An Introduction to "The Old Religion" of Europe
and its Modern Revival
by Amber K, High Priestess
Our Lady of the Woods
P.O. Box 176
Blue Mounds, Wisconsin 53517
(This leaflet may be reproduced and distributed
exactly as in,
without further permission from the author, provided
it is
offered free of charge. Changes in the text,
however, must be
approved in advance by the author. Thank you!)
WICCA (sometimes called Wicce, The Craft, or The
Old
Religion by its practitioners) is an ancient
religion of love for
life and nature.
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
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: (Ask your librarian.)
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)
What The 'Craft' Truly Means
Witchcraft: Is an archaic and derogatory term
applied to those members
and followers of magickal-religious philosophies
based on fertility cults of
early Pagan/Celtic Britain.
Wicca: Is a much more positive description of
those members who practice
religious rites and adhere to those magickal
philosophies of early Pagan/
Celtic Britain.
Wicca stems from Indo-european roots of "wic"
and "weik" meaning to bend
or turn. Thus the Wicca was someone who was skilled
in the process {CRAFT}
of shaping, changing or bending reality. These
people came to be known as
the "Wicca Craft," the wise ones of the village.
In time we see "Wicca
Craft" debased and become "Witchcraft."
Wicca Craft: The Craft of the wise ones, is a
religious philosophy as
well as a working magickal system, by which the
initiate is introduced to
the mysteries of the universe, being taught to
use and control those
elements and powers that are inherent in all
things.
The purpose of our religion is to combine those
forces, powers and
elements that make up all living organisms, with
those of the universe;
channel and direct them for spiritual development
and fulfillment, as
well as for material contentment.
We do not worship any evil or negative force {i.e.
Christian devil}. This
concept was invented to frighten and subdue the
masses for political and
religious control. Wicca predates Christianity,
and works on a positive
affirmation of taking responsibility for ones
actions as well as living in
harmony with those life forces that bring all
things into being.
We do not practice Black Magick, sacrifice or
indulge in orgiastic sexual
activities under the guise of church or religion.
We do, however, believe in
the active and passive roles of the male and
female aspect of deity and use
this for spiritual evolvement, as well as an
underlying fundamental basis
for our concept and relationship to the supreme
force that created all life.
In our philosophy it is understood that men and
women are not created
equal. They are different, each with their own
talents, capabilities and
responsibilities. Each is respected according
to their contribution to the
group as a whole, their personal growth and evolution,
and how they handle
the mundane material world. We believe in balance
of gender, force and power
along with equality of creative expression.
Man was not created in the image of God. God is
the personification and
manifestation of concepts, impressions an realization
of inner truths and
desires. Therefore, we look to higher forces
with a positive attitude and
use this to inspire, comfort and fulfill those
aspirations and ambitions
deep within our souls.
Blessed Be !!!
