| What is Wicca? |
| This is a question that many people ask, but which can be hard to answer. Personally, I feel that defining Wicca, or for that matter, paganism in general, isn't neccesarily a good thing. What attracts many people the most to Wicca is it's flexibility and the way it is adaptable to each individual person. By defining it, you restrict this flexibility and the ability to choose and personalise. You're limiting the possibilities. You're saying it IS and IS NOT certain things, whereas before it was possible to be any of these things. Am I making sense? Basically, defining Wicca restricts you to a certain degree so sometimes it's maybe better to concentrate less on what it is and what it isn't and more on your beliefs, feelings and relationship with nature and Spirit. I recently bought a book on spells and rituals, and at the beginning I found an amazing extract which has to be the best way of decribing Wicca and Paganism I've ever read. "Pagan spiritual paths, such as Wicca/witchcraft, druidry, Northern Tradition, shamanism and similar are experiencing a resurgence in popularity. These ways have many differences in approach, but they are united in the honour they give to Nature and the right they uphold of each person to follow her or his own truth. These systems could be called 'religions'. However, religion has come to mean a set of rules, dogma and beliefs. While paganism has its mythological inspiration, its reverance and one rule, generally held, which is 'Harm none', the pagan way is essentially about what you do and what you are, rather than what you 'believe' as cast in marble. Another ditinguishing trait of pagans is their habit of worshipping the Goddess, either in place of or alongside the God, thus Femininity and all that includes and implies (which is broad) is honoured. Pagans are more interested in experiencing the Goddess and God within the natural world, and within themselves, than laying down a code of rules. A recipe for chaos and strife? Pagans say not. They point to the times beyond number in history when dogmatic beliefs have been behind destruction and killing, and they feel that their approach has a unity of feeling and intention." - Spells and Rituals ~ A Beginner's Guide by Teresa Moorey I feel this excerpt explains the answer to the most frequently asked question very well. Wicca is an earth-based religion which focuses on living in harmony with everything else by following the one rule of 'Harm to none'. Rather than spending time worrying about how to define what exactly it is that they believe, they feel that time could be better spent strengthening their relationship with their deity and with nature. |