Wicca (IPA: /ˈwɪkə/) is a nature-based religion popularised in 1954 by Gerald Gardner, a retired British civil servant, who at the time called it Witchcraft and its adherents "the Wica". A religion is a set of Tenets and practices often centered upon specific Supernatural and moral claims about Reality, the Cosmos Gerald Brousseau Gardner ( June 13 1884 - February 12 1964) was an English civil servant amateur anthropologist The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Witchcraft, in various historical anthropological religious and mythological contexts is the use of certain kinds of Supernatural or magical powers ^[1] He said that the religion, of which he was an initiate, was a modern survival of an old witchcraft religion which had existed in secret for hundreds of years, originating in the pre-Christian paganism of Europe. Initiation is a Rite of passage Ceremony marking entrance or acceptance into a group or society Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings Paganism (from Latin paganus, meaning "country dweller rustic" is a word used to refer to various religions and religious beliefs from across the world ^[1] The veracity of Gardner's statements cannot be independently proven, however, and it is possible that Wiccan theology began to be compiled no earlier than the 1920s. ^[2]

Various Wiccan lineages or 'traditions' have since branched out of that popularised by Gardner, which came to be called Gardnerian Wicca. Gardnerian Wicca is a Wiccan tradition whose members can trace initiatory descent from Gerald Gardner Each lineage has distinctive beliefs, rituals, and practices, and most remain secretive and require that members be initiated. Other traditions have also formed independently of Gardnerian lineage, including a growing movement of Eclectic Wiccans who do not believe that any doctrine or traditional initiation is necessary in order to practice Wicca. Doctrine (Latin doctrina) is a codification of beliefs or "a body of teachings quot or "instructions" taught principles or positions as the ^[3]

The term 'Wicca' has somewhat different usage between Britain and North America. In Britain 'Wicca' has traditionally referred only to initiatory witchcraft in the lineage of Gerald Gardner and the New Forest coven (e. The New Forest coven was a supposed Witchcraft Coven, believed to have met in England's New Forest region g. Gardnerian and Alexandrian Wicca), sometimes referred to as British Traditional Wicca in North America. Alexandrian Wicca is a tradition of the Neopagan Religion of Wicca, founded by Alex Sanders (also known as "King of the Witches" British Traditional Wicca (abbreviated BTW is a term used to describe some Wiccan traditions which have their origins in the New Forest region of England In North America the term 'Wicca' has become more inclusive and encompasses a number of traditions inspired by but independent of that lineage. ^[4]

Contents 1 Overview 2 Core concepts 2.1 Beliefs 2.2 Morality 2.3 Ritual practices 2.4 Special occasions 2.5 Book of Shadows 2.6 Sacred texts 2.7 Symbols 3 Traditions 3.1 Covens and Solitary Wiccans 4 History 4.1 Origins 4.2 Later developments 4.3 Demographics 5 Etymology 6 Acceptance of Wiccans 7 References and footnotes 8 Further reading 9 External links

Overview

Wicca is a pagan religion with distinctive ritual forms, seasonal observances and religious, magical^[5] and ethical precepts. Paganism (from Latin paganus, meaning "country dweller rustic" is a word used to refer to various religions and religious beliefs from across the world A ritual is a set of actions often thought to have Symbolic value the performance of which is usually prescribed by a Religion or by the Traditions A religion is a set of Tenets and practices often centered upon specific Supernatural and moral claims about Reality, the Cosmos Magic, sometimes known as sorcery, is a Conceptual system that asserts human ability to control the natural world (including events objects people and Wiccans practise a form of witchcraft, but not all witches are Wiccans - other forms of witchcraft, folk magic and sorcery exist within many cultures, with widely varying practices, including kulam, Hoodoo and Stregheria. Witchcraft, in various historical anthropological religious and mythological contexts is the use of certain kinds of Supernatural or magical powers Kulam (/koo-lam/ is a Tagalog word meaning " magic spell or "curse" Hoodoo is a form of predominantly African-American traditional folk magic. Stregheria is an archaic Italian word meaning " Witchcraft " that has been revived principally by Raven Grimassi, to refer to an Italian Most Wiccans call themselves Pagans, though the umbrella term Paganism encompasses many faiths that have nothing to do with Wicca or witchcraft. An umbrella term is a word that provides a Superset or grouping of related concepts also called a Hypernym. Paganism (from Latin paganus, meaning "country dweller rustic" is a word used to refer to various religions and religious beliefs from across the world Wicca has also been described as a Neopagan or a Mesopagan path. Neopaganism or Neo-Paganism is an Umbrella term used to identify a wide variety of modern religious movements particularly those influenced by historical Paganism (from Latin paganus, meaning "country dweller rustic" is a word used to refer to various religions and religious beliefs from across the world ^[6] Because there is no centralised organisation in Wicca, and no single orthodoxy, the beliefs and practices of Wiccans can vary substantially, both among individuals and among traditions. Typically, the main religious principles, ethics, and ritual structures are shared, since they are key elements of traditional teachings and published works on the subject.

