Wicca and Witchcraft: What is it?

So over the years, the image of a witch has been burned into our mind one way or another. Is it the old wrinkly woman with warts and tattered hair crouched over a boiling cauldron with a black cat nearby? What about the young woman who snaps her fingers and makes mysterious things happen? Or perhaps the hardened mother crouched over her herb garden? While these are the stereotypical witches we think of, there is much more to them than meets the eye.

To begin with, Wicca is a neo-pagan natural religion that worships the God and the Goddess. Both the God and the Goddess have three incarnations. The triple God is the warrior--a brave young man, fighting to prove himself in the world, the father--a hardened man who has faced much in life and is much wiser, who now teaches others what he has learned, and the sage--the old man who spends most of his time to himself, reading and thinking. The triple Goddess is the maiden--a young girl who is just discovering herself and exploring life, the mother--a woman who cares for anyone and everyone, and the crone--an old loving woman who spends her time enjoying people live life around her.

Along with the God and the Goddess, there is the wheel of the year. In the year, there are eight holy days, or sabbaths. The first is on October 31st, then on the Winter Solstice, then February 2nd, then the Vernal Equinox, then on May 1st, then on the Summer Solstice, then on August 1st, and lastly on the Autumnal Equinox before the cycle ends and begins again with October 31st. In order, the sabbaths are Samhain (pronounced so-wen), Yule, Imbolc, Ostara or Eostre, Beltane, Litha, Lammas, and Mabon, then back to Samhain. There is the story that intertwines the Goddess and the God to the wheel of the year, but this is a whole other entry in and of itself.

The next most important thing to know is the Wiccan Rede. In truth, it is a really long poem, but it’s pretty much the Wiccan version of the Bible or the Koran. The main points that people focus on from the Rede are ‘An Ye harm none, do what Ye will.’ This is the concept of the Golden Rule and only doing to others what is good. And to make sure that you only do good, there is the Threefold Law: ‘Mind the Threefold Laws you should, three times bad and three times good.’ What this boils down to is that whatever you send out to the universe, whatever you do, it will come back to you three times as powerful. If you’re a nice person, constantly doing good deeds, then the good will return and bless your life. If you do bad, however, your life will become cursed.

Wicca, being a religion of nature, is focused around the seasons (which is apparent in the sabbaths), the weather, and the elements. The five elements are earth, fire, air, water, and spirit. The pentacle, the five-pointed star within a circle, is the symbol that shows the bond between the elements. One way to interpret the pentacle is as the human body, the head, arms, and legs, all surrounded by the person’s aura. If the person in the pentacle is facing you, their right arm is air, their left arm is water, their right leg is earth, and their left leg is fire. Obviously, their head is spirit. the circle is what combines and bonds together the elements.

Wicca also focuses greatly on the celestial bodies. The sun and the moon are also known as embodiments as the god and the goddess. As the sabbaths are focused on the sun and the earth’s movement around it, esbats (which are monthly or weekly coven meetings)  are focused on the moon. The moon phases will affect magick. If the moon is waxing, magick should be focused on gathering or getting. If the moon is waning, the magick should focus on sending away; getting rid of. The new moon and the full moon are very powerful, and most covens work magick and hold esbats on those times. A lunar eclipse is the greatest time to work magick, for the lunar energies are greatly magnified. The symbol of the triple Goddess (pictured above), is the three moons: waxing, full, and waning. Astrology is not normally focused on in Wicca, but it can be if you chose to make it.

Just as any religion has its subsects, Wicca has several different branches. Some of the sects are based off men who have changed Wicca, which is surprising for a feminine based religion. Gerald Gardner helped create Gardnerian Wicca, which is based off of covens in which you have to be initiated into. Alexandrian Wicca is based on the gender polarity of the God and the Goddess. Algard Wicca, is a (successful) blend of both Gardnerian and Alexandrian Wicca. In addition to these sects, there are forms of Wicca that blend in other religions and mythology. These include Christian, Egyptian, Celtic, Norse, Strega (Italian), Dianic (which focuses on feminism), Teutonic (Northern European), and many more.  Here is a list of many types of Wicca.

While most Wiccan groups have covens (the groups of wiccans), there are many solitary witches who practice by themselves. they could be solitary for a number of reasons. They might not be out of ‘the broom closet’, which means they haven’t come out to their family and/or friends as wiccan. They might not have any other witches nearby, so there isn't even a coven to join. Some people just don’t feel like practicing with others are for them. There is much that you can do by yourself that is hard to do with others. Meditation can be very difficult for people, because other witches might distract them with chants.

Every witch, no matter where they live and practice, should have a basic understanding of herbs and stones. Herbs grow all around us. Contrary to what most people think, all plants are herbs. An herb is a plant that has a use for whatever it is you’re doing. So all you really need to do is know what you’re doing, and then find herbs that complement your purpose. Protection, cooking, healing, friendship, pets, work--you just need to know what to look for. Some of the best herbs to use for your work are common weeds. Dandelion, plantain, bittersweet, and purslane all work very well to aid magick. In addition to herbs, stones are very important. While herbs are connected to earth and life, stones are strongly connected to our planet and the element earth. Metals, precious gems, and everyday stones send power to the magick, increasing it. As long as you know what your intent is, it is easy to magnify your workings with herbs and stones.

 There are so many different things to know about Wicca and witchcraft. Whether it be the deities, the holidays, or even simple ingredients, you should know it all. And even if you aren't Wiccan or a witch, you should have a basic understanding of it, just to keep from being ignorant. Wiccans and witches aren't doing anything to harm you (and if they are, they'll get their karma), so don't do anything to harm them. Most of all--remember that they are not satanists. This is the largest misconception. All that aside, at least you are now enlightened on the subject of witchcraft and the neo-pagan religion of Wicca.