A Basic Introduction to Wicca Religion

Wicca. Neopaganism. Goddess-worship. Pagan. Heathen. Devil-worshipper. Though these words are interrelated, they do not mean the same thing. In the last few years, especially, Wicca has begun to slowly enter the mainstream, through TV shows like Buffy: The Vampire Slayer, Charmed, and others. What is Wicca? What does it mean to be a pagan? Why is Wicca suddenly so popular? How is Wicca practiced? These questions come up over and over again, and I hope to begin to answer them in this article.

This will only be a basic introduction, but I will provide resources for learning more about Wicca. The most common question, is what is Wicca? Wicca is a pagan religon that was begun in the 1950's, based on several older religions. Pagan, succinctly, means a religions that is polytheistic, pantheistic, and/or animistic. Wicca is a Pagan religion, but not all Pagans are Wiccan. Wicca is a religion. I emphasize that, because I have only rarely seen it portrayed that way. Wicca on TV and in magazines is all about the bling - spells, jewelry, being dark and mysterious. What is Wicca truly? Wicca is a religion that worships a variety of Gods and Goddesses first, and casts spells second. Many Wiccans do not ever cast spells; they call themselves Wiccan because they believe in many deities, and wish to worship them in an open, freeform way.

Although most Wiccans focus on Goddess-worship, not all do. It is important, I believe, to balance the worship of the God and the Goddess. The God in Wicca is neither the Christian God, nor the Devil - in all of his many forms, he predates Christianity. Wicca does not have devil - it believes that dark and light, good and evil, are contained in all things. There is no need for a hell, or a devil, in the Wiccan religious system.

Wiccans practice alone, or in groups. They may meet every month, several times a month, or at certain times of the year. They may have a hierarchical system, or none at all. There is no set template, but to worship both Gods and Goddesses, and to believe in them. There is no one great leader of Wiccans, and there are no requirements to be fulfilled. For both better and worse, Wicca is an enormously flexible system. There is no real, single answer to "What is Wicca?" - but a variety of answers to be discussed, sifted through, each facet studied and incorporated, or gently let go. There are casual practitioners of Wicca, and those who make it their life; the flexibility of the religion lends itself to a wide range of practice.

Finally, we come to the question of why Wicca is suddenly so popular. I believe there are two reasons - the reason it is popular in the media, and the reason it is popular among neopagans. The media has taken Wicca and transformed it - it is now secret, sexy, powerful. Mysterious spells are cast, amazing things happen before your very eyes! Pale, slender young women dressed in black hold powers you or I will never understand! No mention is made, of course, of the potentially-controversial religious aspect of Wicca. Doing your daily duties to the God and Goddess is not, I assure you, sexy. It is immensely fulfilling, and brings great joy, but is hardly mysterious - at least, on the surface.

I believe Wicca, and paganism in general, fills a need that is presently lacking. Wicca teaches respect to the earth, to women, to men, to all things around us. It forces one to slow down and observe, to think, and to be connected to the past. There is no sitting in a building and having lessions forced at you, explained, no thinking necessary - Wicca requires you to know about things, to question and think, and to build your own faith, to truly work for it. I believe there is an ever-growing segment of the population that needs this personal power in a religion.

In conclusion, what is Wicca? Wicca is what you make of it, for better or worse.