WICCA
SYMBOLISM © Robin Wood
Wicca is a neo-pagan religion based on the pre-Christian traditions of England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. Its origins can be traced even further back to Paleolithic peoples who worshipped a Hunter God and a Fertility Goddess. Cave paintings found in France (and dated at 30,000 years old) depict a man with the head of a stag, and a woman with a swollen, pregnant belly. They stand in a circle with eleven mortals. These archetypes of the divine are worshipped by Wiccans to this very day. By these standards, the religion that is now called Wicca, is perhaps the oldest religion in the world.
In 1951, the laws against Witchcraft were repealed in England. A man named Gerald Gardner was the first to come into the public eye with a description of what modern witches were practicing. His information came from the traditions of a coven called the
New Forest Witches, and from Ceremonial Magick and the Kabballah. He began what is now called the Gardnerian Tradition of Wicca. From Gardnerian came Alexandrian Tradition, and a host of other offshoots that today number in the hundreds.
Beliefs
Immanent Divinity - Wiccans believe that the spirit of God/dess exists in every living thing: in the trees, the rain, the flowers, the sea, and in each other. This means that treating peers, and all the beings of the Earth as aspects of the Divine. They attempt to honour and respect life, in all its many and diverse expressions.
Nature - Wiccans learn from and worship nature by celebrating the cycles of the sun, and the cycles of the moon. They look into themselves for the cycles within that correspond to those of the natural world, and try to move in harmony with the movement of life. Teachers come in the form of trees, rivers, lakes, meadows, and mountains, as well as other humans who have walked the path before. This belief infers a reverence and respect for the environment, and all of life upon the Earth. They revere the spirits of the elements that create the world. Air, Fire, Water, and Earth combine to manifest all creation. From these four elements comes wisdom, and understanding of how the universe unfolds. The rhythms of nature are the rhythms of life. Wiccans attempt to dance in step with the pulse of the Earth.
Other Faiths - Modern Witches believe in freedom first! They do not choose to look at their path as the "one true right way," but as one path among many to the center. They do not convert new members to the Craft, nor advertise or prosteletize. They believe that anyone who is meant for this path will find it through their own search. Wiccans practice tolerance and acceptance toward all other religions, as long as
those faiths do not preach or commit harm to others.
Afterlife - Most Witches believe in reincarnation of some sort, whether it be the Eastern version known as the Transmigration of Souls (the spirit incarnating one body after another in an effort to learn all the life lessons that it can), or Ancestral Incarnation (where the spirit and life lessons of the grandfather transmute to the granddaughter, and so on down the genetic line). The latter is a more traditionally Celtic approach, but both are accepted.
Sin - In Wicca, there is not a specific concept of sin. There is no heaven or hell that souls will go to based on their worldly actions. Wrong-doing is governed and determined by the individual conscience. With the belief in the Law of Return, one's actions will determine one's future. The individual is therefore responsible for his or her own fate, based on what he or she chooses to do internally and externally in the world.
Ethics - Wicca has but one law of action and ethics. It is called the Wiccan Rede or the Wiccan Law. "And ye harm none" covers almost everything that the Ten Commandments do: don't lie, don't steal, don't cheat, etc. It encourages Wiccans to strive not to harm any living thing - including themselves - except perhaps to survive. The Wiccan Law serves as a guideline to action, not a mandate. The only law that the Ten
Commandments express that is not covered by the Wiccan Law is that of marriage and adultery. In Wicca, love itself is sanctified, with or without government authorization. As long as two individuals share a sincere bond of love that does not
harm either party, it does not matter if they are legally joined, if they are heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, or interracial.
Leadership vs. Hierarchy - There is no Arch Bishop of Wicca. There is no one person or organization that determines the practices and beliefs of Wicca as a whole. Instead, Wicca is formed of small nebulas groups and solitaries who are charged with the leadership of themselves. Each person
who seriously pursues the Craft, whether it be through study in a particular tradition, or through self-teaching and private learning, has the choice to become a priest or priestess of Wicca. Most modern traditions of Wicca offer a three year program of learning that will bring the student to the level of High Priest or Priestess: one who serves the God, the Goddess, the community, nature, and Life.
