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Witchcraft, also known as Wicca, is growing more and more popular as a religion. Hand in hand with this rise in popularity is the curiosity about the religion. Being a Witch, or Wiccan, is not as simple as making the declaration of being so. Nor is it as simple as lighting candles and casting “spells”. It is a belief structure just like any other, with its own rules and acceptable behaviors. Most Wiccans out there readily adhere to the beliefs and strictures contained in this article.

However, Witchcraft has suffered for centuries under a bad reputation. Its roots are found deep within Europe, from a time that easily predates Christianity. Though the church has played a large role in creating the misconceptions that most people have about Wicca, Hollywood has had a hand in the pot as well.

Wicca, Witchcraft and Paganism are in no way, shape or form related to Christianity. Witches do not believe in the deities set forth by that faith, and therefore, do not worship them. Thus, Witchcraft and devil worship are different topics. This article is about the beliefs and guiding principles of Wicca.

Most religions have a “code of conduct” or a set of rules that its followers must adhere to in order to remain in the good graces of the belief system and the community. In this way, Wicca is just like all the others. In Wicca, this set of rules is known as The Wiccan Rede. It is a rather long incantation that is spoken as part of most Wiccan rituals. A part of The Rede states, “If it harms none, do as thou will”.

For most Wiccans, this is the essence of their code of conduct. Any actions they take are balanced against this belief.

Tied intricately to this concept is the Law of Karma. Most people are familiar with the idea of karma. For a witch, this idea is usually expressed as the “times three” concept; whatever kind of energies you are creating and setting forth into the universe will return back to you, times three.

These two concepts are the foundation that Wicca rests upon. It all meshes well with what has come to be known as The Law of Attraction. If one strives to cultivate positive energy in their surroundings and their relationships, then positive energy will come back to them. However, the reverse is also true.

In addition to these ideas, Wiccans also believe in a Deity known as The Goddess, as well as her consort, The God. The two together are the basis for the Wiccan concept of Deity, or a higher being. The two gods are often represented as a trinity, marking the cycles of life. For the Goddess, it is The Maiden, Mother and Crone, while the God is represented as The Father, Son and Sage.

The holidays that witches celebrate, known as Sabbats, coincide with the trinity concept. In the spring, witches celebrate the conception and birth related to nature coming out of its dormant winter state. In the warmer summer months, the Father and Mother are honored as nature is in its prime stage of growth. When the seasons turn colder, the Crone and Sage are revered, as nature prepares for the death of winter and subsequent rebirth the following spring.

These are the basic tenants of Wicca. In essence, it is a peaceful religion the follows the cycles of nature and life.

If you want to learn more about Wicca and Witchcraft, please visit my site Beginner’s Witchcraft.

Author: Joshua Traversie
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Pagan, which once meant country dweller, is now coined as the term for a spirituality that is not one of the Big three monotheistic faiths of Christianity, Islam or Judaism. Many folks use Paganism as an umbrella term for many earth-based, or earth honoring spiritual paths. To further break it down many refer to Paganism as what ancient Pre-Christian people practiced, and refer to what is practiced today as Neo-Paganism. Wicca is just one of the many Pagan faiths out there. Pagans refer to themselves as many different things such as Wiccan, Asatru, Celtic, Hellenic, or Roman Re-constructionist, Heathen, Witch, Traditional Witch, Green Witch, Elemental Witch, Pantheist, Polytheist, or even Just Pagan.

I am very interested in learning about Wicca, Witchcraft and Paganism….Now what do I do?

If you are interested in the subject and want to learn more, read as much information from as many different sources as you can. Never take any one teaching or opinion on the subject as set in stone, and the one true way. You will find that many people say that traditional coven taught and lineage based Wicca is the only way to go, and you will find others that think it’s perfectly acceptable to learn and practice Wicca in a solitary fashion. All these different schools of thought can be daunting and confusing at first. Do not worry, and take your time. Get educated and come to your own conclusions about what you learn. Much information about Paganism and Wicca is based on scholarship and history, but much of what you read will also be based on opinion, beliefs, and guesses about what our ancestors actually did.

Looking for a Teacher, and Meeting Other Pagans

Be safe when looking for a teacher, or other Pagans to celebrate with. If you are new to Paganism and Wicca, and are looking for someone to teach you, use Common sense and be leery of ANY new person you meet. Gaining trust, and being able to trust someone takes time. Never feel pressured or rushed into anything. Do not do anything you feel uncomfortable doing, even if a particular person’s teachings dictate that you do so. My best advice on this is to join an on line social group at first (one that is welcoming to people new to Paganism) and join in on the discussion there. You will learn much by participating in on line group discussions. After you feel more comfortable, and want to venture out into the real world to meet other Pagans in or near your town, make sure you meet people in an openly public place, and not alone.

