Questions about Wicca

[Blake]

Hello! My name is Blake and I just had a couple of questions about Wicca (I have a school project due by the 11th that I will use the information I learn to complete). Hopefully someone will be willing to help me!

What are some things considered sacred in the Wicca religion? Sacred texts, people, places, language, and things.

Is there a specific "holy" text that is universally used by all practicing Wiccan's and if so, what language is it written in? Does language play a major role in Wicca? An example would be the Qur'an is written in Arabic and that is extremely important when understanding the true meaning and precise message of the Qur'an.

What are some rituals practiced in the Wicca community? and speaking of community..

Are there Wiccan churches or is Wicca a more independent religion? Is community important to Wiccan as a whole?

Lastly, is there salvation in any form? What are the after life beliefs and are there any requirements to obtain salvation if salvation is a belief of Wicca?

I would love for someone to answer my questions, but also have further discussion with me. Thanks!

[Starpixie]

Things considered sacred- the Mother Earth, all living beings
There is the Wiccan Rede as far as guidelines for some, but not really any "holy" texts that I know of. Wiccan is not an ancient practice, still in terms of "religions", which I don't consider it a religion more a practice, it is fairly young.
There are many rituals, but not needed, all that is needed is intent. Protection and blessing rituals are a couple examples.
You can be a solitary practitioner or be part of a coven.
There is no reason for salvation with this path.
Lastly you will not find one Wiccan who believes the exact same as the next. It is a diverse and fairly open to interpretation path. I'm sure there are other on here you can give you more/better information but I hope this helps.

[Abigail]

Hello Blake!

Firstly, I'd like to provide you with some basic info about Wicca as a religion. Wicca was founded in England by Gerald Gardener in the 1940's - 50's. He created it as a Neo-pagan religion that involves witchcraft. However, Wicca has become much larger and more diverse than that first coven of Wiccans including the idea that being Wiccan doesn't require one to be a witch; though most practitioners opt to be one. There are two main branches of Wicca: Traditional and Solitary.

Traditional Wiccans are those who practice in covens -a group of like-minded practitioners with Priests/Priestesses and a required a period of study before initiation into the coven. This is like a Church but they're often smaller communities of a dozen or so. They also have varying rituals depending on their beliefs. I am not a Traditional Wiccan so I wouldn't know the specifics of their rituals. Traditional Wiccans require a prospective member to learn under a teacher about Wiccan practices and practices exclusive to the coven. This period is most often a "Year and a Day". A lot of Wiccans practice a "year and a day" for different things too.

Solitary Wiccans(also called Eclectic Wiccans) are, as the name implies, solitary practitioners of their faith. I am a Solitary Wiccan. The beliefs of Solitaries can vary a lot and there is no one universal belief system for Wicca anymore. In the time of Gerald Gardener, there was and that was the teachings of Gardener. Gardenarian Wicca is now considered a branch of Traditional Wicca since it believes in an organized coven but there are many branches now.

Since Wicca has a lot of personalization, we do have a few guidelines that define a Wiccan path. Wicca is duo/polytheistic. Wiccans can believe in many Gods but normally have a Patron God and Goddess. Wiccans revere the Earth. Wiccans also believe in a "three-fold law" for the world which is the belief that whatever you put out into the universe will return to you 3x. It's like karma and most of us call it karma.

We don't have any sacred book but we have a Rede which is a poem outlining our basic beliefs.

This is the Wiccan Rede:

"Bide within the Law you must, in perfect Love and perfect Trust.
Live you must and let to live, fairly take and fairly give.

For tread the Circle thrice about to keep unwelcome spirits out.
To bind the spell well every time, let the spell be said in rhyme.

Light of eye and soft of touch, speak you little, listen much.
Honor the Old Ones in deed and name,
let love and light be our guides again.

Deosil go by the waxing moon, chanting out the joyful tune.
Widdershins go when the moon doth wane,
and the werewolf howls by the dread wolfsbane.

When the Lady's moon is new, kiss the hand to Her times two.
When the moon rides at Her peak then your heart's desire seek.