As practised by initiates in the lineage of Gerald Gardner, Wicca is a variety of witchcraft founded on religious and magical concepts. As such it is distinguished not only by its beliefs, but by its practice of magic, its ethical philosophy, initiatory system, organisational structure and secrecy. ^[7] Some of these beliefs and practices have also been adopted by others outside of this lineage, often termed Eclectic Wiccans, who generally discard the institutions of initiation, secrecy and hierarchy, and have more widely varying beliefs. Some Eclectic Wiccans neither perform magic nor identify as witches. Within traditional forms of Wicca there are three degrees of initiation. First degree is required to gain membership of a coven; those who aspire to teach may eventually undergo second and third degree initiations, conferring the title of "High Priest" or "High Priestess" and allowing them to establish new covens. Coven or covan was originally a late medieval Scots word (c1500 meaning a gathering of any kind according to the Oxford English Dictionary ^[7] At initiation, some Wiccans adopt a craft name to symbolise their spiritual "rebirth", to act as a magical alter-ego, or simply to provide anonymity when appearing as a witch in public (see Acceptance of Wiccans below). A Craft name, also known as a magical (or Magickal name is a secondary religious name often adopted by practitioners of Wicca and other forms of Neopagan

Core concepts

Beliefs

Theology

Main article: Wiccan views of divinity

Wiccan views on theology vary, though the vast majority of Wiccans are theists, believing in some form of God, and/or gods. Theism, in its most inclusive usage is the belief in at least one Deity. For most Wiccans, Wicca is a duotheistic religion worshipping a God and a Goddess, who are seen as complementary polarities, and "embodiments of a life-force manifest in nature. Dualism denotes a state of two parts The word's origin is the Latin duo, "two". "^[8] They are sometimes symbolised as the Sun and Moon, and from her lunar associations the Goddess becomes a Triple Goddess with aspects of "Maiden", "Mother" and "Crone". In ancient Indo-European mythologies various Goddesses or demi-goddesses appear as a triad, either as three separate beings Some Wiccans see the Goddess as pre-eminent, since she contains and conceives all; the God is the spark of life and inspiration within her, simultaneously her lover and her child. This is reflected in the traditional structure of the coven. ^[9] In some traditions, notably feminist Dianic Wicca, the Goddess is seen as complete unto herself, and the God is not worshipped at all. Dianic Wicca, also known as Dianic Witchcraft and Dianic Feminist Witchcraft, is a Goddess-centered woman-centered witchcraft tradition founded by Zsuzsanna

According to Gardner, the gods of Wicca are ancient gods of the British Isles: a Horned God and a Great Mother goddess. Horned gods, with Horns or Antlers appear in various cultures ^[10] This duotheism is often extended into a kind of polytheism by the belief that the gods and goddesses of all cultures are aspects of this pair (or of the Goddess alone). Polytheism is belief in or worship of multiple Gods (usually assembled in a pantheon) together with associated Mythology and Rituals Others hold the various gods and goddesses to be separate and distinct. Still others do not believe in the gods as real personalities, but see them as archetypes or thoughtforms. An archetype ( pronounced: /ˈɑːkɪtaɪp/ (Brit or /ˈɑrkɪtaɪp/ (Amer A thoughtform is a manifestation of mental energy also known as a ' Tulpa ' in Tibetan Mysticism. ^[11] Janet Farrar and Gavin Bone have observed that Wicca is becoming more polytheistic as it matures, and embracing a more traditional pagan world-view. Janet Farrar (born Gavin Bone is an author and lecturer in the fields of magic Witchcraft, Wicca and Neo-Paganism, and an organizer in the Neo-Pagan community ^[12]

Gardner stated that a being higher than the God and the Goddess is recognised by the witches as the Prime Mover, but remains unknowable. The cosmological argument is an Argument for the Existence of God or a " First Cause " ^[13] Patricia Crowther has called this supreme godhead Dryghten,^[14] and Scott Cunningham called it "The One". Patricia Crowther (born 14 October 1927) is considered influential in the early promotion of the Wicca religion Scott Douglas Cunningham ( June 27, 1956 &ndash March 28, 1993) was the Author of several books on Wicca and various ^[15] This pantheistic or panentheistic view of God shares similarities with beliefs such as the Hindu Brahman. Pantheism ( Greek: πάν ( 'pan') = all and θεός ( 'theos') = God it literally means " God is All Panentheism (from Greek (pân "all" (en "in" and (Theós "God" "all-in-God" is a belief system A Hindu ( Devanagari: हिन्दू is an adherent of the philosophies and scriptures of Hinduism, a set of religious, Philosophical Brahman ( bráhman-, Nominative bráhma sa ब्रह्म is a concept of Hinduism.

Wicca is essentially an immanent religion, and for some Wiccans, this idea also involves elements of animism. Immanence, derived from the Latin in manere "to remain within" refers to philosophical and metaphysical theories of the divine as existing and acting within the mind Animism (from Latin anima ( Soul, Life) commonly refers to a religious belief that Souls or Spirits exist in Animals A key belief in Wicca is that the Goddess and the God (or the goddesses and gods) are able to manifest in personal form, most importantly through the bodies of Priestesses and Priests via the rituals of Drawing down the Moon or Drawing down the Sun. Drawing down the Moon (also known as drawing down the Goddess is a ritual central to many contemporary Wiccan traditions

Afterlife

Beliefs in the afterlife vary among Wiccans, though some support reincarnation. Reincarnation is a traditional Wiccan teaching - Raymond Buckland holds that a soul always reincarnates into the same species,^[16] though this belief is not universal. Raymond Buckland (born 1934 is an author of both fiction and non-fiction a liturgist and a Wiccan priest

Magic

Wiccans believe in magic that can be manipulated through the form of witchcraft or sorcery. MagiC OS an alternative implementation of the Multitasking TOS / GEM OS for Atari ST line of computers Witchcraft, in various historical anthropological religious and mythological contexts is the use of certain kinds of Supernatural or magical powers Wiccans cast spells through the form of ritual practises (which are explained in far more detail below).

