Wiccan Religion?

Question

I'm becoming intrested in the Wiccan Religion. Can someone please explain to me the concepts/basics? (ex: do they believe in god? jesus? do some also worship satan? can you be a wiccan and still believe/worship God and Jesus?) can u please explain the magik they do? please and thankyou!

Answer 1

This is my standard reply to such questions, I'll admit. :-) But here goes... all based on my own personal experience, of course, and much reading.

Wiccans do not worship Satan or any equivalent being. It simply doesn't exist in our cosmology. Some Wiccans recognize Jesus as a wise teacher, but do not consider belief in him necessary for being "saved", for reasons explained below.

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

Witchcraft 101 would go something like this, at least as I was taught: All things in the universe are interconnected by energy, which some witches (including Wiccans) perceive as Divine in nature. This is how witchcraft works: by focussing my intent, and using sympathetic correspondances (certain herbs for courage, for example), I can create an amulet using those herbs which will stimulate courage in the person who wears it. Similarly, by using a lock of hair from a person who is ill, I can (with their permission) set energies in motion that will help them to heal.

Witchcraft is not something you learn how to do overnight. It's a process of becoming attuned to yourself and the universe around you. One of the first lessons any Wiccan is taught is: "Know thyself." This isn't easy, and often it isn't pretty, but it IS necessary.

If you're ever looking for Wiccans in your area, you can check out the Witches of the World section at Witchvox:

http://www.witchvox.com/xvn.html

Just use the pull-down menus on the left to find individuals, groups, shops, and events.

You can also ask more questions of Wiccans on the Wiccan forums at Beliefnet.com:

http://www.beliefnet.com/boards/boards_main.AllCategories.asp?Category=102

Or please feel free to email me, or to IM me at prairiecrow on Yahoo! Messenger if you have any questions.

Answer 2

Yeah, what Crow said! Wiccans aren't based on any Middle Eastern ideas, like Jesus or Satan. But, as a polytheistic religion, it's possible to include them in your cosmology. You could find labels that are contradictory and confusing. Some Wiccans call themselves Witches. Not all Witches are Wiccan. Some Witches do worship Satan. No Wiccans worship Satan. This might help. All gods, even Jesus and God, are a mask worn by the Divine. The Divine wants to be a part of ours lives and wants us to constantly improve upon ourselves. Magick, on some levels, is how connected you are to the Divine.

Answer 3

A Wiccan/Witch is a practicioner of the religion/craft of Wicca. Wicca as
it is practiced today is a religion which draws upon certain ideas
which predate Christianity, but also draws on modern thinking as
well. It is often refered to as a neo-pagan religion, since it is
generally a reconstruction and/or modification of some ancient
beliefs.

There are hundreds of different branches of Wicca, each with its
own beliefs, central ideas, area of importance, ideals, etc.
Anyone can create their own new branch of Wicca if their beliefs
dont quite match up with that of an established coven - most
practicioners do not see their way as being the ONLY way (I
certainly dont - religion is a personal thing, and no two persons
are the same...). There are a number of common beleifs and views,
of which few, some, most, or all may be shared by any given coven.

1. The existance of a supreme entity/entities - often considered
benevolent, though sometimes neutral.
2. The supreme entitiy/s are often divided into both male and
female aspects. Some covens only recognize one gender,
however (usually the Goddess aspect)
3. The practicioners honer these deities on certain occasions,
sometimes refered to as Sabbats and/or Esbats.
4. These gods/goddess may have one or several names, one or
several aspects.
5. The practitioners recognize the existance of a power that
exists all about us, and are often trained in how to recognize
and manipulate such energies to various effects.
6. Most (if not all...) true covens adhere to a particualar creed
- 'So long as it harms noone, not even yourself, do what you
will'. There are many variences to the wording and intent.
7. Practitioners may be trained in how to understand certain
symbological figures that affect both their craft work and
their daily lives.
8. The number of members in a coven may vary from one to twelve
or thirteen, or perhaps even higher - as a general rule,
though, it often is a very small, private, personal religion.
9. Many covens have a heirarchy of degrees, the lowest generally
being an 'initiate' or 'novice', the highest being a 'high
priest' or 'high priestess'. There may be 3 levels, or more. A
person who is recognized as being a 'priest' in one coven may
or may not be necessarily recognized within another. The
degrees usually reflect the amount of training a person has
within his own particualr coven and in the religion in
general.
10. Many covens do not recognize the existance of a supreme entity
of evil - there is no 'Satan' as it is for most all members.
Satanists and witches are COMPLETELY seperate fields (in fact,
not all Satanists beleive in a supremem entity of evil
either...).