Churches and Temples - Wiccans do not usually have churches created specifically for the worship of the gods. The temple is found in nature, among the creations of the divine. They meet in a circle that represents the Circle of Life, and the equality that all share. There is no head, no top, no beginning and no end. When necessary, circles take place indoors in houses, apartments, or wherever a sacred, protected space can be found. Ideally, a circle will take place in a grove beneath the stars, with the silver moon shining down from above.
Magick - Witches believe in the power of magick to create change. A prominent Wiccan author named Starhawk defines magick as "the art of changing consciousness at will." By being in tune with the rhythms of life, we can create change for ourselves and for our world. Wiccans believe that the individual is responsible for his or her own reality. If there is something that is not healthy, or conducive to happiness and growth, Wiccans believe they have the power to change it. As aspects of the divine, they are each Creator and Creatress, filled with the power to manifest all that is dreamed of or desired.
Some of the Many Traditions of Wicca
Alexandrian Tradition - Founded and based upon the teachings of Alex Sanders, in England. Ceremonial Magick and the Kabbalah have been included with the rituals of Gardnerian Wicca. Skyclad is a common practice in ritual. As with other Wicca religions, the duality of Goddess and God is recognised as and the Sabbats and Esbats celebrated.
Asatru Tradition - Asatru is a Norse word meaning 'belief in the Gods'. This tradition is very ancient with its roots in the historical agricultural Vanir and warrior Aesir tribes of Scandinavia and northern Germany. The main deities are the Goddesses Freya, Frigg, and the Norns while the main Gods are Odin, Thor, and Frey.
British Traditional - Influenced heavily by Gardnerian Wicca and Celtic traditions. Covens are co-ed and members train through a degree process. Janet and Stewart Farrar are British Traditionalist witches. The International Red Garters is British Traditionalist.
Celtic Wicca - Based upon old Celtic/Druidic practices, and ritual Gardnerian design. The emphasis is placed heavily upon Celtic deities, the elements, nature and the magic of trees.
Dianic Tradition - A tradition that worships the Goddess as Diana, as the central deity. Female leadership is encouraged, though male members are allowed into covens. Rituals are
either skyclad or robed. There are also some covens which are female exclusive and follow a Dianic Feminist Wicca.
Eclectic Wicca - Basically a loosely based tradition which uses any practices of other paths and incorporates them into their own path. It is now quite a common and popular form of Wicca, as the followers use what works best for them regardless of its source.
Erisian Tradition (Discordia) - A philosophy which believes that the universe is uncertain and that natural laws are not everywhere and constant. Eris is the Goddess of chaos. Discordia was rediscovered in 1960's by Californians Kerry Thornley and Gregory Hill, who published a book called Principia Discordia on their experiences. The tradition also involves humour in its rituals. Similarly Englishman, Austin Osman Spare, often called
the father of chaos magic, took chaos to a more scientific plateau.
Faerie Tradition - A tradition whose primary goal is deep inner transformation through the religion and science of Wicca. It is form of witchcraft once followed by village shamans and preserves "the old ways".
Gardnerian Tradition - One of the first traditions in witchcraft to emerge into the public eye during the 1950's. The teachings are based upon the works of Dr. Gerald Brosseau Gardner, who
researched much of the history of the Craft and added them to his famous Book of Shadows. Many traditions use his Book of Shadows, in a modified form, as a basis for ritual practice.
Georgian Wicca - An eclectic Wicca tradition founded by George E. Patterson in 1970. This tradition is influenced mostly by Alexandrian and Gardnerian teachings and leans towards Goddess and God worship at an eclectic level. Individuals work either skyclad or robed and are encouraged to write their own rituals.
Kitchen Witch - Witches who practice around the home and hearth, and incorporate magick and religion into daily life around cooking, weaving, etc.
Pictish Witchcraft - Witchcraft developed in Scotland. It's followers are solitaries and worship involves animal, vegetable, and minerals, as aspects of nature.
Seax-Wica Tradition - Founded in 1973 by Raymond Buckland, this tradition incorporates Saxon lore. Covens have co-ed open rituals and are either performed robed or skyclad. Buckland
developed this tradition without breaking his Gardnerian oath.
Strega Witches - A tradition founded by a witch called Aradia around 1353 CE. Strega can lay claim to being one of the oldest unchanged forms of witchcraft. This tradition preceeded Garderian or Celtic based religions and developed in Italy during Roman times.