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My Wiccan Religion Section

The Wiccan Religion
'A Religion of Nature; A Religion of
Equality; The Religion of the Witches'

Introduction

Origin and History of the Wiccan Religion
The Early Years
The origin of the Wiccan religion lies in an ancient indigenous religion of life and nature from Paleolithic times that predates Christianity by around 28,000 years. It was influenced heavily by other earth-centric religions of its time, such as Paganism and Animism, as well as Buddhism, Hinduism, and a widespread witch-cult that is thought to have been present in modern day Europe during its early stages of development. Furthermore, unlike many may think, the Wiccan Religion and its roots in Paganism and Animism have had more influence on Christianity then Christianity has had on the Wiccan religion.

In fact, one of the most important events that took place in the Wiccan religions history occurred in its early years, during medieval times. This event, known as the ‘Burning Times’ by modern day Wicca, involved severe persecution by early European Christians, and it forced the Wiccan and their religion to move underground where they would continue to practice their faith in secrecy. It is estimated that millions of men, women and children were hanged, drowned, and burned as accused witches during the ‘Burning Times’, so it is not surprising that the Wicca and their faith would not reappear, for fear of further persecution, until 1954.

Wicca, Re-introduced

Gerald Gardner is credited for re-introducing the world to Wicca. A British civil servant, Mr. Gardner, got permission from his High Priestess, Doreen Valiente, to write several books on witchcraft – “High Magic’s Aid” (1949), a fictional novel revealing some of the ‘old religions’ beliefs, ”Witchcraft Today” (1954), a non

Gerald Gardner(1884-1964) Founder of modern day Wicca Founder of Gardnerian Wicca

Doreen Valiente(1922-1999) Cofounder of modern day Wicca Author of Many Books on Wicca

 fictional work revealing additional details about the faith, such as rituals, symbols, and magick, and “The Meaning of Witchcraft” (1960), a non fictional work that detailed the history of the Wiccan religion in Northern Europe.

The reason Mr. Gardner waited until 1949 to release his initial books on his religion (the Wiccan religion), which he called witchcraft, was because up until 1949 Great Britain had a law in place, which outlawed the writing of books related to witchcraft, and also because he began to fear, in 1949, that his religion was being forgotten, and he did not want that to happen.

Although credited for re-introducing the world to the Wiccan religion, and rightfully so, Mr. Gardner cannot take full credit, for not only did his High Priestess, Doreen Valiente, help re-introduce Wicca to the world, but his works, ”Witchcraft Today” and “The Meaning of Witchcraft, which modern day Wicca is based on, were derived from earlier works, “Aradia: Gospel of the Witches”, “The Witch Cult in Western Europe” and “The God of the Witches”, by two earlier authors, Charles Leland(1824-1903), a prolific author and folklorist who founded the Gypsy Lore Society and Margaret Murray(1863-1963).

The Evolution of Wicca
It would take the immigration of Wicca to America, in the late 1960s, for Wicca to evolve into what it is today. In fact the Wiccan religion and the use of the words wicca and wiccan to describe witches, witchcraft, and the Wiccan religion, in general, would not have evolved as they did without Wiccas immigration to America.

Raymond Buckland Founder of the Seax-Wica tradition of Wicca

Scott Cunningham Key Player in Opening Up Wicca to Solitary Practice

Wicca was brought to America by one of Gerald Gardner’s students, a former Gardnerian Wicca, Raymond Buckland (a.k.a Uncle Bucky). Mr. Buckland got his nickname, ‘Uncle Bucky’, by releasing the book “Buckland’s Complete Book of Witchcraft” in 1986. In “Buckland’s Complete Book of Witchcraft” Mr. Buckland not only revealed many of the secrets of the Wiccan religion, but he also encouraged both solitary practice of the Wiccan religion and the establishing of ones own tradition of the Wiccan religion.

With the help of America, through Raymond Buckland and several other authors including Scott Cunningham, the printed word, and word of mouth the interest in Wicca soon outpaced the mostly British-based covens ability to train and initiate new Wicca. This in turn led to the branching off of the Wiccan religion into multiple branches or traditions from the late 1960s to the 1980s. One of the more important traditions that was established during the Wicca’s 1960s through 1980s boom was the Dianic (feminist) Wicca, for unlike other traditions of Wicca the Dianic tradition allowed same gender initiation into a coven, self initiation into a coven, and it also allowed Wiccans to practice as solitary Wicca.