Heed the North winds mighty gale, lock the door and trim the sail.
When the Wind blows from the East, expect the new and set the feast.

When the wind comes from the South, love will kiss you on the mouth.
When the wind whispers from the West, all hearts will find peace and rest.

Nine woods in the Cauldron go, burn them fast and burn them slow.
Birch in the fire goes to represent what the Lady knows.

Oak in the forest towers with might, in the fire it brings the God's
insight. Rowan is a tree of power causing life and magick to flower.

Willows at the waterside stand ready to help us to the Summerland.
Hawthorn is burned to purify and to draw faerie to your eye.

Hazel-the tree of wisdom and learning adds its strength to the bright fire burning.
White are the flowers of Apple tree that brings us fruits of fertility.

Grapes grow upon the vine giving us both joy and wine.
Fir does mark the evergreen to represent immortality seen.

Elder is the Lady's tree burn it not or cursed you'll be.
Four times the Major Sabbats mark in the light and in the dark.

As the old year starts to wane the new begins, it's now Samhain.
When the time for Imbolc shows watch for flowers through the snows.

When the wheel begins to turn soon the Beltane fires will burn.
As the wheel turns to Lamas night power is brought to magick rite.

Four times the Minor Sabbats fall use the Sun to mark them all.
When the wheel has turned to Yule light the log the Horned One rules.

In the spring, when night equals day time for Ostara to come our way.
When the Sun has reached it's height time for Oak and Holly to fight.

Harvesting comes to one and all when the Autumn Equinox does fall.
Heed the flower, bush, and tree by the Lady blessed you'll be.

Where the rippling waters go cast a stone, the truth you'll know.
When you have and hold a need, harken not to others greed.

With a fool no season spend or be counted as his friend.
Merry Meet and Merry Part bright the cheeks and warm the heart.

Mind the Three-fold Laws you should three times bad and three times good.
When misfortune is enow wear the star upon your brow.

Be true in love this you must do unless your love is false to you.

These Eight words the Rede fulfill:

"An Ye Harm None, Do What Ye Will""


Wiccans follow closest to the last line and use that as our universal motto: "An it harm none, do what ye will." It's like having one commandment. It basically says you can do anything as long as it's not harmful to someone which is harder to follow than it sounds lol.

The Rede talks about our Sabbats (Holidays) which are Samhain(Oct 31st-Nov 2nd, The New Year and 3rd Harvest Festival), Yule/Yuletide(December 20-23, Winter Solstice), Imbolc (Feb 2, Candlemas), Ostara(March 19-22, the Spring Equinox), Beltane (May 1st, The celebration of Spring), Litha (June 19-23, Summer Solstice), Lughnasadh/Lammas (August 1st, The 1st Harvest festival and no one can pronounce Lughnasadh so call it Lammas hehe), Mabon (September 21-24, Autumnal Equinox and 2nd Harvest) -- Northern Hemisphere Dates

We call these Holidays the Wheel of the Year and often illustrate it as a wagon wheel. Which ever Sabbat we celebrate in the Northern Hemisphere, the opposite holiday on the Wheel is celebrated in the Southern Hemisphere.

I can definitely go further into detail about the Sabbats if you like.

The questions about Salvation are the hardest to answer because Wiccans often have different ideas of an after life. A lot of us believe in reincarnation with or without a karma system to determine the next life and others believe in a Heaven/Hell after life with different names (Summerland, Heaven, the Underworld, Valhalla, etc.)

Wiccans also differentiate based on which Pantheon(which mythological Gods) they believe in. There are those who worship the Greek/Roman gods, those who believe in the Egyptian ones, and those who worship the Nordic Gods to name a few. Wicca allows for this type of flexibility now but the original beliefs were similar to those originating from British mythology and folklore. Many Wiccans also believe that the Goddess has three forms: the Maiden, Mother, and Crone

Maiden: The lovely, young, innocent, virgin
Mother: Well, a mother, obviously haha
Crone: A wise old woman

The pentacle is the most common because it symbolizes the five elements.

