Basic Principles and Concepts of Wicca

By Patti Wigington,About.com

Introduction:

There’s an old saying that if you ask any ten Wiccan’sabout their religion, you’ll get at least fifteen different answers. That’s notfar from the truth, because with nearly half a million Americans practicingWicca today, there are dozens — perhaps even hundreds — of different Wiccangroups out there. There is no one governing body over Wicca, nor is there a“Bible” that lays down a universal set of guidelines. While specifics vary fromone tradition to the next, there are actually a few ideals and beliefs commonto nearly all modern Wiccan groups.

Do keep in mind that this article is primarily focused onWiccan traditions, rather than on the principles of non-Wiccan Pagan beliefsystems. Not all Pagans are Wiccan’s, and not all Pagan traditions have thesame set of principles as the core beliefs of modern Wicca.

Originsof Wicca:

Wicca as a religion was introduced by Gerald Gardner inthe 1950s. Gardner’s tradition was oathbound, initiatory, and secret. However,after a few years splinter groups began forming, and new traditions wereformed. Today, many Wiccan groups owe their basic foundation to the principleslaid out by Gardner.Wicca is not an ancient religion, but Gardner did incorporate some old esotericknowledge into his original tradition, including Eastern mysticism, Kabballah,and British legend.

Who Isa Wiccan, and How Do You Find Them?:

Wiccan’s come from all walks of life. They are doctorsand nurses, teachers and soccer moms, writers and firefighters, waitresses andcomputer programmers. In other words, anyone can be Wiccan, and people becomeWiccan for many reasons. In fact, there are nearly half a million Wiccan’s inthe United Statestoday. As to where to find them, that might take a bit of digging — as amystery religion that doesn’t proselytize or actively recruit, it can sometimesbe difficult to find a group in your area. Never fear, though — the Wiccan’sare out there, and if you ask around enough, you’ll bump into one eventually.

CallingUpon the Divine:

Wicca acknowledges the polarity of the Divine, whichmeans that both the male and female deities are often honored. A Wiccan mayhonor simply a non-specific god and goddess, or they may choose to worshipspecific deities of their tradition, whether it be Isis and Osiris, Cerridwenand Herne, or Apollo and Athena. In Gardnerian Wicca, the true names of thegods are revealed only to initiated members, and are kept secret from anyoneoutside the tradition.

Initiationand Degree Systems:

In most Wiccan covens, there is some form of initiationand a degree system. Initiation is a symbolic rebirth, in which the initiantdedicates themselves to the gods of their tradition. Typically, only anindividual who has attained the rank of Third Degree desiccant may act as aHigh Priest or High Priestess. Study is required before an individual mayadvance to the next degree level, and often this is the traditional “year and aday” period.

Someone who is not a member of a coven or formal groupmay choose to perform a self-dedication ritual to pledge themselves to the godsof their path.

MagicHappens:

The belief in and use of magic and spellwork is nearlyuniversal within Wicca. This is because for most Wiccan’s, there’s nothingsupernatural about magic at all — it’s the harnessing and redirection ofnatural energy to effect change in the world around us. In Wicca, magic issimply another skill set or tool. Most Wiccan’s do use specific tools inspellcrafting, such as an athame, wand, herbs, crystals, and candles. Magicalworkings are often performed within a sacred circle. The use of magic is notlimited only to the priesthood — anyone can craft and perform a spell with alittle bit of practice.

TheSpirit World is Out There:

Because the concept of an afterlife of some sort istypical in most branches of Wicca, there is a general willingness to acceptinteraction with the spirit world. Séances and contact with the unknown are notuncommon among Wiccan’s, although not all Wiccan’s actively seek communicationwith the dead. Divination such as tarot, runes, and astrology are often used aswell.

WhatWicca Isn’t:

Wicca does not embrace the concepts of sin, heaven orhell, the evils of sex or nudity, confession, Satanism, animal sacrifice, orthe inferiority of women. Wicca is not a fashion statement, and you do not haveto dress a certain way to be a “real Wiccan.”

BasicBeliefs of Wicca:

While not exclusive to every single tradition, thefollowing are some of the core tenets found in most Wiccan systems:

The Divine ispresent in nature, and so nature should be honored and respected. Everythingfrom animals and plants to trees and rocks are elements of the sacred. You’llfind that many practicing Wiccan’s are passionate about the environment.

The idea ofkarma and an afterlife is a valid one. What we do in this lifetime will berevisited upon us in the next. Part of this idea of a cosmic payback system isechoed in the Law of Threefold Return.

Our ancestorsshould be spoken of with honor. Because it’s not considered out of the ordinaryto commune with the spirit world, many Wiccan’s feel that their ancestors arewatching over them at all times.

The Divinehas polarity — both male and female. In most paths of Wicca, both a god andgoddess are honored.

The Divine ispresent in all of us. We are all sacred beings, and interaction with the godsis not limited just to the priesthood or a select group of individuals.

Holidays arebased on the turning of the earth and the cycle of the seasons. In Wicca, eightmajor Sabbats are celebrated, as well as monthly Esbats.

Everyone isresponsible for their own actions. Personal responsibility is the key. Whethermagical or mundane, one must be willing to accept the consequences — eithergood or bad — of their behaviour.

Harm none, orsomething like it. While there are a few different interpretation of whatactually constitutes harm, most Wiccan’s follow the concept that no harm shouldintentionally be done to another individual.

Respect thebeliefs of others. There’s no Recruiting Club in Wicca, and the Wiccan’s arenot out to preach at you, convert you, or prosetylise. Wiccan groups recognisethat each individual must find their spiritual path on their own, without coercion.While a Wiccan may honour different gods than you do, they will always respectyour right to believe differently.