Morality

Main articles: Wiccan morality and Homosexuality and Wicca

Wiccan morality is largely based on the Wiccan Rede: An it harm none, do what ye will, which is usually interpreted as a declaration of the freedom to act, along with the necessity of taking responsibility for what follows from one's actions and minimising harm to oneself and others. Throughout most branches of Wicca, all Sexual orientations including homosexuality are considered healthy The Wiccan Rede (pronounced "reed" is a saying that was formulated to sum up the Ethics of the Neo-Pagan religion Wicca. ^[17] Another common element of Wiccan morality is the Law of Threefold Return which holds that whatever benevolent or malevolent actions a person performs will return to that person with triple force. The Rule of Three (also threefold law or law of return) is a tenet of the Neopagan religion of Wicca. ^[18]

Many Wiccans also seek to cultivate a set of eight virtues mentioned in Doreen Valiente's Charge of the Goddess,^[19] these being mirth, reverence, honour, humility, strength, beauty, power and compassion. Doreen Edith Dominy Valiente (4 January 1922 Mitcham, South London, England – 1 September, 1999, Brighton, England The Charge of the Goddess is a traditional inspirational text sometimes used in Wicca. In Valiente's poem, they are ordered in pairs of complementary opposites, reflecting a dualism that is common throughout Wiccan philosophy. Dualism denotes a state of two parts The word's origin is the Latin duo, "two". Some lineaged Wiccans also observe a set of 161 Wiccan Laws, commonly called the Craft Laws or Ardanes. The Wiccan Laws, also called the Craft Laws, the Old Laws, the Ardanes (or Ordains) or simply Valiente, one of Gardner's original high priestesses, argued that these rules were most likely invented by Gardner himself in mock-archaic language as the by-product of inner conflict within his Bricket Wood coven. ^[20][21]

Although Gardner initially demonstrated an aversion to homosexuality, claiming that it brought down "the curse of the goddess",^[22] it is now accepted in many traditions of Wicca. Homosexuality refers to sexual behavior with or attraction to people of the same sex or to a Homosexual orientation.

Ritual practices

When practising magic and casting spells, as well as when celebrating various festivals, Wiccans use a variety of rituals. In typical rites, the coven or solitary assembles inside a ritually cast and purified magic circle. A magic circle is circle or sphere of space marked out by practitioners of many branches of ritual magic, either to contain energy and form a sacred space or as a Casting the circle may involve the invocation of the "Guardians" of the cardinal points: East (Air), South (Fire), West (Water) and North (Earth). An invocation (from the Latin verb invocare "to call on invoke" may take the form of Supplication or Prayer In traditional cultures air is often seen as a universal power or pure substance Fire has been an important part of many cultures and religions from pre-history to modern day and was vital to the development of civilization Water has been important to all peoples of the earth and it is rich in spiritual tradition Earth, home and origin of humanity has often been worshipped in its own right with its own unique spiritual tradition This use of the classical elements is a key feature of the Wiccan world-view. Many ancient philosophies used a set of archetypal classical "elements" to explain patterns in Nature. Every manifest force or form is seen to express one or more of the four elements. Some add a fifth or quintessential element called Spirit (also called aether or akasha). According to ancient and medieval science, aether (Greek grc αἰθήρ aithēr) also spelled æther or ether, is the material that fills Vedic Meaning Akasha (or Akash, Ākāśa, sa आकाश is the Sanskrit word meaning " aether " in both The five points of the frequently worn pentagram symbolise, among other things, the four elements with spirit presiding at the top. Early history Sumer The first known uses of the pentagram are found in Mesopotamian writings dating to about 3000 BC ^[23] Once the circle is cast, a seasonal ritual may be performed, prayers to the God and Goddess are said, and spells are sometimes worked.

Many Wiccans use a special set of magical tools in their rituals. of Wicca, modern Neopagan Witchcraft, use a range of (supposedly magical tools in their ritual practice These can include a broom (besom), cauldron, chalice, wand, Book of Shadows, altar cloth, athame, boline, candles, crystals, pentacle and/or incense. A broom is a Cleaning Tool consisting of stiff fibres attached to and roughly parallel to a cylindrical handle, the broomstick. A cauldron or caldron (from Latin Caldarium, hot bath is a large Metal pot ( Kettle) for cooking and/or boiling A chalice (from Latin calix, cup borrowed from Greek kalyx, shell husk is a goblet intended to hold drink WAND is an NBC affiliate serving the Decatur&ndash Springfield &ndash Champaign area This article describes the traditional book of Wicca; for other uses see Book of Shadows (disambiguation. An altar cloth is used by various religious groups to cover an Altar. An athame or athamé is a ceremonial double-edged dagger one of several magical tools used in Traditional Witchcraft and other pagan beliefs and religions such as Wicca the boline (also spelled bolline) is a white-handled ritual knife one of several magical tools used in Wicca. A candle is a Light source and sometimes a Heat source consisting of a solid block of Fuel and an embedded wick. In Materials science, a crystal is a Solid in which the constituent Atoms Molecules or Ions are packed in a regularly ordered repeating A pentacle (or pantacle in Thelema) is an Amulet used in magical Evocation, generally made of Parchment, paper or metal Incense is composed of Aromatic biotic materials It releases fragrant Smoke when burned An altar is usually present in the circle, on which ritual tools are placed and representations of the God/Goddess may be displayed. God is the principal or sole Deity in Religions and other belief systems that worship one deity. A goddess is a Female Deity. Many Cultures have goddesses Often deities are part of a polytheistic system that includes several deities ^[24] Before entering the circle, some traditions fast for the day, and/or ritually bathe. After a ritual has finished, the God, Goddess and Guardians are thanked and the circle is closed.

