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Wicca Information and FAQsThere's a lot of Wicca information out there. Here you will not find just a duplicate of the same old things about the Wicca religion. The most commonly asked questions, and then some, are answered from the perspective of Wicca Spirituality. One of the major differences here - compared to other Wicca information sources - is the perspective on Wicca history. The History of WiccaWho were the Witches? Where did they come from? Maybe your great-great- Grandmother was one . . . -- Wiccan Children's Song Is Wicca really a continuation of the Old Religion? What historical evidence exists? What is Wicca really based on, if not Celtic witch craft? What were the witch hunts really about? Many people call Wicca "The Old Religion." They suggest that it had been practiced prior to Christianity, gone underground, and is now experiencing a revival. I'm fond of this theory myself. However, there is a lack of evidence to support the belief. There are extremely limited sources of Wicca information, and no reliable sources about the original practices at all. The documented history of Wicca itself goes back only a handful generations. (Of course, this is not counting the Burning Times in the Middle Ages or Witch hunts of Salem at the end of the 17th century - because those events had little if anything to do with Wicca. And this "documentation" is more the hysterical ravings of zealots than a believable source of Wicca information.) I believe Wicca is a reincarnation of the Old Religion. An heir, rather than the original. Does this recent arrival diminish its validity? Quite the contrary! It is designed in and for the contemporary world - this is why Wicca is a perfect spirituality for the 21st century. Wicca is, at heart, a mystical religion. It is based on personal experience of the Divine. This is the core of any spirituality (vs. religion). So there is no required division between religions or belief sets. This plays out in the collection of Wiccan Gods and Goddesses. Related ReligionsAnd Wicca is not sitting out there alone in a field, even if it is a recent arrival. Wicca does have ties to other nature religions and shamanic traditions. Its development is closely tied in with similar religions such as
Is All Wicca The Same?Several variations on Wicca are currently practiced. There is traditional Wicca, as in the Gardnerian and Alexandrian lineages. Dianic, Faery, Reclaiming, Eclectic, and even Christian Wicca round out the major schools, and there are many minor ones as well. And then there's what I call the New Wicca - a personalized, fully-empowered, grass-roots form of Wicca. In fact, just as in every religion, there are as many versions of Wicca as there are Witches. While we may share beliefs and practices with certain others, we all experience spirituality in a very personal way. What Wiccans generally share are the Wiccan Rede, the Three-Fold-Law, and a certain basic philosophy of the Divine as embodied in all matter. (Please see Wicca Beliefs for more on these subjects.) Why Do We Spell "Magick" With A "K"?There's no real mystery to it. It's simply to distinguish real magickal work from the sleight-of-hand tricks that parlour magicians perform. It also helps distinguish it from the slang use of "magic," meaning something inexplicable, mysterious, or miraculous. Lastly, it makes us feel different and special. Just kidding. Wicca TodayWicca is a legally recognised religion in the United States, and in many aspects of Canadian bureaucracy as well. It is the fastest growing religion in the USA, and presumably in Canada too. Apparently there was a survey recently in which over 400,000 US citizens identified themselves as Wiccans, which makes Wicca the seventh largest religious organisation in the US . . . and growing by leaps and bounds. This seems plausible, but I was unable to track down any confirmation on this survey. (If you have the reference material, please email me so we can share it with others.) Which Is "Real Wicca"?There are a great many versions of Wicca out there. Like all mystical paths, every practitioner is following their own path, virtually their own religion. In fact, everyone alive has their own brand of their religion. We only think other people believe as we do. In Wicca, we don't let this bother us. It's simply reality. And for a mystical religion, it is perfectly right. (This is covered more in Wicca Philosophy,) Out of all the varieties of Wicca being practiced, how do you know what is "real Wicca"? The question assumes that only one variety can be real. But because New Wicca is not a religion, there is room for all variations. Wicca PhilosophyWicca Philosophy is really the fundamental source of Wicca information. Philosophy supplies the underlying beliefs that Wicca is founded on. This is a long subject, so rather than take up the whole page, please click here