What is Witchcraft?
When it comes to witchcraft, most of us think of Harry Potter, the Salem Witch Trials or caricatures like the Wicked Witch of the West. But did you know that witchcraft is actually considered a religion? Witchcraft is now known as Wicca and the followers of the faith are referred to as Wiccans. Contrary to popular belief, Wiccans do not worship Satan or pagan gods. It’s been said that Wicca is a religion of poetry instead of theology. Instead of attending a church every Sunday, Wiccans conduct their own rituals and ceremonies at a place and time of their choosing. In Wicca, there is now only one God and one Goddess. The God and Goddess can be described as husband and wife or brother and sister, depending on how the Wiccans choose to worship them. The God is the provider of food and the bringer of death. As for the Goddess, she is sometimes referred to as the Great Mother or Mother Nature. She is considered to be the source of magical power. However, not every Wiccan worships the God or Goddess. Others choose to deem nature as their deity. When it comes to Wicca, there is a great deal of spiritual freedom involved.
Though Wicca is a very flexible religion, there are two main rules. The first rule, the Wiccan Rede, states: “An it harm none, do what thou wilt”, which basically means do whatever you want as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone else. The second rule is called “The Rule of Three” and it reinforces the first rule by ensuring that any harm or good that a Wiccan does will come back three times over. By practicing these laws, Wiccans can enjoy a sense of freedom and safety in following their faith.
How does Wicca differ from other religions? For one thing, women are considered just as important as men, if not more so. After all, the Goddess is considered the driving force behind the faith. Also, human sexuality is thought to be a gift from the Goddess or Great Mother. The Goddess, along with many other aspects, is viewed as the goddess of fertility. So it’s only natural that the Goddess would bestow sexuality on the Wiccans. Last but not least, the environment ranks highly on the faith’s list of priorities. It’s common to find Wiccans maintaining “green” habits, such as recycling or using green products.
Wicca is certainly a fascinating religion and if anyone were to convert, they would enjoy a great sense of spiritual freedom as well as a sense of sisterhood.
- http://www.religioustolerance.org/wic_intr.htm
- http://www.religioustolerance.org/wicrede.htm
- http://www.ipagan.com/witchcraft.htm
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