A sensationalised aspect of Wicca, particularly in Gardnerian Wicca, is the traditional practice of working in the nude, also known as skyclad. In Wicca and Wicca-based Neopaganism, skyclad is used to refer to ritual nudity This practice seemingly derives from a line in Aradia, Charles Leland's supposed record of Italian witchcraft. Aradia or the Gospel of the Witches is an 1899 book by Charles Godfrey Leland. Charles Godfrey Leland (August 15 1824 &ndash March 20 1903 was an American Humorist and Folklorist, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Skyclad working is mostly the province of Initiatory Wiccans, who are outnumbered by the less strictly observant Eclectics. When they work clothed, Wiccans may wear robes with cords tied around the waist, "Renaissance-faire"-type clothing or normal street clothes.

Special occasions

Esbats

Wiccans hold a wide range of occasions with religious significance. Each full moon, and in some cases a new moon, is marked with a ritual called an Esbat. An esbat is a ritual observance of the Full moon within Wicca and other Wiccan-influenced forms of Neopaganism.

Sabbats

Wiccans also follow the Wheel of the Year and celebrate its eight festivals known as Sabbats. Wheel of the Year is a Wiccan and Neopagan term for the annual cycle of the Earth 's Seasons It consists of eight festivals spaced at approximately ^[25] Four of these, the cross-quarter days, are greater festivals, coinciding with Celtic fire festivals. A cross-quarter day is a day falling approximately halfway between a Solstice and an Equinox. Celts (ˈkɛlts or /ˈsɛlts/, see Names of the Celts These are Samhain, Beltane or May Eve, Imbolc, and Lammas or Lughnasadh. Samhain (ˈsaʊn or /ˈsɑːwɪn/ Irish /ˈsˠaunʲ/ from the Old Irish samain) is the word for November in a few Gaelic languages Beltane is the anglicized spelling of Bealtaine ( or Bealltainn ( the Gaelic names for either the month of May or the festival that takes place on Imbolc is one of the four principal festivals of the Irish calendar, celebrated among Gaelic peoples and some other Celtic cultures either at the beginning In some English-speaking countries in the Northern Hemisphere, August 1 is Lammas Day (loaf-mass day the Festival of the first Wheat Lughnasadh ( Old Irish, pronounced luɣnəsəð Modern Irish Lá Lúnasa; Modern Gaelic Lùnastal) is a Gaelic The four lesser festivals are the Summer and Winter solstices, and the Spring and Autumn Equinoxes, which are referred to by some groups as Litha, Yule, Ostara and Mabon, respectively. Midsummer may simply refer to the period of time centered upon the summer solstice, but more often refers to specific European celebrations that accompany the actual solstice The winter solstice occurs at the instant when the Sun 's position in the sky is at its greatest angular distance on the other side of the equatorial plane from the Solstices occur twice a year when the tilt of the Earth's axis is most oriented toward or away from the Sun, causing the Sun to reach its northernmost and southernmost extremes An equinox is the event of the Sun passing over the Earth's equator in its annual cycle Midsummer may simply refer to the period of time centered upon the summer solstice, but more often refers to specific European celebrations that accompany the actual solstice Yule is a winter festival historically celebrated primarily in northern Europe but now celebrated in many other countries in various forms Ostara is a modern pagan festival Etymology The name Ostara goes back to Jacob Grimm, who in his Deutsche Mythologie This article is about the Neopagan festival Mabon. For the Welsh mythological character see Mabon ap Modron. The names of these holidays are often taken from Germanic pagan and Celtic polytheistic holidays. Germanic paganism refers to the religious beliefs of the Germanic peoples preceding Christianization. Celtic polytheism refers to the religious beliefs and practices of ancient Celts, prior to the Christianization of the Celtic-speaking lands However, the festivals are not reconstructive in nature nor do they often resemble their historical counterparts, instead exhibiting a form of universalism. Universalism can be classified as a Religion, Theology and Philosophy that generally holds all persons and creatures are related to God or the Divine and Ritual observations may display cultural influence from the holidays from which they take their name as well as influence from other unrelated cultures. ^[26]

Rites of passage

Handfasting is another celebration held by Wiccans, and is the commonly used term for their weddings. Handfasting is today a Neopagan ceremony of (temporary or permanent Betrothal or Wedding. Some Wiccans observe the practice of a trial marriage for a year and a day, which some traditions hold should be contracted on Lammas (Lughnasadh), as this was the traditional time for trial, "Telltown marriages" among the Irish. Telltown or Taillten is an outdated place name in County Meath, Ireland. Infants in Wiccan families may be involved in a ritual called a Wiccaning, which is analogous to a Christening. A Wiccaning, analogous to a Christening for an infant is the presenting of an infant to the God and Goddess for protection Infant baptism is the Christian religious practice of baptizing infants or young children The purpose of this is to present the infant to the God and Goddess for protection. Despite this, in accordance with the importance put on free will in Wicca, the child is not necessarily expected or required to follow a Pagan path should they not wish to do so when they get older.

