Wicca?????

Question

One of my friends, Michelle, and I were talking about religion and all that stuff. And I was like, "I don't really fit in with any religions that I know about," so she recommended Wicca. I still don't have a very clear image on the subject. Can anyone clarify?

Wow.
I was reading sme of the answers and it seems like people are so against it they won't even help a kid on the journey to religion. That's pathetic. Don't dis something casue you don't like it. If you're not going ot help me don't bother wasting my answer space.

I've also noticed, and no I'm not just posting these questions to see what people will answer I'm truely interested, people sometimes refuse to give me answer becuase of my age. My mom has a highly religious boyfriend therefore she wouldn't help me wtih anything, and my dad would think it's just a stage.
So yea. Don't answer by my age, pretend I have no age. Jeez.

People recomended http://www.witchvox.com/
but I don't really get how to work it....I know it sounds stupid but I just woke up and I'm a little duh right now......so yea. lol

Answer 1

I know several Wiccans. Personally, I think it's a little silly, though.

Wicca isn't really an "organized" religion, so it avoids some of the obvious problems, like corrupt leaders and outdated dogma. But it also doesn't have the traditions and history of organized faiths.

As religion, Wiccans believe that they are following an ancient religion that predates Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and other faiths. The focus is on nature, and wiccans cast spells, similar to prayers in the Abrahamic religions. Really, if you need exact details, go to Wikipedia or similar sources.

Answer 2

Wicca is a form of paganism. Wicca is a young religion that was formed during the 1930's by Gerald Gardner in England. It is based off of ancient Celtic beliefs and Italian Strega (witchcraft) and other pagan beliefs and practices that in some cases date back some 30,000 years.

While there are several Traditions (paths) or Trads of Wicca, all Wicca works on the same basic ideas. Wicca teaches belief in a goddess and a god. It is nature-based and the rhythm of the natural cycles is very important.

Wicca is not satanism. Satanism is, by definition, an Abrahamic religion. It has closer ties to Christianity than to Wicca. There is no devil or Satan in Wicca.

Wicca does not have the concept of sin, hell, preaching, or converting others.

In Wicca, the most important law is the Rede: An' it harm none, do as thou wilt. This simple, yet broad law serves as a cornerstone for our moral choices. Harm none... this includes yourself.

There are many great books and sites to get good information. Scott Cunningham's Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner is a great first book to read.

Answer 3

In very brief, Wicca or paganism is a nature based religion. There is a Wiccan Rede, which can be summed up into "Do What Thou wilt, and Harm Ye None". It's a lot longer, but I think that will do here. I agree with preivous statements that witchcraft is nothing like on TV or the movies (Charned, Buffy, etc). back to what wicca is... when I say nature-based I mean that wicca respects all life, the earth, trees, insects, humans, of all varieities and sorts (whether you like them or not). The nature-loving is accopmnied with communing with the gods and goddess. You may decide that you identify with the Greek gods and goddess, like Demeter and Zeus, while I identify with the Egyptian gods and godesses like Abuis and Bast. My friend may simply idenify with the All, the spirit from which everything comes. In this situation, we are all still wiccan/pagas/witches. No there is no "organized" aspect. There is hierarchy with in covens (groups of witches learning and working together). There are High Priests and High Pirestess that conduct group rituals (services) and they can also be counselors, and are typically the leader of the coven. However, you can talk to your gods as well. You don't need a priest, or a special prayer. Most wiches mediate and commune with their higher beings in that way. I'm sure you've heard of spells. Think of them more like prayers. You can make up your own spell (for a good grade, a peacful holiday, etc) or there are several out there you can use. Spells are often done in a scared space, what we call a magickal circle. We invite the spirits of the land (earth, air, fire and water) to be with us and protect us. We ligth candles to honor and invite the god, the goddess and the All. Then the spell is perofrmed. It can be as simple as wirintg what you desire on a piece of paper and burning in a candle flame. Your intention of what you want is now out in the universe. All magick is done for the greater good and with harm to none. (magick is the art and science or releasing your will and intention into the universe for a specific goal. be careful what you "wish" for as the way you say things is very important-if done incorrectly, things can get quite sticky)

There is much more about wicca than I can fit here. My recommendation to you is to think about your own path, not your friends or parent's (this can be hard I know). perhaps start a journal with your thougths. What do you want to get out of a reiligion or spiritual path? How do you want to feel when you got to a service? What stories of the gods and thier prophets make sense to you? do you idenifty with?

