Arguments for and against Wicca

Why choose Wicca?
And why not?

Simpel question. :)

Coming at this as a Neopagan who initially started in Wicca (as it seems most of us do) I can only speak of why I personally did not choose it. I would bear in mind that defining "Wicca" is somewhat complicated, but I tend to define Wicca as a nature-based religion whose worship focuses on an archetypal God and Goddess, honors natural rhythms, abides by the Rede, and has strong ritualistic and magical elements.

The primary thing I dislike about Wicca is how it likes to interpret the universe from a very sexualized perspective. You have the God and you have the Goddess, and the entire Wiccan mythos centers around male-female sex dynamics. Gender (social construct regarding "masculinity" and "femininity") is slapped onto everything, even things that do not have a physical sex. Not only does this approach encourage sexist ways of thinking, but it also is extremely anthropocentric. The vast majority of the universe is sexless, and once you get outside of the animal kingdom, organisms being divided into "male" and "female" is a rare novelty. I want to understand the universe and its denizens from their perspectives, not constantly project the human male-female and masculine-feminine archetypes onto it.

A secondary reason that Wicca wasn't for me has to do with its origins. Wiccan systems of ritual and magic derives from ceremonial magic. Since my initial interest in Wicca was to its nature-centered aspects - and ceremonial magic is not nature-centered in how it is constructed - Wiccan use of this structure in ritual/magic didn't appeal to me. Not all people who call themselves Wiccan use this type of structure, granted, but it's rather pervasive not just in Wicca but even in generic Neopaganism.

None of this is to say Wicca is a bad religion. It just wasn't for me. There are doubtless aspects of my path that have a Wiccan flavor to them, since that is where I first started off. I honor something similar to their Wheel of the Year, and the approach Wiccan writers have to magic and ritual has doubtless influenced me. It has the benefit of having a stronger community and literature base than many other forms of Neopaganism, so it offers a bit more structure. That structure can also take the form of strong communities in Wicca in the form of covens, something whose value shouldn't be understated. Though not all forms of Wicca are coven-based, those that are derive great strength from that shared learning and celebration. I end up going to UU churches to get that element in my religious practice, but it's not the same.

[norseman]

As Quintessence said, I was one who initially was drawn to wicca and am still a Global Moderator of a wiccan forum. An ex-HPS there pointed me towards the older tradition which gave birth to Gardner's wicca, the Cunning Folk which I had been following for some decades without knowing it.
Unlike Quintessence, I regard the coven system as a weakness of wicca and, in fact, the coven is no longer a big feature of British wicca. However, the thing that I really dislike about wicca is the regimentation and the hierarchical structure, coupled with the formality of rituals.
My chosen path is informal, individualistic, and structure-free. My relationship with the deity and the Earth is personal and one-to-one, and there is an unbroken link going back millennia to the ancestors who roamed this Land. My "teachers" in this path are the Spirits of the Land itself. Wicca, as such, has no history and no natural evolution.

I started with wicca too, but all the practices and ceremonies, plus having to be iniciated by a coven (from what i've heard)...
I am not into a rigid religion and mold things my way. So i soon discoved a more geral path fit me best.

:)

I am a solitary though I did learn a lot from a Coven that a friend of mine was the HP of. I did not join but was allowed to be in rites and ceremonies. I discovered Wicca through a past life regression. When I "experienced" the peace I felt being a Witch. I again chose to learn and follow the path. (at age 20) I've not followed one specific trad, but do hang out with a bunch of solitaries in my area, doing drum circles, faires and events.

I "am" an initiated Witch and an initiated ceremonial magic(k)ian, but in general I dislike labels - for the simple reason that, if you attach a label to yourself, then other people you interact with tend to react to the label rather than to the person behind it; and thus also, react to all the historical baggage that the label carries with it. Say "I'm a Witch" to some people and they immediately think "devil-worshipper, evil, anti-Christian, debauched orgies at midnight". Then having to explain, "no, that's not we do, no, we don't worship the Devil, we don't even believe in the Devil......" can get a bit tedious after a while. Say "I'm Wiccan", and a different group of people immediately want to know which lineage, what coven, who initiated you,.......

There isn't really a word for what "I" "am". If pressed, I'll call myself a Seeker, although even this carries new-agey overtones. Wizard, Occultist, Freethinker..... it's a conundrum I haven't been able to resolve to my own satisfaction in almost 50 years of practise.... so any suggestions would be welcomed!

Alchymist

Thats like asking why choose Christianity ? I mean isnt that a lil personal?
Mind you Wicca isnt fear based just Kharma based but still a personal choice for nobody to make but the person.

[norseman]

Alchymist - the "old names" are less loaded perhaps. Wise/Cunning Folk

As with why one chooses any spiritually oriented belief, this is entirely subjective. Personally, I don't really hold any particular belief although some parts of many belief systems resonate.

Originally Posted by Occultist

Thats like asking why choose Christianity ? I mean isnt that a lil personal?
Mind you Wicca isnt fear based just Kharma based but still a personal choice for nobody to make but the person.

Karma is not mention in the Charges and therefor i don't think that all wiccans believe in that. Btw if Wicca is not fear based... Why worship the lord and lady? Why follow the laws? What is the meaning of the life?