Wicca is a religion, a religion that is mainly focused on nature. In this religion not only God is recognized but also the Goddess, mother earth. It is a very old natural belief that has been translated into the present. That is why it is also called Modern Witchcraft. The term witchcraft is very misleading and therefore people often think that it has to do with devil worship or is a strange cult. But this is absolutely not the case. Wicca is one of the most beautiful religions I have come across.
Wicca
Wicca is also called Modern Witchcraft. But this is not just a way of doing magic, it is more of a nature religion in which a Goddess and a God are worshiped. The Goddess represents the feminine, the earth, the nourishing and shaping, but also the destructive force that brings nature back to a period of rest and recovery.
The God is the masculine, the force that sets the cycle of nature in motion again and again. Wicca involves developing magical and paranormal powers, but hand in hand with the wisdom to use these powers well! Despite the traditional image, both women and men can be witches.
It is preferable not to use the name witch because it can be misleading upon first introduction. That is why the name Wicca is used and you can give your own explanation. The name Wicca is derived from the Old English word wica which possibly meant the Wise. Growing environmental awareness in the modern world makes Wicca increasingly attractive. Nature is therefore very important in Wicca, or rather nature itself is sacred. It is therefore important to take good care of nature and do your best not to damage anything here.
What Can One Do With Wicca People turn to Wicca for a variety of reasons. Some seek strength and knowledge, others because of the role of the Goddess and others out of environmental awareness and respect for nature. Or they seek the spiritual side or are attracted to magic. These are actually roughly the sides there are to practicing Wicca. With Wicca you can use all these aspects if that is where your interests lie! If so, you may decide to become a Wiccan. But you have to believe in it otherwise you won’t succeed.
“If you don’t feel a sense of wonder, if you don’t have the feeling that you can find yourself in an unreal world outside the ordinary world for a few minutes, then it’s of no use to you!”
Wrote Gerald Gardner, one of the founders or innovators of Wicca.
Groups and Solo
Wicca can be practiced in a coven (group) or solo. But even if you join a coven, it’s good to perform your rituals alone every now and then. There is a very special magic about working with a group and seeing something come out of it that is much greater than the amount of people involved.
There are two paths to take in a coven context:
- You can start a coven with a group of friends but you do not want to join any of the initiation traditions. These types of groups are common in the United States. They then teach themselves things from books.
- book of shadows
- You can also join a more organized coven, this is often called traditional initiation witchcraft or British witchcraft. This coven is part of an initiation tradition.
There are also two different paths to take solo :
- This is the traditional witch, also called wise woman, wise man or herb woman. This form is less often related to rituals but to nature, it is useful to have herbal knowledge and enthusiasm for gardening.
- Or you practice witchcraft with the help of books. You are not a member of a coven, but you do much the same thing.
The history
Who invented it?
One of the founders, or rather innovators, of Wicca is Gerald Gardner. He was born on June 13, 1884. He suffered greatly from asthma and his father had to travel a lot! This allowed him to see many of the other cultures.
He married Donna Rosedale, a minister’s daughter, in 1927. They returned to England together and remained there until her death in 1960.
On his travels he also became interested in ancient ruins, houses and temples. The mysticism and magic of the East fascinated him. He also visited many theaters and joined the Masonic Fellowship of Cr otona. There he met Dorothy Clutterbuck, a woman in her late 50s, and her friends. Like Gardner, they were interested in the practices of witches and magicians.
It would take another 15 years before it became known to a wider circle that Wicca was born at that time.
Before 1951, witchcraft was still a crime and witches were still burned, but in 1951 the Witchcraft Act was abolished in England and witchcraft was no longer a crime.
Gardner then mentions in a book in 1954 that witches still exist and that witchcraft is on the verge of extinction. The witches therefore asked him to write a piece about their religion, which he did. In 1959 he wrote a book explaining that witchcraft dates back to the Stone Age and has nothing to do with Satanism and Black Masses. Then he also tells that he was initiated in England in 1939 by a group of witches into their religion they called Wicca and in 1960 Gardner revealed that it had been Dorothy.
