what is a Wiccan?

Answer 1

A witch who follows a pagan religion.

Answer 2

Wiccan is someone that has been dedicated to a religion that believes in many gods and that accepts all the pagan gods as a personal approach of each person to the Divine. Also they practice White Magic. In simple words they learn how to manipulate Energy. Their basic rule is "An it harm none, do what ye will"
It has to do with self-improvement or i would say self-empowerment.
They believe that when you die you go temporarly at the summer land and the you reincarnated again and again until you be purified. They don't believe in hell or satan nor in God's punishment. They believe in the Goddess as the most divine and mother of all things. And in God etc.....

Answer 3

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

A Wiccan is someone who follows the religion of Wicca, which (in the opinion of many Wiccan scholars) was founded in the middle of the 20th century by a British civil servant named Gerald Gardner. Gardner based his new religion on several different sources, including Ceremonial magic, Freemasonry, and the Romantic era's interpretation of the classical religions. (If you're really curious, you can read the book "Triumph of the Moon" for more detailed information.) Although Gardner founded the religion, he is not viewed as a "prophet" or the leader of the faith. Wicca is a religion in which it's generally hard for someone to become a guru; see the details about priests and priestesses below. In the last 50 or so years, Wicca has exploded in popularity and embraces many different Traditions, some of them initiatory, some of them geared toward solitary practitioners. These different Traditions co-exist more or less peacefully, because for many Wiccans the pursuit of the Divine is custom tailored for the individual: "what works" is more important that "what someone dictates should be done".

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

Answer 4

a wiccan is someone who follows wicca. you can be pagan without being wiccan, but you can't be wiccan without being pagan.
not all wiccans would say that they are witches.
most pagans follow some type of earth religion. pagans are different from heathens.

edit
my favorite thing about wiccans is their belief in "harm none". shouldn't that be a part of all religions?

Answer 5

Definitions of wiccan on the Web:

Wicca is a modern Western interpretation of witchcraft, and a Wiccan is one who practices Wicca. Wiccans often call themselves witches. Wicca is one belief system within what is called Neo-Paganism. Wicca is generally described as a Nature Religion. Witchcraft belief.
www.thegreenfuse.org/glossary.htm

1. A person who follows or practices Wicca. 2. Something related to Wicca. (For example a wiccan book, wiccan artwork, etc.)
www.spiritonline.com/dictionary/w.html

An organized, structured, specific Wiccan subgroup, usually initiatory, with often unique ritual practices. Man traditions have their own Books of Shadows and may or may not recognize members of other traditions as Wiccan. Most traditions are composed of a number of Covens as well as solitary practitioners.
magick-whispers.com/glossarytuvwxyz.htm

An adjective that means "pertaining to the religion of Wicca." It can also be used to refer to a practitioner of that religion.
members.tripod.com/~jack_in_the_green/terms/terms.html

a follower of wicca, a benign, nature-based religion, which includes beliefs, deities, symbols and seasonal days of celebration of the ancient Celts. Gerald Gardiner, an English civil servant, is credited with popularizing Wicca there, in the late 1940s. Wiccans are prohibited from using magic to harm others. Their belief system does not include an all-evil entity. They do not believe in the Christian devil or in demons. They often refer to themselves as Witches, Pagans and Neopagans. ...
www.dragonoak.com/altars/wiccadrawer.html

of or relating to Wicca
a believer in Wicca
wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

Wicca is a Neopagan religion that can be found in many English-speaking countries. Originally founded by the British civil servant Gerald Gardner, probably in the 1940s, although it was first openly revealed in 1954. Since its founding, various related Wiccan traditions have evolved or been created, the original being Gardnerian Wicca, which is the name of the tradition that follows the specific beliefs and practices established by Gerald Gardner.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiccan

Answer 6

It's hard to fit an entire religion into a paragraph, but here are some basics.

* 8 Holidays centered around the Solstices and Equinoxes and their cross quarter days.
* Belief in God AND Goddess
* Yes we cast spells, just like other religions Pray.
* No, it isn't the movie "The Craft" or like Charmed.
*We DON"T believe in the Devil.
*First rule is HARM NONE.
*No, we're not sacrificing anything to anyone.
*No orgies (Contrary to popular belief.)
*Yes, men can be Witches, too.
*we don't try to convert people

Answer 7

They believe in mother earth , and feel there is power in it. Sources from water, earth ,fire and wind. I also was told they beleive in Jesus too. GOD BLESS

Answer 8

a wiccan is a young girl who decides she wants to rebel against her parents religion.