How to Understand the Wiccan Religion

What is the Wicca?Wicca is a nature-based religious tradition that has been around for centuries. The theology is thought to have originated from prehistoric matriarchal societies somewhere in Europe. A defining characteristic of Wicca is leadership roles are assigned to women rather than to men. This is in stark contrast to current religious practice where men hold primary positions of power. If you want to understand how the Wiccan religion works, here are some basic things to keep in mind.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Internet Access
• A library card
• Skype
• Patience

Understand the Wiccan Religion

1. Study Wiccan Divinity. Generally speaking, most Wiccans do believe in God or gods and goddesses. A common mistake is to believe Wiccans to be devil or demon worshipers, as well. Wiccans are a considered “duotheistic,” meaning they believe in how gods and goddesses interact, rather than solely concerned with a power differential as is the case with most modern religious tradition. Learn about the “Sun” and “Moon.”

2. Learn context. When learning about the Wiccan religion, try not to impart your own sense of moral standard. Context is important in the sense that it can teach you not to get lost in translation. Terms like “magic” or “sorcery” do not have the same connotation today as they may have had centuries ago, for example. Study New Historicism.

3. Attend a festival or celebration. Many nature or “alternative” tobacco stores will have information you can use. The Wiccan religion has period festivals and “handfast” celebrations throughout the year. Talking to practitioners may give you insight to help you better understand the Wiccan relgion. Ask about Esbat, Earth, Air, Fire and Water.

4. Get familiar with Wiccan books. Try to learn about the various books common to the Wiccan religion. Try not to view these texts as equivalent to the Bible in any way. These books will teach you about Wiccan symbology, terminology and ritualistic practices.

Tips & Warnings

• Read about the “Book of Shadows.”
• There are various forms of Wiccan tradition.
• The number “13” is not unlucky, but rather the opposite.
• The pentagram is not indicative of devil worship in the Wiccan religion.

Resources

• The Church and School of Wicca
• Aquarian Tabernacle Church
• How to Join a Wiccan Group
• How Not to Offend a Wiccan

[CrystalZoom]

on 1/31/2009 nautical999 have you written to your friend Lucifer on your page there? I think he might not mind it really.

[nautical999]

on 1/20/2009 Wicca is demonic no matter how you look at it and the religion should be stamped out permanantly