Doreen Valente born in 1922 read an article about witches. This really appealed to her, she responded and came into contact with Gardner. He initiated her in 1953 and she soon became the new High Priestess of Gardner’s coven. She was the one who wanted the religion to go down in history as Gardnerian Wicca. But then she discovers that the texts of Gardner’s rituals simply come from old books and that he was not always careful with the truth.
Gardner had all these titles added to his name, claiming that he got them because he had attended two universities. After his death, this all turns out to be a lie. The Wiccans then begin to doubt the authenticity and truth of their religion and its rituals. Doreen perseveres and she discovers in old documents that there was indeed an old religion long ago, as Gardner said.
The elements
The elements are very important in Wicca. During each ritual you invoke them by drawing a pentagram where the top point is the ether, the right arm is the west to which the element water belongs, the left arm is the east to which the element air belongs, the right leg is the south where the element fire belongs and the left leg is the north where the element earth belongs.
Everything in creation is alive. People, animals, plants, trees, stones, crystals, molecules and even atoms have their own purposes and their own spiritual power. So you can say that the earth itself is also alive. Plants, animals and minerals work together in a way that suggests they are part of a living being, a larger whole. Within our collaborative existence we have many different types of energy and many ways to name them. There is an ancient Greek idea that the physical universe consists of energy in four forms, air, fire, water, earth. Beyond this there exists a fifth form, the ether or spirit.
The four elements
Fire
Fire is activity, setting things in motion, excitement, entertainment, zest for life and the speed of the arrow. He renews and purifies. Fire changes, destroys and creates space for new plantings. The passion of fire can fuel zest for life and creativity. Fire is also a negative side of fears and dreams. Fire the energy and warmth, warmth of love but also the desire to consume.
Zodiac signs associated with the element fire are: Aries, Leo and Sagittarius.
Water
Water is flexible, tolerant and tolerant. It overcomes difficulties by confronting them . Water brings tears of happiness and also of sadness. Water, like fire, is a negative side of dreams and fears. The power of water can conquer anything!
Zodiac signs associated with the element of water are: Scorpio, Pisces and Cancer.
Air
The air side is the side that wants to learn things, the curious side that tries to understand the true nature of things. He is young, light and energetic, Air can be the humor or fun in life.
Zodiac signs associated with the element air are: Aquarius, Libra, Gemini.
Earth
This is the element of the physical body. Fortitude, reliability, endurance and protection are properties of the earth. Earth can also be stingy with food or money. Earth is patient and can tolerate and correct our mistakes.
Zodiac signs associated with the earth element are: Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn.
The gods
Wicca is a very old faith. We worship the earliest forms of deities as they arose in the minds and hearts of humanity, the great Mother Goddess with her companion, the Horned God. The Goddess and God can be seen in the changing of nature, the seasonal cycle that echoes the rhythm of the universe, creation, maturation, decay, death and rebirth. With each change of season we honor the aspect of the Goddess and God that is most applicable to that period.
The Goddess Our early ancestors made primitive goddess statues. These Goddesses were sturdy women with round bellies. Their organs associated with sexuality and fertility, breasts and vulva, were emphasized. Certain functions related to reproduction, such as giving birth and suckling, were also depicted. After all, fertility was of vital importance. In Wicca, the Goddess is still worshiped under her ancient names such as Aradia, Cerridwen, Isis, Astarte, Dione, Melusine, Aphrodite, Dana and Arianrhod.
Traditionally, the Goddess has been worshiped in Wicca in a threefold form . As a virgin who is unfamiliar with motherhood, as a mother and as a wise woman whose motherhood has come to an end, the woman who acts as a midwife for the mother and who discards the dead. .
The God
In Wicca the God is equal to the Goddess. Paintings of the horned God have been found deep in the deepest caves. He is the God of the hunt and the forest. Horns stood for strength and power and therefore for divinity. The horned God appears in many cultures around the world. In India he is called Parvati, the lord of the animals, he is the Greek Pan and the Cernunnos for the Celts, the horned god of the hunt who in England is called Herne.
The different roles that the God plays are easy to understand in terms of the cycle of seasons and the elements . The God is born in the middle of winter as a sun child and goes through the stages of life to enter the darkness or the center. From the darkness he rises into the light to become a child of the sun again.
Festivities associated with the Gods
Wicca has eight major festivals, which begin at sunset and continue until sunset the following day.