Besides the Dianic tradition of Wicca and the later books by Mr. Buckland, such as “Buckland’s Complete Book of Witchcraft”, which encouraged the solitary practice of the Wiccan religion, the American author Scott Cunningham was a key player in the acceptance of the Wiccan religion as a solitary faith. In fact, his book “Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner” was the first book in which the word wicca appeared in the title of a book, and it was also one of the first books on the Wiccan religion that suggested Wiccans could practice independently from a coven and/or tradition.

Wicca Today
Although the persecution of Wiccans has drastically decreased since the mid 1990s they still have a ways to go before they are able to practice their faith as freely as most other religions. In fact, in the early 1980s Wiccans were once again persecuted by the general public as they were falsely associated with Satanist and the worship of Satan by several Fundamentalist Christian Organizations. The 1980s persecutions ranged from shootings, threats, and craft-friendly homes and stores being vandalized to one public mass stoning, and one lynching. Furthermore, in recent years child protection agents have erroneously removed children from the home of known Wicca on the sole basis that their parents were Wiccan.

Today, the Wiccan religion and its followers have managed to get their religion successfully legalized in many countries around the world. In fact in 1985, as a result of Dettmer v. Landon, 617 F. Supp. 592, the District Court of Virginia found the Wiccan religion to be a legally recognized religion in the state of Virginia, and this was affirmed, making the Wiccan religion a legal religion in the United States, in 1986 by Judge. J. Butzner of the Federal Appeals Court forth circuit (799 F 2d 929, 1986), but even in America, the land of the free, the Wiccan religion and its followers must continuously defend their religion (e.g. In 1985 a group of conservative Christian legislators, Rep. Robert S. Walker (R-PA), Senator Jesse Helms (R-NC), Rep. Richard T. Schulze (R-PA), and Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX), introduced legislation that would strip Wiccans of their legal rights. Fortunately, all of these efforts fizzled with the close of the 99th
Session of Congress in 1986).

The Wiccan religion is one of the fastest growing religions in the world; it doubles in size every 18 months, and there is estimated to be, in America alone, over 750,000 practicing Wicca and over 19 traditions (branches) of the Wiccan religion. Furthermore, it is also estimated that the Wiccan religion will become the 3rd largest religion in the U.S. by 2012 if it continues its current growth pattern.

Beliefs and Practices
Overview
First and foremost! Wiccans do not worship Satan, nor do they believe in other Judeo-Christian concepts such as original sin, vicarious atonement, divine judgment, bodily resurrection, and heaven and hell. The Wiccan religion is a naturalistic earth-centric religion that teaches one to love, respect, and honor all life, and to strive for peace, harmony, and equality for all. Wiccans respect the great forces of nature, celebrate the cycles of the seasons and the moon, and are strong supporters of the environment, equal rights, global peace and religious freedom. They, the Wicca, have no central religious doctrine or authority, nor do they actively recruit or try to convert followers to their religion. The Wiccan believe that when someone is ready to worship along side them; they will come to the Wiccan, not vice versa.

Wiccans have two core ethical beliefs the Wiccan Rede or ‘rule’ that states “An it harm none, do what thou wilt” and the Law of Threefold Return that states “Three times what thou givest returns to thee”. Furthermore, Wiccans believe in intensified karma and reincarnation, which helps to keep individual Wicca inline with their teachings.

A direct affect of the core ethical beliefs of the Wicca is that most Wicca are open-minded individuals and groups that will not only accept everyone into their religion no matter what the persons race, sexual orientation, etc., but they will also go out of their way to help anyone in need, including those that do not follow the Wiccan religion.

Although, Deity-wise, most Wiccans worship the Triple Goddess of the Moon (the Maiden, the Mother, and the Crone) and the Horned God of the Wilds (the Holly King and the Oak King) they truly believe in only one unknowable God, ‘the One’, for the Triple Goddess of the Moon and the Horned God of the Wilds are one in the same; they are merely parts of ‘the One’. Other names used to describe the Wiccans unknowable God are ‘the All’ and ‘the Prime Mover’. Also depending on the tradition of Wicca that one follows one may worship the ‘the One’ directly, or a combination of changing Gods and Goddesses throughout the year, but as mentioned earlier the traditions that do worship multiple Gods and Goddesses simply believe they are worshipping one part of their greater God, ‘the One’, not separate Gods and Goddesses, therefore the Wiccan religion is classified as a monotheistic religion.