Book of Shadows

Main article: Book of Shadows

In Wicca a private journal or core religious text known as a Book of Shadows is kept by practitioners, similar to a grimoire. This article describes the traditional book of Wicca; for other uses see Book of Shadows (disambiguation. This article describes the traditional book of Wicca; for other uses see Book of Shadows (disambiguation. A grimoire (grɪˈmwɑr is a textbook of magic. Books of this genre typically giving instructions for invoking Angels or Demons performing ^[27] In lineaged groups, such as Gardnerian Wicca, the Book's contents are kept secret from anyone but the members of the lineage concerned (i. Gardnerian Wicca is a Wiccan tradition whose members can trace initiatory descent from Gerald Gardner e. , those initiating and initiated by a particular coven). However, several proposed versions of the Book have been published. ^[28][29] Sections of these published versions, such as the "Wiccan Rede" and the "Charge of the Goddess", as well as other published writings about Wicca, have been adopted by non-initiates, or eclectic Wiccans. The Wiccan Rede (pronounced "reed" is a saying that was formulated to sum up the Ethics of the Neo-Pagan religion Wicca. The Charge of the Goddess is a traditional inspirational text sometimes used in Wicca. For many eclectics, they create their own personal books, whose contents are often only known by themselves.

Sacred texts

In Wicca there is no set sacred text such as the Christian Bible or Islamic Qur'an, but there are various texts that were contained in Gerald Gardner's Book of Shadows. Etymology According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word bible is from Latin biblia, traced from the same word through Medieval Latin and Late Latin The Qur’an ( القرآن, literally "the recitation" also sometimes transliterated as Qur’ān, Koran, Alcoran Many of these texts he claimed to have at least partially rewritten, since the rituals of the group into which he was initiated were fragmentary. The most notable among these is the Charge of the Goddess, which contained material from Charles Godfrey Leland's Aradia, or the Gospel of the Witches (1899) and the works of 19th century occultist Aleister Crowley. The Charge of the Goddess is a traditional inspirational text sometimes used in Wicca. Charles Godfrey Leland (August 15 1824 &ndash March 20 1903 was an American Humorist and Folklorist, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Aradia or the Gospel of the Witches is an 1899 book by Charles Godfrey Leland. Year 1899 ( MDCCCXCIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The word occult comes from the Latin word occultus (clandestine hidden secret referring to "knowledge of the hidden" Aleister Crowley, born Edward Alexander Crowley (ˈkroʊli (12 October 1875 – 1 December 1947 was a British Occultist Writer, mountaineer Other texts which are important to Wiccan beliefs and rituals include Eko Eko Azarak and the Wiccan laws. Eko Eko Azarak is the opening phrase from a Wiccan chant assembled in its current form by Gerald Gardner, usually considered as the founder of Wicca The Wiccan Laws, also called the Craft Laws, the Old Laws, the Ardanes (or Ordains) or simply

Symbols

Various different symbols are used by Wiccans, similar to the use of the crucifix by Christians or the Star of David by Jews. In ancient Indo-European mythologies various Goddesses or demi-goddesses appear as a triad, either as three separate beings A crucifix (from Latin cruci fixus meaning "(one fixed to a cross" is a cross with a representation of Jesus ' body or corpus A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth The Star of David or Shield of David ( Magen David in Hebrew with nikkud or מגן דוד without academically transcribed Māḡēn Dāwīḏ by PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ The most notable of these is the pentagram, which has five points, each respresenting one of the five elements in Wicca. Early history Sumer The first known uses of the pentagram are found in Mesopotamian writings dating to about 3000 BC other symbols that are used include the triquetra and the triple moon symbol of the Triple Goddess. Triquetra (tɹaɪ'kw&epsilontɹə is a word derived from the Latin tri- ("three" and quetrus ("cornered"

Traditions

See also: List of Wiccan organisations and Category:Wiccan traditions

A "tradition" in Wicca usually implies the transfer of a lineage by initiation. This is a list of Neopagan movements and organizations Neopaganism is a wide ranging group including old Occult groups those that follow an eclectic/ New Age There are many such traditions^[30][31] and there are also many solitary or Eclectic Wiccans who do not align themselves with any particular lineage, some working alone, some joining in covens. Solitary practitioner is the term used in the Wiccan community for a person who practices their religion alone without a Coven or group There are also other forms of witchcraft which do not claim origins in Wicca. Traditions within the United States are well described in Margot Adler's Drawing Down the Moon, Starhawk's The Spiral Dance, and Chas S. Clifton's Her Hidden Children: The Rise of Wicca and Paganism in America. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Margot Adler (born 16 April 1946) is an author journalist lecturer Wiccan priestess and radio journalist and correspondent for National Public Radio Drawing Down the Moon Witches Druids Goddess-Worshippers and Other Pagans in America Today is a 1979 book by Margot Adler. Starhawk (born Miriam Simos) ( June 17, 1951) is an American Writer, Anarchist activist, and self-described For the dance see Spiral Dance. For the band see Spiral Dance (band. Chas S Clifton is an American academic in religious studies and nature writing ^[32]

