What is Wicca/Witchcraft?

For the purposes of these pages, Wicca and Witchcraft will be treated as synonyms, although this is not technically correct. Wicca is the rebirth of ancient, pre-Christian earth-based religions. Religion is tried to nature, the Earth, and to all inhabitants. Being based in the natural world, Wicca doesn't see the natural world as being evil, flawed, or "less" than a spiritual realm. Most Wiccans, though not all, don't believe in an afterlife in a separate existence (a "heaven" or "hell"), but rather an reincarnation into this life.

Do you believe in God?

Yes, and no. Witches recognize the concept of a Deity. While recognizing the Deity (also called The One, or The All), we realize that because Deity is infinite and we are not, the Deity is unknowable, because to begin to describe the Deity is to limit Deity (ie if Deity is black, that excludes white, red, magenta, teal, etc). Therefore, we worship the manifestations of Deity that we can percieve. Most Wiccans, though certainly not all, view these manifestations in the Goddess and the God. We'll talk more about them later. The Goddess and God, then, are also viewed in terms of architypes, usually in the forms of gods and goddess worshipped in pre-Christian times. This explanation if a tad complicated and academic. In practice, we worship the various deities (note: lower case 'd'), of pre-Christian religions. Personally, my patron dieties are two of the traditionally Celtic deities, and my relationship with them is a very real and very personal one. As far as I am concerned, they are real, and the are God and Goddess. To me, that's all that matters.

So what else do you guys believe?

Also unlike many other religions, Wicca is an individual religion. That is, there are no central, universal beliefs or doctrine. No prophets, no "holy texts". The only belief held in common by wiccans is "An it harm none, do what you will." As a Wiccan, I can do whatever my conscious dictates, as long as I don't hurt anyone (including myself) or breach their free will. Attached to this (known as the Wiccan Rede), there is a belief called the Law of Three. This states that whatever you do, good or bad, will return to you greater than what you put out. Some Wiccans believe that it's ten times; some believe five times -- Whatever. It's not a quantifiable term...you just get back more than you put out.

What's with this pentagram thing? Are you guys Satanists or something

Okay, let's take the Satanist question first: NO! First of all, the concept of the Devil is a Christian concept. While Wiccan concepts of the God typically portray our God as hearing horns, that concept predates the Christian concept of the Devil by centuries. Don't believe me? Open up your Bible. Where do you find any description of Satan??? I'll make your life easier, you don't. The concept of the Devil with cloven hooves and horns comes centuries later, after the Crusades, as the Church attempts to solidify control over peoples in Europe who have previously been worshipping...you guessed it - the pagan Horned God. After all, what better way to get folks to convert than to convince them that they are worshipping evil incarnate.

Now the pentagram issue: Actually, it's called a pentacle, and it's not a Satanic symbol. The five points of the star represent the five elements sacred to Wiccans: Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and Spirit. The circle surrounding the star connects all points to all other points, symbolizing the interconnectedness of nature. Satanists do use an inverted pentacle as a symbol (although not all inverted pentacles are Satanic symbols), but then again, they use inverted crosses too.

Do you cast spells???

yes. As with our love for all things natural and the God and Goddess, we believe that magick (spelled with a final 'k' to distinguish it from stage magic or slight of hand) exists, that it works, and that anyone can do it. When we do magick, we are careful to remember the Wiccan Rede: An it harm none, do what you will, and the Law of Three. Most Wiccan magick typically leans towards healing, although protectitive magick and divination are also very common types as well.

Where can I find Wiccans?

Everywhere. Because many Wiccans are private about their religious beliefs (many due to persecution that still exists today, sadly enough), we can only estimate their numbers. About 50,000 are estimated to be practicing in the United States, and it is believe to be one of the fastest growing religions in that country. Wiccans come from all walks of life...students, housewives, doctors, lawyers, furniture repairmen, plumbers, even soldiers (like yours truly). Odds are, you know at least one Wiccan, and you don't even know it. With that in mind, are witches really that scary?

Tell me more...

Ahhh, there is so much, that I no longer know where to weave the web of this story. Below, you can find two paths. One will take you to links to other Wiccan and Pagan sites on the web. At those sites, you can find more information. The other path will take you to my Book of Shadows, a book where we keep our lore, our beliefs, and anything else important to use. It's an individual book, based on each witch's individual experiences. You are welcome to look within and use anything that strikes you. If you have any further questions, e-mail me. If I know the answer you seek, I'll reply. If not, I'll find out, or tell you (since many answers come from within rather than without).

Stand up and be counted!!

You are listening to Listen With Your Heart from the Pocohontas soundtrack.

Pentacle graphic is from Firesilk's Demesne