What is Wicca? What is Witchcraft?

The two title questions are often hotly debated in Pagan circles. There really is no one ultimate definition of either Wicca or Witchcraft, only definitions that most people can agree with most of the time. I will give you my answers to these two questions. I can promise you that these answers are agreed upon most of the time by many of the Pagans, Wiccans, and Witches I associate with. Others may use the terms differently. Ultimately, it is up to you to decide how you’d like to define them. Let’s start with the easiest of the pair. Witchcraft is exactly what the word implies: the craft of Witches. This includes skills such as casting spells, healing with herbs, working with spiritual energies, divination, and a host of other things. Witchcraft is not a religion in its own right; the skills I’ve listed can be combined with lots of religious frameworks, including Christianity (provided that you don’t think the practice of Witchcraft is a sin, of course). With that definition in mind, you’ll realize something very important: not all Witches are Wiccan. For that matter, not all Witches are Pagan. Most of the people you’ll run across who call themselves Witches probably are, in fact, Pagan. And many of those will indeed be Wiccan. But it isn’t always the case, and it’s better not to assume. Are you confused yet? I hope not. Remember… this was the easy question to answer. In contrast, Wicca is a religion. You may think of it as “religious Witchcraft”, if you like. Wicca was “created” by Gerald Gardner and a group of colleagues in the early 50s. I put created in quotes because it almost implies that these people plucked the concepts of Wicca out of the air, which isn’t true. Gardner was an initiate of a Witchcraft group in Great Britain, and a lot of the first writings of Wicca came from the knowledge of that group, as well as incorporating practices by other groups, like the Golden Dawn. Gardner and his friends took these materials and crafted the path we call Wicca today. For more information on the earliest days of Wicca, I suggest reading “Witchcraft Today” by Gerald Gardner, “Witchcraft for Tomorrow” by Doreen Valiente, and “Triumph of the Moon” by Ronald Hutton. The latter is a scholarly look at the history of Pagan Witchcraft in Great Britain. Although I haven’t finished reading it at this time, it’s come highly recommended by many of my friends. Before I go into what I feel are the core beliefs of Wicca, let’s talk about how Wicca has evolved. In the earliest days, there were no published books. If you wanted to be a Witch, you had to find a coven, study with them, and become initiated. As more people became initiates of Gardner, they left his group to form their own covens (this process is known as “hiving”). Gradually, books came to be published on Witchcraft, but they were far and few between. Most consider the big turning point in Wiccan publication to have occurred in the mid-80s, with the books of Scott Cunningham. His “Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner” was a book written for seekers who had no access to established Wiccan covens. It’s a good introductory overview text on Wicca, and the first book I purchased as a seeker. In the nearly 20 years since then, there has been an explosion in published books, which has contributed to a diversification of what it means to be Wiccan. Now there are several types of Wicca, instead of just one. I’ll explain the various types in another essay. What’s important to note now is that all these types have similar basic core beliefs, or else they really can’t be called “Wiccan”. The funny thing is that these core beliefs are still a matter of debate. The following list of Wiccan Core Beliefs was put together by a group of folks on a Pagan message board called The Cauldron (http://forums.delphiforums.com/CUSTOM799. I participated in the discussion, and we had input from several different types of Wiccans, as well as other sorts of Witches and Pagans. This is by no means an exhaustive list, nor is it written in stone. Use these as guidelines when you think about what Wicca means to you. Is this what you’re looking for in a religious path? Do they conflict with something you’ve read about elsewhere? 1. Wicca is a mystery religion. Mysteries are that which cannot be explained to those who haven’t experienced them. Childbirth is a good example of a mundane Mystery. You can’t really understand how it feels until it has happened to you. 2. Wiccans believe that Divinity is made manifest in duality, usually in masculine and feminine Forms. 3. Wiccans believe that the world was created and is maintained by the joining together of these two Forms in the Sacred Marriage, and that a re-enactment (in some form) is a necessary part of ritual. 4. Wiccans believe that Divinity is immanent within the world, and therefore everything is in some part Divine. To that effect, Wiccans do not need a specific place or structure to worship, but rather establish their "sacred space" anew with each observance through the creation of the magic circle, which is subsequently "dismissed" at the conclusion of the observance. 5. The dates for Wiccan observances (sabbats) are determined by the changing phases of the moon and the turning of the seasons. 6. Wiccans may hold a religious observance at the time of the full moon. 7. Wiccans believe that magic is most effective when worked in the proper forms and setting as part of a Wiccan religious practice. 8. Wiccans believe that each person is able to experience direct contact with the Divine without a need for an intermediary. 9. Wiccan ethics and behavior are guided by the Wiccan Rede. 10. Wiccans believe that the world will return to them the same sorts of energies they send out into the world, both positive and negative. Looking at my list, you’ll see why it’s difficult to pin down exactly what Wicca is. A lot of the points above are complex and intangible. Right now they may even seem incomprehensible. I know I was confused when I was taking my first steps into researching Wicca. It will get easier with the more you read, the more you talk with other Pagans, and the more you think about what Wicca means to you. Enjoy the journey of discovery. Getting there is half the fun.