Explore wicca through Wikipedia. but also explore other religions... buddhism, christianity, Native American, juadism, etc.

if you watn to make a change you are going to have to do it yourself and for yourself. I think if you take slow, logical steps in your search, any rational parent will respect that.

Hope this helped.

Bright Blessings!

Answer 4

Best thing for you to do is to start reading to get a variety of perspectives. That's the best thing to get yourself the basics of paganism. Here are a few sites to get you started:

http://www.witchvox.com
http://www.twpt.com
http://www.davensjournal.com
http://www.rendingtheveil.com
http://www.spiralnature.com
http://www.thegreenwolf.com/links.html

As for books, here are my three of my favorites:

"21st Century Wicca" by Jennifer Hunter - the most grounded intro to Wicca I've found, not just the usual "stuff"
"Contemporary Paganism" by Graham Harvey - a basic overview of some of the more common neopagan religions
"The Four Powers: Magical Practice for Beginners of All Ages" by Nicholas Graham - takes an even broader view of neopaganism, ceremonial magic, shamanism, occultism, and others, and is a *really* good book for helping you to figure out where to take your path next

You can find other books reviewed at http://lupabitch.wordpress.com

Finally, get out and talk to people--there's nothing that can replace that. Go to http://groups.yahoo.com and http://www.meetup.com and put the name of the nearest city and the word "pagan" in the search engine to find online groups of local pagans. Also, the various pagan and magic-themed communities at http://www.livejournal.com are a good resource as well. Meet folks online, then when you're comfortable check out some of the public events in your area.

Answer 5

A lot of the adherents of Wicca insist that it's a direct descendant of ancient celtic witchcraft; it's not.
It was invented in the 1950s by Gerald Gardner and Doreen Valiente, and is a romantic vision of what they believed was practised in Europe centuries ago, mixed with a heavy dose of Golden Dawn and eastern mysticism. A lot of 'Wiccan tradition' is pure invention, but it seems to have gained authority by constant repetition.It's basic tenets are good general rules for life, but then so are the basic tenets of most religions, until people twist them..

Here's a very good site that explains Wicca without all the fluffy-bunny nonsense that so many people insist on shrouding it in.
http://wicca.timerift.net/

Answer 6

Just to clarify, the show 'Charmed' has nothing to do with wicca either in name or practice. Other than that go with the first answer. Also look into other non-mainstream Pagan religions. While Wicca is one of the better known ones, there are literally thousands of paths to choose from.

Answer 7

Choosing where your beliefs lie takes research and figuring out where you fit in the grand scheme of things.
However if your truly interested in Wicca read as much as you can before choosing which sect of Wicca you will practice in no one sect is better than the other.

Blessed be,
Duchess
Hereditary Wicca
Edit : I know sect is the wrong word, but for the sake of those reading it's easier to say that
Blessed be to all pagans and followers of the earthen beliefs
Duchess

Answer 8

Religion is a personal preferance like food. Some people like the catholic religion cause they can speak to a priest when they feel guilty about sins. Others like christianity for other reasons. The wiccans are basically witches that believe in nature and symbols working for them to bring them peace and fortune. Don't worry that you haven't found that perfact religion, cause there isen't one. You can read different books to study religions and maybe you'll find one you'd like.

Answer 9

Those of us that practice Wicca are not satanists and we don't go around casting spells on people. It is nothing like the TV show Charmed.

For me being Wiccan has taught me that balance is the key to a happy life. The world has opposites for a reason.

This is how I feel about it:

http://www.angelfire.com/realm2/amethystbt/balance.html

Answer 10

I don't know much about Wicca. But I know that the media has a bad image of it. Why? For ratings. So read about it and talk to people who study it.