a boy cannot know" part. There are many male Wiccans, although some denominations of Wicca are indeed women-only. I know several male Wiccans myself!)

Answer 4

What they most likely meant was Wicca. And you have plenty of good responses about our religion.

Just so you know, not all Wiccans are gay or lesbians as the second answerer tried to imply. I am Wiccan, I am married to a wonderful wife and have a beautiful daughter. I have many lesbian friends, and to be honest they are my best friends in the world because they respect me just like I respect them. And yet, none of them are Wiccans, nor I try to "convert" them to Wiccanism.

Explore those sites that other answerers gave you, and you will learn about us, and why we respect so much people of other faiths.

Blessed Be )0(.

Answer 5

A Wiccan is someone who is looking for a special identity and finds it with a teen-age-based shock-value religion that is meant to raise eyebrows amongst mainstream america. A big part of it is that its members need to delude themselves that they're really just about spirituality and that their fundamentalism and separationist thinking aren't real. They also need to make sure that they delude themselves that they're somehow less judgemental and less identity-seeking than other religions. Because it's so appealing to a certain ego type, it lasts past the teen years and you get deluded adults whose virtual reality of spells and beliefs (and the rewards they get from the attention people give them) almost replaces reality. And, oh yeah -- they make great furniture (Wicca chairs).

Answer 6

actually, just b/c she says shes a wiccan doesnt mean shes wiccan. generally, wiccans wouldnt say things like that b/c we r tolerant (hopefully). she sounds immature. i advise u 2 study wicca if u want (ppl have given good resources here), but dont egg her on & just ignore her & her friends. if she says she put a curse on u or anyone, she just wants 2 scare ppl & u should laugh in her face & not take her seriously.

Answer 7

She meant Wicca. She is probably Dianic, which means that in her tradition, men have a very small part, if anything.
witchvox.com has some illuminating articles, if you are interested.

Answer 8

Jewish witches ?