If Wicca and Witchcraft are one in the same, then the obvious theory would be that Wicca dates back to Paleolithic times with the onset of sympathetic magick. It would also stand to reason that Wicca has evolved with Wo/Man, becoming the modern religion that is today. However, while Modern Wicca, itself, is not so hard to define, the difficulties lay in determining how much of our current practices reflect the past. This, in itself, helps to define what Wicca is, and has caused much debate amongst the Wiccan practitioners of today, leaving many to wonder (including myself): Is Wicca actually the true name of the Oldest Religion in existence, a reconstructed version of the Old Religion of Witchcraft, or a new religion all together? What is Wicca??

Wicca (masculine spelling), also known as wicce (feminine spelling), wica, wita, wicche, wicken, wikken, wiccecraeft, and witan (council of wise ones), has many definitions: witch, wizard, prophet, seer, magician, sorcerer, bewitcher, diviner, wise one, and in one case even indicates one who is skilled with horses. All of these depend on the area from which they are derived, but it is easy to see that most of these definitions define the religion of Witchcraft. Even so, with this being the case, why do the historic roots of the Wiccan religion create so many unanswered questions?

Let's re-examine our past. We know that there is archeological proof that Wo/Man indeed existed, and that S/He had religious practices. The problem is that, aside from cave paintings and clay figures, there are no written texts from this time period specifically stating, in plain English, what these practices were. Anything we believe occurred during this period is only our understanding based on what we have found. The truth is that we can only assume the conclusions to be correct. If the building blocks of mankinds existence were that perfect, there wouldn't be so many questions.

Now let's take a look at Witchcraft. We know for a fact, through written texts, that Witchcraft was a common religious practice before the onset of newer religions. The problem that arises here is that the written texts are all based on a Christian perspective. We know this because it wasn't until after the persecutions of Witches had already begun that the printing process was invented. Let's face it, Witches lived simple lives. Aside from a few possible symbols that may have been found to be used in the practice of Witchcraft, most information is assumed to have been handed down through oral teachings since little written proof with truth of the old ways has been found. We only have the findings of archeological research, and Christian perspectives to depend on. What this means is that all text relating information pertaining to Witchcraft was given in a negative light to aid in the conversion attempts of Christianity, leaving conclusions of the truth to be, yet again, assumed in later years.

Then we have the times of persecutions, when Witches went into hiding. It's a sure bet that even if they could read or write, they weren't journaling their practices for posterity. This would most certainly mean their death if such things were found. So here we have a good three hundred years worth of Witches practicing in the shadows, who aren't saying a word. With this lack of information, where do we get our current Wiccan practices from?

The Witch's silence continues until the early 1920's, when renowned archeologist and anthropologist, Dr. Margaret A. Murray wrote a book describing the existence of a pre-Christian religion. "The Witch Cult in Western Europe" was the first non-biased opinion to surface in hundreds of years, opening the door to practicing Witches. But it wasn't until 30 years later, in the early 1950's, that Witches actually began to surface from the shadows of secrecy. Among the first of them was Gerald Gardner.

Gardner spent years searching for and researching different cultural religious and magickal practices, being an archeologist and anthropologist in his own right. Through his search, he came across a group claiming to be a Witches Coven with hereditary roots, which fell right along the lines of his religious interests, and into which Gardner was eventually initiated. Also being an author, he wrote works revealing bits and pieces of his religious practices, until a time came when he broke away from his current Coven and started his own. Feeling that his previous practices were not a complete rendition of true Witchcraft, Gardner then proceeded to add, what he perceived to be, the finishing touches on the way his new Coven would practice the Craft. This was the start of Gardnerian Wicca, the beginning of Wicca as we know it today, essentially making Gerald Gardner the Father of Modern Wicca. (Note: Gerald Gardner is credited with being the driving force in getting the last Laws of the Witchcraft Act repealed in England. He is also the first to petition for the "right to coven" in England, bringing about its legalization.)

