What Is Wicca ?

[miCRoSCoPiC^eaRthLinG 0]

Hi all

I just came to know about this really cool religion called Wicca from one of the member's post. Here's a small definition:

 

Wicca

Wicca, Sometimes refered to as: Witchcraft , or The Craft , Is a nature based religion. Followers, called Wiccans , worship 2 dieties, a god and a goddess. Some Wiccans worship others as well though the most common is the 2 dieties. There is no set path for a Wiccan and often they add or subtract parts of the religion making it offer more freedom than other religons such as Christians , or Muslims .

Source: UrbanDictionary.Com

More interesting links on Wicca:

1. http://www.religioustolerance.org/witchcra.htm

2. http://www.witchvox.com/

3. https://docs.google.com/document/d/17Y_z6bm4xfb-BAYQRT02xvSUkXUQxmh-MAjiRHFVwC0/edit

4. http://wicca.org/

5. http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/

6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wicca

7. http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/

8. https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&cli&q=define:WICCA

 

Enough... am off to read all those articles. This religion sounds really cool & I'd never heard of it before - so my curiosity is highly piqued...

[thermoid 0]

You've never heard of wicca? mindless treehuggers w/o any cause or justification...

[jipman 0]

You might wanna watch your words there m8, i believe we have a wicca in our midst (moonwitch, i think)@moonwitchare you wicca? If yes, could you tell us what you do with it and believe of it?

[l337 Nurse Pedestrian 0]

Eh? Wicca is a bunch of Hoo-hah (at least in my opinon). Fairy tale stuff. I've yet to see a real witch or any documentation on them. All of them you see on TV, or on the internet is just stories, and I'm tired of people on some other crappy message boards posting topics like " I'm a witch, I made a potion yesterday ". As far as I know, Wicca has nothing to do with potions and things like that. These 'witches' are just normal average everday people, just like you and me.Normal meaning without supernatural abilities.

[MajesticTreeFrog 0]

Eh? Wicca is a bunch of Hoo-hah (at least in my opinon). Fairy tale stuff. I've yet to see a real witch or any documentation on them. All of them you see on TV, or on the internet is just stories, and I'm tired of people on some other crappy message boards posting topics like " I'm a witch, I made a potion yesterday ". As far as I know, Wicca has nothing to do with potions and things like that. These 'witches' are just normal average everday people, just like you and me.

 

Normal meaning without supernatural abilities.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well, I have known a few wiccans. They seem to come in two classes:

 

Class 1:

"Like, Witchcraft is cool. I love all the candles and spells and stuff. And it really pisses your parents off and you get to wear these cool black clothes and stuff."

 

This is the Teen Wanna Witch. Zero depth, very annoying, will threaten to curse you with her powerful and ancient spells.

 

The male version(Warlock) of a type 1 also wears black, but is less about cursing and more about getting laid with the hot Type 1 witch girls.

 

Class 2:

Class 2 doesn't get a quote. They are usually quiet about their views, liberal in overall outlook, and generally all around nice(exceptions exist).

 

 

Basically, Class 2 gets a bad name from all the ditzy Class 1s that think wearing black and a pentacle makes one a witch(or gets one laid).

[moonwitch1405241479 0]

