ESSAY: A HISTORY OF WICCA Wicca is a reconstruction of an ancient Pagan religion of Northern Europe, which pre-dates the Christian era. It can be directly traced back to the writings of: Margaret Murray who authored "The Witch Cult in Western Europe" and "The God of the Witches". These books promoted the concept that some of the Witches who were exterminated by the Christian Churches during the 'Burning Times' (circa 1450-1792) were remnants of an earlier, organized, and dominant pre-Christian religion in Europe. Gerald Gardner, a British civil servant, who: joined a Wiccan Coven in 1939, taking the (then) usual vows of secrecy persuaded the coven to let him write a book in 1949 about Wicca in the form of a novel, High Magic's Aid. He carefully revealed a few of the Old Religion's beliefs and the historical persecutions that they endured. He wrote "Witchcraft Today" in 1954 in which he described additional details about the faith. He wrote The Meaning of Witchcraft, which described in detail the history of Wicca in Northern Europe. He added many rituals, symbols, concepts and elements from ceremonial magic, Freemasonry and other sources to "flesh out" the coven's beliefs and practices, which had become long forgotten. WICCAN BELIEFS Wiccan Deities: Most Wiccans believe that a creative force exists in the universe, which is sometimes called "The One" or " The All". Little can be known of this force. They regard the Goddess and the God as representing the female and male aspects of the All. Most regard various pagan Gods and Goddesses (Pan, Athena, Diana, Brigit, Zeus, Odin, etc.) as representing various aspects of the God and Goddess. Respect for Nature: Wicca is a natural religion, grounded in the earth. All living things (including stars, planets, humans, animals, plants, rocks) are regarded as having spirit. Gender Equality: Wiccans celebrate the sexual polarity of nature: the fertilizing rain is one manifestation of the male principle; the nurturing earth symbolizes the female. Females are respected as equal (and sometimes at a slightly higher rank) to males. They aim for a female-male balance in most of their covens (local groups), although men are typically in the minority. Sexuality is valued, and regarded as a gift of the Goddess and God, to be engaged in with joy and responsibility, and without manipulation. Three-fold Law "All good that a person does to another returns 3 fold in this life; harm is also returned 3 fold." The Wiccan Rede: This is the main rule of behaviour: "And it harm none, do what thou wilt." This means that a person can accomplish whatever they put their "will" or mind to, as long as it does not harm themselves or anyone else. This and the three-fold law obviously prevent a Witch/Wiccan from doing harm to themselves or to others, or attempting to manipulate others, or taking illegal drugs, etc. WICCAN PRACTICES Organizational Structure: Wicca is one denomination (the largest) within Neo-paganism. Other Neo-pagan groups include individuals and groups who are reconstructing Druidic, Egyptian, Greek, Roman and other ancient religious traditions. Many, perhaps most, Witches are solitary practitioners; they perform their rites alone. Others form covens, which are informal groups of Wiccans. There is usually no hierarchy beyond the coven; no state, provincial or national organization. Those covens, which have a High Priestess and/or Priest, may democratically elect one of the group to that office depending on the tradition. Rituals: Wiccans try to meet out of doors where possible. North American climate and concern for personal safety usually forces them indoors. They gather in a circle if space allows. Candles on the circumference are usually oriented to the four cardinal directions. Some Wiccans align the candles to the walls of the room. An altar is at the centre of the circle or at the place best suited for whatever work is to be accomplished. The alter may be set up in the West if workings dealing with water are to be done. Rites begin with a casting of the circle. A space is thus created within the circle; this is sometimes visualized as a sphere, or as a cylinder or cone. The purpose of this space is to confine energy until it is released. The central portion of each meeting may celebrate the full moon, a new moon, a Sabbat or a special Wiccan ceremony. It might include healing, divination (scrying, Tarot cards, Runes, etc.), teaching, consecration of tools, discussion, or other life affirming, nature-based activities. After the major work is completed, food or drink is shared, and the circle is taken down. Because of the increasing concern over addictions to alcohol and other drugs, many covens have replaced wine with juice, water etc. Wiccan Sabbats: (Seasonal days of Celebration) There are eight Wiccan Sabbats, spaced about 45 days apart during the year. Four of these are minor Sabbats: the two equinoxes of March 21 and September 21 when the daytime and nighttimes are each 12 hours long. The Saxons added the two solstices of December 21, (the longest night of the year) and June 21 (the shortest night of the year). Actually, the exact date of these Sabbats varies from year to year and may occur from the 20th to 23rd of the month. The major Sabbats are also four in number. They occur roughly between the minor Sabbats, typically at the end of a month. Different Wiccan traditions assign various names and dates to these festivals. Perhaps the most common names are Celtic: Samhain (Oct. 31), Imbolc (Feb. 2), Beltane (May 1), and Lammas (Aug. 1). Dates are approximate. |