What is Wicca?

Wicca is a modern Pagan and nature-based religion founded in England in the 1950s and 60s by Gerald Gardner. It draws upon a diverse range of ancient beliefs and practices, including heavily from Thelema, Freemasonry, and the Key of Solomon, in the spirit of reviving the old religion. It was later developed and made even more famous by Alex and Maxine Sanders. The word Wicca derives from the Anglo-Saxon word Wicce, a term for a witch. Today, there are many forms of witchcraft, and whereas all Wiccans are witches, not all witches are Wiccans. The word Pagan is a collective term used to represent several traditions that fall under its umbrella, which can all be quite different, including Druidry and Heathenry.

Within Wicca, philosophy and theurgy are given equal importance in this ever-evolving path that seeks to learn the mysteries of the universe. It is an initiatory tradition that combines the hermetic principles of the ceremonial magician and the cunning crafts of the wise. Also known as the “art magical” or “the craft”, its observers practice a form of witchcraft and magic and seek spiritual development. Most of its practitioners choose to work in groups of people, known as covens, whose traditional number in size is thirteen.

Modern Wicca can take on many different forms, including within initiatory Wicca and eclectic Wicca, which takes some of the principles and practices of initiatory Wicca, but does not follow the full tradition or require initiation. Initiatory Wicca has two main traditions called Gardnerian and Alexandrian Wicca, and is linked to their founders (Gerald Gardner and Alex Sanders). Within these two main traditions, many lineages represent different flavours of Wicca and are usually traced to individuals who taught it in a certain way. There are even covens who practice a mixture of traditions and lineages.

Within the US and other parts of the world, initiatory Wiccan from Gardner or Sanders is commonly referred to as British Traditional Witchcraft (BTW) to distinguish it from non-initiatory practices that do not have direct lineage to Wicca’s founders. This is less common within the UK, where traditional witchcraft is more often a reference to non-Wiccan forms of witchcraft, such as that practiced by descendants of the Clan of Tubal Cain, East Anglian Witches, and the Cultus Sabbati. One of the key differences between Traditional Witchcraft and Wicca is that witchcraft does not require a following of the Pagan religion but is a craft in its own right. Trad craft also tends not to focus so much on the magical formula of the division and re-unification of the male and female. Wicca also tends to emphasise the religious aspect and the importance of the priesthood.

Wiccans acknowledge both a God and Goddess in the form of the Horned One and the Triple Moon Goddess of the Maiden, Mother and Crone. The God and Goddess can also called the All Mother and All Father as they represent all the gods of men in their many forms. Their polarity and relationship is incredibly important and celebrated by Wiccans, especially within the mystery plays of the Wiccan festivals. Within Wicca, the Goddess is commonly represented by the Moon and the God the Sun.

Although Wicca is a nature-based religion, it does not require a reverence for nature to practice the craft. It is, however, typical for many Wiccan’s to have a natural respect for the environment and a wish to live in harmony with the planet. When talking about nature-based, we mean that we use the metaphor and symbolism of nature to explain our mystical teachings to the initiate. We value the natural cycles, as their esoteric knowledge explains the natural cycles within ourselves and all other things. Many who practice Wicca also choose to study the use of plants in making ointments, incense, and charms, as well as their correspondence to the planets and other attributes.

Part of this observance of nature means becoming aware of the seasons and being in tune with the world around us. Wiccans celebrate the wheel of the year, which is made up of the four old Celtic fire festivals, as well as the two equinoxes and two solstices. The Celtic festivals are known as the greater Sabbats and mark the changes of seasons. The equinoxes are when the day and night are equal, while the solstices are when the days or nights are their longest. These festivals comprise the eight Sabbats on the wheel of the year, which Wiccans celebrate as religious holidays. In addition to these festivals, covens tend to meet on the full and dark moons, also known as esbats. These are seen as an excellent time to practice magic, initiations, and other ceremonies of both a sorcerous and theurgic nature. This could be in the form of high qabalistic magic or the form of the more traditional folk magic.

Being part of the Western Mystery Tradition, the art magical seeks to invoke teaching through questioning rather than by any particular doctrine. Each person’s path is seen as individual, where one must discover the answers themselves rather than be told everything. This is usually done with techniques such as meditation, divination, invocations, ritual, and astral workings. Most answers are half given or in symbolic form, allowing the wisdom of the ages to slowly unfold like a flower in the mind of the initiate. By doing this, a personal and gnostic relationship is created with the God and Goddess.

Teaching is also an important part of the craft, with many initiatory covens offering magical training to their members or those seeking to join them. This is commonly called Neophyte training and, by tradition, lasts a year and a day. During this time, Neophytes are given a firm foundation of the craft so that they are ready for initiation and acceptance into a coven.

Just as the cycles of nature have both a light and dark side, so Wiccans recognise both these aspects within ourselves. Rather than choosing to ignore the parts of us we do not like, we seek to understand them so we may become full and healthy people. By knowing our darker natures, we can become the masters of them rather than locking them up in the depths of our subconscious. Part of this recognition is acknowledging the forces of life and death within the world around us.

One of the main symbols of Wicca is the pentagram. This represents the four classical elements of ancient Greece: Earth, Air, Fire and Water. The top point of the pentagram represents the element of Spirit, also known as aether or quintessence. This is the binding force of the elements, which brings them together and breaks them apart. These elements are seen to be the building blocks of the universe and ourselves. By understanding the natural elements within the world, we can once again seek to “know thyself”. The elements also represent the four worlds: the physical (Earth), mental (Air), spiritual (Fire), and psychic (Water). Unlike other religions of old, Wicca works in all four of these worlds rather than putting a particular focus on one, such as the spiritual. We seek to integrate into the world around us, which is seen to be as much as the divine as our highest thoughts.

Wicca is a Pagan priesthood, with everyone who joins it not only taking responsibility for themselves but for the Pagan community around them. Three degrees within the Wiccan structure represent increasing levels of knowledge, wisdom, and dedication. These are the 1st, 2nd and 3rd degree, with initiations for each. After a year and a day of training, the Neophyte is initiated into the 1st degree and given the title Priest(ess) and Witch. The main holy book for Wicca is the Book of Shadows (BoS), a magical diary containing rituals, spells, recipes, chants, and other texts. Traditionally, it is copied by the witch from their initiator's book, and so the lineage goes back to Gerald Gardner’s original book. Although Gerald Gardner was the founder of the religion, there have been many people along the way who have made it what it is today, such as Doreen Valiente, who is considered to be the mother of Wicca and who also practiced traditional witchcraft with the clan of Tubal Cain amongst others. And there will be many more in the future who shape and advance the current in the eternal search for the Witch’s Sabbat.