some question regarding wicca?

Question

some questions regarding it :

what do they actually BELIEVE in?

what gods do they have?

what kind of rituals do they do?

what kind os witchcraft do they do?

where do they find the witchcraft and rituals? i mean, how do they know what they're supopsed to do?

and generally any useful info on wiccans plz, it interests me

Answer 1

Why do people automatically assume that being Wiccan means you're a witch?

Wiccans believe in a god and a goddess. The gods are equals, neither evil nor good. The gods do not interfere in lives unless asked and even then they may not interfere at all.

They believe in Harm None (exceptions are made for defending yourself and those you love from immediate threats on your life and for food) and Whatever You Do Comes Back To You.

They DO NOT worship the devil like Christians love to lie about. They don't even believe in the devil.

They have a great love and respect for nature and accept that they are not above it, but part of it, so what they do affects it and themselves.

THAT is what they believe in and the gods. Wiccans do not do any spell that would hurt anyone because it is part of their belief system.

As for rituals... that would take a very long explanation and you should look it up on the net.

They make most of it up as they go along and do a great deal of research on the meaning and nature of things like plants.

Wiccans do not believe in Heaven or Hell.

Wicca is NOT about casting spells or rituals. Its about the belief structure, just like any other religion.

Answer 2

Great gods, what a request... okay. I'll give you VERY brief answers.

What do we actually believe in? Well a lot of things. Deities, magic, ourselves, karma, respect for nature... I could go on for hours about Wiccan beliefs, but those are a few.

Deity-wise, we don't have what I would call specific gods and goddesses to Wicca. More representations- the horned god (no relation to Satan) and the triple goddess. Wiccans generally are left to choose their own specific deities (some prefer working with Greek or Roman gods, others prefer Celtic deities, or Egyptian deities, etc).

Rituals generally follow similar formats: casting a circle, the great rite (mostly in covens, and mostly symbolic), some form of acting out mythology (if on a sabbat), some form of magic perhaps, consecrations and consumption of wine and cakes, and the banishing of the circle. Generally speaking, all rituals held by covens (groups of around 12) SHOULD turn into a feast or party.

Involvement in witchcraft greatly depends on the individual. Many Wiccans don't consider themselves practitioners of witchcraft; others are very involved in all sorts of magic and divinatory practices. In general, Wiccans practice benign magic. We have the whole "an it harm none, do as thou will"- which doesn't mean that we can't ever hurt anything, but that we should take responsibility for our actions, and be prudent if we ever do anything harmful.

Where do we find these things... well people write rituals. It's not that hard. Many people new to rituals often rely on rituals and spells that they find in books or on the internet (I don't suggest the internet... too much fluffy bunny stuff).

An excellent source for people interested in learning about Wicca: http://wicca.timerift.net

Answer 3

what do they actually BELIEVE in? wicca is basically a fertility cult of sorts so we believe in preserving the Earth and stuff like that

what gods do they have? we have many gods but the two most important ones are the Lord and Lady. We also believe in the teachings of other gods such as Isis, Osiris, etc. I personally am a follower of Tenebrion, the God of Shadows and Vesta, the Roman God of Fire

what kind of rituals do they do? we do many rituals most of them involve using the earth as a symbol of appreciation for all it has done

what kind os witchcraft do they do? in my own personal experience it all depends on the person

where do they find the witchcraft and rituals? i mean, how do they know what they're supopsed to do? well Gardner pretty much inveted it so his teachings just continued down the line

Answer 4

Wiccans have the Sabbats and Esbats as their holidays. They generally believe in the God and Goddess. Which ones they follow is based on them. Some believe all gods and goddesses are one others follow specific ones. Most also follow the Wiccan Rede which many simplify to just "An it harm none, do what thou whilt" although there is much more to it than that. Some also follow the 3 fold law. Most don't practice what everyday people think of as 'witchcraft'. It is not sacrificing babies and animals and it is not like it is in the movies and tv. The rituals are personal things and can also vary on the trad they follow. They can either find their own way of doing things as in Eclectic or Solitary, or they can be initiated into a coven or circle and they will pass their methods down to them.

