The Scoop on Wiccan Practices
By Joy J. Fine
The Wiccan religion is said to have been begun by Gerald Gardner in the middle 1950s. At that time he was a retired civil servant in Britain who became interested in the practice of witchcraft. He claimed that his new following was based on a combination of following nature and modern day witchcraft. He further claimed that the teachings began in old Europe but others claim the teachings he followed started no earlier than the early 1920s. Though Gardener may have brought the religion back and found followers the truth is that that practice of witchcraft never completely disappeared it simply became quieter to protect those who were followers.
Gardener’s assertion was that he had come upon a very quiet coven of witches in an area of England and had joined them. His fears for these people were that since their beliefs went back to the pagan times, if they were not made known they would eventually disappear. It was because he felt this way that he proceeded to publish several books on the subject. He wrote both fiction and non –fiction novels which not only helped to bring the teachings of Wiccan beliefs to the forefront but also prompted others to write about the subject. The books had another effect; they encouraged others to join. Years later many people questioned the claims he made in his books stating the coven he claimed to have joined never existed. Many others who read his works agreed that he had done a lot to show the early practices of witchcraft.
Wiccan religion follows the belief that there are a god and goddess. These are viewed often as the sun and the moon. The male aspect is usually referred to as the Horned God. Some upon hearing this visualize the devil with his small red horns. But it is an antler God that is believed in not Satan. He is the god of hunting, sexuality and the forests. He has also been called the Oak King, the Sun God or the Holly King. These last two are often used to refer to one who looks after the warm seasons of the year and the other the cooler times of fall and winter.
The Goddess is seen very differently. She is believed to have three aspects; the fair Maiden, the Mother of them all and the Crone, a woman passed her prime. She is seen as the child, lover and mother of the Horned God depending on which aspect she is. One type of Wicca, in particular the Dianic covens, practice a solely feminist view of the religion where the Goddess is worshiped solely. The Horned God has no place. This is not the common way to follow the Wiccan practices but there are always groups that modify a religion to suit their own beliefs.
Many of those who practice Wiccan traditions, though not all, believe in reincarnation. They feel that upon death the soul comes back. Unlike many other religions the Wiccans believe that the soul is reincarnated into another human being. This is done so that they may come back and continue to learn. They also believe that it is possible to speak to those who have passed away. They will do this by séances or using ouija boards. The celebration of Samhain, a time when the dead are said to rise, is a favorite time to speak to those who are gone.
Wiccans believe in and make use of witchcraft to perform spells that will help them to accomplish what they want to do. They will also use spells to help others. These spell are performed by using candles, herbs and often a spell book called a Book of Shadows. Each Wiccan who practices magic has their own Book of Shadows. It is made up of their own spells, ones they have borrowed from others and ones they have concocted themselves.
Symbols are also important in this practice. The pentagram is the most important one as it shows the five elements. Each point stands for one and the middle is seen as the point where they all unite. The points stand for air, fire, water and earth. The center is the spirit. To become a follower of Wicca people can either join a coven by progressing through an initiation or some people simply decide that this is how they want to live and practice solitarily.
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