I am not "Wicca", sorry jipman. As my name here reads... I am a witch, yes l337 you read that right And you are right, I am just a normal person like you, I don't have supernatural power Although it would be really handy at times LOL. There's no need to call any Wiccan a mindless treehugger, since some don't even hug trees See the thing is, religion, escpecially paganism is very personal. There's no written definition, yes, perhaps in a dictionary, but we each give our own description, definition, idea to it. First off, I do not levitate, I don't "freeze time", none of the TV stuff is actually a part of Wicca, WitchCraft. (For the record, you can be Wiccan, but that doesn't mean you're a witch, you can be both, but you don't have to. Wicca and WitchCraft is not the same ) Sometimes a spell can be as simple as a healing spell, which is nothing more than just anointing a blue candle with the right essential oil and chanting something. It's not like Charmed or Sabrina, even though at times I wish it was. It would sure as hell make it a whole lot easier to clean :PI don't just say I am a witch because it sounds cool, but because it FEELS (to me) it is ME, I can identify myself with it. I feel at peace, content and happier. :PWitchcraft is to me (like I said it's personal) a way of life. Not just a lil title. I love the sun, moon n stars, I love the smell of flowers, the rain falling on my face,... I love nature. And no that is not the reason I am a witch It's a part of it though. I can't really define it... It's beyond words to me, it's a part of me. As far as belief goes... I believe in a universal energy, which has a female and male aspect. The God and Goddess. Each has many names (hence the Polytheïstic nature of paganism), I believe that each name, represents a different aspect of the Goddess and God. Me personally, I am closer to the Goddess then to the God, mainly because I don't trust masculinity. (Sorry fellahs) But both are represented equally on my altar.I celebrate the Esbats and the Sabbats, just as most Wiccans do. Esbats being the Full Moons Sabbats are "witchy party dates" sorta LOL. For me, Samhain (Halloween) is New Years as well

[RainbowPhoenix 0]

I like MJF's reply, lol! We "Type 2's" have a special term for the "Type 1's" They're called "Fluff Bunnies". That's the kind of person that watches The Craft, or Buffy or whatever else such nonsense and suddenly decides they can burn a pink candle and get their boyfriend back. Serious Witches (All Wiccans are Witches but not all Witches are Wiccans - my wife and I are Witches) know better. We also know that all the bad PR out there is really making the real ones look bad, lol.Something that makes me laugh about Fluffies though is that once they decide they're a Witch (thus directly decended from King Arthur, Cleopatra, some 17 year old in Salem who was burned at the stake or any combination of the above) they're suddenly all about being persecuted by Christians or any other religion that looks at them sideways.Personally, I could care less, lol! There's enough persecution in the world (especially on a religious basis) without me adding to the hype. I go about my business, I look like a normal dude (just as my wife looks like a normal, pretty young woman), I don't feel the need to run around being all militant about my religion and I certainly don't think that everyone else must now believe as I do.If you find what I believe to be interesting, then do your homework. Wicca is the "Craft of the Wise" and wisdom comes from the ability to apply knowledge. That means you're going to need some knowledge to start with. "Mindless" isn't a term I'd use to describe my genuinely Witchy buddies. In fact, they're amoungst the higher IQ percentage of the population.In closing, I'd like to thank my wife, the Academy and all the fluffies out there helping me realize that life shouldn't be so darned serious. Just remember, when the lights go out in America and your pharmacy and supermarket is closed forever... it's the real Witches that will know enough to treat your wounds and fill your stomach with goodies they already have growing in their back yard :oBlessings,Phoenix

[karlo 0]

Wicca is not a religion. It's just a hobby. Example, if you want to make the time slow, you can do that just by using a spell. http://www.spellsandmagic.com/ is a wonderful resource! Try the money spell, and tell me if the money arrives. And tell me if it has side effects.

[RainbowPhoenix 0]

Egad... First, I honestly do NOT wish to engage in a debate over this. Second, Wicca most certainly is a religion, as recognized by the US Constitution and the Canadian Government (among others) My wife and I were married in a bona fide Wiccan Handfasting Ceremony, 100% legal and binding. It was a deeply religious experience for both of us and extremely serious for everyone involved.As far as slowing time or generating money, that's back to the nonsense stuff. Please, before you begin bashing other people's viewpoints and religion, ensure you have something to swing with. As I said earlier, I could honestly care less what people think of me as a Pagan, but you're just involving yourself in the outlandish hype and BS that gives REAL Witches a bad name. Give it a rest, please?Blessings,Phoenix

[l337 Nurse Pedestrian 0]

Wicca is not a religion. It's just a hobby. Example, if you want to make the time slow, you can do that just by using a spell. http://www.spellsandmagic.com/ is a wonderful resource! Try the money spell, and tell me if the money arrives. And tell me if it has side effects.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I don't know what you've been smoking, you can't make time slow, or do any spells. That magic stuff is just what the media (and the internet <.<) wants you to think.

