What is Wicca?

First of all, Wicca and witchcraft are not the same thing. This article is about Wicca, but I do have another page with the differences between Wicca and witchcraft.

Fundamentally, Wicca is a modern-day religion based on pre-Christian religious practices. Wicca was founded by Gerald Gardner back in the early 1950s. We don't deny that it is a new religion, but the basis for our beliefs goes back thousands of years. Besides, even Christianity was new at one time.

Unfortunately, there are many stereotypes and false information about Wicca that circulates on the Internet. I have a list of common myths and misconceptions that you might want to check out as well.

So, here are some real facts about Wicca:

Wiccans celebrate the 8 Sabbats - We don't all necessarily worship the Earth, but we do hold it sacred, and celebrate the cycles and the seasons, as well as the traditional harvest days.

Wicca is polytheistic - Not all Wiccans follow precisely the same path when it comes to Deity, but typically we believe in multiple Gods and Goddesses often taken from different cultures and time periods. Many Wiccans will work with 1 or 2 Deities, rather than worshipping the entire gamut.

Wiccans do practice magick - Magick and spells are part of our religion. This sometimes seems far-fetched to those who don't understand. Forget every magick spell you've ever seen on TV or in the movies. Magick is nothing more than utilizing the energy that exists around us in nature. It's a delicate art that takes time, study and practice to master. We don't spend our days casting spells willy-nilly.

Wiccans do gather in covens - The media has made this sound more sinister than it really is. A coven can be any number of people (not just 13), and involves a group of Wiccans who gather regularly for ritual, magick, study and celebration. It's not that mysterious at all. Many Wiccans are not part of any coven, and folks who work alone are called 'solitaries'. Many people debate whether or not you can truly be Wiccan unless part of a coven. That is another issue in itself.

Though Wicca can be a very fluid and personal religion, don't get the wrong impression that 'anything goes'. There is more to Wicca than these basic ideas, and more than I could cover here even if I chose to. Wicca is a particular religion, not simply a catch-all term for any form of Paganism.