Kelly is a Mom, Wife, and Witch who grew up in FL, and now lives in beautiful PA. She identifies as an Eclectic Witch with practices heavily rooted in Wicca. She runs a small online Pagan gift and ritual supply store from her home called Enchanted Hearth. You can visit her store at http://enchantedhearth.ecrater.com

Author: Kelly Kiley
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“And they called me a witch”. The hag said relating the story to anyone who would listen. Some of us were burnt at the stake or strapped to a ducking stool. You were then ducked in a river and held under. If when they pulled you up you were coughing, spluttering and obviously alive you were declared a witch anyway and killed. If you didn’t survive, well it didn’t matter deary, you were past caring………..

There are many religions in the world, Christian, Buddhism, Catholic, Protestant, for instance and of late I discovered another.

It’s a Neopagan, earth centred religion called Wicca. Wiccans are male and female witches and wizards that attune themselves with the natural rhythm of life forces which is marked by the phases of the moon. They tend to live in harmony with, and work alongside nature. Are they tolerated in today’s fast moving world? Well not all of them look like a hippy from a commune as seen on TV from time to time. How would anyone know what religious beliefs anyone held unless told? We can only guess if we have a mind to.

This posed another question in my mind; would you recognise a witch if you saw one? Of course you would. They have long pointed and hooked noses, a black mole on their face, teeth missing, a black pointed hat and black cloak. Oh and lets not forget the broom stick and black cat sitting quietly by their side, and the cackle l almost forgot the cackle. Remember the three witches of Eastwick with Bett Midler?

At my friends wedding last year she introduced me to a very elegant young woman, who was probably in her early thirties. We spent ages talking and covering many topics. Eventually after many sunken glasses of wine she told me she was a white witch. The delay in her telling me was because she didn’t know how I would react. As it happened I became a sponge. I wanted to know everything. We found a quiet corner and she told me about her beliefs, the spells, how the earth is revered. Forgive the pun but I was spellbound. Firstly she looked normal (what was I expecting, Bett Midler in Eastwick?) Wiccans (witches) practice all kinds of magic both black and white. The black side is not something she would get involved in, but she was happy to tell me about white magic which is practiced for the good of all. If you have an interest there is much to read on the web of course. But what about the spells I hear you cry!

We are all aware of the druids and Stonehenge and the Pagan rituals practiced. My new friend was happy to tell me about the Sabbats which encompass all of this:

Winter solstice up to Dec. 21st: covering Yule and Christmas;

Imbolc: Jan 31st to beginning of Feb: Brides Day Candlemas and Groundhog Day (and you thought it was just a film)!

Vernal Equinox: March 21st: Eostre, Lady Day, Ostara, And Beltane

Summer Solstice: June Gathering Day, Midsummer, Vestalia, Lammas (we are all familiar with this one it’s the time of the longest day of course)

Fall Equinox: Sept 21st onwards. Autumn Equinox, Harvest Home. The time of gathering of hay, Church harvest festivals, corn dolls and warm log fires with mead drink on a cold night.

Now can you see how it all fits in with modern life? Things that we have been doing for years all stem from Wicca in one way or another.

But what about the spells you ask again? Be patient my dears I will get to them.
Some cowans or non Wiccans want to convert to Wicca purely for the experience of casting spells and gaining power over other people. Wicca is not about that, it’s about casting spells to help other people and learning personal discipline and effort before one becomes proficient in the art. In fact the learning never stops. They must harm none. If for instance a love spell is cast to entrap a man or woman you would be taking away their free will in order to make them fall in love. Love needs to be spontaneous not forced. A Wicca must analyse all his or her actions that she is about to take and ensure that “it harms none”.

It’s about becoming one with the earth the moon and the stars. They are close to the environment – they become a perfect fit with nature.

Wicca of course is not one single religion it is a gathering of traditions old and new age.

………..And the spells? No of course I wouldn’t tell you I’m a psychic clairvoyant and a Reiki human and animal healer – not a Wicca.

Now where’s my broom stick?

©TKG 05.03.08

http://www.teresageering.co.uk/ – My website
http://tgeering.blogspot.com/ – My Blog entitled ‘Shasta’s on the Move’

Author: Teresa Geering
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Wicca is a nature and magic based religion that is taken from the Pagan practices of ancient times. Wicca mimics other world religions with its own rituals, seasonal “holidays” and belief system. The beliefs of the religion can vary by region, since there is no orthodox method of practice or central organization. There are, however, published teachings and works that most Wiccans adhere to.

