Introduction to Wicca.

There are many mis-conceptions that go along with this religion, and I hope to dispell them here. First off, Wiccans do not worship the Devil. The Devil is a Christian concept, and since Wiccans aren't Christian, Wiccans don't aknowledge the Devil. We believe that we are each responsible for our own actions, and no "Devil" can make us do anything against our will. Secondly, we are not a "Witch Cult". A cult is a group of people following one person, leader, or "guru", who is usually only trying to extract money out of its followers. Since there is no central figure in Wicca, and it is rare to find a teacher who will charge you for their services, Wicca cannot be a cult. Wiccans are peace-loving people, people I've found to be very intelligent. Most stumble across Wicca, and discover that its belief system is very similar to their own.

Wicca is a polytheistic, pre-Christian, Earth-based religion. Its principal Deities are a Goddess and a God, who togeather create the One, the Source of All Creation. Wicca embraces such concepts as reincarnation, magick and the idea that Nature is a sacred thing.

By polytheistic, I mean a religion which embraces many different Gods and Goddesses. Different Wiccans may choose to worship specific groupings of God/desses, called Pantheons. A few different pantheons are ones derived from Norse, Celtic, Greek and Roman mythology (to name a few). Some Wiccans, however, choose to leave their God/dess nameless and faceless. But no matter how you see Them, They are the Embodiment of all that is, was, and will be, and therefore there is no right or wrong name or visage for Them. They are what you make Them.

Many of the concepts in Wicca pre-date the rise of Christianity. A Mother Goddess was recognized along with her Consort, the God. People practised a sort of sympathetic, folk magick. Lore and knowledge of herbs were passed down from Mother to Daughter. Men knew how to hunt for food while still honouring the spirit of the animal. Fertility rituals were celebrated in Spring to encourage good crops. The changes of the Seasons were also marked with celebration and ritual. After years of persecution and negative media, this beautiful religion has emerged, more moving and meaningful than ever, into the light.

To a Wiccan, Sacred and Holy ground is the Outdoors, where we are closest to Mother Nature and all her beauty and energy. Wicca sees the Earth and all creatures upon it as connected, filled with life and energy. Many Wiccan rituals take place outside, such as the Sabbats. These festivals occur eight times a year, and mark the changing seasons.

Wicca is not a fad, a fabrication of media and pop. culture, or a "phase" to go through. Wicca is a very real, very involving religion, with a lifetime of study, thought and practise. If you allow it to, Wicca can fill your entire life with light.

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The Rede

Wicca is a fairly "flexible" religion, meaning that most of it is open to interpretation. However, there are basic ground rules, and the Rede is the main one. There is a long version, however, the Rede can be summed up into eight words:

"An it harm none, do what you will"

This means that your actions should not bring harm to any person, including yourself. This can be applied not only to spells, but to daily life. You'll find that Wiccans are peace-loving, and very concious of their actions. The harm spoken of in the Rede is not only physical. This includes emotional, spiritual, and psycological. When working a spell, we have to consider all of these things. A spell used to control a specific person would be in direct violation of the Rede. However, there are acceptions. If you are being threatened, then by all means, defend yourself, aslong as you are justified in doing so. By this, I mean defend yourself at the time. Getting "revenge" on a person who has hurt you in the past is to harm them. Instead, we can ask for inner peace and forgiveness, and know that the Gods will see to it that they get what they deserve. Like the saying goes: "An eye for an eye will make the World blind".

Although these tasks may seem very easy, they aren't. The Rede requires alot of thought and meditation. Some Wiccans are Vegetarian, because they feel that killing animals is a violation of the Rede. There are so many things to consider: harm to the environment, harm to animals, harm to people, to the unborn, and to ourselves. This can all be very overwhelming, but take time to think over each issue. Where do you stand? What exceptions do you feel can be made? Like I said, there is thought and study involved in all aspects of Wicca.

The Wiccan Rede is a wonderful concept, and no matter how you interprete it, it's something that can be applied to anyone, regardless of cultural background, race or religion.

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Magick and Spells

One thing that is totally unique about Wicca is the common belief in Magick. Magick can be used to bring about change to your life, and can be anything from a whispered prayer before a small candle flame, or an elaborate ritual in the light of a full moon. Almost anything goes, aslong as you are totally comfortable, and truly believe in yourself and your working.

When using magick, we using our own personal energy, along with the energy from the Earth, and from the Divine Source. By focusing all this energy on a specific goal, by building this up, and by eventually releasing it all into the Universe, we are preforming magick. However, we cannot expect immediate results. For example, after casting a spell to get a job, we can't just sit at home and wait for employers to call. The magick gives you that boost you need to go out with a resume, and approach potential employers with confidence. Like I said, Wicca is an involving religion, and magick is not excluded from this.

Before using magick, we must always consider the Rede. Is your goal going to harm yourself or anyone else? An example of something harmful would be a love spell on a specific person. (I use this because its common) By casting a spell on a particular person, you are forcing that person to fall in love with you, against their will. Instead, try a spell to bring love-in general-into your life. No one is being forced into anything, because everyone benefits from true love.

Magick can be used for almost anything; the possibilities are virtually endless. I myself use magick when I need to overcome something, like a fear or a mental block, in order to achieve my goals. Some traditions rarely use magick, and when they do, they use it for protection or healing. Its really up to the individual.

When used correctly and in accordance with the Rede, magick can enrich and transform your life. Use it wisely.

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Reincarnation

Reincarnation is a belief held by all Wiccans. However, I will mention that Wicca is not the only religion to adhere to this philosophy. Buddhism, for example, does aswell.

