A Corner In Salem - Wiccan - http://maxpages.com/acornerinsalem

What Is Wicca?
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Wicca is a new age religion, that has roots from the times of Neolithic paganism, however, most information of true witchcraft has long since been lost.

Wicca is also know as, Wicce, Witchcraft, The Craft, The Old Religion, or the "Craft of the Wise."

Back in ancient times, the women and men of the village were the seers and the healers and had the knowledge of herbs and medicines. They healed the sick, delivered the babies, gave council, foretold the future, and were valuable parts of the villages and communities. They understood, that mankind is not superior to nature, the earth and its creatures, but instead that we are ONE of its many parts, both seen and unseen.

They gathered their information and teachings and from all around the things in nature, such as the sun, the earth, the moon, the stars, animals, trees, plants and minerals, as well as the cycles of the seasons. They understood that mankind was not superior to nature, but a part of it, and all that it is. This belief continues today, in the new wiccan religion.

Wicca is a nature based religion, that revolves around the "Wheel of the year" or the changing of the seasons, which acknowledges, and celebrates the cycles of nature, the changing seasons, and the lunar phases. It subscribes to the eight virtues of love, trust, balance, humility, learning, reincarnation, harmony and compassion.

It is a religion of free-thought, for gaining knowledge and understanding of the earth and nature.

Most wiccans believe in the balanced polarities of the feminine, and the masculine, which are seen as the Goddess and the God, which they believe are a part of the Ultimate Life Force, that exists in the universe which is sometimes also called, "The One", "The All" or "God." They believe that the spirit of the "One" exists in all things. It exists in the trees, the flowers, the sea, in all people, and in all of God's creatures. They believe that this means that we must treat all things of the earth as aspects of the divine, and to honor and respect life, in all of its many manifestations, both seen and unseen.

Wiccans follow a basic system of ritual, and a celebration of the seasons either in covens or on a solitary basis.

They celebrate (8) holidays, that are called Sabbats, which follow the wheel of the year, or the changing of the seasons.

Besides reverence to the God and Goddess, most wiccans also practice herbalism, divination, and magick.

Magick is the conscious use of energy to accomplish a positive goal. Such goals can be for healing, guidance, protection, or to improve ones life in some way, shape or form. Most magickal rites are performed on Esbats, which correspond to the phases of the moon, when worship and reverence is also performed, though magick can be performed at any time. Rituals and magick are performed within a "magick circle", which is a purified and protected space, and considered a "world between the worlds."

Most wiccans, also believe in the concept of reincarnation. They do not believe in heaven or hell, but have the belief that death just takes us to another plane of existence. They believe that our souls are reborn again and again, to learn the spiritual lessons their soul is meant to achieve, to eventually transcend to the Ultimate Plane of Existence. This makes wiccans ultimately responsible for their own actions in life, as they believe the mistakes they make, and the wrongs they commit, will have them return back, again and again, until they get it right, to learn the spiritual lessons they are meant to learn.

There are very few "rules" in wicca. The Wiccan Rede and the Three-Fold Law are the major ones. The Wiccan Rede states, "An' it harm none, do as thou will." This is an ethical guideline that they follow, which means that they may follow our spiritual path in anyway we choose, as long as we harm nothing and no one, including themselves.

The second law, which is the Three-Fold Law states that what energy one sends out, will return to that person three-fold, whether it be for good or for ill.

Therefore, there is no such thing as an "evil" or "black" witch, as this would contravene the main laws of wicca. People who perform magick to harm others are NOT witches.

The wiccan religion is unlike other religions in many ways. Wiccans do not " recruit" new members, as they believe that people must find their own spiritual path.

They do not worship in a particular building, or place, instead they create "Sacred space" where ever they want to worship.

There is also no one book, of "ultimate" knowledge. They do not have priests, who preach what we must, or must not do, instead they encourage freedom of belief, and that each person follow their own heart and soul for determine what is right, and what is wrong for themselves.

Wicca became a legalized religion in 1985, and is one of the fastest growing religions in the world.

-Tala 2006