Wicca is a spiritual path originating in Britain, which recognises both a feminine and masculine element to the divine. It believes that nature is sacred and should be protected. Aside from the protection of the environment Wicca's central theme, called the Wiccan Rede, is "if it does no harm do your own will". This is a positive morality meaning think before you act.
Aside from the Wiccan Rede, Wiccans do not have to subscribe to a fixed ideology so beliefs vary, however the common theme is that Wiccans gain a connection with the divine spirit of Mother Nature through the celebration of her cycles through the Wiccan calendar. This is done either individually or with other Wiccans in a Coven. At key points in the year Wiccans gather and connect with nature, generally by forming a circle, sometimes using set forms of words, or otherwise improvising according to the participants needs.
The morality of Wicca is based heavily on free will allowing individual freedom with as little interference as possible. There is high level of equality in Wicca with the emphasis on the circle and the lack of any preaching. The concept of a talking stick where everyone has their say is more widespread than dominating leaders. The emphasis is on the creation of harmony by allowing the individual to do their own will but encouraging them to think of the harm done to others by the exercising of this freedom.
In order to understand Wicca it is essential to know it's roots. All countries have a native spiritual tradition based around reverence for the forces of nature. Wicca is the native tradition for the nations of England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales, and is rooted in the period before 500BC, which marks the start of the Iron Age. The sacred sites from this period, in particular Avebury/Silbury and Stonehenge, are important to Wicca as are the ancient British legends, for example the Mabinogian. Wicca was illegal in Britain for nearly 1000 years up until 1951, however following it's legalisation a large amount of material has been published and Wicca is now accessible to all.
