It�s not easy being the only Wiccan that people know. I remember last fall, when I came out about my religion, my inbox was flooded with letters asking me what Wicca is about, and what it means to me. Some people were frightened at first, wanting to know if we could still be friends, if I was going crazy, and all kinds of other things. Others, including my dad, were wondering if I was now thinking that I was something like Samantha from Bewitched. Still others expressed their support of my religious choices, and mildly asked for some information about Wicca. I found myself feeling amazed that, in a world with so much information about anything imaginable, so many of the people closest to me had no idea what Wicca is all about.

So, here is my attempt to explain Wicca to the world. It�s not an easy task. Most of you out there will probably be used to seeing religion from a Christian point of view, which makes things difficult, because Wicca is quite different from that. Also, Wicca has no dogma, that is to say, no holy book or set of rules that everyone must follow. The only rules that we Wiccans all follow are the Wiccan rede: "�An it harm none, do as ye will" and the threefold law, which basically means that anything you do, good or bad, will come back to you threefold.

Just what do Wiccans believe? Well, we believe in a manifest Goddess and God. That is to say, we believe that everything in the entire world, from the trees to the clouds, is a manifestation of a divine energy that has both masculine and feminine counterparts. We call the masculine and feminine energies that make up the world God and Goddess. So, when a Wiccan is saying a prayer to God they are not visualizing a big white guy in the sky, but a powerful force that makes up all living things. In Wicca, we derive a lot what we believe from nature, and in nature we can see that there are two sides to everything. There will always be a female counterpart to every male force in the world, and so Wiccans find it foolish not to believe that there are both masculine and feminine aspects of the divine. We don't believe that the God is better than the Goddess, or vice versa, though many Wiccans will say that the Goddess is the first in a line of equals. Wiccans believe that since everything in the entire universe is made up of divinity (God and Goddess), then we are also part of that divinity. In this way, we realize that we have both power to change our worlds, and the responsibility to treat both ourselves and the world wisely.

Wiccans also believe that there is more going on in life than just what the eye can see. The physical world is a nice place to live in, but there is oftentimes more that is going on. We all have spirits, and our spirits function on a spiritual plane, not a physical one. Spiritually, we are all connected to the divine, and through that, with meditation and other such things, we can bring ourselves closer to spirit, closer to the powerful forces of the universe. Wiccans believe that we can use our will to make magick (spelled with a "k" to distinguish it from the magic of Harry Potter and Samantha). Magick is the act of consciously sending out your energy in attempt to change the world. Normally these changes occur in a very subtle way. For instance, a Wiccan may say a spell to bring them strength to make it through a hard time. Wiccans oftentimes get a hard time about magick, but it�s mainly because most people don't realize that magick isn't the bells and whistles that society makes it out to be. To the Wiccan eye, for example, when a catholic lights a candle while praying for a certain person or thing, that is magick.

Wiccans believe that the purpose of life is to acquire knowledge, and to attune oneself more fully with the God and Goddess. In short, many Wiccans believe in some form of enlightenment. We believe that there is a spirit world that people go to after they die, and after being there for a certain amount of time, the spirit will be sent back to earth or some other plane like it, to live out another life there. Living in a human body is very much like going to school for your spirit. Wiccans believe that life on earth is a method of teaching us the big lessons in life, and in that way, everything happens for a reason.

Wiccans do not believe in Satan. In Wicca, there is no such thing as an ultimate evil force. Wiccans believe that evil comes from within human beings, not from an unseen all-evil being. By looking at nature we can see that nothing is all evil or all good, but a mixture of the two. Wiccans believe that we can find both good and evil within ourselves. Satan is a part of the Christian and Jewish religions, not Wicca. Also, Satanism is a religion that some people do follow, but it has absolutely nothing to do with Wicca.

Wiccans revere nature, as it is the ultimate beauty in the manifestation of the God and Goddess. Have you ever had nature, say, a waterfall, a sunrise, or the ocean, take your breath away? We Wiccans believe that that was because of the divine aspects of the God and Goddess shining through. We believe that by attuning ourselves with nature we can attune ourselves to the divine. We come closer to our higher selves outside, where the Goddess and God are manifested. That�s why a lot of the Wiccans you'll meet seem like nature lovers. We are.

