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Wicca Explained – FAQ Our frequently asked questions and general guide for those approaching Wicca and Witchcraft for the first time. What is Wicca? You may find that you get many different answers to that question, depending upon who you ask, as these days the word “Wicca” is often used to describe a wide variety of things. However, traditionally and properly, Wicca is the name of a specific priesthood of Witchcraft. More specifically, Wicca is many things within that priesthood. It is a Mystery religion, a fertility religion; it is a magical system and much more. I thought Wicca was just another word for witchcraft? Witchcraft is an utterly important part of Wiccan practice and in the early days of the religion it was the only form of religious Witchcraft that existed, so back then it was quite common for the words Wicca and Witchcraft to be almost interchangeable. But since then, there are a great many different Witchcraft religions that have emerged and while they may all be forms of Witchcraft, they are not all following the same religion as those original Wiccans. So although every Wiccan is a Witch, not every Witch is a Wiccan. What is the religion of Wicca? Wicca is what is known as a “Mystery Religion” and it has its own deities, teachings and practices. The basic form of the religion focuses upon special seasonal celebrations that embody the lives of the Wiccan God and Goddess, as well as regular monthly gatherings in which individual covens perform rituals, lessons, magic and explore the Mysteries. What are “the Mysteries” and what does Mystery Religion really mean? Basically, a Mystery religion is a religion in which a person undergoes a process of initiations and associated rituals through which one receives revelations of “The Mysteries” and direct experience of the divine. It is difficult to describe what we mean by “Mysteries”. When we use the term we are essentially referring to certain hidden truths of the greater reality of things, which can only be understood through direct experience of those things, via the rites and rituals of the group. For a more in depth explanation, see here: Mystery Religion Who are the Wiccan God and Goddess? While the God and Goddess do have names, these are only revealed to those within the priesthood. However, these Gods are most commonly known as The Horned God and The Triple Goddess. This is because the God is depicted as horned or antlered, while the Goddess is seen to embody the three principle female life stages of “Maiden, Mother and Crone”. So how do I join this Wicca priesthood and become a Wiccan? To become a Wiccan, as described here, you must receive an initiation into a lineaged Wiccan coven. Do I have to initiate to be a Wiccan? Yes. Why can’t I just practice it on my own and learn about it from books? There are several reasons why this wouldn’t work. Firstly, as Wicca is a Mystery religion, the majority of its teachings and theology is secret, being only revealed to those who are initiated. Even then, this may often involve a long period of learning and experience. What you find in books and on the internet, is only the absolutely basic elements of what the Wicca do and believe, probably only about 5% - 10%. Obviously, practicing just five to ten percent of a religion isn’t really practicing it at all, especially when you don’t even know what the rest of it is. To complicate matters further, most of what has been written about Wicca over the years is spread across many different publications and this information has become collectively jumbled up and mixed with the ideas, teachings and theologies of many different paths, people and groups. The end result is a large collection of Witchcraft lore that is often in some way based on Wicca, but tends to be quite unlike the actual teachings of the Wicca priesthood. So anyone using books and the internet as a guide, really can never be sure where the basics of Wicca stop and everything else begins. In short, using books and the internet does not teach you what Wicca is. In fact, it most likely draws you further away from it. Then why are there so many people calling themselves solitary Wiccans, etc.? When it comes to religious Witchcraft, Wicca has always been in the forward spotlight and so over the years many people have attempted to take the identity of “Wicca” or “Wiccan”, when what they are really talking or writing about is simply their own perspective on their own form of Witchcraft. The use of the word “Wicca” has become so popular as a way to refer to religious Witchcraft, that it gets tagged onto just about anything, regardless of whether or not it has anything to do with the Wicca priesthood. It is technically an incorrect use of the Wicca name, but the priesthood has no control over who says what, who publishes what and who thinks what. All that can be done is to enlighten genuine seekers. Scott Cunningham’s book Wicca for the Solitary Practitioner tends to be a favourite among so-called “Solitary Wiccans” and while Mr. Cunningham’s summary of the basics of modern Witchcraft may be pretty reasonable, his decision to call it “Wicca” is unfortunate and has led many people into false impressions about what Wicca is and who the Wicca are. What do you mean by “lineaged coven”? The teachings of the Wicca are passed down in a chain of initiation from one Wiccan to another. As these Wiccans form their own covens, they continue this chain. To be lineaged simply means that you and the teachings you have received are part of this chain of Wiccan initiations and through it you can trace your link in the chain back from one initiation to another, eventually ending at the founder of the religion, Gerald Gardner. Who is Gerald Gardner? Gerald B. Gardner was a British civil servant, who himself claimed to have been initiated into a coven of witches calling themselves “The Wica”. This coven is the root of what we call Wicca. Gerald Gardner took their teachings and bolstered them with other occult material, creating what we today now refer to as Gardnerian Wicca. So I have to find a Gardnerian coven in order to be Wiccan? Not necessarily. While the Gardnerian Tradition is the first Tradition of Wicca, it is not the only Tradition. There are others, such as the Alexandrian Tradition and the Algard Tradition. What’s the difference? All Traditions of the Wicca exist within that initiatory chain going back to Gerald Gardner, but certain Traditions have taken unique approaches to that central Gardnerian material and thus created a new Tradition through their innovations. However, while all Traditions of Wicca may have their unique, distinguishing characteristics, they are all far more alike than they are different and they all follow the same central core of the religion and its Mysteries. How do I know what Tradition is right for me? Frankly, it isn’t worth worrying about. The most important thing is not to become Wiccan because of a certain Tradition, but instead to find a coven that you like and that you gel with. The coven dynamic is the heart of Wicca, so it is far more important that you find a coven you are comfortable being a part of. So then how do I go about finding a Wiccan Coven? This is the hard part. Very few Wiccan covens actually advertise. Generally speaking, the best way to find a Wiccan coven is to get involved with your Pagan community, through organisations like the Pagan Federation and the Pagan Federation International. This greatly increases your chances of meeting Wiccans and finding a coven. Alternatively, you can also check the listings in Pagan and New Age magazines, as these often list Pagan groups, meetings and societies, through these groups you will most likely find at least one Wiccan. Some covens have even been known to advertise directly in this kind of press. However, BE CAREFUL! Just because someone advertises themselves as a genuine group, society or coven does not mean that they are. Most publications have little to no control over who advertises through them, as they cannot check into everyone and anyone that seeks to place a listing with them. So it is up to you to apply proper caution. So whether you are seeking people through Pagan Dawn Magazine or via the Witchvox Website, be sure to apply caution. Meet in public places, let people know where you’ll be and with whom and don’t go back to people’s houses. Just use common sense! If it doesn’t feel right, then it probably isn’t. Is there any way that I can better my chances of knowing a genuine Wiccan coven from a fake or dangerous group? It is difficult for an outsider to tell who is genuine, especially if your only correspondence with someone is via the internet or telephone (be careful about give out your phone number!). However, there are certain traits that will help you tell a genuine Wiccan coven from a fake:
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Beyond the Basics           |