what is wiccan??

Question

hmm, my cousin say he is wiccan, i dont know what t is, i think is something like a witch. i am now worried

i cant read whole of wiccipedia! thanks

do they cast spells and stuff

Answer 1

Wicca is a very complex faith which embraces widely varying practices and many different Traditions. The following, however, is what I consider to be "the basics".

Wicca is about 60 years old, with roots in Masonic practices, ceremonial magic, and the Romantic era's ideas of classical religions. Its founder was a British civil servant named Gerald Gardner.

http://www.geraldgardner.com/essays.php

It is in many ways a postmodern faith, embracing religious relativism, and one that resonates powerfully for increasing numbers of people.

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. Many Wiccans also believe in the Law of Threefold Return, sometimes called the Rule of Three: “Whatever you do, for good or ill, will come back upon you three times over.”

Wiccans honor Deity as both male and female, God and Goddess -- or at the very least as Goddess. Many Wiccans 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 generally 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).

Wiccans have celebrations which are timed to both the solar and lunar calendars. The solar festivals -- held at the solstices, the equinoxes, and four points in between them -- are called sabbats.

http://paganwiccan.about.com/library/basics/blsabbats.htm

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

The lunar holy days are called esbats, and are held at the full moon each month, and sometimes at the new moon as well.

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

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

Another useful article:

http://www.religionfacts.com/neopaganism/paths/wicca.htm

A good site by Wiccans:

http://wicca.timerift.net

And the US Army Chaplains Handbook excerpt on Wicca:

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

If you're looking to do some reading, I'd recommend "Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner" by Scott Cunningham, and "The Triumph of the Moon" by Ronald Hutton. I advise you to stay away from anything by Silver Ravenwolf, for reasons outlined in the following essay:

http://wicca.timerift.net/ravenwolf.shtml

Answer 2

Wicca is a Neo-Pagan religion (one of several, but the most common). Its is based on the belief that there is a God and a Goddess who are equal and personify the universe as one (like the parts of the Christian trinity). Some worship gods from other religions, believing that all gods are representations of the Great God and Great Goddess. Its very nature oriented and is centered on its own particular style of witchcraft (though not all witches are Wiccan, and someone could have Wiccan beliefs without practicing Witchcraft).

See http://www.witchvox.com/

Wicca is fairly new (started in the 30's or 40's by Gerald Gardener, took-off in the 50's). Much of it is based on combining traditional witchcraft and Christian "ceremonial magic" with elements of Free Masonry, Hinduism, Catholic ceremonies, reconstructed ancient Paganism, etc.

P.S.: they do cast spells, often seeing it as a form of prayer.

Answer 3

I'm not wiccan, i'm christian, however, as a christian i made it my personal business to 'get the jist' of most religions

so, from my very limited knowledge and reasearch,
i beleive a wiccan is a moden day 'witch'. i think they are polythiests, or believing in several gods, their central diety being the mother godess (Mother Nature) their origins of life tend to be in agreeance with the scientists (evolution) they also believe in reincarnation (or being reborn after you die) they also have an unusual concept of no evil, just people who mess up at times, and that people should do what they want, when they want to. instead of 'being saved' as in christianity, wiccans believe that you must attain balanace with the earth, and become one with nature. their rituals include singing, dancing, chanting, 'spells', 'magic', 'telling the future', etc. due to what happened in Salem from 1962-1711 many wiccans practice in secret, however some practice in groups called covens, many even practice naked

this is the fastest growing religion in the US which as multiplied 1500 times in the past 10 years

first popularized in a book in 1954 by Gerald Garner i believe this book is called the wicca rede and is full of rules and spells yet most wiccans learn spells and charms from their wiccan teachers (usually their mom) and their personal notebook is passed down. i think this book is called the black book and each wiccan has one

again i am not a wiccan and absolutly disagree with anything they do or believe so if you want a different point of view, probably a more knowledgable one, get an answer from a wiccan!!

Answer 4

I know several Wiccans. They do not cast spell on people, they do no harm. They will not do anything that would cause another person do do anything against their will they know that whatever harm they do will come back to them just like in the Christian faith. They are all good people. My brother is a Wiccan Priest.

Answer 5

It is often what the supposed "adherent" wants it to be. It encompasses the standard earth magic stuff, and anything that an "alternatively" inclined person cares to invent.
Why don't you ask your cousin? it's a simple question: "what is a wiccan?"
He can't expect you to know, it's not common knowledge.
I guess he will say things that you will recognise as half baked.
But maybe this is a trick question from a persecuted wiccan, only a wiccan would know.

Answer 6

Wicca is Witchcraft but most people think that witches are evil and ugly but that is not true I used to be a male witch but not now and I am not ugly or evil I was a white witch which used herbs to heal people and used stones for ailments like for example Amethyst is a good soother of insomnia since I suffer it very very mildly. Ask him is he a White Witch or a Black Witch (it is not racist). Black Witches are the ones that use spells to harm people for there amusement or benefit.

Answer 7

Wicca is a religion under the Pagan umbrella. They hold a belief of duality in deity and in Nature. Yes, some perform magic, others not. They also hold to a code of ethics. But remember, not all Wiccans follow the same traditions.

Try doing a search or you can go to beliefnet.com or witchvox.com for further reading.

There is nothing to fear. They do not worship Satan. They do not believe in Satan. There is no selling their souls to get some mumbo-jumbo "powers" that literature would have you think. They are normal everyday people trying to live like you or I.

Answer 8

It is a nature based, duo deity religion. Actual Goddess worshiping religion dates back to Neolithic times. Wicca was started back in the early 1950's by a guy named Gerald Gardiner.

We are Wiccans are a peaceful, as I said nature loving people, who wish only happiness and love to all. Some of us do practice witchcraft, but live by the law, "Do as you will, as long as it hurts no one." (Actually it states, "Do as ye will, least it harms none." old english being a bit harder to understand. Maybe not.

Do not worry, there is nothing wrong with being Wiccan we do not follow Satan, in fact we do not believe in him at all. So your friend is safe from that.

Blessings,
Aviana

Answer 9

TV is produced to the cheapest common denominator - i.e., the average IQ of the general public, whereas a reserve is written to the highest common denominator

Answer 10

Rather than just give you a side to click on...

It is the "religion" practiced by male and female witches.