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WICCA- An Ancient Shamantic NatureTradition
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"Craft of the Wise"
Wicca is a positive, shamanistic nature religion with two main deities honored and worshipped in Wiccan rites: the Goddess (the female aspect and a deity related to the ancient Mother Goddess in Her triple aspects of Maiden, Mother, and Crone) and Her Consort, the Horned God (the male aspect).
Wicca often includes the practice of various forms of white magick, usually for healing purposes or as a counter to negativity, as well as rites to attune oneself with the natural rythm of life forces marked by the phases of the moon and the four seasons.
Wicca, which is also known as the "Craft of the Wise", is considered to be both a monistic and pantheistic religion. The word "Pagan" is a general term for "native and natural religions preaching brotherly love and harmony with and respect for all life forms. It is very similar to Native American spirituality. Its origins are found in the early human development of religion: animistic deities gradually becoming redefined to become a main God or Goddess of all Nature. This God or Goddess can be found in nearly all of the world's historic religious systems. Paganism does not oppose nor deny any other religion. It is simply a pre-Christian faith.
Most Pagans seem to agree on many of these commonly held beliefs:
1) Divinity is immanent or internal, as well as transcendent or external.
2)Respect and love of Nature as divine in Her own right. This makes ecological awareness and activity a religious duty.
3)The conviction that human beings were meant to live lives filled with joy, love, pleasure, and humor. The tradtional Western concept of sin, guilt, and divine retribution are seen as misunderstandings of natural growth experiences.
4) A simple set of ethics and morality based on the avoidance of harm to other people. Some extend this to some or all living things and the planet as a whole.
5)The knowledge that with proper training and intent, human minds and hearts are fully capable of performing all of the magic and miracles they are ever likely to need, through the use of natural psychic powers which everyone posesses.
6) The importance of acknowledging and celebrating the solar, lunar and other cycles of our lives.
7) A reluctance to accept any idea without personally investigating it, and are willing to adopt and use any concept they find useful regardless of its origins.
8) A strong faith in the ability of people to solve their own problems on all levels, public and private.
This leads to;
9) A strong commitment to personal and universal growth, evolution and balance. Pagans are expected to be making continuous efforts in these directions.
10) A belief that one can progress far towards achieving such growth, evolution and balance through the carefully planned alteration of one's consciousness, using both ancient and modern methods of aiding concentration, meditation, re-programming and ectasy.
11) The knowledge that human interdependence implies community cooperation. Pagans are encouraged to use their talents to actively help each other and their community.
12) An awareness that if they are to achieve any of their goals, they must PRACTICE WHAT THEY PREACH!
The followers of the Wiccan religion are called Wiccans or Witches. This applies to both male and female practitioners.
Wiccans do not accept the arbitrary concept of innate sin or absolute evil, and they do not believe in a Heaven or a Hell, other than those which are one's own creations.
Wiccans do not practice any form of black magick or "evil", do not worship devils, demons, or any evil entities, and do not attempt to convert members of other faiths to the Pagan way. Wiccans respect all other positive religions, and feel that a person must hear the "call of the Goddess" and truly desire within his or her own heart, without any outside influence to follow the Wiccan path.
Many Wiccans work together in small groups known as covens. The coven gathers together to worship the Goddess, work magick, and perform ceremonies at Sabbats and Esbats. Wiccans who work on their own are called "solitary" Witches. They celebrate eight Sabbats each year, marking transitions in the seasons. There are four major Sabbats and four minor ones. (Read about the individual Sabbats on our Sabbats page).
The worship of the Goddess and the Horned God symbolize the Wiccan belief that everything that exists in the universe is divided into opposites: female and male, negative and positive, light and darkness, life and death, yin and yang- the balance of Nature.
Excerpts taken from Wicca Craft; The Modern Witch's Book of Herbs, Magick, and Dreams by Gerina Dunwich
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