Wicca - Understand this Religion and What It Means

Wicca is a peaceful, harmonious, and balanced way of life that promotes union with the natural world, unity with the divine, and everything that exists.

Despite taking his philosophical principles of ancient witchcraft practices, the Wicca is recognized today as a religion. It is a spiritual stream with codes of ethics, concepts, rituals, and divinities. Above all, the Wicca is a peaceful, harmonious, and balanced way of life that promotes unity with the divine and with all that exists. Within magic practices, several methodologies can be adopted by those who practice rituals and spells. Some practitioners opt for simpler techniques and do it individually, without joining any specific group of practitioners with their own particular rules and precepts. Other practitioners follow more ceremonial magic, such as the Kabbalah (discipline of Judaic mysticism).

Spiritual Origin of Wicca

The words Wicca and Witch (witch) derive from the Anglo-Saxon term wicce, which means "to bend" or "to mold." According to specialists in the field, the foundations of the Wicca religion date back to the times of pre-Christian Europe, more specifically, to the beginning of Celtic culture. But, according to scholars, its origin may be even more remote, referring to the ancient awe of the God of the Hunt and the Goddess of Fertility by prehistoric peoples, referring to it as the "Natural Religion" or "the oldest in the world. world". " We do not own the land. We are part of it. " - Wiccan precept. In ancient times, Witchcraft was known as " The Art of the Wise Men " because most of those who followed its path were in tune with the forces of nature, knew herbs and medicines, were advised, and were a valuable part of the village. And of the community as healers and leaders. For witches and sorcerers, humanity is not superior to nature, the earth, and creatures. Instead, we are just one of many parts, visible and invisible, that combine to form the whole.

Wicca in Modern Times

The British author Gerald Gardner is considered, by most specialists, the creator of the Wiccan thermos and is the great promoter of this movement in the 50s of the 20th century. The popularity of the movement gained expression in the middle of the last century, partly due to the notions of balance and equality between genders, concepts almost non-existent in patriarchal religions, where men dominate over the role of women. Gardner claimed to have been initiated into a tradition of religious Witchcraft that he believed to be a continuation of European Paganism and, through his work, succeeded in getting Wicca recognized as a legitimate religion. Throughout his life, Gardner made some updates and adaptations to the modern world of what he believed to be the "Old Religion," creating a code of his values. In Wicca, the fundamental principle is not to harm anything or anyone. In its essence, according to Wiccan precepts, all rituals and spells should be used exclusively for the greater good and never with the idea of harming someone. " Do what you want, harm no one. " This is the fundamental law of Wicca. This religion, which has no sacred texts, follows another equally important precept, the Law of Three. According to this, everything a person does will be returned to him in triplicate in this life or the next. Here, the actions and behaviors are included, and the type of energy that the person releases into the world. Today, just like Christianity or Judaism, Wicca is a religion with defined practices, beliefs, and a code of ethics. However, and despite the rules, rituals, and practices, Wicca is a flexible religion without dogmas, its practitioners enjoying great freedom of expression. According to the University of Pennsylvania, Wicca is among the eight largest religious groups in the United States of America. The United States Department of Defense recognizes Wicca as an official religion.

Are Witchcraft and Wicca the Same Thing?

The Wicca bases its principles on ancient traditions of Witchcraft. However, Witchcraft and Wicca, despite being similar in many ways, are not the same thing:

Witchcraft is a methodology, a practice, a skill, a way of working with natural energies to produce the intended result.
Wicca is a recognized religion with its spiritual philosophy, codes of ethics, concepts, rituals, and divinities. Therefore, Wicca can be described as a modern religion based on the ancient traditions of Witchcraft.

As a rule, Wiccans practice Witchcraft, but that does not mean that witches share the beliefs or follow the precepts of Wiccan rituals and, therefore, they could not be considered members of this community. In other words, a person can be a witch without being a Wiccan, just as a person can be a Christian without being a Baptist.

What is Wicca?

Sorcery is a spiritual system that stimulates individual thought and will and fosters learning and understanding of the earth and nature, affirming that all living things are divine. Above all, attribute to each of us the responsibility for our actions that are nothing more and nothing less than the clear and direct result of the choices we make at all times. There are no outside entities to hold responsible for our weaknesses, mistakes, or bad luck in Witchcraft. Each person is the only entity responsible for the path they choose to travel and the actions they take, and, therefore, they must face the consequences that result from their actions. It is free will, the free will to choose, and free decisions to fully function. The cycles of nature, the lunar phases, and the seasons of the year serve as a guide for celebrating Wiccan spirituality and for worshiping the divine and all beings and things that, together, are part of the whole. In this religion, the person works not in supplication to a divinity, waiting for divine grace, but with the intention of living in harmony with the cosmos and achieving balance with all things. Due to the millennial persecution of witches, Wicca believes in religious freedom. Recognize that there are several ways to embrace and live spirituality and that all are equally valid, as long as they make sense to those who follow them. They do not seek the conversion of others. They do not have a missionary mission in the attempt to convert new members to think in the same way. His followers seek harmony, connect with all things, and are willing to share their experience and knowledge with those seeking to know more about the wisdom and perspective of Wiccan life. Wiccans practice tolerance and acceptance concerning all other religions, as long as those religions do not persecute other people or violate the principle of "Do not harm anything or anyone."

Wiccan Spells and Rituals

Wiccan spells involve healing, love, harmony, wisdom, and creativity. Potions can be a headache remedy, cold toner, or herbal bath to eliminate fleas on pets. Whenever possible, they turn to nature and its healing power and not to the use of synthetic drugs. Wiccans believe that the spirit of One Goddess and God exists in all things. In the trees, in the rain, in the flowers, in the sea, in each other, and all the creatures of nature. This results in the idea that "all things" on earth should be treated equally as manifestations of the divine. Life must be honored and respected in all its many manifestations, both visible and invisible. Wiccans revere the gift of nature of divine creation, celebrating the cycles of the sun, the moon, and the seasons of the year. Each person seeks within himself the cycles that correspond to those of the natural world and seeks to live in harmony with the movement of universal energy. Your spirit guides are trees, rivers, meadows, mountains, and animals. The Wicca is considered an environmentalist belief that respects the environment and all expressions of life and existence on the planet. But the followers of Wicca also revere the spirits of the elements Earth, Air, Fire, and Water, which together manifest all forms of creation. From these four elements, we obtain a vision of nature's rhythms and understand that they are also the rhythms of our own lives. Some Wiccans believe that their souls go to the Land of Summer, a place of rest, where they will await their turn to reincarnate in another body, in an eternal cycle of birth, life, death, and rebirth.

The Wiccan Network

Wiccans believe that magic has a boomerang-like effect that they designate as the Triple Law or the Law of Three - whatever a person does, it will be returned to them in triplicate in this life or the next. This principle obliges its practitioners to adhere to an ethical scheme that defends that magic should be used for the benefit of all. A spell or a ritual is not a weapon that you throw to be used for your benefit, trampling everything and everyone without considering the interests and well-being of others. It is not a selfish means to achieve a result at any cost. It demands ethics and responsibility. Wiccan followers seek to live and act according to the Wiccan Network. She expresses the fundamental principle of this religion: You must obey the Wiccan law, in perfect love and perfect trust. Eight words you must respect: Do what you want, if with it you will cause no harm. And remember the Triple Law that precedes you, because three times what you send is what you receive. Attentive to this in body and soul