The lack of consensus in establishing definitive categories in Wiccan communities has often resulted in confusion between Lineaged Wicca and the emergence of Eclectic traditions. This can be seen in the common description of many Eclectic traditions as traditional/initiatory/lineaged as well. In the United States, where the confusion usually arises, Wiccans in the various linages extending from Gardner may describe themselves as British Traditional Wiccans. British Traditional Wicca (abbreviated BTW is a term used to describe some Wiccan traditions which have their origins in the New Forest region of England

Covens and Solitary Wiccans

Lineaged Wicca is organised into covens of initiated priests and priestesses. Covens are autonomous, and are generally headed by a High Priest and a High Priestess working in partnership, being a couple who have each been through their first, second and third degrees of initiation. Occasionally the leaders of a coven are only second-degree initiates, in which case they come under the rule of the parent coven. Initiation and training of new priesthood is most often performed within a coven environment, but this is not a necessity, and a few initiated Wiccans are unaffiliated with any coven. ^[16]

A commonly quoted Wiccan tradition holds that the ideal number of members for a coven is thirteen, though this is not held as a hard-and-fast rule. ^[16] Indeed, many U. S. covens are far smaller, though the membership may be augmented by unaffiliated Wiccans at "open" rituals. When covens grow beyond their ideal number of members, they often split (or "hive") into multiple covens, yet remain connected as a group. A grouping of multiple covens is known as a grove in many traditions.

Initiation into a coven is traditionally preceded by a waiting period of at least a year and a day. A course of study may be set during this period. In some covens a "dedication" ceremony may be performed during this period, some time before the initiation proper, allowing the person to attend certain rituals on a probationary basis. Some solitary Wiccans also choose to study for a year and a day before their self-dedication to the religion.

In contrast, Eclectic Wiccans are more often than not solitary practitioners. Some of these "solitaries" do, however, attend gatherings and other community events, but reserve their spiritual practices (Sabbats, Esbats, spell-casting, worship, magical work, etc. This article refers to the religious act For the album by Michael W ) for when they are alone. Eclectic Wiccans now significantly outnumber lineaged Wiccans, and their beliefs and practices tend to be much more varied. ^[7]

History

Main article: History of Wicca

Origins

The origins of Wicca are much debated. Gerald Gardner brought the religion to public attention in the 1950s. Gerald Brousseau Gardner ( June 13 1884 - February 12 1964) was an English civil servant amateur anthropologist He claimed that after retiring from working in Asia, he encountered the New Forest coven and was initiated into it. The New Forest coven was a supposed Witchcraft Coven, believed to have met in England's New Forest region Subsequently fearing that the Craft would die out,^[33] he worked on his book Witchcraft Today, releasing it in 1954, followed by The Meaning of Witchcraft in 1959. Witchcraft Today is a non-fiction book written by the founder of the Wiccan religion Gerald Gardner. These books gave some details of the rituals and beliefs and attracted many new initiates from the 1960s onwards. Many of Gardner's rites and precepts can be shown to have come from the writings of earlier occultists and other extant sources (such as Aleister Crowley), and the remaining original material is uncohesive and mostly takes the form of substitutions or expansions within unoriginal material. Aleister Crowley, born Edward Alexander Crowley (ˈkroʊli (12 October 1875 – 1 December 1947 was a British Occultist Writer, mountaineer Roger Dearnaley describes it as a patchwork. ^[34] Gardner claimed that the religion was a survival of matriarchal pagan religions of pre-historic Europe, taught to him by members of the New Forest Coven; their rites were fragmentary, and he had substantially rewritten them. Paganism (from Latin paganus, meaning "country dweller rustic" is a word used to refer to various religions and religious beliefs from across the world The New Forest coven was a supposed Witchcraft Coven, believed to have met in England's New Forest region It has been posited by authors such as Aidan Kelly and Francis X. King that Gardner invented the rites in their entirety,^[35] incorporating elements from the pan-European witchcraft thesis of Dr. Margaret Murray, incantations from Aradia^[36] and practices of ceremonial magic. Aidan Kelly is a poet and co-founder of the New Reformed Orthodox Order of the Golden Dawn, a form of Witchcraft invented in San Francisco 1968 Francis X King (1939&ndash1994 was a British Occult writer and editor who wrote about Tarot, Divination, Witchcraft, Margaret Alice Murray ( July 13 1863 &ndash November 13 1963) was a prominent British Anthropologist and Egyptologist Aradia or the Gospel of the Witches is an 1899 book by Charles Godfrey Leland. Ceremonial magic is a broad term used to encompass a wide variety of long elaborate and complex Rituals it is named as such because the works included are characterized by ^[37] Philip Heselton concludes that while Gardner may have been mistaken about the ancient origins of the religion, his statements about it were largely made in good faith.