Unlike many other religions, at least western religions, Wiccans believe that through the presence of the divine, their unknowable and indescribable God, in all - the moon, the sun, the earth, the sky, men, women, plants, and animals – that they have some magickal control over their environment.

The reason I use the word ‘magickal’ versus the word ‘magic’ throughout this page is not because I am English or because I can’t spell, but it is instead because Wiccans use the word ‘magick’ instead of the more common word ‘magic’ in order to differentiate their ability to magickally control their environment through ‘the One’, which is part of everything, from stage magic. In fact, due to the mere fact that Wiccans are not willing to submit to false allegations of satanism and evil they continue to use the words ‘witch’, ‘pagan’, and ‘magick’, all of which carry negative connotations, to describe themselves and their use of magick. These words were, after all, the words used before ancient Christians subverted them and tried to turn them into something evil.

Meetings-wise, Wiccans meet annually on nights of the full moon, new moon, or both, known as Esbats, and they also meet for eight great festivals or holidays, known as Sabbats. There is between 12 and 13 full moons a year, so Wiccans meet at least 12 times a year for general worship, the Esbats, and an additional 8 times a year for celebration, the Sabbats.
In later sections of this page both Esbats and Sabbats will be covered in more detail.

Structurally, the Wiccan religion is made up of various traditions (branches/denominations) that worship in covens of 13 or less Wicca. If the ideal size of a coven, 13, is exceeded the coven will hive off into separate but connected covens and continue to worship together as a grove. The significants of the number 13 comes from the fact that there can be no more then 13 full moons a year, and therefore a coven should not have no more then 13 Wicca per coven. Besides the above mentioned structure for the Wiccan religion it is not surprising, nowadays, to find both families of Wicca worshipping as a family unit, and individual Wicca worshipping as solitary Wicca.

Those that wish to join a coven (tradition) generally need to study under a Wiccan teacher for 1 year and a day. After this trial period the initiate can decide whether or not they want to join the coven, and if they do an initiation ceremony will be held. Like many aspects of the Wiccan religion this process of being initiated into a coven may change from coven to coven, and in many traditions of Wicca, such as Gardnerian Wicca, there is also an internal hierarchy where you have First Level Initiates, Second Level Initiates, etc.

Wiccan Ceremonial Tools

All Wiccans have, at least, 5 ceremonial tools, one to represent each of the 4 elements (fire, earth, air, water) and a Book of Shadows. Furthermore, Wiccan ceremonial tools should be handmade, because by hand making them the individual Wicca empowers it with their own energy.
 

Just as with many aspects of the Wiccan religion, which ceremonial tools an individual Wicca uses versus another is dictated by his or her coven.

Wiccan Pentacle/Pentagram
The Wiccan Pentacle/Pentagram deserves special mention here, because it is not only a Wiccans most sacred symbol, but it is also their most misunderstood symbol. A Wiccan Pentacle does not represent Satan; it is instead their most sacred symbol, a symbol of protection, and it represents the 4 elements of nature (fire, earth, air,

An example of a Wiccan Pentacle

 water), and also spirituality. In fact, the only time you’ll see an inverted pentacle (a holy symbol for Satanists) used by a Wiccan coven is with Gardnerian Wicca, and in Gardnerian Wicca it is merely worn by Second Level Initiates to represent their hierarchical position within the tradition.

The way in which a Wiccan Pentacle represents fire, earth, air, water, and spirituality is through its 5 points. 4 of the 5 points represent fire, earth, air, and water, and the final point represents spirituality. The point which represents spirituality is always the point that points up, whereas the points that represent fire, earth, air, and water change regionally (e.g. Wiccans in the northern hemisphere use the southern point to represent fire, because the equator lies south of them, whereas Wiccans in the southern hemisphere use the northern point to represent fire, because the equator lies north of them).

