Would someone please enlighten me as to who or what a Wicca is?

Question

How about a site where I can research it for myself?

Answer 1

Good luck. Web sites are often only stating a particular group's or even one person's view. The Wiki (which several people cut and pasted for you) is a basic overview and as you can see misses some aspects just from what little detail I provided here. Few wiccans even know what they are (see John and Susan above, Hotaru below, none of whom admitted that their answers were merely their particular branch, implying that theirs was the right way similar to many christian denominations). Wicca was born in the 1920s among the new interest in "spritual" (meaning ghosts/spirits, not diety) matters. H.P. Lovecraft's works give a good idea of the society at the time, certain people searching for the paranormal and trying to reconcile it with their world (often with tragic results in his works, well, tragic for the people). People examined some theories on druidism and combined it with contemporary understandings of various mythos like Celtic, Norse, Egyptian, Greco-Roman, etc. (or classical western european religions if you prefer). From this they started a neopagan (new pagan) religion that is used as an umbrella term (wicca, meaning wise-one, a word that eventually evolved into witch) for some highly varied beliefs. Some who claim the wicca title believe in helping all living things (frequently called the "fuzzy bunnies", and typically ridiculed by the more intensive sects), some are very libertine, some would be called satanists or hedonists (see my chubby sex theory for satanism). Some believe in living a certain way, some believe that they can cast "spells" or perform certain rituals to better themselves or the world around them. In some cases just saying you are wiccan lets you use the name, in others, you must undergo years of study and preparation (although the more intensive sects are turning away from the term wicca to describe their beliefs, leaving wicca to be used by the aforementioned fuzzy bunnies). It is because of this wide variation that web sites will not give you a complete picture unless you want to spend several hundred hours tracking down each sect (although in a few hours you can get some broad categories). Few wiccans put that much effort into their religion, prefering instead to be sheep and just latch on to whatever someone else tells them instead of developing their own belief system based on their observations of the way things work (be they spiritual or tactile observations). These individuals have helped marginalize wicca as a false belief system or one of convenience for the disenfranchised since they cannot defend their beliefs, merely recite what little they have picked up from others.
I am not sure why you are asking about them, but if you are interested in them because you have some views of the world that no religion known to you can accomodate, then research long and hard and find the system that fits your views. If you are a Christian looking for a way to combat wicca, then [1] you would be suprised to know that many christian mystics could claim the wicca title and [2] you are wasting your time because they lack the structure, organization and unity of the more established religions, maybe you should focus on converting the other 5 billion people that have not quite gotten the message over the last 2,000 years (just think how many you could get if you won over Buddhism for example). If you are writing a paper on them or something similar, just stick with the Gardnerian variety because a good amount of information is out there as to how he came to his belief system.

Answer 2

Wicca is a Neopagan religion and a religious movement found in various countries throughout the world. It was first popularized 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 witchcraft religion, 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. The veracity of Gardner's claims cannot be independently proven, and it is thought that written Wiccan theology began to be compiled no earlier than the 1920s.[2] Various related Wiccan traditions have since evolved or been adapted from the form established by Gardner, which came to be called Gardnerian Wicca. These other traditions of Wicca each have distinctive beliefs, rituals, and practices. Many traditions of Wicca remain secretive and require that members be initiated. There is also a movement of Eclectic Wiccans who do not believe that any doctrine or traditional initiation is necessary in order to practice Wicca.[3] The 2001 American Religious Identification Survey estimated that at least 134,000 adults identified themselves as Wiccans in the US.[4]

Curious98

Answer 3

Wicca is a Neopagan religion and a religious movement found in various countries throughout the world. It was first popularised in 1954 by a British civil servant named Gerald Gardner 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 witchcraft religion, 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. The veracity of Gardner's claims cannot be independently proven, and it is thought that written Wiccan theology began to be compiled no earlier than the 1920s.Various related Wiccan traditions have since evolved or been adapted from the form established by Gardner, which came to be called Gardnerian Wicca. These other traditions of Wicca each have distinctive beliefs, rituals, and practices. Many traditions of Wicca remain secretive and require that members be initiated. There is also a movement of Eclectic Wiccans who do not believe that any doctrine or traditional initiation is necessary in order to practice Wicca. The 2001 American Religious Identification Survey estimated that at least 134,000 adults identified themselves as Wiccans in the US.

