"And you who seek to know Me, know that all your seeking and yearning will avail you not, unless you know the Mystery: for if that which you seek, you find not within yourself, you shall never find it without. For behold, I have been with you from the beginning, and I am that which is attained at the end of your earthly existence"

                       -- From The Charge of the Goddess 

I was recently asked to define what "Wicca" meant to me. I was asked this by my mentor at The Witch School in the Correllian Tradition. I was pleased with what I came up with in response to this question and I now am posting it here. I do not speak for all Wiccans, but I think that most would agree more or less with the following description of Wicca:

"Wicca is the spirituality that I best identify with. It is a dynamic, life-affirming system of beliefs that emphasizes our connection to the earth and promotes reverence for nature and natural processes. Wicca engages the practitioner in the experience of the cycles that govern all life, from the cycle of the moon, to the cycle of the seasons, to the very cycle of life, death and rebirth. Wicca fosters within its practitioners a worldview that promotes the sanctity of and respect for all life. Magic is indeed part of the Wiccan path, though not in the sense that popular notions would have you believe. Spellcraft is part of Wicca, but it generally takes a secondary role to the spiritual aspects of the Craft. However, Witches will tell you that magic is everywhere because the Divine exists within all of Creation; this is called pantheism, the belief that God/Goddess found everywhere in everything."

A Witch is not evil. One of the most common misconceptions in the popular mind about Wicca and Witchcraft is that we worship the devil or a Satan figure. This is absolutly untrue. This is described by the term "Satanism." Satanism opposes the conventional idea of the divine, and worships Satan, a figure that comes from the Christian tradition. Wicca is completely unrelated to Satanism. It is a positive religion that reveres nature.

For a while, Christianity and Folk Religion probably coexisted in relative peace. As time went on, more people converted to Christianity either by choice or by force. As more time passed by, the Witch became more and more alienated from the larger Christian community, to the point that the Witch was as evil as her supposed God, Satan. Witchcraft came to be feared and persecuted. People began being accused of Witchcraft. New laws were made, prohibiting Witchcraft and Folk Religion. This was the beginning of the Burning Times, a time when people accused of Witchcraft were burned alive at the stake. But not before they were tortured for hours, sometimes days. Accounts of torture tell of mutilation of limbs, skin being scorched by red-hot irons, long, red-hot needles plunged beneath fingernails, teeth pulled out, hair drenched by sulfer-water and then set aflame, and many, MANY, other intolerable acts of torture. Then they would tie her (most were women, not surprisingly,)to the stake and light the flames. Her screams would go up with untold thousands in what has become to be known as "The Women's Holocaust."

These laws against Witchcraft were not confined to Europe. Immigrants to the New World brought the Old World ideoogy with them. The Infamous "Salem Witch Trials" took place in the 1690's in Salem, MA. The "Witches" at Salem were not burned at a stake, but were hanged to death. In Salem, even an innocent dog was accused and killed for being a Witch.

Up until not too long ago in Britain, there have been "Satanic Ritual Abuse" cases where people would make claims against other people saying that they were using Witchcraft to torture them, and cause disease and injury -- all by using "supernatural-Satan" powers. Of course, after investigation, all of the cases have been dropped. But it made many Witches in that part of the world feel under terrible threat.

The laws prohibiting Witchcraft in America remained in some areas of the country until 1985, when local laws were overturned by the Supreme Court.

Although Witchcraft is no longer illegal, it is still misunderstood. People have lost their jobs, their homes, even their children in custody battles. It is my purpose to educate others about this very positive, spiritual path of religion so that our children may not have to hide in the Shadows, but may freely practice the Shadows, without fear.

Here, I have made available the "Wiccan Rede." This document basically tells all about what Witches are made of. It firlmy states the Wiccan Law

Wiccan Rede

One of the Witch's most important (and powerful) tools is the Book of Shadows. The Book of Shadows is a book where a Witch writes spells, records rituals, uses for reference, and uses as a marker of spiritual and magickal growth. Here, I am beginning to compile some of these things into a WWW Book of Shadows. Going to my Book of Shadows, you will find out how you can send me YOUR spells, rituals, recipies, tips, references, etc. Blessed Be! -- Cyranna )O(

Cyranna's Book of Shadows

The Charge of the Goddess was written by Doreen Valiente. Originally, it was meant for use in Gardnerian rituals, but because of its beauty, is now used by many Wiccan and Pagan groups. These documents give a great meaning to what the God and Goddess are really about.

The Charge of the Goddess and God

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