check out http://www.witchvox.com and http://wicca.timerift.net

Answer 5

Wicca, in general is an Earth based religion. We ascribe that ALL things are sacred, and are to be treated with respect. We have a Rede, a basic tenent if you will, the 8 most important words of the rede are "An harm ye none, do as ye will" . The Christian version is "Do unto others as you would have done unto you". I believe that the Earth is the Mother, after all, she gives birth and sustains life, air to breathe, water to drink, plants and animals for food.
I have a God and Goddess, or Lord and Lady. But there are traditions that have certian dieties, such as Dianna, Apollo, Hecate, and others that they pray to and honour.
There are many rituals that we do, for the Sabbats and Esbats, there are 8 total, 4 greater, and 4 lesser. We also have rituals for handfasting, and weddings, funerals, baby naming, and wiccanings, and many more.
Not all Wiccans practice witchcraft, but inb essesence, witchcraft is a form of prayer to the dieties, or to "tap" into the universal energies to make things happen. Much like a christian would pray to God, to make it rain, or to help a sick friend, we do the same thru rituals and magic, (and yes, I spell it without the K at the end, welcome to the 21st century.)
Thru lots of readng and studying about plants and herbs that are used in rituals and witchcraft, about colors and their meanings, and stones and gems and metals. We can combine these things, to create energies to bring about change. (there is no wiggling of the nose, or snap of the fingers to amke it happen instantly, it doesn't work like that, if you have ever prayed for something real hard, it takes a while to come to fruition.)
Just like the beginnings n Chritianity, there were no words of prayer, or set guidelines for ceremonies, that had to be created by man, and woman, it is the same for wiccans and witches, we meditate and feel the wording, we study as i mentioned, herbs and plants ect, to see which ones will be the best to use to create a positive energy for our works.
It's easy to go out and buy books by others, and use their words and rituals, or be taught what to say and how to say it. But I learned, that useing others spells and rituals, did not bring me much satifaction. It wasn't until I actualy went and began to study in earnest, and began to create my own rituals, my own incense, and oils and make candles, did I find a deeper connection to the Earth, and the universe in general.
It takes a lot of hard work, and willingness to do this, to read books, and seperate "fluff" from actual usefulness. How to create energies, without harming others.
I hope this helps a little.

Answer 6

Easy answer to your question? Buy the Book by Scott Cunningham, "Wicca: A Guide fo the Solitary Practitioner." While just by reading this book alone, you won't be an expert on the topic, you will have a good basis of understanding of the tennets of Wicca... also, any answer I give you within this little box will be inherantly less than reading an entire book about the topic. I suggest buying it at Half Price Books (or another Used bookstore) as it will be very cheap, and they always have a few copies of this book. It's also well written and an easy read, which are added benefits. (easier than the bible anyhow)

Answer 7

www.witchvox.com
www.wikipedia.com

Wicca for the Solitary Practitioner by Scott Cunningham
Complete Book of Witchcraft by Raymond Buckland

Wicca can cover a vast set of deities and rituals. Check out the websites and books. I've starred this so my Wiccan friends here can add some links and more explanation. I'll check back and add, right now gotta get some food and see a sick friend.

Answer 8

Heathenry is the reconstruction of the practices of the ancient pre-Christian indigenous Northern European (aka Germanic which includes, but is not limited to, Norse). Heathenry is also sometimes referred to as Asatru or Forn Sed.

Try the website of the Asatru Folk Assembly.

http://www.runestone.org

They have a good online basic introduction primer on Asatru for beginners:

http://www.runestone.org/introduction/primer.html

Wicca was invented by Gerald Gardner in the 1940's and 1950's. While inspired by ancient European pagan religions, much of his material came from Freemasonry, 19th and early 20th Century Western ceremonial magick (Golden Dawn and Crowley which is where circle casting, calling quarters, athames, etc. came from), and Theosophy as well as the academically discredited theories of Margaret Murray (Horned God and Goddess duality, ancient universal "matriarchal" agrarian society claims, etc.). He cobbled it together into a workable system which many folks find useful.