Wiccan Sabbats

Wiccan Sabbats can be traced back to ancient times and are normally represented by an 8 spoke wheel known as the ‘Wheel of the Year’. Furthermore, Wiccan Sabbats are made up of 4 greater sabbats, which are agricultural festivals that take place when the seasons are at their peak, and 4 lesser sabbats, which are solar

 festivals (equinoxes and solstices) that take place when one season is changing to the next. All Wiccan Sabbats, with the exception of Beltane, are celebrated at night, and are just that celebrations, so unless emergency healing is desperately needed no magick will be performed during Sabbats.

Structurally, as with all Wiccan worship, Sabbats are celebrated outside under the sun, which is a representation of the Horned God of the Wilds, and the moon, which is a representation of the Triple Goddess of the Moon. Ritual attire runs from skyclad to jeans and a t-shirt, and, as with many aspects of the Wiccan religion, ritual attire is dictated by the Wiccans coven, and it may vary from coven to coven. Furthermore, during worship Wiccans will assemble in a circle and face one another for within all is the divine, and afterward they will gather for food, drinks, and socialization.

 

The Wiccan Sabbats and Their Meanings

Yule – A lesser sabbat, Yule takes place on December 21 (Winter Solstice) and celebrates the fact that the Triple Goddess (as Mother) has given birth to the Oak King (the first persona of the Horned God, which represents light and day). Additional traditions during Yule include the Yule log, Yule tree, and lit candles until morning. The origins of the Christian holiday Christmas lies in Yule. Yule is the longest night of the year

Imbolc (a.k.a Brigit and Candlemas) – A greater sabbat, Imbolc takes place on Groundhog Day February 2 (Winters Peak) and celebrates love, friendship, the coming of spring, and the fact that the Oak King is falling in love with the Triple Goddess as she begins to transition from Mother to Maiden. The origins of both St. Valentine’s Day and Saint Brigit, the “Patron Saint of Smithcraft, Poetry and Healing”, lie in Imbolc

Spring (a.ka. Ostara and Eostre) – A lesser sabbat, Ostara takes place on March 21 (Spring Equinox) and celebrates love, passion, and the fact that the Oak King as an adult and the Triple Goddess as Maiden have conceived a child; he will be born in exactly 9 months on Yule. The origins of the name of the Christian holiday Easter, Easter Eggs, and the Easter Bunny lie in Ostara. Both eggs and rabbits are pagan symbols of fertility. On Ostara day and night are equal

Beltane – A greater sabbat, Beltane takes place on May 1 (Springs Peak) and celebrates the coming of the summer crops, fertility, life, and the fact that the Triple Goddess begins to show her pregnancy

Midsummer – A lesser sabbat, Midsummer takes place on June 21 (Summer Solstice) and celebrates success, love, and the fact that the Triple Goddess and the Oak King are married. Also during Midsummer the Oak King is at his height, and he begins to battle internally with the Holly King (the second persona of the Horned God, which represents darkness and the night). Midsummer is the longest day of the year

Lughnasadh (a.k.a Lammas) – A greater sabbat, Lughnasadh takes place on August 1 (Summers Peak) and celebrates the first of the summer harvests and the Oak King (Day) as he slowly loses his battle with the Holly King (Night)

Autumn (a.ka. Mabon) – A lesser sabbat, Mabon takes place on September 21 (Autumn Equinox) and celebrates the last of the summer harvests. Also on Mabon the Oak King (Day) begins to rapidly lose his battle with the Holly King (Night). On Mabon most Wicca will begin to prepare for winter by baking bread, gathering herbs and canning foods. On Mabon day and night are once again equal

Samhain - A greater sabbat, Samhain takes place on October 31 (Autumns Peak) and celebrates the autumn harvests. Also on Samhain the Oak King (Day) is commemorated as he is finally defeated by the Holly King (Night). On Samhain most Wicca will look back on what they did right and wrong during the previous year, and they will also make their new years resolutions

Wiccan Esbats and Other Celebrations

Esbats are the normal meetings that Wiccans attend, and they are used to not only worship ‘the One’, through the Triple Goddess of the Moon and the Horned God of the Wilds, but they are also used to perform magick, divination, healing, and the empowering or charging of objects, such as amulets, sachets, poppets (dolls), herbs, etc. Although ritual magick, divination, healing, and the empowering or charging of objects can be done at anytime it is most effective to complete these tasks during Esbats, so most Wiccan will decide to perform such things during their normal Esbat meetings.