Samhain (pronounced Sowen) October 31 – November 1 The year ends with Samhain (also Halloween). This is the Celtic old and new, when the veil between the two worlds of life and death are at their thinnest. It is also the festival of death and rebirth. The beginning of winter symbolizes the death of the God. The new year begins now for witches.
Element: WaterYule (midwinter) December 21Yu le means wheel, the wheel of the year reaches its turning point. This festival is the Winter Solstice. The shortest day and the longest night, from now on the days will get longer again. With Yule, a new connection is made between the Goddess and her children. The Goddess promises to provide new fertility.
Element: EarthImbolc (pronounced: Immolc) January 31 – February 1It is time of awakening. The Goddess has done what she promised with Yule, she becomes pregnant. Nature is also slowly awakening to the increasing power of the new God. So it is the festival of conception. Traditionally, pancakes are eaten during Imbolc, their round shape and golden yellow color symbolizing the fertile sun.
Element: AirOstara (spring equinox) March 20 – 21 This is
the first spring day, day and night are of equal length. Ostara is derived from the Germanic moon goddess of fertility Eastre, and represents the new life that is about to be born. Ostara is the promise of birth. The new life is not yet here, but the indications are very visible. The two symbols of Ostara are the hare and the egg. Eggs are the symbol of new life and fertility.
Element: VuurBeltain (pronounced as: Belteen and also written as: Beltane) April 30 – May 1
This festival brings in summer. Pagans celebrate the union of the Goddess with the God (this is the new God.) It is also reflected in human love relationships. This is the period of Handfasting, the W icca wedding. The cattle can be brought out of the stable after a long winter period. In the past, they were guided between two cleansing fire piles. The party has an exuberant character. The villagers used to dance around the maypole with red and white ribbons. These ribbons symbolize the breaking of virginity. Beltain is the Celtic word for May.
Element: EarthLitha (Midsummer) June 20 – 21This is the longest day of the year, the shortest night. From now on the days will be shorter again. The God is at the height of his power, it is a time of plenty.
Element: WaterLughnasadh (pronounced: loenaasaa) July 30 – August 1The God is reaching his old age, but he is not yet dead. It is also the first of the three harvest festivals. Harvesting the grain is a sacrifice of nature. This sacrifice makes new life possible and the chain of sowing and harvesting can continue.
Element: FireMabon (autumn equinox) September 20 – 21The God quickly loses his power. During this harvest festival, the Gods are thanked for the harvest, which will help us through the cold winter months. Mabon is a Welsh word for the mother’s great son.
Element: Air
Magic
Magic is bringing about change, using means that have not yet been accepted by science. There are two forms of magic: nature magic and high magic. High magic is used to make ourselves a more highly developed human being. In Wicca, high magic includes; initiation rites and ritual worship to connect with the higher consciousness and the divine around us. Natural magic uses the properties and tools such as crystals and metals, herbs, the influence of plants and the moon. This is done by controlling their energies and flowing with their tides. Magic can also invoke the power of angels, spirits and nature spirits. Wicca relies on the witch’s own knowledge and skills, the powers and the human spirit.
Who can do magic
In most traditional communities, sorcery was the prerogative of a specially trained expert, a shaman, medicine man, witch doctor, wise man, wise woman or a witch. They usually inherited these functions from their mother or father. It also sometimes happened that there were people who had undergone a special spiritual crisis. They were chosen by the gods.
Real witches should be born that way and not made. Today this idea has changed. That’s why ancient warlocks initiate outsiders into their tradition. People often turn to Wicca saying I’d like to be a witch, but I don’t know if I can do magic. One witch is better at one aspect than another, but everyone is capable of developing a magical skill. It is just important that you really believe in it and are open to it.
How we do magic Traditional objects we use in Wicca are cords, candles and wax figurines. These objects have no value in themselves but can be charged with our own energy. These are useful tools, but more important are the inner processes.
Four important things are:
- Visualization: If you have a vivid imagination, visualizing will not be difficult for you. If not, you need to practice.
- Concentration: Magic requires a lot of concentration. This can be very difficult, especially if you find it difficult to disconnect from the world.
- Trance: Going into a trance is entering another state of consciousness and entering a timeless zone. You do not have to lose awareness of the present, but your attention lies elsewhere.