Those who hold the belief of Reincarnation think that our souls incarnate in many different lives, and many different forms. Our souls use these different forms as vehicles to learn what lessons they must. Some believe that we only ever incarnate as human beings, dogs always as dogs, cats always as cats etc. Others believe we can incarnate as anything, others that we start out as a rock, and work our way "up". This is were the thinking/studying part comes in. What do you think happens?

Some believe that in each of our lives, there are lessons we must learn, and lessons we must help to teach. These "lessons" are predetermined, and we are given a set of choices, which ultimatly lead to our learning.

At the end of each life, or lesson, our bodies die and our souls move on to the Summer Country. There, our souls relax and grow young again, while reviewing what lessons have been learned, and which have been missed. This is also where future lessons are determined. Also, we may become spirit guides while inbetween our lives, helping the living to learn. When the Gods see fit, we are reborn onto this Earth.

Once we learn all of our lessons, our souls reach a sort of perfection, and spend the rest of eternity in the Summer Country with the Gods and Goddesses, aswell as loved ones.

Although my personal belief system does not include reincarnation, many do find it a logical explanation to the afterlife. I think that many "beginners" have problems with this concept, and if you find that you simply cannot accept it, than don't. There is no sense in "believing" something you don't find to be true. It doesn't make you any less of a Pagan to do what is comfortable to you. Look into it, study it, and then make your decision.

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Deity

Wicca is a polytheistic religion, meaning that there are many Gods and Goddesses. They come from many different types of mythology: Greek, Norse, Celtic, Italian, Roman (to name a few) Each of these God/desses have unique characteristics, and are all a part of The God and The Goddess-it is said that "All Gods are one God, and all Goddesses are one Goddess". They, in turn, make up the All. The All is sort of like a Universal Force; everything is a part of the All, and the All is a part of everything. This means that everyone sort of has a "direct line" to the Gods and the Goddesses! Confused yet?

Many people come to Wicca from patriarchal religions, meaning a religion that recognizes only a male God. Many people find these types of religions to value men over women, and to deny a more "feminine" side in men. To people who feel this, Wicca is like a breath of fresh air. No gender is valued over another, because everyone is equal, and a part of the Divine (the All). The Goddesses get the same "attention" as the Gods.

In some cases, and almost exclusively with women, the God can be disregarded entirely, resulting in a sort of feminest Withcraft, the Dianic tradition. Covens of this sort usually exclude men, and many change the spelling of "woman/women" to "wimmin" or "womyn". In my opinion, this is not truly Wicca, because Wicca embraces both the male and the female, the God and the Goddess. Dianic "Wicca", or Witchcraft, is not the "wrong way", as some women find true spiritual fufilment from a matriarchal religion.

Alot of traditions focus only on one pantheon (Greek pantheon, Celtic pantheon etc) and follow a tradition based on that pantheon's Gods and Goddesses. Some Wiccans feel a sort of "calling" to one particular Goddess or God, and serve them throughout their spiritual path. Still other Wiccans (myself included) choose to leave their God and Goddess nameless and faceless. How you see them is up to you.

The Goddess

The Wiccan Goddess is also known as the "triple Goddess": Maiden, Mother and Crone.
• The Maiden is the Goddess in Her youngest form, innocent and virgin, on the threshold of womanhood, only just discovering Her body, and Her capabilities to give new life. She is symbolized in the first quarter of the moon, the Waxing Moon.
• The Mother is the Goddess at the peak of Her fruitfulness, Her fertility. She is the bearer of life, of nurishment, and of health. She is symbolized in the moon at its fullest phase, at the peak of its powers.
• The Crone is the Goddess in her Oldest and Wisest form. She knows all about life, and is the bringer of Death. She rules the night and the shadows. She is symbolized in the moon's darkest phase - some say when the moon is waning (last quarter), and some say when there is no moon (a "dark moon")

The Goddess is a part of us all, no matter what phase of our lives we are in, and no matter what gender we are. For many women, she is a female role-model. She is powerful yet tender, at once a beautiful young woman and a hunched over old crone. To men, she is the feminine side of the soul. Wiccans view Her in many different ways. To some she is the epitome of beauty: her gown the stars, the moon a jewel on her forehead. To others, she is like a Grandmother, sitting by the fire telling tales and weaving a quilt of Life. And to others still, she is faceless, simply a female prescence.

There is no wrong way to see her. Study Goddess mythology, and decide if there is a particular Goddess for you. Meditate...she will show her face to you with time.

The God

For a large chunk of my path, I have had trouble relating to the God. I was stuck to the Christian philosophy of God, and was, to be blunt, scared of Him. However, with time, I have come to see that He is a very important figure in my Craft, and here I will tell you how I see him.

The Wiccan God is symbolized in the Sun, and his "life" is played out in the changing seasons. He is Son and Lover to the Goddess. This is not, however, some sort of cosmic incest, it is symbolic of many things; the love that can exist not only between husband and wife, but between mother and son. It is also symbolic of the seasons, which I will go into further in the Sabbats section.

The God, to me, is much like the Goddess. He is a sort of Father figure, non-judgmental, wise and loving. He is the rain that drenches the Earth (a symbol of the Goddess), and the Sunlight that encourages everything to grow. He teaches us of the cycles of life, and shows us that after death, there is the promise of rebirth.

Without the God, we are following an unbalanced path, but with him, we follow one of perfect balance. Like with the Goddess, I would encourage you to study God mythology, and to meditate on what He means to you, how He is present in your life.

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The Pentagram

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Glossary

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