| Wicca is an earth and nature-honoring religion that | | | | none, do as ye will " or slightly updated: "If it harm |
| celebrates the cycle of the year and the duality of | | | | none, do what you will." Which means that as long as |
| divinity. It stresses living in harmony with all creatures | | | | you don't do anything that will hurt anyone (including |
| and the earth. It honors a supreme power which is | | | | yourself) it is allowed. The other major premise is the |
| personified into male and female aspects as the | | | | Three-fold Law - whatever you send out into the |
| Goddess and God. This is the Goddess and God that | | | | universe, be it good or bad, you can expect to |
| is contained in all nature and in ourselves. | | | | return to you threefold. |
| Considered a mystery religion, Wicca, in general, is | | | | Wicca is entirely compatible with the scientific |
| based on the pre-Christian spiritual traditions of | | | | method, and it is believed that all the Gods and |
| England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Its origins can | | | | forces that are worked with are quite natural, not |
| be traced even further back to Paleolithic times when | | | | supernatural at all. Wicca encompasses a beautiful, |
| people worshiped a Hunter God and a Fertility | | | | satisfyingly natural way of life. It is about worshiping |
| Goddess. Still it is considered a modern religion and | | | | life and the love of nature and its power in all living |
| not the Old Religion of those ancient times. Another | | | | things. Wicca believes in divinity in everything living |
| way to put this is that Wicca is not THE religion but a | | | | and natural, as well as karmic laws, and reincarnation. |
| religion sitting under the umbrella of Paganism much | | | | Wicca is an official, legal religion in the U.S., and a |
| like Catholics, Methodists, etc., sit under the umbrella | | | | fast-growing one at that. Judges have ruled that |
| of Christianity. | | | | witches must be allowed to lead prayers at local |
| Wicca is practiced in a group (coven or grove) or | | | | government meetings, and that Wiccan convicts |
| solitary (by oneself). The goal of a Wiccan is to | | | | must be provided with requested "sacred objects" so |
| achieve balance and harmony within nature and | | | | they can perform spells in their cells. Wiccan covens |
| oneself. This makes Wicca a highly individualistic | | | | have been recognized as nonprofit religious |
| religion. The large number of different sects within | | | | organizations by the Internal Revenue Service. |
| the Craft give the impression that no two groups | | | | So Wicca is a religion which involves communion with |
| practice the same way. | | | | the Earth, communion with a God/Goddess (or |
| Thus Wicca is a religion of clergy, not followers. Each | | | | several of them if you're a polytheist), living in peace |
| person who seriously pursues the Craft, whether it | | | | with yourself and others, and giving to those that |
| be through study in a particular tradition, or through | | | | gave to you. Witchcraft, by the way, is what |
| self-teaching and private learning, has the choice to | | | | Wiccans practice. Wicca is centered around the use |
| become a priest or priestess of Wicca. Note that the | | | | of positive thought, positive action and love of |
| word wicca is an Anglo-Saxon word meaning "wise." | | | | nature to create an atmosphere of positive energies |
| Each Wiccan is struggling to be wise within oneself | | | | which are then used for our own benefits. |
| and to have an direct connection with the divine | | | | Wicca teaches that there is certainly a higher power, |
| power. | | | | namely the Goddess and God, often referred to |
| Their personal faith is influenced by the religious | | | | solely as the Goddess, but that the Goddess is |
| experiences they have. Often the experiences instill | | | | always attainable, for She is everywhere: in the tree, |
| knowledge or religious truths in ways that are not | | | | in the leaf, in the ant, within ourselves... To be a |
| fully understood by the individual. At Wicca's core, | | | | member of Wicca, one must seek rather than be |
| there are things that can only be experienced and | | | | sought after. |
| not explained. | | | | Wiccans do not worship Satan. Satan is part of the |
| Wicca's main basis for ethical behavior rely on two | | | | Christian religion, a separate religious path. |
| basic premises... The Wiccan Rede, or rule: An it harm | | | | |