What does it mean to be Wiccan?

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

If you have any further questions, please feel free to email me.

Answer 2

Traditionally being Wiccan means that you are an initiated member of one of the oath-bound path that have as their root the religious tradition founded by Gerald Gardner.

It means that one is a Priest or Priestess trained in a body of lore that aside from small changes made by the Traditions that hived off of the original are unchanged.

To be Wiccan means that you believe in the cosmology as it was laid out at the beginning.

To be Wiccan means that you understand the whole of the Rede.

To be Wiccan means that it is something you live, not just something you do when you have the time.


Oh!
As has been said before avoid "To Stir a Magick Cauldron.", that is the kind of garbage that has given the Craft a bad and laughable name.

Answer 3

It means to belong to the Wicca religion. Just bear in mind that Wicca and witchcraft are not the same thing, despite the fact that many Wiccans practice witchcraft.

If you need more specific, wicca.timerift.net is the best place to go.

And do NOT pick up "To Stir a Magic Cauldron". In fact, just stay away from books on the subject in general, because only a few of them are legitimate and you probably don't know how to tell the difference.

Answer 4

A Wiccan is someone who follows the Wiccan Rede and practices Witchcraft.
If you Read 'Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft' by Raymond Buckland then you will learn all about Wiccan Magick, Which is different from most of the Magicks from any one religion.

http://witchvox.com is a good place to learn about Wicca from.

and so are these websites
http://wicca.timerift.net/
Timerift.net explains the basics of Wicca (e.g. the Rede, concept of deity, the circle etc.) and is a favorite of allot of Wiccans.

http://www.controverscial.com/
Controverscial is a great website it goes in depth on many subjects, including invocations, poems, spell work etc.

http://davensjournal.com/index.htm
Davens journal is one of my personal favorites
it includes 'The Tree' which is a Book of Shadows written by Raymond Buckalnd, Courses in Magick, Rituals, and much more. if you read any website that i linked to i hope it is this one.
I hope this helps!


EDIT: Ignore magix151's answer!
Don't Read any Book By Silver Ravenwolf!
She is Not a Good source of info on Wicca.
She spreads Hate.

If you want some Good books on Wicca i suggest reading books by Gerald Gardner, Raymond Buckland and Scott Cunningham (Be careful with the Scott Cunningham Books though, you don't want to get insta-Witch syndrome) Scott Cunningham has many great books on Magick, and my favorite would be his Book 'Wicca; A guide for the Solitary Practitioner'

Answer 5

How To Be Wiccan

Answer 6

I dunno, I'm Heathen Recon Polytheist.
BUT I know a lot of them so I starred you for them.

I can tell you that Scott Cunningham is a top recomendation and I can tell you as a pagan STAY AWAY from Silver Ravenwolf. That woman is a menace to the paths. Ugh

Answer 7

wiccan is religion and a witch. and it is very different because of believe in different god and goddness like aphrodite, other.

Answer 8

The answer to your question is very long. Go out and pick up "To Stir a Magick Cauldron." It is a great beginner book and will tell you more than any quick answer here will.

Answer 9

It means you're a white person who acts ghetto-like.

*w00t!* Burn. ha. Just kidding, i know what wiccan is.

Answer 10

To practice witchcraft? If you a really serious then it means involvement in magic and the occult. Not a good scene.