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What is
Wicca?
Wicca is an eclectic religious belief system centering around gods, goddesses, and
nature worship. Gary Cantrell, a well known Wiccan author says Wicca is based on
"harmony with nature and all aspects of the god and goddess divinity."1
Wiccan practice involves the manipulation of nature through various
rituals in attempts to gain power, prestige,
love, or whatever else a Wiccan wants.
It uses symbols in its ceremonies and follows the
calendar in reference to Wiccan festivals.
Its roots are in ancient agrarian Celtic Society. It is
considered Neo Pagan (based on old
European and pre-Christian belief systems). Wicca
does not have a structure of clergy and/or congregations. But it does
have priests and priestesses which are in leadership positions within
covens that have
witches. The varying traditions of
Wicca have different requirements for attaining the level of priest and
priestess. Some of the
more common varieties of Wicca are 1734,
Alexandrian, Celtic,
Dianic, Dicordian,
Eclectic, Gardnerian,
and Georgian. Wicca is even recognized as
a religion in the military.
One of the most common aspects of working theology is
the teaching of reincarnation and karma. The purpose of
reincarnation is to learn lessons through the various lives. “This process of
reincarnation is repeated for numerous lifetimes until a development of
the Spirit is reached where the spirit can truly merge with the male and
female balanced creator/creatrix entity. We returned to the God and to
the Goddess.”2 Karma is the law of cause and
effect that "does not punish nor reward. It is simply a universal
law that reacts to causation until disharmony is illuminated."3
Wicca does not claim to be the only way but says that
all spiritual traditions and paths are valid to those who practice them.4
It accepts "the fact that all
life is sacred, including plant, animal, and human."5
Generally, Wiccans do not believe in the existence of a
devil (they are not Satan worshippers). They have no orgies or public displays of sexuality in their rituals
(though some Wiccan traditions practice nudity and sexuality not open to
the public), no
bestiality, and no blood sacrifices. They do not practice
spells with the intention to harm people. They deny that there are moral absolutes,
believe that nature is divine, and seek to be in harmony with the earth/nature.
Is it recognized as a religion by the government?
Absolutely.
"Wicca is a bona fide religion, Mr. Barr. It has been recognized by the
courts, and legal Wiccan clergy can be found in every state in the United
States. We have chaplains in many American and Canadian prisons. Our guiding
principle, the Wiccan Rede, admonishes us to harm none."6
The Wiccan Rede and
the Threefold Law
There are two basic codes that the Wiccans live by.
First is the Wiccan Rede which states,
"An Ye Harm
None, Do What Ye Will". This means that a Wiccan is free to use
his or her magic as long as it doesn't harm anyone.
The second is the Threefold Law which says that all the good you do will return to threefold in this life.
Likewise, all the harm you do will return to threefold as well.
The God and Goddess
There is an ultimate life
force called "The One," or "The All" from which the male and female
aspects of life emerged, i.e., the god and goddess. The Divine, god or goddess, depending on who
you are talking to, can have different names. There can even be references to different gods from
other theological systems: Hinduism, Egyptian, Buddhism, ancient Greece,
Sumerian, Christian, etc. In Wicca it
doesn’t really matter what name is given to a person’s concept of God as
long as you have one, or two, or more.
One Wiccan might consider God to be self-aware,
another may not. It all depends on the angle that an individual Wiccan takes in his or her theological construction of what best works.
It is a religion of self design. In Wiccan theology, because god can show different
characteristics in different ways to different people, Wiccans can have different
and even contradictory conceptions of God. This is not a problem
to them because they maintain that it is
only the limited aspects of individual perceptions of god that
appear contradictory.
“as Wiccans, we
acknowledge and worshiped the old gods and goddesses in the form
both pleasing to Them and meaningful to us…”7
Why is Wicca
attractive?
Wicca is attractive for many people who do not desire
or appreciate absolute truths. In Wicca, a person is free to discover
his or her own "path." In other words, he or she is free to invent
a religious system that suits his or her desires.
“If you are just
beginning a study of paganism, you may need to evaluate many
different traditions or paths before finding the one for which you
are looking. Your chosen path in the old religion must be one that
is uniquely suited to you as an individual and one that lets you
speak to the Lord and Lady in your own fashion.”8
It should be obvious that Wicca is a religion of personal preference. In
other words, you are free to invent, devise, and develop a religion that
suits your personal wants and interests. Furthermore, in Wicca you may attempt
to manipulate your surroundings and other individuals through spells and
incantations. This combination of developing a religion that suits
your personal preferences and trying to influence others is very
appealing to a lot of people.
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1. Cantrell, Gary., Wiccan Beliefs and Practices.
St. Paul, Minn: Llewellyn Publications,
2004. p. 20.
2. ibid. p. 27.
3.
Grimassi, Raven., Encyclopedia of Wiccan Witchcraft.,
St. Paul, Minn: Llewellyn Publications,
2003, 240.
4.
Cantrell, Gary., Wiccan Beliefs and Practices.
p. 9.
5. Drew, A. J., A Wiccan Bible: Exploring the mysteries of the craft from birth to
summerland.,
Franklin Lakes, NJ; New Page Books, 2003, p. 32.
6.
An
illogical leap, Washington Times, The (DC), 07328494, May 19, 2004,
Letters., pg A16.
7.
Cantrell, Gary., Wiccan Beliefs and Practices.
p. 18.
8. ibid., p. 13.
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