Wicca For Beginners: What is Wicca?
What is Wicca?
Witchcraft, black magic, and a cult– these are the words that are often associated with Wicca but not entirely related to it. Actually, it is more than what we usually see in movies or series. So what exactly is Wicca?
Gerard Gardner, the father of modern Wicca first coined the term Wicca. He coined it in his publications the Witchcraft Today (1954) and The Meaning of Witchcraft (1959). With his encounter with an infamous group of witches in the New Forest, he heard the word Wicca being whispered to him. They gave the him secret and power of witchcraft through initiation. According to his book, Witchcraft Today, Wicca meant “wise people” and became the term used for the Pagan witchcraft religion.
Wicca, a modern religion.
Wicca is a modern religion with a fundamental set of beliefs, traditions and practices just like any other religion. Although the Wiccan Religion comes in many forms, its beliefs are also similar to contemporary paganism. According to Rev. Selena Fox of Circle Sanctuary despite the differences in Wicca and Paganism share one thing in common – love for nature.
In the Wicca religion, they seek to live in harmony with nature. They have personal connections with various life forms aside from humans such as animals and plants. With their love for nature, it gives them the sense of responsibility to protect it. They have specific rituals during new and full moons, and also festivals just like any other religion. They also recognize and respect the five Elements of Nature: Earth, Air, Fire, Water, Spirit. The five elements also represent North, East, South, West, and Center where they usually hold their rituals.
Wiccan Beliefs
Other than the general principle that Wicca is a search for harmony with nature, individual Wiccans have different beliefs. Some Wiccans could be monotheistic or those who believe that there is a single force that exists. Duotheistic or those who believe in both god and godesses. Lastly, polytheism or the belief in number of ancient Pagan god and goddesses representing different elements.
Some people would also ask, do Wiccans worship the devil? According to Patti Wigington, the answer is no. Contrary to popular belief, Wiccans do not worship Satan or the Devil. Some would argue pagans believing in a horned god that has a similar appearance to the devil. Wigington mentioned that Pagan deities are just often represented by a horned god archetypes. For example, Cernunnos, the god of forests in fact represents lust and fertility. There are several other horned deities, but actually reflect theories and ideals of Wicca and Paganism.
Wiccan Magick
The Wiccan Magick is different from what we usually see on TV. Aleister Crowley, one of the early leaders of Wicca added the letter ‘ K’ on the spelling to distinguish it from the practice of illusionist.
Magick is an art, a ritual and a skill and has no single-bible approach to it. According to Wicca Living, magick focuses on improving in one’s self being – may it be a personal gain or the well being of others primarily in the areas of love, wealth, and health. Wiccans have a ritual called Sabbats – an eight day festival that gives them the opportunity to renew or strengthen their beliefs in Wicca and the elements of nature.
Pop Culture has made spells, rituals, and charms daunting or terrifying among people who have little knowledge about Wicca. Magic is often portrayed in movies in a very negative way – where they use it to hurt other people. However, like any other religion, Wicca has a golden rule:
“An it harm none, do what you will”. The Wiccan golden rule means that any magical force that you have given out to other people, will return to you magnified. To illustrate, if you cast a spell to protect your loved ones from harm, you would also receive the same spell but multiplied. In the same manner, when you cast a spell to a person you hate and that spell could bring harm to that person, you would receive more harm than that person.
Wicca may seem very intimidating especially for beginners. Once you have understood the basic principles and beliefs as compared to paganism or witchcraft that we know of because of pop culture, you could definitely start practicing it. Always remember that Wicca is a religion that enables you to connect with nature, to worship your own god or goddesses, and most importantly – Wicca enables you to choose your own path.
If you want to start your Wicca journey and to learn more about the history of Wicca, its rituals, practices, and tools, visit Wiccan Online Shop.
Read more on our previous blog as well! Click HERE.
