W H A T   I S   W I C C A ? An Introduction to "The Old Religion" of Europe and its Modern Revival             by Amber K, High Priestess             Our Lady of the Woods P.O. Box 176 Blue Mounds, Wisconsin 53517

           

                              
          WICCA (sometimes called Wicce, The Craft, or The Old Religion by its practitioners) is an ancient religion of love for           life and nature.  
          
          In prehistoric times, people respected the great forces of      Nature and celebrated the cycles of the seasons and the moon.        They saw divinity in the sun and moon, in the Earth Herself, and     in all life.  The creative energies of the universe were      personified: feminine and masculine principles became Goddesses    and Gods.  These were not semi-abstract, superhuman figures set     apart from Nature: they were embodied in earth and sky, women and men, and even plants and animals.  
          
          This viewpoint is still central to present-day Wicca.To           most Wiccans, everything in Natures -- and all Goddesses and Gods  -- are true aspects of Deity.  The aspects most often celebrated       in the Craft, however, are the Triple Goddess of the Moon (Who is    Maiden, Mother, and Crone) and the Horned God of the wilds.          These have many names in various cultures.  
          
          Wicca had its organized beginnings in Paleolithic times, co-   existed with other Pagan ("country") religions in Europe, and had    a profound influence on early Christianity.  But in the medieval        period, tremendous persecution was directed against the Nature       religions by the Roman Church.  Over a span of 300 years,         millions of men and women and many children were hanged, drowned or burned as accused "Witches."  The Church indicted them for black magic and Satan worship, though in fact these were never a part of the Old Religion.  
          
          The Wiccan faith went underground, to be practiced in mall,   secret groups called "covens."  For the most part, it stayed          hidden until very recent times.  Now scholars such as Margaret         Murray and Gerald Gardner have shed some light on the origins of    the Craft, and new attitudes of religious freedom have allowed         covens in some areas to risk becoming more open.  
          
          How do Wiccan folk practice their faith today? There is no     central authority or doctrine, and individual covens vary a great       deal.  But most meet to celebrate on nights of the Full Moon, and    at eight great festivals or Sabbats throughout the year.  

                       
          Though some practice alone or with only their families, any  Wiccans are organized into covens of three to thirteen members.      Some are led by a High Priestess or Priest, many by a         Priestess/Priest team; others rotate or share leadership.  Some        covens are highly structured and hierarchical, while others may        be informal and egalitarian. Often extensive training is          required before initiation, and coven membership is considered an   important commitment.  
          
          There are many branches or "traditions" of Wicca in the        United States and elsewhere, such as the Gardnerian, Alexandrian,   Welsh Traditional, Dianic, Faery, Seax-Wicca and others.  All           adhere to a code of ethics.  None engage in the disreputable           practices of some modern "cults," such as isolating and          brainwashing impressionable, lonely young people.  Genuine           Wiccans welcome sisters and brothers, but not disciples,            followers or victims.  
          
          Coven meetings include ritual, celebration and magick (the    "k" is to distinguish it from stage illusions).  Wiccan magick is        not at all like the instant "special effects" of cartoon shows or         fantasy novels, nor medieval demonology; it operates in harmony     with natural laws and is usually less spectacular -- though          effective.  Various techniques are used to heal people and           animals, seek guidance, or improve members' lives in specific          ways.  Positive goals are sought: cursing and "evil spells" are         repugnant to practitioners of the Old Religion.  
          
          Wiccans tend to be strong supporters of environmental          protection, equal rights, global peace and religious freedom, and     sometimes magick is used toward such goals.  
          
          Wiccan beliefs do not include such Judeao-Christian concepts as original sin, vicarious atonement, divine judgement or bodily resurrection.  Craft folk believe in a beneficent universe, the   laws of karma and reincarnation, and divinity inherent in every        human being and all of Nature.  Yet laughter and pleasure are         part of their spiritual tradition, and they enjoy singing,           dancing, feasting, and love.  
          
          Wiccans tend to be individualists, and have no central holy   book, prophet, or church authority.  They draw inspiration and        insight from science, and personal experience.  Each practitioner     keeps a personal book or journal in which s/he records magickal     "recipes," dreams, invocations, songs, poetry and so on.  
          
          To most of the Craft, every religion has its own valuable       perspective on the nature of Deity and humanity's relationship to     it: there is no One True Faith.  Rather, religious diversity is           necessary in a world of diverse societies and individuals.             Because of this belief, Wiccan groups do not actively recruit or         proselytize: there is an assumption that people who can benefit       from the Wiccan way will "find their way home" when the time is      right.             

          Despite the lack of evangelist zeal, many covens are quite     willing to talk with interested people, and even make efforts to        inform their communities about the beliefs and practices of          Wicca.  One source of contacts is The Covenant of the Goddess,       P.O. Box 1226, Berkeley, CA 94704.  Also, the following books may  be of interest:  (Ask your librarian.) 
          
             DRAWING DOWN THE MOON by Margot Adler
             THE SPIRAL DANCE by Starhawk
             POSITIVE MAGIC by Marion Weinstein
             WHAT WITCHES DO by Stewart Farrar
             WITCHCRAFT FOR TOMORROW by Doreen Valiente

          (This leaflet may be reproduced and distributed exactly as-is,  without further permission from the author, provided it is           offered free of charge.  Changes in the text, however, must be         approved in advance by the author.  Thank you!)