[Sue913 0]

Moonwitch and Rainbow Phoenix:It's refreshing to hear from folks who know what they are talking about.As a long time Witch and Wiccan, I have to say I agree with much of what you said.Wicca is a religion. Duly designated priests and priestesses are legally able to perform marriage ceremonies. Some are chaplains with prison and/or hospital privileges.Many of us take our religion seriously and don't care for the bashing we get courtesy of Hollywood and the wannabees.As for beliefs, ask ten Wiccans what they believe and get 15 answers, because it is a very personal faith. And we generally don't want to step on the toes of other believers. I believe: Deity is immanent. There is no one true path. Each of us is responsible for the consequences of our choices.Spells are simply prayers dressed up with candles and incense to help us focus our thoughts. Ever been in a Roman Catholic church? All those little votives represent prayers.When you get down to the very heart of any religion, you find that Presence, Deity, Consciousness, that calls to each of us in a different way. So the name on the religion is not nearly as important than the striving to reach Deity.Bright Blessings,Susan

[Sarah81 0]

Hmm ... I don't know much about Wicca even though I once dated a guy who was Wiccan. (I learned a few things about his take on it - and I say "his take" because I realize that, like any other belief / religion / faith, it's adapted to a degree for each one of us personally.)Also ... as for the part in your post about Wicca offering more freedom than Christianity: I have to politely disagree. I'm a Christian, but I could be anything (feminist, buddhist, insert your own preference here, etc.) and still have as much freedom within that "definition" as I am willing to take for myself. In other words: just because a bunch of dead white guys started my religion and still try to control it, at least here in America, doesn't mean that I have to go along with whatever it is that they're currently babbling about (I'm talking to YOU Pat Robertson and 700 Club in general).And if I don't stop there, I'll go on a tangent or something equally absurd *smiles*

[MajesticTreeFrog 0]

Hmm ... I don't know much about Wicca even though I once dated a guy who was Wiccan. (I learned a few things about his take on it - and I say "his take" because I realize that, like any other belief / religion / faith, it's adapted to a degree for each one of us personally.)

 

Also ... as for the part in your post about Wicca offering more freedom than Christianity: I have to politely disagree. I'm a Christian, but I could be anything (feminist, buddhist, insert your own preference here, etc.) and still have as much freedom within that "definition" as I am willing to take for myself. In other words: just because a bunch of dead white guys started my religion and still try to control it, at least here in America, doesn't mean that I have to go along with whatever it is that they're currently babbling about (I'm talking to YOU Pat Robertson and 700 Club in general).

 

And if I don't stop there, I'll go on a tangent or something equally absurd *smiles*

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Freedom to interpret is actually pretty recent when it comes to religion, at least in the west. For a long time, the Catholic church was very insistent on people taking its version, insistent to the tune of long sharp and pointy. The current protestant religious right isn't really any better. The leaders would happily go around skewering people if given the chance, with the recent pat robertson assassination issue a good example.

 

I think the reason people feel that Christianity is so constrictive is due to figures like Pat being so visible and vocal.

[Sarah81 0]

Freedom to interpret is actually pretty recent when it comes to religion, at least in the west.  For a long time, the Catholic church was very insistent on people taking its version, insistent to the tune of long sharp and pointy.  The current protestant religious right isn't really any better.  The leaders would happily go around skewering people if given the chance, with the recent pat robertson assassination issue a good example. 

