What is Wicca? And by the way, what is a Pagan?

Is a Wiccan a witch?

Some are, although not all Wiccans consider themselves Witches. Different traditions or "trads" call themselves different names. For example, Druid's do not consider themselves Wiccan, but just Druids. To explain it simply, I will compare Wicca to Christianity. As a whole, Wiccans fit under the general category "Pagan", just as Baptists, Catholics and Methodists fall under the general category, "Christian."
A Pagan is a general name for a person who is a member of a polytheistic nature religion. (polytheistic: many gods and goddesses) Pagans follow a pre-Christian philosophy and way of life. They gravitate to ancient symbols and myths of the old religions of the Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Sumerians, Celts, Native Americans and many others.

All right, so what is Wicca?

With that said, one tradition of Paganism is what we call Wicca. Wicca is a nature-based religion and way of life. We have no central dogma, or "bible" to follow, each individual is free to grow and develop their spiritual beliefs. But, there is one particular thought that most wiccans do believe. This is referred to as the Wiccan Rede, "If it harms none, do what you will." I am sure you can figure out what this means, pretty simple huh?
Wiccans may choose to practice solitary or with a group (coven, grove, etc.) of other witches following a certain tradition. Of course, you may have guessed, there are several Traditions of Wicca. Probably the most popular is Gardnerian Wicca. Began as an offshoot of general pagan belief by Gerald Gardner, some call him the father of modern day Wicca.(and this was in the 1950's) Other popular traditions are Dianic (ususally lesbian feminist), Fairy (Fairies, duh), Stregarian (Italian), Shamanism (Native American), Celtic (Irish, etc), Ecclectic (a mixture of some or all of the above), and so on. You are free to choose which tradition(s) you prefer. Although, if you want to join a group or coven, they usually have a set of steps or knowledge levels that you must attain before you are an official member. Another grouping of wiccans are known as Family Traditions. These are families of witches that have been following familial rituals and beliefs for several generations. Obviously, to be part of a family trad, you are born into the family.

So Who do Wiccans worship? Who are Wiccan Deities?

Deity figures include Goddesses and Gods of many cultures. Beliefs on the deity structure may vary from individual to individual. For example, one may choose to believe in "The All", polarized into female and male aspects, which are in turn polarized even further into separate aspects of each. Some choose to follow one pantheon (culture, ie Greek, Celtic, Roman...), while others feel free to call upon a "favorite" God/dess, or one to suit the needs of a particular working. One belief that Wiccans hold true is that deity is not "unattainable", up in some place (ie Heaven) unreachable by the living. Deity is manifest in all things. They also do not believe in a "hell" or an all-evil incarnate being (ie Satan). Let's not forget, Wicca is based on pre-Christian beliefs. And it was Christianity that created the notion of an "all evil" being.
A non-evangelistic bunch, Wiccans do not force their religion on others, while most do not mind answering questions about their way of life. Wiccans believe in tolerance very strongly, and do not hold the belief that Wicca is the "one true way".

Wiccans are very far from society's" perception of witches. They are not ugly hags with warts on their noses and pointy caps that fly through the air on brooms and conjure up horrible things with eye of newt and wing of bat. Wiccans use the power of the god/dess within, the earth, and nature to promote a change. Many witches also use essential oils, herbs, and stones for healing, magickal workings, and meditation. Wiccans celebrate the cycles of the sun, moon, and all nature as their holidays. Moon rituals (Esbats) are celebrated on the Full and (sometimes) New Moon of each month. The Sabbats are the agricultural festivals (the Greater Sabbats, and the solar festivals). These alternate on the Wheel of the Year, beginning with the New Year, or Samhain. Short descriptions of the festivals and the dates on which they are usually celebrated are listed below.

• Samhain/Halloween* October 31
  • Wiccan New Year. The veil between worlds is very thin, and divination is especially strong at this time.
• Yule/Winter Solstice * around December 21
  • Longest night of the year. The sun/flame/light play an important apart in this festival as the days become longer from this point. This is also when the God is born of the Goddess.
• Imbolg/Imbolc/Oimelc/Brigid/Candlemas... * February 2
  • Increased lengthening of days. This is somewhat of a 'hurry up spring!' festival. Candles are lit during this celebration to honor Brigid, the Celtic Fire Goddess.
• Ostara/Eostre/Vernal or Spring Equinox * around March 21
  • The festival of the goddess Eostre (where Easter is derived). Day and night are equal, and life begins to return to the earth. Eggs, as a symbol of fertility, are used symbolically on this day.
• Beltane/May Eve * April 30
  • Dubbed 'the fertility holiday' by some, Beltane is celebrated with glee, dancing around maypoles, with spring fever at its peak. This is a day of many handfastings, and also thought of as the day of the Goddess and God's union.
• Litha/Midsummer/Summer Solstice * around June 21
  • The longest day of the year, Midsummer is when the sun's strength peaks and then begins to wane. Fire is used extensively in the celebrations.
• Lughnasadh/Lammas * August 1
  • The first of the grain harvests, Lughnasadh is a bountiful holiday, with fresh foods of the season. The sun continues to wane at this time. The Goddess is celebrated as full of life.
• Mabon/Fall or Autumnal Equinox * around September 21
  • Day and night hang in a precious equal balance again, as after this day, the nights grow longer and winter is around the corner. At this time, the Goddess is both carrying the Son, and mourning the rapid waning of the Sun's (God's) strength. This is a time to enjoy the bounty of the harvest.

I hope this information has given you a clue as to who and what Wiccans, Pagans and Witches are. For further info I suggest you check out my Wiccan and Pagan Weblinks page. There is a plethora of info out there, go and enjoy.