Answer 9

I think Frau and wraeth got it right.

and look it up on Yahoo. I chose Wicca because it still appealed to me AFTER I did all my OWN research...

Answer 10

This is waaaaaay too broad to be covered here. Many of these questions could have any number of answers depending upon what tradition you are practicing. But as far as what we believe, this is usually pretty general for most of us: We live by the Wiccan Rede as closely as we can. There is a VERY long version and a very short version. (Short verson: 'An ye harm none, do as ye will.") Here is the mid-version that I learned as homework in my first week of study with my Crone High Priestess:

Bide the Wiccan Law ye must
In perfect love and perfect trust
Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill:
'An ye harm none, do as ye will.
What ye put forth will come back to thee
So ever mind the Laws of Three.
Follow this in mind and heart
Merry ye meet and Merry ye Part.

We also follow the Thirteen Principles of Wiccan Belief as set forth by the American Council of Witches, in April, 1974, but they have since disbanded (what a shame). I also had to memorize these for my 1st Degree test. Here they are:

1. We practice rites to attune ourselves with the natural rhythm of life forces marked by the phases of the Moon and the seasonal Quarters and Cross Quarters.

2. We recognize that our intelligence gives us a unique responsibility towards our environment. We seek to live in harmony with Nature, in ecological balance offering fulfillment to life and consciousness within an evolutionary concept.

3. We acknowledge a depth of power far greater than that apparent to the average person. Because it is far greater than ordinary it is sometimes called "supernatural", but we see it as lying within that which is naturally potential to all.

4. We conceive of the Creative Power in the universe as manifesting through polarity-as masculine and feminine-and that this same Creative Power lies in all people, and functions through the interaction of the masculine and feminine. We value neither above the other, knowing each to be supportive of the other. We value sex as pleasure, as the symbol and embodiment of life, and as one of the sources of energies used in magickal practice and religious worship. 2

5. We recognize both outer and inner, or psychological, worlds -- sometimes known as the Spiritual World, the Collective Unconscious, Inner Planes, etc. -- and we see in the interaction of these two dimensions the basis for paranormal phenomena and magickal exercises. We neglect neither dimension for the other, seeing both as necessary for our fulfillment.

6. We do not recognize any authoritarian hierarchy, but do honor those who teach, respect those who share their greater knowledge and wisdom, and acknowledge those who have courageously given of themselves in leadership.

7. We see religion, magick and wisdom-in-living as being united in the way one views the world and lives within it -- a world view and philosophy of life which we identify as Witchcraft, the Wiccan Way.

8. Calling oneself "Witch" does not make a Witch -- but neither does heredity itself, nor the collecting of titles, degrees and initiations. A Witch seeks to control the forces within her/himself that make life possible in order to live wisely and well without harm to others and in harmony with Nature. 3

9. We believe in the affirmation and fulfillment of life in a continuation of evolution and development of consciousness, that gives meaning to the Universe we know, and our personal role within it.

10. Our only animosity towards Christianity, or toward any other religion or philosophy of life, is to the extent that its institutions have claimed to be "the only way," and have sought to deny freedom to others and to suppress other ways of religious practice and belief.

11. As American Witches, we are not threatened by debates on the history of the Craft, the origins of various terms, the origins of various aspects of different traditions. We are concerned with our present and our future.

12. We do not accept the concept of absolute evil, nor do we worship any entity known as "Satan" or "the Devil", as defined by Christian tradition. 4 We do not seek power through the suffering of others, nor do we accept that personal benefit can be derived only by denial to another.

13. We believe that we should seek within Nature that which is contributory to our health and well-being.