 

I think the reason people feel that Christianity is so constrictive is due to figures like Pat being so visible and vocal.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Unfortunately, many people seem to think that I think that Pat Robertson and others of his ilk speak for me. Naaah. I have my own voice, guys, thanks. The "good" Christians (i.e. the people who aren't running around trying to "skewer" everyone as you so succinctly put it) ... are low-key, low-profile people, it seems. They (we?) ... aren't actively sniffing out the spotlight. And even if we were ... we wouldn't get it, because we aren't sensationalizing anything.

 

As for the Catholic church's former stranglehold: it was very easy for them to do, seeing as their priests and other such people were really the only ones who could read well, if at all. When education is lacking, it's no problem to enslave the masses by telling them whatever you want them to believe - and you don't need to justify it 'cause, hey, they're never going to know any better.

 

Which is why I believe in self-education. By this I mean that I think we should all consider *everything* we encounter before we follow it or put any faith in it. We were born to be curious: why should that change as we get older? *grins*

[mitchellmckain 0]

I believe that Wicca is one instance of a group of the oldest religions in the world. The group spans the entire world and is called shamanism or shamanistic as a group. This group includes the religion of the native americans, shinto in japan, shamanism in korea, Wicca and Druidism from europe and many more. Vodouin, Toaism, and Hinduism also probably derives from shamanistic roots as well. Probably the most significant commonality of all of these religions that makes them identifiable as a group is their respect for and focus on nature (and human health) as opposed to the clear focus of the Judeo-Christian, Islamic and Buddhist focus on human beings (particularly an their other worldly well being). These later religions are also message oriented or reformist in nature, which tend to make them a bit more agressive (seeking conversion) in nature, although that no longer, at least, seems to be the case for Buddhism.The revival of Wicca, the increasing popularity of native american religion and others of this group in the west are clearly an obvious response to the gaping hole in Judeo-Chritian thought about the role, importance, and respect due to the natural world. This gaping omission has only become more obvious with the slow realization of man's negative impact on the environment.It also a response to the way Christianity has become somewhat superficial, hollow and even ugly as a result of defensive and reactionary trends in Christianity. Much of Christianity has become so afraid of new ideas that repetition of Biblical phrases has become the only "safe" way of speaking. Don't get me wrong. Not only do I have a deep respect for fundamentalist Christianity but I consider myself a born-again Christian. But unlike others of that kind I also have a respect for the other religions of the world. I also refuse to abandon rational thought and honest critcism where it clearly applies.I think that Christianity had its golden age at the time of the founding of America in the birth of what I call protestant liberalism. This is represented by groups such as the Quakers and Unitarians, and later the methodists perhaps. At this time the Bible was opened up to the public as a new frontier at the same time as new scientific discovery and philosophy (both old and new). By trying to absorb it all and make Christianity meaningful in a changing way life, Christianity was truly alive as never before or since. Evolution and other secular philosophical attacks on Christian thought , subversively undermining the central message of Christianity has caused the retreat represented by fundamentalism. I believe that without this fundamentalist retreat the real Christian message would have been lost. However, in a world full of change and new challenges, fundamental christianity which discourages creative thought seems superficial. In a world where science is playing a more and more important role the dismissal of science makes fundamental chritianity seem hollow. In a world which is quickly becoming a single community the exclusivity of fundamental christianity is an ugly thing. Therefore, it is only natural that as Christianity has become more anti-intellectual, narrow and exclusive, people have turned to alternatives which seem more reasonable.New religious movements such as unificationism and bahai have tried to create a synthesis which overcome this dillemna , but I think the heart of christianity has failed to survive the process in these cases. For one thing, they have been too wrapped up in the messianic ambitions of their founders.Another irony is that there is very few practices of the older religions like Wicca that Christains did not absorb in some form or another. It is probable that some practices in modern Wicca have been influenced by Christianity as well. After all this, most of the differences are likely a bit trivial. And it is ironic that christians condemn Wicca to fearfully protect the purity of sacred practices, some of which, very likely, historically, derive from Wicca.