You've come here because you have the question in your mind "What is Wicca?"  I only wish that question was as easy to answer as it is to ask.  I guess to put it in it's simplest form, Wicca is the belief system that explains the idea that the world and all things in it are connected.  Wicca is the idea that there is an energy force that all things are a part of and that we can tap into and use in whatever way we desire.  After all, this power is our birthrite as entities of this world.

        In Wicca, the idea that there is one all powerful patriarchal God doesn't exist.  We do have a God, but He alone is a mere part of the greater picture.  We realize in Wicca that there is no need to sit back idley and "pray" that your hopes and wishes will be granted.  We understand that we make things happen by tapping into the life force of which we are all apart and bending energies at our will.  This concept is the proactive version of many other religions' payer.  However, it is important to realize that Witchcraft and Wicca do not necessarily go hand in hand.  Wicca is a religion and Witchcraft is an act.  Not all Wiccans cast spells and certainly not all Witches who cast spells are Wiccans.

        In Wicca we have several deities that we envoke to help us.  Central to Wicca is the belief in the Goddess.  The Goddess is the end and beginning all roled up into one.  It is the Goddess that gave birth to the God and who later relies on his fertility to recreate the God after His passing.  Something I found interesting in studying this religion is that the deities used in Wicca are really just personifications of our higher selves.  They represent our higher selves in the collective sense.

        The Goddess and God are symbolized by the Moon and the Sun.  The cyclical Moon represents the Goddess in her three forms: Maiden (waxing), mother (full), Crone (waning to new moon).  The Goddess helps reinforce the teaching that all things are cyclical--ever changing.  In life there is Birth (Maiden), Adulthood (Mother), and Death (Crone).  Death is looked at as a transformation period.  Death in the Wiccan religion is not a time for sadness and fear, but rather for a continuance of life in another form.  The God in Wicca is represented by the Sun and is best thought of in terms of the solstices.  At the Winter Solstice, the God is born and the days become visibly longer during this the God's time of triumph over the dark.  As they year progresses, the God becomes less of the dominating force as the days get shorter in the after the Summer Solstice.  It is the God that represents the animal aspect of ourselvs.  He represents passion and animal emotions.  The God is all within ourselves that will never be tamed or domesticated.  More information can be found on the God and Goddess in the resources section of this web site.

        It seems to be a common misconception that Witches are satanic.  However, it is important to point out that in Wicca there is no Devil.  There is no being in Wicca that is purely evil just as there is no being in Wicca that is purely good.  The energy that surrounds us is in fact quite neutral.  What determines rather the energy around us is positive or negative depends on how the energy is being used.  Now seems to be a good time to point out the rule of three.  In the rule of three the teaching is presented that whatever you do will come back on your three times over.  That's right, Wiccans believe in Karma.  It is for that reason we must ever be mindful of how we construct a spell.  We have to be certain that no one will be harmed in the course of our spell.  Likewise it is unwise to cast spells on individuals in order to get them to do what they want.  It's a bit like "thou shalt not manipulate".  It is perfectly acceptable, however, to send healing or positive energies to someone who asks you to do so.

        Lastly, I would like to say that Wiccans cherish the Earth and all things in it.  This is our world and we must take care of it.  We are all charged with the responsibility to take care of our Mother Earth.  From Her all things began and so must end.  If you decide to become a Wiccan you will truly learn to appreciate the things about nature most people take for granted.  The rain feels just a little more alive, the wind a little bit more like a warm embrace, and the Sun like the face of an old friend.

        What I have presented here is a very condensed version of the teachings of Wicca.  The teachings of this ancient religion are far more involved that I have space to go into here.  I'm sure there are those who can conceptualize the principles of Wicca better than I can, and hopefully this web site can serve as a link to those people.  Wicca is the religion of all of us.  To me Wicca means that we are all connected, we all draw strength from each other, and no matter where you are you're never alone.  What does it mean to you?