Now, almost fifty years later, we are brought to the current Wiccan practices that we know and love today. From Gardnerian Wicca has sprung many different Wiccan Traditions. One breaking off from another, each adding and subtracting in an attempt to perfect their specific practices, making adjustments to fit the beliefs of each. This has happened so much so, that there is even a Solitary Tradition known simply as Eclectic. There are many different Wiccan Traditions, which draw ideas and influences from cultures all around the world. So how do we define Wicca as it practiced today?

Even with the many different Wiccan traditions that exist, there are still basic priniciples that are accepted overall. If asked to give only two words to describe Wicca, I would have to say "Agriculture" and "Divinity", and not necessarily in that order. I realize that these two words are not going to be enough, so let's put them in a sentence: Wicca is a folk religion that combines respect for both Agriculture (Nature) and Divinity (The Divine Spirit). Still not enough? Let's get more specific.

~Wicca and Divinity~

• Much of the current Wiccan beliefs and practices have their roots in pre-Christian European times, where both the Masculine and Feminine, the God and Goddess, are honored as the Divine during ritual. Wiccans also believe that the Divine is inherent in each living being.

• Wiccans believe that there are many roads leading to the Divine, with no one way being the only way. Respecting the religious beliefs of others, whether they agree with them or not, is a major aspect of Wiccan priniciples. Wiccans are constantly in a state of learning to enhance their spirituality, and often seek to understand the beliefs of others.

• Wicca teaches that the physical to the spiritual, and everything in between, is all a part of the same reality, with the only difference being the density from one state to the other. (Adapted from Wicca by Scott Cunningham, p. 5) This is also gives credence to the belief that all the different Gods and Goddesses are different faces of the one Ultimate Divine Source.

• The Wicca do not believe in heaven and hell. These are Christian perceptions that embrace the extremes of an ultimate good vs. ultimate evil. What Wiccan's do believe is that when they pass from this life, they go to a beautiful place called Summerland to await rebirth, believing strongly in reincarnation. The Wicca also believe in the Underworld which is representative of the womb symbolizing self-examination, discovery and transformation. Wiccans also do not believe in the concept of a devil, an ultimate evil adversary of the Divine. This is another Christian concept which was, in my opinion, devised to strike fear into hearts of Wo/Man, giving more control to the Church. It also gave them a "scape goat" (pardon the pun) to blame their actions of wrong doing on. In Wiccan practices is it believed that we are all responsible for our own actions. Be it right or wrong, our karmic calculator will keep a tally of our debits and credits based on those actions, which will ultimately catch up to us one way or another.

• Wiccans follow the Wiccan Rede "An it harm none, do as ye will", while at the same time keeping in mind the "Law of Three-fold Return", another way of explaining karmic debt.

• Having a connection with the Divine is an awesome experience. Some commonly used methods Wiccans use for this connection are meditation, chanting, dance, the use of drums, magick, and ritual. Wiccan's embrace the magickal arts and are actually more ritualistic than many other Pagan traditions.

• Wiccans seek to live in harmony with their surroundings, to include their community as well as their natural enviornment. Ecology is a big issue with Wiccans and healing the Earth is of major importance. Healing the Human Spirit is also of equal importance.

• Wicca embraces the life force, but also acknowledges that death is a natural part of the cycle of life. With these beliefs come the celebration of the Sabbats, holding rituals during Esbats, and in some cases holding New Moon rites as well. All of these are heavily influenced by Nature. To practice Wicca is to practice the "rites to attune oneself with the natural rhythm of life forces marked by the phases of the Moon and the seasonal Quarters and Cross Quarters." (#1 Principle of the Thirteen Principles of Wiccan Belief as found in the Encyclopedia of Wicca and Witchcraft by Raven Grimassi. p. 361)

1. Go back through the lesson and copy the posed questions into your Book of Shadows. Refer to these questions when hearing other view points to draw your own conclusions.

BACKSTUDY~BUDDY HOMENEXT

IntroductionStudy OutlineMagical Dictionary

Lesson ILesson II