Earth
Fire
Water
Air
Spirit

So that's all I can think about right now but please feel free to ask questions. My brain is fried haha.

[Jenny Crow]

Hi Blake,

You ask some very interesting questions. Wicca is a religion that was created by Gerald Brousseau Gardner in the early 1950's. It is basically an offshoot of some of the old Witchcraft Traditions but with much material he took from Aleister Crowley and the old magical societies, so it includes some Ceremonial rituals. There are two deities - the Goddess and the God, often referred to as The Lord and The Lady.

As Starpixie said - Mother Earth and all living things are sacred to Wiccans. There is no specific holy text in the Wiccan religion but the rituals and rites that Gardner wrote along with the help of his High Priestess Doreen Valiente were followed for many decades by Wiccan covens, although nowadays, people who are practicing as Solitaries don't have access to those rituals so they are not followed as they were in days gone by. Gardner wrote the rites and rituals in English.

The main rites practiced in Wicca are the eight Sabbats of the Wheel of the Year, these are Imbolc, Feb 2nd; Spring Equinox, Mar 21 or thereabouts; Beltaine or May Day, May 1st;Summer Solstice, June 21 or thereabouts; Lughnasadh, Aug 2nd; Autumn Equinox, Sept. 21 or thereabouts; Samhain, Oct 31st; Midwinter Solstice or Yule, Dec 21 or thereabouts. These Sabbats celebrate the tides of the earth and Wiccans try to align themselves with these tides and seasons. These Sabbats are usually celebrate outdoors if at all possible.

Another ritual that's important to Wicca is the Full Moon Ritual. The moon and her phases plays an important part in Wicca and many covens also perform rites on the new moon. Spells are worked at these moon rituals if needed. In the earlier days these rites were worked outdoors like the Sabbats although when it gets just too cold people tend to move indoors.

When a practitioner follows and celebrates the Sabbats and Esbats (the moon rites) it develops an alignment with the tides of earth and moon and promotes a connection to the energies running through the land and the spirits that dwell therein, thereby promoting an awareness and 'knowing' that most other people never get a chance to develop.

It's difficult to actually know if there are more covens, these days, or whether there are more solitary practitioners. If I had to make a guess I'd say there are more solitaries and not everyone who practices is out in the open. I think Wiccans find a sense of community on Facebook groups and forums, although those who do belong to a coven or group are quite close.

Most Wiccans, I would say, believe that after death we go through a period of rest in the Summerland and are reunited with loved ones. There is no need for salvation.

I should point out that, these days, there's a difference between Wicca, Witchcraft and Paganism. The original Wicca as started by Gardner is only practiced by a few but there are many pagans who have practices based on this tradition that don't necessarily work all the rites and rituals. Then there are those practitioners who practice Witchcraft, which to some, is a religion but to some it is not, it is considered a craft only.

[Treehugger]

Jenny Crow - Do covens welcome many/all, or do they prefer to keep it small to a certain number?

The Wiccan Rede is beautiful. I can't imagine anyone of any religion not connecting with those words.
Thank you for posting it, Abigail.

[Jenny Crow]

Hi Treehugger,

It was usual to keep a coven's number to 13. These days, there are smaller groups but also a few larger groups. Once the coven gets over the 13 it becomes a little unmanageable.

To join a particular coven one usually has to apply and then have a talk with the High Priestess and High Priest (or the leader(s)). I think most people are accepted, the big thing is personality - how will that new member fit in with the group.

[Abigail]

I'd also like to add that reputable covens won't take students or prospective members under the age of 18.

[Jenny Crow]

Originally Posted by Abigail

I'd also like to add that reputable covens won't take students or prospective members under the age of 18.

Yes, I should have mentioned that!

[norseman]

Just one thing to add. Wicca is a new shoot on a very ancient tree !

[Blake]

Every one has been so helpful! I'm sure I will have more questions as I'm writing my essay! I'm so thankful for your responses and I'm even more curious than when I started.