Wicca & Witchcraft
Wicca is a belief system and way of life based upon the reconstruction of pre-Christian traditions originating in Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. Witchcraft in ancient history was known as "The Craft of the Wise" because most who followed the path were in tune with the forces of nature, had a knowledge of Herbs and medicines, gave council and were valuable parts of the village and community as Shamanic healers and leaders. They understood that mankind is not superior to nature, the earth and its creatures but instead we are simply one of the many parts, both seen and unseen that combines to make the whole. These wise people understood that what we take or use, we must return in kind to maintain balance and equilibrium. Wiccan believe that the spirit of the One, Goddess and God exist in all things. In the trees, rain, flowers, the sea, in each other and all of natures creatures. This means that we must treat "all things" of the Earth as aspects of the divine. Wicca attempts to honor and respect life in all its many manifestations both seen and unseen.
Witchcraft is a spiritual system that fosters the free thought and will of the individual, encourages learning and an understanding of the earth and nature thereby affirming the divinity in all living things. Most importantly however, it teaches responsibility. This system acknowledge the cycles of nature, the lunar phases and the seasons to celebrate our spirituality and to worship the divine. It is a belief system that allows the Witch to work with, not in supplication to deities with the intent of living in harmony and achieving balance with all things. Witchcraft involves Spell casting for the purpose of healing, love, harmony, wisdom and creativity.
Wiccan learns from and reveres the gift of nature from divine creation by celebrating the cycles of the sun, moon and seasons. Wiccans search within ourselves for the cycles that correspond to those of the natural world and try to live in harmony with the movement of this universal energy. This belief creates a reverence and respect for the environment, and all life upon the Earth.
WICCA also reveres the spirits of the elements of Earth, Air, Fire and Water which combine to manifest all creation. From these four elements are obtained insight to the rhythms of nature and understand they are also the rhythms of our own lives.
Wiccan practice tolerance and acceptance toward all other religions as long as those faiths do not persecute others or violate the tenant of "Harm None."
Wiccans follow what's given in Wiccan Reed (produced for reference at the end)
What Wicca/Witchcraft is not: Witchcraft or Wicca is not a cult.
Wiccans not worship Satan or consort with Demons.
Wiccan does not do not sacrifice animals or humans because that would violate out their basic tenant of "Harm None".
Wiccans have no need to steal or control the life force of another to achieve mystical or supernatural powers. We draw our energy from within, our personal relationship with the divine and nature.
Wiccans do not use the forces of nature or the universe to hex or cast spells on others. Again, "Harm None" is the whole of the law.
Witches have a very strict belief in the Law of Three which states that whatever we send out into our world shall return to us three fold either good or bane. With this in mind, a "True Witch" would hesitate in doing magick to harm or manipulate another because that boomerang we throw will eventually come back to much larger and harder then when we threw it.
Wiccans, Pagans and Witches see the Divine as being manifest through the God and Goddess. Their ability to comprehend the universe and the world around us is limited, and viewing the Divine as masculine and feminine aspects of the One Universal power helps them to understand this energy a little better. We accept that different aspects of the Divine combine to make the whole or One. In this view, we recognize and attune ourselves with nature and the creative force in a way the individual or group is most comfortable with. The following is an explanation of this concept which most agree upon.
The Supreme Creative Force: The One is the all encompassing unity of all things which exist. This includes that which is manifest to our limited awareness and understanding as well as that which is not. The One is infinite to a point that the human mind simply cannot comprehend its vastness.
Polarities of the One: The Goddess and God are seen as a manifestation of the feminine and masculine forces of nature. Each having unique characteristics that when combined result in the harmonious creation of life.
Wiccans see examples of this in everything around us as nothing can exist without the interaction of feminine and masculine energy. This creative energy is omnipresent. They are concepts that allow the human mind to comprehend the creative force of the world around us.
Some definitions for reference:
Wicca: A modern Pagan religion with spiritual roots in the earliest expressions of reverence for nature. Some major identifying motifs are: reverence for both the Goddess and God; acceptance of reincarnation and magick; ritual observance of astronomical and agricultural phenomena; and the use of Magickal circles for ritual purposes.
Wicce: Synonymous with Wicca. In some circles, Wicce is used for women and Wicca is used for men.
Witch: A practitioner of folk magick, particularly that kind relating to herbs, stones, colors, wells, rivers, etc. It is used by some Wiccans to describe them. This term has nothing to do with Satanism.
Witchcraft: The craft of the witch - magick, especially magick utilizing personal power in conjunction with the energies within stones, herbs, colors, and other natural objects. This belief system also has nothing to do with Satanism.
Pagan/Neo-Pagan/Paganism: General term for followers of Wicca and other Magickal, shamanistic, and polytheistic Earth-based religions.
