In prehistoric times, people
respected
the
great forces of
Nature and celebrated the cycles of the
seasons and the moon. They saw divinity
in
the sun and moon, in the Earth Herself,
and
in all life. The creative energies of
the
universe were personified: feminine and
masculine principles became Goddesses
and
Gods. These were not semi-abstract,
superhuman figures set apart from
Nature:
they were embodied in earth and sky,
women
and men, and even plants and animals.
This viewpoint is still
central
to
present-day Wicca. To
most Wiccans, everything in Natures --
and
all Goddesses and Gods
-- are true aspects of Deity. The
aspects
most often celebrated in the Craft,
however,
are thr Triple Goddess of the Moon (Who
is
Maiden, Mother, and Crone) and the
Horned God
of the wilds. These have many names in
various cultures.
Wicca had its organized beginnings in
Paleolithic times, co- existed with
other
Pagan ("country") religions in Europe,
and
had a profound influence on early
Christianity. But in the medieval
period,
tremendous persecution was directed
against
the Nature religions by the Roman
Church.
Over a span of 300 years, millions of
men and
women and many children were hanged,
drowned
or burned as accused "Witches." The
Church
indicted them for black magic and Satan
worship, though in fact these were never
a
part of the Old Religion.
The Wiccan faith went underground, to
be
practiced in small, secret groups called
"covens." For the most part, it stayed
hidden until very recent times. Now
scholars
such as Margaret Murray and Gerald
Gardner
have shed some light on the origins of
the
Craft, and new attitudes of religious
freedom
have allowed covens in some areas to
risk
becoming more open.
How do Wiccan folk practice their
faith
today?
There is no central authority or doctrine, and individual covens vary a great deal. But most meet to celebrate on nights of the Full Moon, and at eight great festivals or Sabbats throughout the year. Though some practice alone or with only their families, many Wiccans are organized into covens of three to thirteen members.
Some are led by a High Priestess or
Priest,
many by a Priestess/Priest team; others
rotate or share leadership. Some covens
are
highly structured and hierarchical,
while
others may be informal and egalitarian.
Often extensive training is required
before
initiation, and coven membership is
considered an important committment.
There are many branches or
"traditions"
of Wicca in the
United States and elsewhere, such as the
Gardnerian, Alexandrian, Welsh
Traditional,
Dianic, Faery, Seax-Wicca and others.
All adhere to a code of ethics. None engage in the disreputable practices of some modern "cults," such as isolating and brainwashing impressionable, lonely young people.
Genuine
Wiccans welcome sisters and brothers,
but not
disciples, followers or victims.
Coven meetings include ritual,
celebration
and magick (the
"k" is to distinguish it from stage
illusions). Wiccan magick is not at all
like
the instant "special effects" of cartoon
shows or fantasy novels, nor medieval
demonology; it operates in harmony with
natural laws and is usually less
spectacular though just as
effective.
Various
techniques
are
used to heal people and animals, seek
guidance, or improve members' lives in
specific ways. Positive goals are
sought:
cursing and "evil spells" are repugnant
to
practitioners of the Old Religion.
Wiccans tend to be strong
supporters of
environmental
protection, equal rights, global peace
and
religious freedom, and sometimes magick
is
used toward such goals.
Wiccan beliefs do not include such
Judeao-Christian concepts as original
sin,
vicarious atonement, divine judgement or
bodily resurrection. Craft folk believe
in a
beneficent universe, the laws of karma
and
reincarnation, and divinity inherent in
every
human being and all of Nature. Yet
laughter
and pleasure are part of their spiritual
tradition, and they enjoy singing,
dancing,
feasting, and love.
Wiccans tend to be individualists, and
have
no central holy book, prophet, or church
authority. They draw inspiration and
insight
from science, and personal experience.
Each
practitioner keeps a personal book or
journal
in which s/he records magickal
"recipes,"
dreams, invocations, songs, poetry and
so on.
To most of the Craft, every religion
has
its own valuable
perspective on the nature of Deity and
humanity's relationship to it: there is
no
One True Faith. Rather, religious
diversity
is necessary in a world of diverse
societies
and individuals. Because of this
belief,
Wiccan groups do not actively recruit or
proseletize: there is an assumption that
people who can benefit from the Wiccan
way
will "find their way home" when the time
is
right.
Despite the lack of evangelist zeal,
many
covens are quite
willing to talk with interested people,
and
even make efforts to inform their
communities
about the beliefs and practices of
Wicca.
One source of contacts is
The Covenant of the Goddess, P.O. Box 1226, Berkeley, CA 94704.
Also, the
following books may be of interest:
DRAWING DOWN THE MOON by Margot Adler
THE SPIRAL DANCE by Starhawk
POSITIVE MAGIC by Marion Weinstein
WHAT WITCHES DO by Stewart Farrar
WITCHCRAFT FOR TOMORROW by Doreen Valiente
(Copyright 1987 Amber K, see top of
file. All
rights reserved)
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: