A sincere desire to be intellectually honest and responsible has been put forth in the declaration of the following beliefs. The intent has been to stay away from sources of casual scholarship and fairly state the beliefs of the Wicca religion. If there has been any straying from core, fundamental beliefs please contact the webmaster at the email address below.
It is important to realize that Wiccans are people who often live common lives and have everyday hopes, dreams, and aspirations. There is a misconception that the followers of this religion do not participate in everyday society and are somehow separated from the current culture. On the contrary, they live, eat, and breathe like most other productive members of this planet.
A person can be taken back at first by the sheer number of perspectives adhered to within this tradition. In Wicca each person is allowed to develop their own views based upon their own experiences. However, there are common threads that unify most Wiccans. The following statements are an attempt at describing those core beliefs that are commonly held.
1. Deity as Duality.Most Wiccans are polytheistic. That is they believe in more than one god. The standard Wiccan concept of divinity is that there is a god and a goddess with each having many names and forms. This view can extend to a larger plurality of gods, but typically it is believed that different gods are simply different aspects or names of the two deities. The female divine principle is usually stressed in that deity is seen as both female as well as male.
2. Deity as Universal. Deity is viewed as immanent with nature, in that the gods are not only close to nature, but also in nature and part of the universe. Life is interconnected and includes the god and goddess in their many forms. Additionally, all things have proceeded from the deity and all things will eventually return to the deity.
3. Reincarnation. Most Wiccans believe in reincarnation, but there is a sizable variation in regards to what form reincarnation takes on.
4. The Wiccan Rede. There are many ways that the Rede is stated. Among them are: "If it harm none, do as you will.", "Do as thou wilt, an it harm none.", "An' it harm none, do what thou wilt.", " As long as you harm no one, do what you will." In other words, as long as action does not hurt a person or living creature it is permissible. This would include one's self, other people, and animals.
5. The Three Fold Law. This is also known as the "Law of Return". In short, it is believed that whatever is done magically will come back to the person. Some believe that the action will not only come back to them, but also come back to them three separate times or three times as bad.
6. Balance between the male and female. Wicca can sometimes be connected to feminism. There is a liberal view of gender roles with a stress on the equality of the sexes, with some groups placing females as dominant over males.
7. Harmony with nature. Almost all Wiccans seek to attune themselves with the natural rhythm of the life forces. This rhythm is seen in the cycles of nature and there is a potential power that is believed to be held within nature. This power can be accessed if the person is connected and in balance with nature. Furthermore, all living things are regarded as having spirit, and that spirit is interconnected and needs to be balanced. This would include the spirit of animals, people, and gods.
8. Denial of absolute evil. This view states that a cosmic struggle between good and evil does not exist. Rather, the world is primarily seen as a balance between male and female energies.
The Wicca religion appears to be growing and even thriving in some segments of our current culture. What is the attraction to Wicca and why do people become Wiccans? These questions obviously have multifaceted answers to them. However, there are a few key reasons for the allure of the religion.
One of the primary reasons people are attracted to Wicca is for the sense of control it brings. The gods are worshipped and appealed to with the hope of acquiring some sort of power or favors. The idea of the practitioner can seeing into the future and becoming harmonized with nature can be a strong attraction. Additionally, a person may see himself or herself as not only having control over their immediate surroundings, but also a degree of control over other people. All of this may seem to give the follower a sense of power over negative and positive outcomes of life.
An additional attraction can be the Wicca view of nature. Seasons play a large role in Wicca and the outdoors is an important part of the religion. The seasonal days of celebration follow the lunar year and the cycles of nature are highly regarded. A follower may seek a sense of connection with nature and harmony with the Earth. This is often attractive to people because they see themselves as being part of something massive, or cosmic which they hope will provide stability to their lives.
Another reason why people are attracted to Wicca is that there are very few moral demands within this religion. The Wiccan Rede is fairly open for interpretation and the practitioner is given a large degree of freedom with regards to ethical behavior. Morality is a personal choice, outside of the Rede, which allows for the followers to act as they wish. There is no set code of conduct, or oppressive rules to be adhered to.
In short, Wicca is used by the practitioner and revolves around the follower. This sense of control and power is very alluring to people. Yes, there are deities, but those gods do not need to be answered to. The center of the religion is not the gods, but the practitioner. This results in a religion that serves the self and the appearance of a world that can be controlled and manipulated to the desire of the Wiccan. In effect, the religion ends in self-deification, where each practitioner acts as though they are their own god.
How does Wicca compare to other belief systems that make religious truth claims? The religion that most people see as having the strongest contrast to Wicca is Christianity. Although there are some similarities, such as the honor of nature, even these are produced by different underlying beliefs. In reality these two religions are in direct contradiction to each other and can therefore not both be true.
In the area of origin the Wiccan would perceive humanity as a manifestation of the divine. That is, since everything has come from deity all that exists has a divine quality. This results in the difficulty of making a distinction between the worth or value of living beings. That is to say, if all is a manifestation of the divine, then who is to say that an insect is of less worth or value then a human? It is obvious that this would be difficult to live out on a consistent basis since simply driving in a car would take many lives. On the contrary, Christianity claims that the universe was created by a deity and is separate from that deity. Additionally, humankind is the only living creature that has been made in the image of that deity and is therefore of the highest worth. Christianity claims that this supreme deity made men and women because he loves them and wants to have a personal relationship with them and states that they are incredibly valuable.
In the area of deity Wicca states that there is a plurality of gods. These gods are somewhat amoral and relatively distant in their interaction and concern for people. Additionally, these deities are not concerned with the everyday lives of humans, but seem to be rather preoccupied. Primarily a practitioner of Wicca calls on the power within nature to assist them and not the deities themselves. This is very different from the Christian view of God, where god is seen as a distinct person who is close to each individual. This God is a caring and loving father figure who desires to help people and bless them with his goodness. The Christian God is one who seeks to answer prayers and wants very much to take care of people, all of whom are precious to him. Unlike the Wiccan who must always look out for themselves and must constantly try to control external forces, the Christian has a God who is in complete control and is constantly looking out for those who follow and obey him.
In the area of destiny, Wicca states that each person will face reincarnation. There does not appear to be any final resting place in this system, but rather a continual cycle of life similar to this life. Eventually, all will recede back into the divine, which seems to mean that the personality or personhood of each individual will cease to exist. In contrast, Christianity makes the claim that each person will retain their identity after death and will either live a life with God or in separation of God, depending on their heart condition at death. Since God has provided a means of reconciliation between mankind and himself then the only true condition for living in his presence is the acceptance of that means. Under this religion that means is the person and work of God's son Jesus Christ. He lived the perfect life and died the perfect death because each person is imperfect and can not live in God's presence in his or her current condition. Jesus paid the price for each person's offense to God so that they could live with God for eternity. Now it is up to each person to accept or reject God's gift of eternal life with him. This is a very different claim than the Wiccan tradition makes. If an after-life exists, then eternity rides upon the choices made in this life and if truth is pursued or rejected.
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