As a Wicca beginner, you might find yourself a bit confused about the craft. What exactly is Wicca? What do Wiccans believe in? Do they cast spells? And you are bound to have even more questions than that! This is a Wicca website for beginners, where you can learn all about Wicca.

What is Wicca?

Wicca is a type of Paganism, which has its own rituals, seasonal observances such as lunar phases and cycles of nature, and magical, religious and ethical precepts. Wicca is also known as “The Craft of the Wise” or just “The Craft” and is a nature-based religion. A lot of Wiccans call themselves Pagans but not all of them, since Paganism encompasses many faiths and not all Pagans believe in the Wiccan God and Goddess deities.

There is no central Wiccan organization, so individual followers might vary considerably in their beliefs and practices. The main religious beliefs, ethics and core rituals tend not to vary.

Wicca is about 60 years old, with roots in Masonic practices, ceremonial magic, and the Romantic era’s ideas of classical religions. Its founder was a British civil servant named Gerald Gardner.

Wicca Beliefs

The central concept of Wicca is the Wiccan Rede:

“If you harm none, do what you will.”

This might sound simple but can take a long time to master and fully understand. Wiccans also believe in the Rule of Three, also called the Three-fold Law:

“Whatever you do, for good or ill, will come back upon you three times over.”

Wiccans usually go through a dedication ritual at the beginning of their training where they announce their intent to study the craft. Wiccans engage in rituals either alone or with other Wiccans. Their goal is to attain personal spiritual growth.

Wiccans do not have religious buildings like churches. They create their own sacred spaces, preferably outdoors, by casting “circles of energy”. Once inside the circles, they invite the God and Goddess, or at least the Goddess, and the elements of fire, water, earth and air. They will then perform their rituals.

Wiccans have celebrations according to both the lunar and solar calendars. The lunar festivals are held at the full moon and sometimes the new moon. The solar festivals are held at the equinoxes, the solstices and there are another four celebratory events in between them.

Repression and discrimination are not practiced in Wicca. As long as you follow the rule “harm none,” you can live your life as you see fit. Homosexuality and bisexuality are accepted. No race or gender is discriminated against. Instead, everyone who wants to follow the path of Wicca is accepted into it.

What Wicca is Not

* Wicca is not Satanism. Wiccans do not acknowledge the existence of the devil.
* Wiccans do not cast spells or hexes on people. The central rule of Wicca is “harm none” so they do not interfere with other people’s free will. Actually, not all Wiccans practice witchcraft.
* Wiccans do not sacrifice animals or humans because that would go against their law of “harm none”.
* Wicca is not a cult. There is no forced conversion or recruitment. People come to Wicca if they feel ready and if they decide to do so.

Wiccan Deities

A lot of Wiccans believe in an unknowable deity, sometimes called “The One” or “The All”. They consider the deity to have both male and female aspects and might commune with “The God” or “The Goddess”. They might link with Pagan deities, such as Athena, Diana, Isis, Venus or Brigit instead of “The Goddess” or Apollo, Thor, Zeus, Adonis or Dionysus instead of “The God”.

 

 

Wicca for the Beginner – Wiccan Deities – Wicca Beliefs