Wicca is a belief system and way of life based upon the reconstruction of pre-Christian traditions originating in Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. Witchcraft in ancient history was known as "The Craft of the Wise" because most who followed the path were in tune with the forces of nature, had a knowledge of Herbs and medicines, gave council and were valuable parts of the village and community as Shamanic healers and leaders. They understood that mankind is not superior to nature, the earth and its creatures but instead we are simply one of the many parts, both seen and unseen that combines to make the whole. These wise people understood that what we take or use, we must return in kind to maintain balance and equilibrium. Wiccan believe that the spirit of the One, Goddess and God exist in all things. In the trees, rain, flowers, the sea, in each other and all of natures creatures. This means that we must treat "all things" of the Earth as aspects of the divine. Wicca attempts to honor and respect life in all its many manifestations both seen and unseen.
Witchcraft is a spiritual system that fosters the free thought and will of the individual, encourages learning and an understanding of the earth and nature thereby affirming the divinity in all living things. Most importantly however, it teaches responsibility. This system acknowledge the cycles of nature, the lunar phases and the seasons to celebrate our spirituality and to worship the divine. It is a belief system that allows the Witch to work with, not in supplication to deities with the intent of living in harmony and achieving balance with all things. Witchcraft involves Spell casting for the purpose of healing, love, harmony, wisdom and creativity.
Wiccan learns from and reveres the gift of nature from divine creation by celebrating the cycles of the sun, moon and seasons. Wiccans search within ourselves for the cycles that correspond to those of the natural world and try to live in harmony with the movement of this universal energy. This belief creates a reverence and respect for the environment, and all life upon the Earth.
WICCA also reveres the spirits of the elements of Earth, Air, Fire and Water which combine to manifest all creation. From these four elements are obtained insight to the rhythms of nature and understand they are also the rhythms of our own lives.
Wiccan practice tolerance and acceptance toward all other religions as long as those faiths do not persecute others or violate the tenant of "Harm None."
Wiccans follow what's given in Wiccan Reed (produced for reference at the end)
What Wicca/Witchcraft is not: Witchcraft or Wicca is not a cult.
Wiccans not worship Satan or consort with Demons.
Wiccan does not do not sacrifice animals or humans because that would violate out their basic tenant of "Harm None".
Wiccans have no need to steal or control the life force of another to achieve mystical or supernatural powers. We draw our energy from within, our personal relationship with the divine and nature.
Wiccans do not use the forces of nature or the universe to hex or cast spells on others. Again, "Harm None" is the whole of the law.
Witches have a very strict belief in the Law of Three which states that whatever we send out into our world shall return to us three fold either good or bane. With this in mind, a "True Witch" would hesitate in doing magick to harm or manipulate another because that boomerang we throw will eventually come back to much larger and harder then when we threw it.
Wiccans, Pagans and Witches see the Divine as being manifest through the God and Goddess. Their ability to comprehend the universe and the world around us is limited, and viewing the Divine as masculine and feminine aspects of the One Universal power helps them to understand this energy a little better. We accept that different aspects of the Divine combine to make the whole or One. In this view, we recognize and attune ourselves with nature and the creative force in a way the individual or group is most comfortable with. The following is an explanation of this concept which most agree upon.
The Supreme Creative Force: The One is the all encompassing unity of all things which exist. This includes that which is manifest to our limited awareness and understanding as well as that which is not. The One is infinite to a point that the human mind simply cannot comprehend its vastness.
Polarities of the One: The Goddess and God are seen as a manifestation of the feminine and masculine forces of nature. Each having unique characteristics that when combined result in the harmonious creation of life.
Wiccans see examples of this in everything around us as nothing can exist without the interaction of feminine and masculine energy. This creative energy is omnipresent. They are concepts that allow the human mind to comprehend the creative force of the world around us.
Some definitions for reference:
Wicca: A modern Pagan religion with spiritual roots in the earliest expressions of reverence for nature. Some major identifying motifs are: reverence for both the Goddess and God; acceptance of reincarnation and magick; ritual observance of astronomical and agricultural phenomena; and the use of Magickal circles for ritual purposes.
Wicce: Synonymous with Wicca. In some circles, Wicce is used for women and Wicca is used for men.
Witch: A practitioner of folk magick, particularly that kind relating to herbs, stones, colors, wells, rivers, etc. It is used by some Wiccans to describe them. This term has nothing to do with Satanism.
Witchcraft: The craft of the witch - magick, especially magick utilizing personal power in conjunction with the energies within stones, herbs, colors, and other natural objects. This belief system also has nothing to do with Satanism.
Pagan/Neo-Pagan/Paganism: General term for followers of Wicca and other Magickal, shamanistic, and polytheistic Earth-based religions.
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