Ever since man came into existence, he has been drawn to define boundaries outside himself �?to know the divine. This has lead to the formation of thousands of religions in hopes of revealing more answers to the unknown.
A less conventional and highly controversial religious pathway is Wicca. Many imagine dark images of spell casting or rituals. What most don’t know is that much of Wicca is about the relationship with Mother Nature, the divine and your own spirituality.
Primarily based on the teachings of Gerald Gardner in the 1940s, Wiccan beliefs and practices have grown to include new traditions and sects, including Alexandrian Wicca and British Traditional Wicca (BTW).
MorningStar, one Wiccan’s chosen Magickal name, began studying and practicing the faith in 1986 during her senior year in college after meeting “a wild, wacky redhead�?at the Renaissance Faire in California. Since then, she has studied with many other groups, and she began teaching in 1996. She runs the Seattle Witches Meetup Web site.
“I always tell my students that I expect them to teach me at least as much as I teach them,�?MorningStar wrote in an e-mail.
Depending on whom you ask, Witchcraft, in contrast to Wicca, is more of a spiritual path and is less structured and defined.
“Anyone can call themselves a Witch,�?MorningStar wrote. “No one has the lock on the term, and there are Satanists and many others who also call themselves Witches. ... I think there are also Witches who use the term Wicca or Wiccan because they are less frightening and more politically correct.�?/FONT>
Wiccans or Witches believe in giving back to the environment and belong to one of the few religions deeply tied to nature.
Wiccans celebrate the seasonal cycles with eight Sabbats a year, including the equinoxes, solstices and halfway points inbetween. During these celebrations, many leave behind old habits and negative ways of thinking.
“We are getting ready to celebrate Eostara, the Spring Equinox, a celebration of the spring and the Teutonic Goddess named Eostre, also called Ostara,�?MorningStar wrote. “If we look at nature during March, we see the bunnies multiplying and the birds laying eggs. All of nature seems to be bursting forth with fertility and new life!�?/FONT>
This relates to the celebration of Easter and the resurrection of Christ and how everyone seems to go through a transformation as we pass from winter into spring.
“Well, I’d say Pagans and Neo-Pagans practice a deep connection with nature. All Wiccans and Witches are Pagans, but not all Pagans are Wiccans and Witches. The historical Pagans who lived off the land were dependent on the cycles of the seasons to bring their crops to fruition and their livestock to multiply, so a deep relationship with Mother Nature was a huge part of their lives,�?MorningStar wrote. “Today, we can still see the relationship between our lives and the cycle of the seasons and, being more in tune with it, can be deeply satisfying on a spiritual level.�?/FONT>
While there are many differences between practicing Wiccans and Witches, many use the various energies from the Earth in healing and transformation, MorningStar wrote.
Members of other Pagan and shamanistic traditions including the Druids or other groups that emulate Native Americans, Aborigines and others also connect with nature to gain insight into their lives, she wrote.
In regards to “magick,�?Wiccans believe this is a normal part of daily life that everyone practices, although most do so unknowingly.
“There are energies all around us, which we can either ignore or we can tap into to affect our lives,�?MorningStar wrote. “Think about the energy of the Sun. Don’t you feel differently on a cloudy day than on a sunny day? What does the Sun’s energy do to you? ... Now think about how you might harness that energy and make those changes deliberately.�?/FONT>
Many Wiccans believe that the divine is duotheistic and balanced. Other sects are monotheistic and see the God and Goddess as one or worship one or the other. There are many variations depending on the Witch.
“We see the Goddess and the God representing the male and female elements of Divinity as complementary polarities,�?MorningStar wrote.
Many Wiccans believe that the afterlife is spiritual assessment versus punishment and salvation.
“We believe life and afterlife are what you deliberately choose to make of them. Most Wiccans/Witches believe in reincarnation, and many believe that the afterlife (called “Summerland�? is a time of spiritual assessment,�?MorningStar wrote. “To think about the lives you’ve led so far and the next lessons to be learned in your journey. ... The architecture of your afterlife is yours to create as you see fit, and the responsibility for what your life and afterlife contains is strictly the individual’s.�?/FONT>
Some Wiccans practice the art of Tarot reading. How this is done is up to the individual.
“Tarot works differently for different people. Some people use the traditional methods of putting the cards in certain positions and reading the card’s definitions from a book,�?MorningStar wrote. “Some people toss random cards on a table and just look at the artwork. Either way, the person lets the art take them on a little mental journey, and many people will then gain insights or interesting bits of info on those journeys. I use Tarot as a personal meditation.�?/FONT>
Like many other religions, Wicca can be used as a tool that can be especially empowering to the individual, as well as teaching valuable ideals such as respect, tolerance, humility and honesty.
“There are groups touting themselves as the ‘only one true way,�?and I so disagree with that,�?MorningStar said. “As so many ancient religions state, there are many ways to the top of the mountain. I encourage folks to think for themselves, to look deep within their own hearts and look for the path that calls them, and to go forth with the conviction that they already have knowledge and wisdom that propels them forward.�?/FONT>
[Reach reporter Doris Wu at [email protected].]
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