Structurally, Esbat rituals are performed outside in the same way Sabbats are, and, as mentioned earlier, Esbats are attended during the full moon, new moon, or both depending on the Wiccans coven.

In addition to Sabbats and Esbats Wiccans also attend and perform Handfastings (Marriages), Handpartings (Divorces), Wiccanings (Baptisms), Crossing the Bridge ceremonies (Wakes).

Handfastings, Handpartings, Wiccannings, and Crossing the Bridge ceremonies can generally be compared to their Christian equivalents, but there are a few differences between them that I will cover in more detail here.

Unlike a Christian Marriage one must participate in two Handfastings before one is officially recognized as husband and wife by the Wiccan religion. The first Handfasting will last for 1 year and a day and is more less a test marriage. After the test marriage or trial period, if both parties still wish to be married, a second Handfasting ceremony will be held, and only then will the couple officially become husband and wife in the eyes of the Wiccan religion.

Although Handfastings are not legal in most countries around the world the Wiccan religion is making advances in this regard; the first legally recognized Handfasting took place in Great Britain in 2004.

Also unlike Christians during Handpartings (Divorces) the Wiccan officials (High Priest/HighPriestess) or the coven as a whole will split all the couples’ belongings down the middle giving the husband half of all belongings, and the wife the other half of all belongings.

Equality is a very important aspect in the Wiccan religion, and they try to uphold this in as many ways as they can, including as shown here during a Handparting.

Finally, unlike in many Christian religions, a Wiccanning does not forever tie a child to the Wiccan religion it instead allows ‘the One’ to protect the child from harm until the child comes of age and can decide for themselves whether or not they want to follow the Wiccan religion. In fact, most Wiccan covens ask that their members explore all religions, and not just blindly follow the one they are born into.

Wiccan Magick

Unlike the instant magic effects portrayed in cartoons, works of fantasy, and medieval demonology Wiccan magick is slow to work and operates in harmony with the natural laws. It’s used in various ways, such as for healing through meditation, poppets, and the casting of spells, when seeking guidance through meditation, scrying, and the casting of spells, when trying to predict the future through channeling, tarot cards, scrying, palmistry, tea-leaf reading, numerology, and astrology, and when trying to improve ones health, personal life, or financial status through the casting of spells.

Wiccans never use magick to force someone to do something or to harm someone; magick is only used in positive ways, and it is also only performed on willing recipients.

Besides the chanting, symbolism, dancing, and ancient rituals and procedures involved in the casting of spells Wiccans also use their various Wiccan tools, candles of various colors, empowered herbs, potions, and brews in the casting of spells. Furthermore in many cases, especially when creating amulets, poppets, and, sachets, magickal symbols and runes are also used.

Some Wiccan Magickal Herbs and Their Meanings
Angelica (Angelica Archangelica) Folk Names: Archangel, Masterwort Powers: Exorcism, Protection, Healing, Visions Magical Uses: Wards off evil if sprinkled in the four corners of your house or around its perimeter. Removes curses, hexes, and any spells that have been cast against you when added to a bath. Medicinal Uses: Warms the body, Circulation stimulant, Digestive stimulant, Women’s reproductive tonic
Catnip (Nepeta Cataria) Folk Names: Cat, Catmint, Cat’s Wort, Nip Powers: Cat Magick, Love, Beauty, Happiness Magical Uses: Attracts good spirits if hung over your homes door. Creates a bond between you and your cat if given to your cat. If you hold catnip in your hand until it warms, and then hold anyone else’s hand; they will be your friend for as long as you keep the catnip used in the spell. Medicinal Uses: Digestive aid, Relieves indigestion, Nerve relaxant, Great for kids

Conclusion

In closing I would like to quote Ricky Franklin from his article “The Wicca Religion: Worship of the Goddess”, as what he says, not only reflects what I have read on many occasions while researching the Wiccan Religion, but it also reflects the purpose of my own research on the Wiccan religion:

 In other words: Just as you should never judge a person by what you’ve heard; don’t judge a religion by what you’ve heard; instead judge it by your understanding of it.

Bibliography