What is Wicca really about?
The Basics
Wicca is an earth based religion, it focuses on the here and now opposed to the “afterlife”. Unlike other religions, Wicca has no central church or set of guidelines, it’s a very experiential religion. An experiential religion means that you learn and move forward from your own personal experiences, not by what someone else says or does. A Wiccan is a person who has dedicate themselves to Wicca as a religion. Some Wiccans believe that you are not actually a Wiccan until you are "initiated" into a coven, but you can also self initiate yourself without joining a coven, or group of people studying. Many believe that Wiccans are witches, however this is not true. Some Wiccans practice witchcraft, but not all, and some individuals that practice witchcraft do not believe they are Wiccans. However, Wiccans and witches are both subgroups of Pagans, which is also an earth based religion. Wicca is considered a “New Old” religion because it is still growing and changing today, along with following guidelines from surviving folk traditions. Unlike many other popular beliefs, Wicca is not satanic and in no way does it worships the devil. In Wicca there is no devil or satan figure, Wiccans see that there are two halves to a whole. There is light and dark, the god and goddess, good and evil; they understand that neither could exist without the other. Deity is the divine force in the Wiccan religion. It is believed that Deity is the life force of everything around us, it is in everyone and everything, and connects us all. This is also the reason that Wiccans believe all of Earth to be sacred, they believe it is a manifestation of Deity.
Magic
Although magic is not as it seems in movies or television, Wiccans do understand that magic is real. They believe that there is the same divine force in everything; if done right the energy can be tapped into, and change can occur, in conformance with will. Wiccans use magic to help them move forward in lives and spiritual journeys. Reincarnation is also a belief among Wiccans, although some believe it in different ways. Reincarnation could mean being born into a new body and new life, but it could also mean being a recycled essence or energy. With no set of rules or bible the Wiccans have a rede that they follow, “An it harm none, do as you will”. Along with the rede there is the Threefold law, anything you put out will come back to you, good or bad.
Why Wicca appeals to people
Many of these things appeal to people in a positive way. In Wicca you can be independent, you can move at your own pace. There isn’t a pressure to be a certain person, Wicca accepts everyone. Anyone who dedicates themselves to Wicca is on a spiritual path, being on a spiritual path or quest to find oneself, can be very luring to anyone who feels lost. When practicing Wicca there is personal involvement, unlike some other religions. When you go to a public church or gathering its usually one person talking to a group. In Wicca you get to be part of everything that is going on and do things on your own, even alone. Also unlike other religions women are equal and just as powerful as men.