for more on Wicca philosophy. Personal AuthorityThere is no central authority in Wicca. There is no one church, no pope, no bible. The Wiccan Law is a law not because someone else imposes it upon us, but because it is a true law in the spiritual sense - a standard of behaviour we agree is important. Wicca is a path of personal choice. Your heart is your only authority. This is a practice of authentic Power, rather than force or control. So it follows that Wicca leads to empowerment, free will, creativity, and a personal relationship with the Divine. Misconceptions About Witch CraftSomehow in Wicca information we always need to have info on what Wicca is not. This is regrettable, and I personally look forward to the day when the ancient propaganda has been cleared up, and people are free to worship however they see fit without being demonized for it. But since there's a lot of "Wicca Information Gone Wrong" currently circulating, Black magic, Satanism, and demon possession often get muddled up with Wicca. Let's clarify these subjects. Wicca and Christianity Are Utterly OpposedFrom a Biblical perspective this is certainly the case. But from a Wiccan perspective, it's a meaningless concept. Wicca as a spiritual path is not opposed to any other path a person may choose. Any true spirituality is inclusive by nature. You do not need to give up any religions "citizenship" to practice Wicca. There are Christian Wiccans and Jewish Wiccans and Buddhist Wiccans, just to name a few. As for Christianity's feelings about Wicca, many Christians - those who follow the teachings of Jesus as he lived them - do not have a problem with people who follow other religions. There are many rooms in God's mansion, after all. And other Christians who are well-meaning may condemn witch craft simply because they lack real Wicca information. They rely on dogma and confuse it with truth. The confusion comes from the ancient prejudices preserved in the Old Testament. In which case, it is not only Wicca but also all other religions that are not tolerated. And in Christianity there is about Wicca less information than psychological projection. So in summary, there is no inherent conflict between Wicca and Christianity. Any that exists is due to flaws in our human perception - our innate bias towards anything different. So in fact, it is entirely possible to be both Christian and Wiccan at the same time. One branch of Wicca is devoted to this union of spiritual beliefs. A list of Christian Wicca websites can be found by clicking here. (Opens page in new window.) SatanismSatan is not a Wiccan deity. The Devil is a Christian construct, reflecting the fears and paranoia the Old Testament instigates against other religions. Wiccans don't acknowledge Satan as a deity, and so by definition cannot be "devil worshippers." Insistence that this is not the case merely shows a lack of reliable Wicca information. There are Satanists out there, though. Satanism essentially takes the principles of spirituality and puts them through a thoroughly material filter. It is a religion of materialism. It is, in fact, a deification of the ego - the personality that we think of as "I." To some extent, all paganism acknowledges the Divine within us. But Satanists take this to the extreme, denying higher spiritual reality and values. (I find it fascinating that they are an anti-Christian religion, yet their foundation is a Christian "deity." I suppose it makes sense to them, though.) The reason the confusion about Wicca and devil worship persists (besides all the malarkey spread by the Inquisition) is because Satan was modeled on pagan deities, particularly Pan. And since Pan does have an honoured place in the Wiccan pantheon, Christians sometimes believe that means we worship Satan. It's a sad case of being sucked in by one's own propaganda. There is just no ground to it at all, believable only to make assumptions about Wicca without information. Of course, to fanatical Christians, anyone of another faith is worshipping Satan. There's nothing we can say to people like that though. They are too far gone in their own self-righteousness to reach on a spiritual level. Black MagicBlack Magic - or hostile magic - is the use of spell-casting to hurt others. It can also refer to magick used to get what you want despite the repercussions. Generally only those with limited Wicca information will practice black magic. It is incompatible with Wicca as a spiritual practice. This is not because of any moralizing, but because as one progresses spiritually it becomes obvious that you can't hurt anyone else without harming yourself first and foremost. Even from the basic principles of Wicca there is information that makes Black Magic incompatible with Witchcraft, most notably the Wiccan Rede and the Three-Fold Law. The Effects of Black Magic is an article that looks more at this.
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