~Frequently Asked Questions About Wicca~
I have tried to compile a list of questions that my fellow Wiccans and I usually get asked when trying to explain our religion to those who have no idea what it is. I am sure that there are many more out there. The purpose of listing these questions here are three fold: For one, it helps out new people who have found this page while surfing the 'net for Craft information. Two, it helps my help other Wiccans out by giving them a different answer to questions they may have been asked. And three, it's to dispell the myths about Wicca to those who found this list who are not Wiccan. Blessed Be, and enjoy!
- What is Wicca?- Wicca is modern day Witchcraft. It is often called by many names: The Craft, The Old Path, The Old Religion, etc. Wicca is a nature based religion that honors both a God and a Goddess. Started in the late 1940's by Gerald Gardner, it's a fairly new faith, but it's roots are much older. Wicca draws from many of the pre-Christian faiths, including those of the Celts, the Greeks, The Egyptians, The Norse, etc. Wicca also draws from Ceremonial Magick, and Freemasonry.
- Don't Witches worship Satan?- Absolutly not! Satan is a Christian deity, not a Wiccan one.
- What is the difference between Pagan, Wiccan, and Witch?- Paganism is the umbrella term for any polytheistic faith. [It should be noted that Hindus don't consider themselves Pagan, but most westerners lump Hinduism under the blanket term "Paganism"] Wicca is a Pagan religion. All Wiccans are Pagans, but not all Pagans are Wiccan. A Witch is simply one who practices Wicca, so it is the same thing as Wiccan.
- Do you believe in Heaven and Hell?- No. Once again, these are Christian beliefs, not Wiccan ones. Wicca is a faith based on personal responsibility, and we are a Karmic faith. We believe that when you die, your soul goes onto The Summerland. It waits there until it is ready to be born again. While it waits, it reflects over the things it has learned, and it rests. The new life is based on your Karmic reward or Karmic debt. If you lived a really good life, you probably have a lot of Karmic reward, making your new incarnation a very pleasent one. However, if you lived a very bad life, you probably have a lot of Karmic debt to pay off, making this incarnation not so pleasant. Every soul has it's purpose. Once that purpose is fulfilled, the soul does not come back, but rather it becomes one with the Universe.
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