How to Research Wicca

Wicca is one of the oldest religions still being practiced today. Unfortunately, it is also one of the most misunderstood. Misconceptions and a few fringe followers who have misinterpreted its purpose and message have caused it to remain largely a mystery to the mainstream. Here are some tips for researching Wicca.

Instructions

1. Separate fact from fiction. A number of television shows, books and movies have been written and produced in recent years featuring characters who are Wiccans or witches. These characters, thanks to the magic of fiction, can often fly, stop moving vehicles with a wave of their hand or shoot fireballs from their fingertips. Understand that these are fictional personas and should not be viewed as an accurate representation of what Wicca is about. With the exception of a few, most Wiccans do not claim to have these abilities.

2. Remain open-minded. Wicca and witchcraft have gotten bad reputations due to falsehoods about sacrifices and ties to Satanic worship. In order to truly research Wicca objectively, you must be willing to put these assumptions aside and be open-minded to the concept of it as a faith and a religion just like Christianity or Buddhism.

3. Do your homework. While Wicca has experienced a renewed popularity since the 1950s, it actually has roots in the ages prior to the rise of Christianity. To understand Wicca completely, you must trace its history all the way back and research the trials and issues it has faced over time.

4. Research all relevant branches. Just as Christianity as a whole can be divided into denominations, like Baptist and Presbyterian, Wicca also has individual disciplines that are all considered branches of the faith, such as Gardnerian and Alexandrian. These branches differ in some rituals and in their places of origin, but all are part of the Wiccan faith and therefore should be made part of your research.

5. Use many resources. Because Wicca is a more loosely interpreted faith than some other more traditional religions, there are bound to be discrepancies in material you gather during your research. This is simply due to human interpretation. Use a wide variety of sources on Wicca from different time periods and areas in the world to give yourself a better understanding of the overall concepts.

6. Talk to an expert. Wicca has priests and priestesses just as other faiths have clergy and leaders. These people devote themselves wholly to the craft, lead covens of followers and are great sources of knowledge to turn to for a better understanding of what Wicca is all about and how its followers worship.

Resources

• Find an expansive history of Wicca at wiccanway.net.
• Learn about all aspects of Wicca at wicca.com.