Some, such as Isaac Bonewits, have argued that Valiente and Heselton's evidence points to an early 20th century revival pre-dating Gardner, rather than an intact old pagan religion. Phillip Emmons Isaac Bonewits is an influential Neopagan leader and Author. This argument points to some of Gardner's historical claims which agree with the scholarship of that period but contradict later scholarship. Bonewits writes, "Somewhere between 1920 and 1925 in England some folklorists appear to have gotten together with some Golden Dawn Rosicrucians and a few supposed Fam-Trads to produce the first modern covens in England; grabbing eclectically from any source they could find in order to try and reconstruct the shards of their pagan past. The term Rosicrucian (symbol the Rose Cross) describes a secret society of mystics allegedly formed in late mediaeval Germany, holding a doctrine "built on "^[38] The idea of a supreme Mother Goddess was common in Victorian and Edwardian literature: the concept of a Horned God — especially related to the gods Pan or Faunus — was less common, but still significant. A mother goddess is a Goddess, often portrayed as the Earth Mother who serves as a general Fertility deity the bountiful embodiment of the Earth. Class and society Socially the Edwardian era was a period during which the British Class system was very rigid Horned gods, with Horns or Antlers appear in various cultures Pan ( Greek, Genitive) is the Greek god of shepherds and flocks of mountain wilds hunting and rustic music paein means to pasture ^[39] Both of these ideas were widely accepted in academic literature and the popular press at the time. ^[40]

Later developments

Gardnerian Wicca was an initiatory mystery religion, admission to which was limited to those who were initiated into a pre-existing coven. Mystery Religions, Sacred Mysteries or simply Mysteries, were "religious cults of the Graeco-Roman Wicca was introduced to North America by Raymond Buckland, an expatriate Briton who visited Gardner's Isle of Man coven to gain initiation. Raymond Buckland (born 1934 is an author of both fiction and non-fiction a liturgist and a Wiccan priest Interest in the USA spread quickly, and while many were initiated, many more non-initiates compiled their own rituals based on published sources or their own fancy. ^[41]

Another significant development was the creation by feminists in the late sixties and seventies of an eclectic movement known as Dianic Wicca, or feminist Dianic Witchcraft. Dianic Wicca, also known as Dianic Witchcraft and Dianic Feminist Witchcraft, is a Goddess-centered woman-centered witchcraft tradition founded by Zsuzsanna Dianic Wicca has no connection of lineage to traditional Wicca, and creatively interprets published materials on Wicca as a basis for their ritual structure. This specifically feminist, Goddess-oriented faith had no interest in the Horned God, and discarded Gardnerian-style hierarchy and lineage as irrelevant. Rituals were created for self-initiation to allow people to identify with and join the religion without first contacting an existing coven. This contrasts with the Gardnerian belief that only a witch of opposite gender can initiate another witch.

In the United Kingdom, initiates of Gardner had begun to perform their own initiations, and a number of lines of Gardnerian descent began to arise. From one of these (although it was originally claimed to derive from a traditional, non-Gardnerian source) came the line known as Alexandrian Wicca. Alexandrian Wicca is a tradition of the Neopagan Religion of Wicca, founded by Alex Sanders (also known as "King of the Witches" Increasing popularity on both sides of the Atlantic, and in other countries, along with the increasing availability of published material, meant that many people started to practice a form of Wicca without being part of a coven or having participated in an initiation. In response to this, traditionally initiated Wiccans in North America began to describe their version as British Traditional Wicca. British Traditional Wicca (abbreviated BTW is a term used to describe some Wiccan traditions which have their origins in the New Forest region of England

Demographics

Isaac Bonewits points out some of the practical problems in establishing the numbers of any neopagan group. ^[42] Nevertheless some estimates have been attempted. The 2001 American Religious Identification Survey estimated that at least 134,000 adults identified themselves as Wiccans in the [[United States], compared to 8,000 in 1990. ^[43] In the UK, census figures do not allow an accurate breakdown of traditions within the Pagan heading, as a campaign by the Pagan Federation before the 2001 Census encouraged Wiccans, Heathens, Druids and others all to use the same write-in term 'Pagan' in order to maximise the numbers reported. The Pagan Federation is a voluntary organisation formed in 1971, which campaigns for the religious rights of Neo-Pagans and educates both civic bodies and the general A nationwide Census, commonly known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday 29 April 2001 For the first time, respondents were able to write in an affiliation not covered by the checklist of common religions, and a total of 42,262 people from England, Scotland and Wales declared themselves to be Pagans by this method. These figures were not immediately analysed by the Office of National Statistics, but were released after an application by the Pagan Federation of Scotland. The Office for National Statistics (ONS is the executive office of the UK Statistics Authority, a non-ministerial department which reports directly The Pagan Federation is a voluntary organisation formed in 1971, which campaigns for the religious rights of Neo-Pagans and educates both civic bodies and the general ^[44] Adherents.com, an independent website which specialises in collecting estimates of world religions, cites over 30 sources with estimates of numbers of Wiccans (principally from the USA and UK. Adherentscom is a website that aims to collect and present information about Religion including "churches denominations religious bodies Faith groups ). ^[45] Their median estimate for Wiccan numbers is 800,000 worldwide.

