Hey!  Are you needing some answers?  Here's an easily digestible intro to the basics of Wicca. This FAQ will go over some of Wicca's core beliefs and practices, but can't even begin to cover the whole of this ancient religion. And to top that off, Wicca is one of the most flexible religions out there -- so check out another online FAQ, read a book, or talk to a witch and you may get answers vastly different from those you'll read below! No right or wrong, here. Just different ways of describing the same thing.

 If we've overlooked an important question, just post in a seperate thread on this board, and we'll get right on it.

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Q: What's the difference between Wicca and Witchcraft?
A: Basically, Wicca is a religion and Witchcraft is not.

All Wiccans share religious beliefs, spiritual practices, and moral values. They probably perform works of magick, but their main reason for calling themselves "Wiccan" has to do with what they believe. Being a Wiccan is like being Jewish -- it's a religious, spiritual, and moral label that describes what you believe.

Witches (people who practice Witchcraft) can follow any number of religions -- or none at all! Witches focus on becoming skilled at working magick. This may include learning about herbs, learning how to heal, learning how to focus your psychic powers, and many other skills. But they do not necessarily share religious beliefs, spiritual practices, and moral values with any other Witches in the world. Being a Witch is less like being a Jew, and more like being an athlete. It's a label that describes what you DO more than what you believe.


Q: What do Wiccans believe?
A: Oooh, lots of stuff. Not gonna go into tons of detail here, since people do write whole entire books on the subject. But here are some of the basics:

Let's start with God. You may have heard Wiccans say something like, "All gods are one god, all goddesses are one goddess." This is kind of a tricky concept, but we bet you can get your head around it.

Wiccans believe in multiple gods (or deities). Imagine a pyramid. At the top of the pyramid is "the One." The One is more or less a big, messy melting-pot of all the gods everyone in the world has ever thought of or believed in. The One is more of an idea than a god -- but a very important idea. The One has no gender, no body, no real personality. It's more like a blender that you've thrown all the beliefs in the world into and hit puree. The One is a mighty, mighty milkshake of religion.

Travel down the pyramid, and the One divides into two halves: a female half called the Goddess, and a male half called the God. These two deities are the ones that Wiccans talk to the most. The God represents all things male -- the Sun, the sword, and the stag are all symbols of the God and contain male energies. The Goddess represents all things female -- the Moon, the cup, and the owl are all symbols of the Goddess and contain female energies.

Scoot down further on the pyramid, and you have the named deities. If a god or goddess has a specific name, He or She will fall into this category. Examples include Athena, Thor, Isis, Quetzalcoatl, Zeus, Epona, and Astarte. Not all Wiccans interact with named deities, but some do. If they do, they typically call on these deities when they have specific needs -- a Wiccan doing a love spell might call on Aphrodite, Greek goddess of love.

Next up: holidays.
Wiccans celebrate by performing a ritual on every full moon, on the solstices and equinoxes, and on a handful of other holidays all centered around the cycles of the seasons. Wiccan holidays all have to do with the natural world; There are harvest festivals, midsummer celebrations, rites of spring, and more.

Lastly, there are a few basic beliefs that Wiccans hold dear.

One is part of something called the Wiccan Rede and states: Do as ye will an it harm none. Translation = You can pretty much do anything in the world that you want to, so long as it doesn't cause harm to yourself or anyone else.

We already talked about All gods are one god, all goddesses are one goddess.

And then there's the threefold law: Ensure that your actions are honorable, for all that you do shall return to you, threefold, good or bane. Translation = If you do something nasty, eventually something three times as nasty will happen to you. If you do something good, eventually something three times as good will happen to you.

Want to find out more? Pick up a copy of....


Q: Do Wiccans have priests, gurus, or ritual leaders?
A: Some do, some don't. Wiccans believe that everyone can talk directly to the Goddess and the God -- no need to consult a priest or rabbi-type person. Solitary Wiccans pray to and consult the deities directly all the time, and all solitaries are considered to be priests or priestesses.  But some Wiccans who work with groups or "covens" will have a lead priest and/or lead priestess. These leaders help guide rituals and keep the group organized. They often have more knowledge and experience with Wicca than the other coven members, but they don't consider themselves to be any closer to the Goddess and the God than anyone else in the world. Make sense?

In L&S, you can always go to Lady Majyk and Lady Qyzida or anyone here that you feel comfy in talking with.


Q: Do all Wiccans belong to a group or "coven"?
A: Nope. Many Wiccans are solitary -- they practice alone. It's a matter of taste, really. Some prefer to worship in a group, some are more private about their religious practices.


Q: Is there a Wiccan Bible/Torah/Koran? Do Wiccans use a holy text of some sort?
A: Nope. Wiccans don't have any sort of holy text -- there's no Wiccan equivalent to the Bible or Torah or Koran. But there are a few basic "laws" of Wiccan belief and behavior that aren't written down anywhere. These include the Wiccan Rede and the Threefold Law (see below for more information).

Wiccans do keep something called a Book of Shadows, though. We'll get to that later, but if you want a sneak preview, click here.


Q: What is the Wiccan Rede?
A: In its most basic form, the Wiccan Rede is the phrase, Do as ye will an it harm none. (See What Do Wiccans Believe? for more info). There is also a longer version of the Rede that describes how Wiccans should love and respect nature; explains when rituals should be performed; and talks a little about the elements of ritual itself.


Q:What is the Threefold Law (A.K.A. Law of Return or Rule of Three)?
A: Ensure that your actions are honorable, for all that you do shall return to you, threefold, good or bane (See What Do Wiccans Believe? for more info).