- Etheric energy: Witches have long believed that the body possesses energies that help you achieve certain goals. In addition to our physical body, we also have an etheric body, this body has special energy centers that are called chakras or wheels in Sanskrit. With this we receive energy and emit energy.
What can you use it for? Magic is a form of strength, power, wisdom and knowledge. It is both more powerful and weaker than the ignorant think. In Wicca, magic is practiced according to strict rules. Magic is no crutch for the weak, no boost for flawed egos. It is a skill that you must learn to use wisely and correctly. Some covens (groups of Wiccans) believe that you should not use magic on yourself. But in most covens you are allowed to do something for yourself, if the group approves.
A traditional witches saying goes: Do what you want, as long as it doesn’t harm anyone. If you want the magic to be effective, you must combine love with common sense, worldly wisdom and spiritual insight.
Prediction Wicca currently works with parapsychological powers and their development. This involves telepathy, knowing what someone is thinking or feeling, clairvoyance, getting information about the future, psychometrics , getting information about things by touching them, dowsing, finding things with the help of a pendant (pendulum) or a dowsing and psychokinesis, bringing about physical change through mind power. This is often called magic and everything else is lumped together under the heading of prediction. Magic involves using inner powers. Clairvoyance is about learning to be motionless, passive and receptive. People who are clairvoyant have the ability to pick up subtle signals more than others. The Wicca training is partly intended to make you more aware of these weak signals. When you dream, meditate or are in a relaxed state, these signals are stronger. By learning to remember your dreams, you become more open to other messages from the subconscious during the day. These are premonitions, dreams and hunches that people experience but often ignore.
The Witches Rune
Darksome night and shining moon,
East, then south, west then north,Hearken to the witches’ rune.Here come I to call the forth.
Earth and water, air and fire,Wand and Pentacle and SwordWork ye unto my desire.Hearken ye unto my word.
Cords and Censer, Scourge and Knife,
Powers of the Witches Blade,Waken all ye into life.Come ye as the charm is made.
Queen of Heaven, Queen of Hell,Horned Hunter of the Night,Lend your aid unto the spell.Work my will by magic rite.
By all the power of land and sea,By all the might of moon and sun,As I do will, so mote it be.Chant the spell and be it done.
The Wiccan Rede
Bide the Wiccan law we must,
In perfect love and perfect trust.Live and let live,Fairly take and fairly give.Cast the circle trice aboutTo keep the evil spirrist out.
To bind the spell every timeLet the spell be spake in ryme.Soft of eyes, and light of touch.Speak little, listen much.Deosil go by the waxing moon,Chanting out the wiches rune.Widdershine go by the Wanning moon,Chanting out the banning rune.
When the lady’s moon is new,Kiss the hand to her, times two.When the moon rides at her peak,Then your heart desire seek..Heed the North winds mighty gale.Lock the door and drop the sail.When the wind comes from the south,Love will kiss thee on the mouth.
When the wind blows from the west,Departed souls will have no rest.When the wind blows from the east,Expect the new and set the feast.Nine woods in the cauldron go,Burn them fast and burn them slow.Elder be the lady true,
Burn it not or cursen you
When the wheel begins to turn,Let the beltane fires burn.When the wheel has turned to yule,Light the logs and horned one rules.Heed ye flower, bush and tree,By the lady, blessed be.When the rippling waters go,Cast a stone and truth you’ll know.
When you have a true nead,Hearken not to others greed.With a fool no season spend,Lest ye be counted as his friend,Merry meet and merry part,Bright the cheeks and warm the heart.Mind the threefold law you should,Three times bad and three times good.
When misfortune is anow,Wear the blue star on the brow.True is love ever be,Lest thy lovers false to thee.Eight words the wiccan rede fullfill;,An, harm ye none, do as you will!
Rule of three
Ever mind the Rule of Three
Three times what thou givest returns to thee
This lesson well, thou must learnThee only gets what thou dost earn!
The rule of three shows that everything you do returns three times. This happens with both good and evil energy. If you send out evil energy, it will come back to you and you will not only harm others but also yourself and this is consistent with the last part of The Wiccan rede:
Eight words the wiccan rede fullfill;,An, harm ye none, do as you will!
Merry meet,
merry partand marry meet again