Etymology

See also: Witch (etymology)

The spelling Wica first appears in the writings of Gerald Gardner (Witchcraft Today, 1954, and The Meaning of Witchcraft, 1959). The Etymology of the word Witch traces back to the Old English language with the German and Indo-European languages as possible older He used the word as a mass noun referring to the adherents of his tradition of witchcraft ('the Wica'), rather than the religion itself. In Linguistics, a mass noun (also uncountable noun or non-count noun) is a common Noun that presents entities as an unbounded mass He referred to the religion as witchcraft, never Wica. The word seems to be based on the Old English word wicca IPA: [ˈwɪtʃɑ]; similarly, wicca and its feminine form wice are the predecessors of the modern English witch. Modern English is the form of the English language spoken since the Great Vowel Shift, completed in roughly 1550

Gardner himself claimed he learned the term from existing members of the group who initiated him into witchcraft in 1939: "I realised I had stumbled on something interesting; but I was half-initiated before the word Wica which they used hit me like a thunderbolt, and I knew where I was, and that the Old Religion still existed. "^[46][47]

The spelling Wicca was not used by Gardner and the term Wiccan (both as an adjective and a noun) was not used until much later, but it is now the prevalent term to refer to followers of Wicca. ^[48]

Acceptance of Wiccans

Main article: Religious discrimination against Neopagans

In the United States, a number of legal decisions have improved and validated the status of Wiccans in that country, especially Dettmer v. Landon in 1985. Neopagans are a Religious minority in every country where they exist and have been subject to Religious discrimination. Dettmer v Landon, 799 F2d 929 ( 4th Cir 1986) is a court case in which the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit However, there is still hostility from some politicians and Christian organisations. ^[49][50][51]

According to the traditional history of Wicca as given by Gerald Gardner, Wicca is a survival of the European witch-cult that was persecuted during the witch trials (sometimes called the Burning Times). "Witch trial" redirects here For the song by Rush, see Fear series. Since then theories of an organised pan-European witch-cult have been largely discredited, but it is still common for Wiccans to feel solidarity with the victims of the witch trials. ^[52]

There have been assertions made that Wicca is a form of Satanism, despite important differences between these religions. For other uses of the word see Satanism (disambiguation. Satanism can refer to a number of belief systems depending on the user and context ^[53] Due to negative connotations associated with witchcraft, many Wiccans continue the traditional practice of secrecy, concealing their faith for fear of persecution. Revealing oneself as Wiccan to family, friends or colleagues is often termed "coming out of the broom-closet". ^[54]

References and footnotes

Further reading

• Nikki Bado-Fralick, Coming to the Edge of the Circle: A Wiccan Initiation Ritual (Oxford University Press, 2005).
• Raymond Buckland, The Witch Book: The Encyclopedia of Witchcraft, Wicca, and Neo-paganism (Detroit: Visible Ink Press, 2002).
• Helen A. Berger, A Community of Witches: Contemporary Neo-Paganism and Witchcraft in the United States (Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 1999).
• Jon P. Bloch, New Spirituality, Self, and Belonging: How New Agers and Neo-Pagans Talk About Themselves (Westport: Praeger, 1998).
• Anne Carson, Goddesses and Wise Women: The Literature of Feminist Spirituality 1980-1992 An Annotated Bibliography (Freedom, California: Crossing Press, 1992).
• Chas S. Clifton and Graham Harvey, The Paganism Reader (New York and London: Routledge, 2004).
• Chas S. Clifton, Her Hidden Children: The Rise of Wicca and Paganism in America (Lanham, Md. : AltaMira Press, 2006).
• James R. Lewis, Witchcraft Today: An Encyclopedia of Wiccan and Neopagan Traditions (Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, 1999).
• Graham Harvey, Contemporary Paganism: Listening People, Speaking Earth (New York: New York University Press, 1997).
• Lynne Hume, Witchcraft and Paganism in Australia (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1997).
• James R. Lewis, ed. , Magical Religion and Modern Witchcraft (Albany: State University of New York Press, 1996).
• T. M. Luhrmann, Persuasions of the Witch's Craft: Ritual Magic in Contemporary England (London: Picador, 1994).
• Sabina Magliocco, Witching Culture: Folklore and Neo-Paganism in America (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2004)
• J. Gordon Melton and Isotta Poggi, Magic, Witchcraft, and Paganism in America: A Bibliography, 2nd ed. , (New York and London: Garland Publishing, 1992).
• Sarah M. Pike, Earthly Bodies, Magical Selves: Contemporary Pagans and the Search for Community (Berkeley/Los Angeles: University of California Press, 2001).
• Shelly Rabinovitch and James R. Lewis, eds. , The Encyclopedia of Modern Witchcraft and Neo-Paganism (New York: Kensington Publishing, 2002).
• Kathryn Rountree, Embracing the witch and the goddess: Feminist Ritual-Makers in New Zealand (London and New York: Routledge, 2004).
• Jone Salomonsen, Enchanted Feminism: The Reclaiming Witches of San Francisco (London and New York: Routledge, 2002).
• Allen Scarboro, Nancy Campbell, Shirely Stave, Living Witchcraft: A Contemporary American Coven (Praeger Publishers, 1994). DOI 10.1336/275946886.

External links

• The Witches' Voice: Neopagan news and networking site.
• Covenant of the Goddess (USA)
• The Pagan Federation - UK, Canada - Organisation whose stated mission is "To Promote and Defend the Pagan Traditions". The Pagan Federation is a voluntary organisation formed in 1971, which campaigns for the religious rights of Neo-Pagans and educates both civic bodies and the general
• The Pomegranate: The International Journal of Pagan Studies - Official site for this scholarly journal; includes online articles from 2004 onward.

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