Wiccans don't advertise their religion. We believe that any religious path in the world can bring person happiness, fulfillment, and can eventually attune anyone to the higher powers in the universe. In other words, you don't have to be Wiccan to wake up one day and be wise, happy, and enlightened. In this way, we don't believe that it is right to advertise our religions. You'll never see a Wiccan go knocking door to door with brochures on how to bring the Goddess into your life. We don't do that, we believe that a person will find Wicca, or any other religion, when they are ready.

Wiccans practice rites. Last Halloween I told my friends that I was going to hold a ritual that night, and they kind of got all quiet and freaked out. I realized that when you say "ritual" in our society, people tend to think of blood sacrifice, which is not at all what I meant to say. A Wiccan ritual is very much like a Christian church service. We get together, or alone if you're a solitary (meaning you practice alone), and invoke the God and Goddess and then talk to them, perhaps perform some magick, and say thanks for the blessings we have received in our lives. Normally that�s about it. There is no blood sacrifice or anything like that. The closest we come to sacrifice is when we make offerings, which normally involves spreading seeds and fruit around a forest or other natural area to give back to the earth that has given so much to us.

Wiccans celebrate holidays. We follow the wheel of the year on this one. Wiccans believe that in life everything happens in cycles. You're born, you grow up, you get old, you die, you're born... It�s the same with the year. Spring, summer, fall, winter, spring... Wiccans celebrate holidays to mark the changing of the seasons and weather. These holidays are called sabbats. The eight sabbats throughout the year are Beltaine on May 1st (also known as May Day), Summer Solstice around June 21st (also known as Litha), Lammas on August 1st (also known as Lughnasadh), Mabon on September 21st, Halloween on October 31st (also more commonly known among Wiccans as Samhain or All Hallows Eve), Yule on December 21st, Imbolc on February 1st, and Ostara on March 21st. Some Wiccans also celebrate esbats. Esbats are holidays celebrated on the night of a full moon, of which there are normally twelve, sometimes thirteen, throughout the year.

There is no hierarchy in Wicca. In fact, the majority of Wiccans practice alone, because we believe that our religion is a very personal thing. However, there are many Wiccans who practice in groups, and these groups are called covens. A coven is a small group of Wiccans that gather together to practice rituals, celebrate the sabbats and esbats, and to have a good time. Normally there is a coven leader, but every member of the coven is respected and cherished for their unique talents and gifts that they bring to the group.

Some Wiccans also call themselves Witches. This is derived from the fact that we practice Witchcraft, and because the Wiccan religion is derived from the ancient forms of Witchcraft and Paganism found in pre-Christian Europe. Personally, I call myself a Witch, and so do most Wiccans. Some Wiccans, however, can be a little touchy on this subject, so it�s wise just to call a Wiccan a Wiccan unless otherwise specified.

Without delving too deeply into the subject, there you have it. A basic breakdown of what Wiccans are, and what they believe. I hope that this has helped to clear up some questions, and as always, if you want to know more, please contact me or do some research on your own. There are some great websites out there just teeming with information on Wicca.

Wiccans are normal people. We don't run around in all black or pretend that we can fly brooms. I myself was a Wiccan for a year without anyone even noticing. As a Wiccan, I do celebrate the sabbats and most of the esbats too. I do have an altar, which is basically just place in my room I've made to honor the divine. I have performed magick, and I do pray and talk to the Goddess and God quite often. Putting all this aside, I still live my life just like a normal person. So for all of you out there, who are wondering if I'll seem the same when you see me in June, don't worry! I'm still the same Julie, though I may seem more spiritually fulfilled the next time you look into my eyes. I believe that all of life is a beautiful dance of the divine, and while I might never say anything aloud about being Wiccan, I wouldn't be surprised if you see it in my face, the bounce of my step, or the smile of my presence. With Wicca, I haven't really changed, I've just blossomed.