The majority of Wiccans worship a God and Goddess who are considered to be equal, complimentary beings, and often are represented by the sun and moon. There is a trinity concept in this religion, with the Triple Goddess having aspects of the “Mother”, “Crone” and “Maiden”. Many members of Wicca concede that the Goddess had to predate her companion since she is the giver of life.

It is believed that both the God and Goddess are able to take form in the body of the Wiccan coven’s Priests or Priestesses during ritual. Though they believe in deities, the concept of an afterlife doesn’t hold strong in the Wicca community. Reincarnation is a favored belief and traditional teaching.

Possibly the most adhered to text in Wicca is the Wiccan Rede, which states “and it harm none, do what ye will”. This is interpreted as meaning that as long as a person’s actions do no harm to anyone else; they can consider themselves free to pursue them. There is also the concept of the Law of Threes (also known as the Law of Threefold Return) that says whatever positive or negative actions a person puts out into the world will return threefold.

The magic rituals of Wicca are performed within a coven or group of practitioners. The rituals are usually begun by casting a circle by invoking “guardians” of the elements and associated cardinal points: North (earth), West (water), South (fire) and East (air). The four elements are thought to represent every action and being on earth. The five points of the pentagram worn by those practicing Wicca stand for the elements and the presiding spirit.

After the circle is cast, prayers are made to the God and Goddess and spells may be cast. If it is at the time of a seasonal holiday, a special ritual may be performed. Tools a coven may have on hand for the ceremony include a book of spells (Book of Shadows), an altar cloth, cauldron, chalice, wand, broom, candles, crystals, athame (ritual knife) and incense. When the ceremony is finished, the God and Goddess are thanked for their participation and blessings and the coven closes the circle.

The Book of Shadows mentioned above is sort of a personalized religious text for either a single practitioner or- more commonly- a coven. The contents are kept secret but often contain such public domain works as the Wiccan Rede. What type of book is actually used varies between Wicca practitioners.

There are many “holidays” or seasonal observances in Wicca. Full moons (and sometimes new moons) bring about the ritual Esbat. There are also eight Sabbats- four of which, the cross-quarter days, are larger than the others and relate back to ancient fire festivals. These are named Samhain, Beltane, Lammas and Imbolc. The other, lesser celebrated festivals are the Summer and Winter solstices and Spring and Autumn Equinoxes.

Victor Epand is an expert consultant for magic, art, and Tantra. You can find the best marketplace for magic, art, and Tantra at these 3 sites for Wicca, art, and Tantra.

Author: Victor Epand
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This is a no nonsense, easy to read website that answers all your questions about Wicca, what we believe, why we cast spells and how we raise power to achieve whatever we seek for total results! After nearly 40 years of following and practicing Wicca in private, and watching it change and grow, I have decided to share what I love and know with the world!

The perfect learning tool for the Wicca Beginner, you can learn everything you were always curious about in a simple easy to read way! It includes a guide to Moon phases and how they pertain to spells, and the current moon phase is always posted. A long list of Gods and Goddesses is included and an explanation of what each one represents, and why certain Gods and Goddesses are helpful and invited to assist with Spells. All ingredients needed to compose each Spell is provided!

It also includes information about some things that other Wicca websites do not address, such as Animism. You will find a huge list of Herbs along with a description of their meaning when used in Spells. Candle colors for magick rituals are fully explained. Step by step instructions are included with each Spell and Ritual, and Spells are always free!

I have also included a guide with the meaning of Gems and Crystals and how they are used in Witchcraft Rituals. You will find a list of Wicca Terms used in this website along with an explanation of their meaning. There are several Wicca Holidays and Festivals celebrated throughout the year which are described under “Wicca Calendar”.

There are many misconceptions circulating about Wicca, which sadly are made up by other religions who feel it is important that we all believe the same. There are even books written simply for the purpose of scaring people into thinking we are evil devil worshippers and destructive beings. Nothing could be further from the truth! This is part of the reason I have chosen to open up and share all I know and love about Wicca!

After you look through this website you will find that Wicca is beautiful, peaceful and easy to follow. We never try to get you to believe in anything, much less something that you cannot see, hear or touch. And unlike other religions we believe that each child is born Blessed, not born in sin as other religions which require baptism to cleanse one’s soul.

I will continue to add to this website as I find new updates almost daily.

Mary E Jones http://www.wicca-info.com

Author: Mary E Jones
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