Q: What is a Book of Shadows? Where do I get one?
A: A Book of Shadows is a magickal journal that each Wiccan creates for herself or himself. Inside, it can have everything from favorite spells and invocations to diagrams of how to lay out your altar and descriptions of herbs and their uses. If someone has told you that there is one Book of Shadows that's been handed down to Wiccans since the olden days, don't believe it for a second. While some covens do use ancient rituals from inherited books, each Wiccan is entitled to write her or his own Book of Shadows.

Where do you get one? Stop by your local bookstore or metaphysical shop and pick out a journal that calls to you. Make notes and sketches. Write about the sabbats and their meanings. Keep a dream diary in it. Jot down spells you come across in your studies. Soon, you'll have a rich and highly personal Book of Shadows.


Q: Are all Wiccans also Pagans?
A: Yep. A Pagan is anyone who believes in multiple gods/goddesses. So, since Wiccans believe in both a Goddess and a God, they are also considered Pagan.

Confused? OK. You know how all jeans fall into the "pants" category, but not all pairs of pants are necessarily jeans? In this scenario, "pants" is what we'll call an umbrella category -- a bunch of smaller, more specific categories fall underneath the umbrella category of pants. Corduroys, khakis, sweatpants, capris -- all are pants. Jeans are pants, but they're not the only kind of pants.

Pagan is also an umbrella term. Native Americans, Hindus, Druids, as well as people who practice Santeria, Voodoo, and many native African faiths -- all are Pagans. Wiccans are Pagans, but they're not the only kind of Pagans.


Q: What is magick?
A: You'll get different answers to this question depending on whom you ask. But since you're asking us... Magick is the performance of a ceremonial act in which you express a strong desire to the Universe, and ask for help in making that desire real.
Performing works of magick can be as elaborate as an hours-long ritual, or as simple as a quiet offering prayer. Casting a spell that you found in a book is definitely a work of magick , but you can also write your own spells -- or even improvise. Creating a healing salve from herbs in your garden is magick. Focusing your psychic energies on a mirror or bowl of water to see images of the future is magick. It's a pretty broad category that basically includes all ritualized works of faith in which a request for help, guidance, or protection is made.


Q: Why do people do magick? Does it work?
A: The main reason to perform magick is to get help with something you can't figure out on your own. Magick is usually performed when an issue is large, and kinda vague. For instance, it probably wouldn't be effective to perform a spell to help you solve a single complex math problem. It WOULD be effective to perform a spell to help you have more patience to focus on your math class and math homework.

Wiccans also will pray -- or ask questions directly to the Goddess and the God on the fly, no rituals, no spells. But when they have an ongoing issue or question, something that seems to be a pattern, they'll often turn to magick so that their question/request has more focus and power.

Magick does work. Now don't get all freaked out and think this means you can cast a spell and make yourself invisible or anything. Magick is actually far more reasonable and logical than that. And it often affects your own behavior as much it does the world around you.

Here's an example: Say your Aunt Martha is ill, and lives far away from you. You cast a healing spell for her, focusing yourself completely on the spell and putting all of your faith in it. Your positive energy and request for help travels through the Universe, and reaches Aunt Martha. Her spirits lift and she doesn't quite know why.

But casting the spell has also made you think more about her, and more often. You send her flowers. You call to check in on her and tell her a joke you heard at school. You end up doing many small things that contribute to Aunt Martha's comfort and well being -- all because you did a spell that made you focus on her. That's magick too!


Q: Do Wiccans worship the devil?
A: Um, no. Actually Wiccans don't even believe in the devil. The devil/Satan is a part of the Christian and Muslim belief systems, and doesn't ever figure into Wiccan belief or practice. End of story.


Q: Is Wicca a cult?
A: No WAY. By definition, members of a cult follow the teachings of a single, human leader, no matter what that leader tells them to do. Many Wiccans practice their religion alone... and even those who worship together in covens do not all follow a single leader.


Q: Do Wiccans believe in heaven or an afterlife?
A: Wiccans believe in reincarnation -- that all life is part of a huge cosmic cycle, and that death is really just a passageway into our next life.


Q: Do I have to have a complete set of ritual tools to perform a ritual?
A: Not at all! Some Wiccans have NO ritual tools, and can perform rituals that are just as powerful and rewarding as those who've invested in the full altar set.

This is really a matter of personal preference. Some people feel that they can focus their energy better if they have a magickal tool to concentrate on. Some people feel that tools just clutter up their energy and make it harder to concentrate.


Q: What's the difference between an esbat and a sabbat?
A: An esbat is a full moon celebration and ritual. A sabbat is... well, any celebration that ISN'T a full moon! Sabbats in include the solstices and equinoxes, but also some other high holidays. Here's a complete list of the sabbats: Yule (a.k.a. winter solstice), Imbolc, Ostara (a.k.a. spring equinox), Beltane, Midsummer (a.k.a. summer solstice), Lughnasadh, Mabon (a.k.a. fall equinox), and Samhain.


Q: How do I become Wiccan?
A: That depends on whom you ask. Some Wiccans will say that you'll need to initiate yourself -- perform a ceremony in which you dedicate yourself to worshipping the Goddess and the God. Some may tell you you've gotta track down a Wiccan who is already initiated and have THEM initiate you. Some will say that just by believing in the Goddess and the God, practicing ritual, and respecting nature, you are Wiccan.

The most important step to becoming Wiccan is to learn more about it. Do some more online research, talk to people at your local metaphysical bookstore, and read, read, read. Check out our Wicca section for some good reading materials, and dig in. This FAQ is just the tip of the Wiccan iceberg... You know that you can ask anything here so feel free to expand your knowlege by asking what has been making you wonder...you will learn ans so will others that may be wondering as well and do not know how to put it into words...