I could go on, but that covers a lot of basic ground. As you can
see, I've purposely tried to leave out absolutes, because the
religion is so unique to each person and group. I've been taught
to recognize most all branches of Wicca, known and unknown, and I
hope my definition is somewhat fitting (if somewhat vague!)
Silvernote: Educational excerpt.

Answer 4

I am Wicca. We believe in two gods. The god and the goddess. The goddess takes the forms of the mother, the maiden, and the crone. You can be Wicca and still worship Jesus Christ but you can't follow all of the laws of Christianity. Such as, the part about witches being evil. The magic we do connects ourselves with the earth. We never do harmful magic such as love or murder spells because what we send out, comes back to us.

Feel free to e-mail me at [e-mail] if you have any more questions. You could also AIM me at amba5556 too. Whatever you are most comfortable with if you have questions.

You could also go to :
http://www.angelfire.com/realm2/amethystbt/10aboutwicca.html

It is a good site explaining everything about wicca.

Blessed be

Answer 5

That's a lot of questions to answer. Basically, no wiccans do not worship Jesus, or the christian definition of God. They are polytheistic and worship more than one god, the primary two being Pan ( a fawn) and Gaia (the goddess of the earth). It's typically governed by a law similar to Karma, being the Law of three fold. It's hard to find real books based on things possible and not just crackpots passing off rhymes as spells.

I studied for a few years, and I'll tell you personally it was pretty disappointing, but best of luck.

Answer 6

Wicca is a religion concocted by Gerald Gardner circa 1950. It claims witchcraft is a religion, and believes in the Pagan gods and goddess of ancient Europe. Wiccans don't accept the teachings of Judaism or Chritianity. This past answers will help you.

History of Wicca
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AhU3APMDMy3JSWiLuyb6vR_sy6IX?qid=20060915145049AAkDSCG
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AnmpBWCNQ4STCeOacIJt2avsy6IX?qid=20060923114119AAAusg9&show=7#profile-info-85e3efd122e8f209277b7bb6e4c2d432aa
Meaning of word Wicca
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AgXeuUT6PMwvqlnBRPezIfvsy6IX?qid=20060915145049AAkDSCG&show=7#profile-info-AA10929287
Meaning of word Witch
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AvAGLfx2yAunbOKyoditCmXsy6IX?qid=20060924205638AAvbb6K&show=7#profile-info-68090b5d557ec89c0e51a9c78de0dafbaa
Silver Wiccan Ravenwolf Money spell
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AgXeuUT6PMwvqlnBRPezIfvsy6IX?qid=20060918191343AA1dAL3&show=7#profile-info-f49ad034abd28a4bd6e30b7088b096a3aa
Jenny's Frostie Wicca Expose'
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AiPNdQz1cyOLeB7iTkvU9R7sy6IX?qid=20060920141547AA0e3fT&show=7#profile-info-79401d523b04ee9784e7438998679c4daa
Christian Wicca
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AtY0mxKoZHtpI56Zxm67CtHsy6IX?qid=20060922162423AAcU9lu
Salem Witch Trials
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AjJ7TpnKS_XXcZfDiK0CpNTsy6IX?qid=20060904163917AAcBiEQ&show=7#profile-info-AA11725587
Wicca vs. Satanism
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=An.v6DF_RGP.oG2FNsRshDzsy6IX?qid=20060924212214AA8bflE&show=7#profile-info-8c76be37c6da788dc5d6e0fe923aaef1aa

Answer 7

There is no such thing as magic.They do not believe in God and Jesus.they worship mother earth,think the earth is alive have many many god and goddesses.