~ WICCA ~

I don't believe in reinventing the wheel. So while I will certainly write more articles of my own in the long run to awe and amuse you, I also bow to those who have gone before with these links. Most of them have said what I would say, but in many cases have said it so much more eloquently than I ever could. I've tried to link only to sites which I feel are responsible, but the fact that I have chosen to link to a group does not mean that I agree with everything that they say. Infinite diversity in infinite combination (a Vulcan adage) is a good thing! Commentary is occasionally included. Several of the Q & A articles are currently being written, I plan to have them up soon so check back often.

Contents

What is Wicca?

Religion or "Craft"?

Core Beliefs

Different Traditions

History and Myth

Miscellaneous Links

What is "Witchcraft"?

"Witchcraft" vs. "witchcraft"

Wicca: Witchcraft as Religion

Folk Magic

Witchcraft in other cultures

Miscellaneous Links

Religious Practices

Wiccan God/dess

How do I find out More?

Beginner's Primers

The Solitaire's Journey

Finding a Coven /Teacher

Bibliographies

General Wiccan Information Links

Just Neat Stuff

What is Wicca?

Religion or "Craft"?

Wicca is a religion. There is often a lot of confusion caused by the fact that Wicca is also known as Witchcraft (or Wiccacraeft - the Craft of the Wise). Without getting into the deep and lengthy etymological arguments surrounding the word wicca/wicce, my answer to this question is that Witchcraft is a religion, while witchcraft is a craft which is both an art and a science. Almost all Wiccans, whether they call themselves Witches or not, practice some form of witchcraft, or folk magick, within their religion. Witchcraft is not, however, equal to Wicca (although it may be for some practitioners and some Wiccans / Witches consider it so.)

So the answer is that Wicca is a religion, while many Wiccans / Witches interweave their religion so much with their craft that there is little or no dividing line. Which is certainly their right. Where I feel that some Wiccan / Witches cross the line is when they ignore the fact that witchcraft has so many different meanings and is a cross-cultural phenomenon and seek to co-opt the term to the exclusion of all the other witches in many different cultures who also call themselves 'witch'.

I'm preparing a page on the history of Wicca and witchcraft which will contain more information on this viewpoint and which will include the information on the etymological arguments. That article is currently being researched and may take awhile. In the meantime, some good sources on this question are:

• Drawing Down The Moon by Margot Adler
• The Spiral Dance by Starhawk
• The Truth About Witchcraft Today by Scott Cunningham
• Covencraft: Witchcraft For Three Or More by Amber K

Core Beliefs

Core beliefs within Wicca can vary from Tradition to Traditon, however The Council of American Witches who met in April of 1974 was able to come to consensus on a statement of principles with which many Wiccans agree. Their full Principle of Wiccan Beliefs is available here.

From my own experience here are what I would consider the core beliefs of Wicca:
{the "your mileage may vary" rule is in full force}

1. Wiccans believe in manifest Divinity, the Divine present in our lives.
2. Wiccans have different ways that they percieve the Divine. Some are strict polytheists believing in many gods as defined as real entities and personalities. Others believe that the Divine is unknowable and that the many gods and goddesses are manifestations of the "One" or the "All" or the Universe which we are more readily able to understand. Yet others believe that both of these ideas embrace but do not fully define the truth
3. Wiccans honor the Feminine Divine. Many Wiccans honor both the Masculine and the Feminine principles of the Divine. (Dianic Wiccans often honor only the Goddess).
4. Wiccans consider Nature as sacred. Many Wiccans are pantheistic in nature.
5. Wiccans have an affinity for and a connection with nature, especially weather and seasonal changes and moon phases.
6. Wiccans celebrate the 8 seasonal festivals known as the Wheel of the Year (although they don't always agree on dates) and the phases of the moon.
7. Wiccans believe in magick, in the power of myth and in the transformation which can be found in ritual.
8. By far the majority of Wiccans (although not all) follow the Wiccan Rede, the Law of Three (or Law of Return) and the Charge of the Goddess as ethical guides.
9. Some Wiccans also follow some version of Wiccan Law which has been handed down throught their tradition. The most popular modern version of Wiccan Law is A New Wiccan Book of the Law compliled and edited by Lady Galadriel of the Grove of the Unicorn.
10. Wiccans believe in the interconnectivity of all life and all consciousness, also known as the 'web of life'.
11. Most Wiccans believe in reincarnation and some version of the law of Karma. Wiccans therefore see death and birth as simply parts of the same cycle and as being reflected mythically in the Wheel of the Year.
12. Wiccans consider sexuality as sacred and consider sex as symbolic of the Divine Creative Principle.
13. Most Wiccans consider nudity in much the same manner as naturalists do, as something natural and balanced rather than specifically sexual in nature. Wiccans tend to see the body as simply another creation of nature or God/dess and find no reasoning behind modesty and "shame". Ritually, Wiccans view nudity as a symbol of freedom (from slavery) and of equality.

Different Traditions ("denominations")

Within Wicca, the different paths, once established, are called Traditions, rather than denominations. Most of the links below lead to pages on Witchvox's "Traditions and Paths" pages, which includes Wiccan, NeoPagan, Heathen and Ceremonial Magic groups. More traditions and paths are listed there than I have room for here. 

There is often debate about whether or not one can "start" their own "Tradition" (since "tradition" implies repetition); one side of the argument being that one cannot begin a tradition by simply creating it, that it has to be "passed down" to be a tradition; the other side of the argument being that all traditions have to begin somewhere, so beginning one's own is as valid as following an existing tradition, if one's own tradition is then taught and handed down.  I see both sides, but having grown up in a family and then been married, I know that within my own family we had traditions which were passed down, and then new traditions which we created for our own family. As with most things, I feel that if it works for you, it's valid. But expect that other people will disagree with you.