Answer 4

Wicca is a Neopagan religion and a religious movement found in various countries throughout the world. It was first popularised 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 witchcraft religion, 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. The veracity of Gardner's claims cannot be independently proven, and it is thought that written Wiccan theology began to be compiled no earlier than the 1920s.[2] Various related Wiccan traditions have since evolved or been adapted from the form established by Gardner, which came to be called Gardnerian Wicca. These other traditions of Wicca each have distinctive beliefs, rituals, and practices. Many traditions of Wicca remain secretive and require that members be initiated. There is also a movement of Eclectic Wiccans who do not believe that any doctrine or traditional initiation is necessary in order to practice Wicca.[3] The 2001 American Religious Identification Survey estimated that at least 134,000 adults identified themselves as Wiccans in the US.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wicca
http://www.religioustolerance.org/witchcra.htm
http://www.witchway.net/
http://www.witchvox.com/
http://www.wicca.org/

Answer 5

Wicca has as many different types of groups as Christianity does.

Here is a link to the form I practice:
http://www.cuew.org

(Admittedly, I'm not happy with the black and white format of the site. I liked the purple better. :( )

Answer 6

Wikipedia has a lousy explanation.

There are many "styles" of Wicca. That's probably why you're confused. Wicca is a general term and somewhat "politically correct" term for witch craft.

Spells, incantations, casting circles, drawing down the moon.

However, there are getting to be as many kinds of Wicca as there are kinds of Christianity. Or Islam. There is Feminist Wicca, Lesbian Feminist Wicca, Neopaganism, Paganism, Modern Wicca, Alexandrian - Gardnerian -Buckland, and Cunningham traditions, Green wicca...

I could go on but my fingers are getting tired.

Answer 7

try going to about.com and searching for wicca.
Wicca is a nature-based religion. you use spells and rituals in both daily life, and in worship. So yes, wiccans are witches, but of the "white" or good variety. the main law of wicca is "an if it harm none, do what ye will" (sometimes written abit different.) wicca is a neo-pagan (modern paganism) religion. i'm a wiccan, so i pretty sure i know what i'm talking about.

Answer 8

Wicca is both old and young, combining ancient ideas in new patterns. It exists today in a wide variety of forms, and continues to grow and evolve as a dynamic living tradition. Constitutionally protected and legally recognized in the United States for more than 25 years, Wicca, also known as Witchcraft or simply The Craft, is currently the fastest growing religion in the United States according to the Institute for the Study of American Religion.

Wicca is a Pagan tradition. Like other forms of Paganism, Wicca is characterized by earth-centered /nature-centered spirituality and an ethical system based in personal responsibility. Specifically, Wicca is a reconstruction of the Nature worship of tribal Western Europe – influenced by the living spiritual traditions of other tribes, combined with traditional ceremonial practices, and informed by the mythologies of our ancestors. The myths and religious traditions of the world form a shared heritage we study and celebrate. We believe that humankind is our family and we have much to learn from each other.

Wiccan ceremonies may include chanting, singing and/or dancing, storytelling, ritual drama, the sharing of food and drink, meditation, and/or works of magic, which we define as the direction of will to accomplish a goal in accordance with the natural order of the Universe. Wicca is characterized by a blending of religious and magical elements, and our religious rituals utilize the traditional symbols (such as the pentagram) and practices associated with ceremonial magic. Rituals may be performed by an individual, by a coven or group of covens, or by a larger community of Pagans. They may be practiced privately or publicly.

While beliefs vary among individuals and traditions, the following concepts are central to an understanding of Wiccan religion. (Note also that Wiccans do not share the Christian belief in Satan, or any other personification of evil.)

1. Imminence

We believe that Deity is imminent in the natural world. The Universe itself is Sacred, as is the food and water we consume, the air we breathe, the earth under our feet. We are sacred, our bodies and our spirits. We view the physical and the spiritual as two sides of the same substance, inseparable and interdependent.

2. Polarity

We believe that the Divine, the Great All, manifests as both female and male, as Goddess and God. All that we know scientifically and intuitively about our world tells us that both male and female are necessary to create life, and we believe that creation is an act of love. Each principle – male and female -- balances, completes and interacts with the other. Each is necessary and valued. Each principle contains the other. We accept and honor both.

3. Connectivity

We understand that the universe is interconnected on every level and that we are a part of it. All things are related. We cooperate with and participate in the complex system of the Universe, the cosmic web of life.

Answer 9

a Wiccan is someone who practices Wicca. Wicca is a form of witchcraft. Which one will you want to worship?

Answer 10

Wicca is a very religios religion and it involves witches. but the witches are not that evil.