• Traditionalist - Any tradition which is based on the myths and traditions of a specific country and culture are often referred to as Traditionalist. Some examples are Norse Wicca and the Welsh Wicca Traditions. Traditionalist Wiccan paths are different from cultural Reconstructionist paths and paths which to be cultural forms of Witchcraft, such as Asatru (Norse Reconstruction), Religio Romana (Roman Reconstructionist),  Celtic Reconstrution and Strega (Italian Witchcraft), none of which are actually Wicca.

It's important to note here, that some people use "Traditionalist" to mean simply that they follow a specific pantheon.  This not precisely correct.  To be a "Traditionalist", it is assumed that one is connected in some way to an existing tradition of following that cultural path.  

• Gardnerian - Gardnerian is used by purists to refer to those covens which descend directly from Gerald Gardner's coven on the Isle of Man. It is sometimes also used to refer to any coven which follows the forms of the Gardnerian tradition, although such covens are also referred to as Neo-Gardnerian and Gardnerian Eclectic.
• Alexandrian - the tradition created by Alexander Sanders.
• Seax Wicca - the tradition created by Raymond Buckland.
• Feri Wicca - the tradition created by Victor and Cora Anderson. Not to be confused with the Rainbow Fairies, a gay men's spirituality group, or the Faerie Faith, a branch of the McFarland Dianic tradition.
• Dianic Wicca - a group of traditions within Wicca which give primary or exclusive focus to the Goddess, this group often includes feminist covens which follow the teachings of Z Budapest or Morgan McFarland.  Witchvox has several articles on the Dianic Tradition, including one on mixed-gender DianicWicca.
• Reclaiming Tradition - the tradition begun by Starhawk (author of the Spiral Dance.)
• Eclectic Traditions - Eclectics usually have studied many different traditions and base their own traditions on a philosophy of "if it works, use it". This seems to be the largest growing segment of Wicca today, which is not necessarily a good thing as many eclectics develop their tradition by simply mixing and matching what they read in books without in depth study or research to determine what truly works well for them. I would caution that you keep the following in mind when reviewing eclectic paths.  "Eclectic" is not the same as "mish-mash".  Just as in cooking, one should consider ones ingredients well, and make sure that they work well together, or you'll just end up with an unpalatable mess.

History and Myth

Recent Developments in the Study of The Great European Witch Hunt

Wicca is NOT Celtic!

Miscellaneous Links

Alt.Religion.Wicca FAQ

Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance site on Wicca

Covenant of the Goddess: About Witchcraft

CoG: Commonly Asked Questions

What is "Witchcraft"?

The difference between Witchcraft and "witchcraft"

Wicca: Witchcraft as religion

Folk Magic: "witchcraft" as art, science and cultural traditions.

Witchcraft in other cultures

Miscellaneous Links

What do Wiccans / Witches do?

Who are the Wiccans / Witch's God(s)

The Witches' Goddess : The Feminine Principle of Divinity by Janet and Stewart Farrar

The Witches' God : Lord of the Dance by Janet and Stewart Farrar

How Do I find out More

Beginner's Primers

All One Wicca: A book on Wicca Online and Free - by Kaatryn MacMorgan (LadyKaat).

The PhoenixSpirit Clan Training Program can be taken as an online extension program through the Seeker's phase. If interested in the training program, please email me at catdeville@cox.net.

The Solitaire's Journey

Finding a Coven / Finding a Teacher

Covenant of the Goddess : Local Councils

The Witches Voice Contact List

CoG: So You Think You've Found a Teacher... - a good article on evaluating a future teacher.

The PhoenixSpirit Clan - my fledgling coven is currently accepting applicants. Please read our page to see if we're your kind of coven.

Bibliographies

Cat Deville's Online Bookstore: Resources for Wiccans and Pagans - in association with Amazon.com

The CAW Bibliography and Bookstore - (also an Amazon.com Associate)

General Wiccan Information Links

The Witches' Voice (WitchVox)

Reclaiming Home Page

Starhawk's Home Page

Just Neat Stuff

The links below are miscellaneous links to other Wiccan related sites. They didn't fit under a category above, but I think that they're worth a visit.

The Blessed Bee:Pagan Cyberstore: HOME - They are "a Pagan, Wiccan, New Age, Alternative Spirituality, Witchcraft, "add-your-own-label-here"  site, carrying a wide variety of jewelry, crystals, knives, swords, ritual items, altar equipment, clothing, leather goods, and more...including a HUGE selection of pentacles and pentagrams. (They) also have sections on information, humor, festivals & gatherings, and a selection of links to other exciting sites!"

Copyrights, Credits, Disclaimers and other "legalise".

Unless otherwise noted, all graphics and artwork on all pages of this site are assumed to be in the Public Domain or are used with the artist's permission. Graphics credits and source information for all graphics can be found on this page. All written materials are copyright by Catherine Deville, 1999, unless otherwise noted. Please notify me immediately if you have any copywrite concerns.

Parchment graphics including the background and buttons for this page and all parchment pages are compliments of RSDMSPT@aol.com . This collection can be downloaded from AOL or you may contact the artist directly.

~Goddess 2000 Project~ graphics including Willendorf banners and buttons are courtesy of Abby Willowroot

This page was designed with the help of Microsoft Front Page Express ver. 2.0.2.1118.

Webmistress: CatDeville@cox.net

Last revised: August 06, 2006 .