What is Wicca?
- Mar 18, 2023
- 4 min read
By Ms. Chilli
Introduction to Wicca
What makes Wicca different?
Wicca is a modern Neo-pagan religion which is, in it’s most basic form, a culmination of ancient pagan practices and rituals based around European Paganism (paganism being any religious practice before the introduction of Abrahamic religions such as Christianity). There is no central authority figure for Wicca and Wicca has diversified into a number of different sects or pathways known as Traditions (these will be covered in later classes). Each Tradition practices a different way but their base remains the same.
It is important to know that while Wiccans do practice witchcraft, not all witches are Wiccan or follow a Wiccan path. Think of it like witchcraft being an umbrella term and Wicca being just one of the multiple different paths you could take.
Where did Wicca come from?
Unlike other Neopagan paths Wicca is a new creation which started in the early twentieth century in England. It was first practiced by covens who based their practices on what they had read of historical witches by writers such as Margaret Murray. In the 1950s Wicca became popular as a number of prominent figures, including Gerald Gardner, starting talking about their experience with the secretive Wiccan covens. In the 1960s the movement grew even more and Wicca was ‘transported’ to the United States where it was again adapted and further traditions were formed. Wicca has continued to grow as a Neopagan religion which has a basis in old world religious practices and is closely associated with witchcraft.
Who are all these people I keep hearing about?
Please note that these three people are just three of many prominent figures within the foundation of Wicca. I’ve limited this section to these three alone as these are the most common names you may come across (at least in my experience they are) and I really don’t want to overload you with information you may never need.
Margaret Alice Murray (13 July 1863 – 13 November 1963) was a British Egyptologist, archaeologist, anthropologist, historian, and folklorist born in Indian. She was a highly respected academic and was the first woman in Britain to become a university lecturer in archaeology. In 1917 Murray published a paper on the witch-cult in Europe after researching European witch trials and in 1921 her book The Witch-Cult in Western Europewas published. Her career continued and her witch-cult theories became the inspiration for Wicca with Margaret Murray now known as the Grandmother of Wicca.
Gerald Brosseau Gardner (13 June 1884–12 February 1964), was an English author and anthropologist who was instrumental in bringing Wicca to the attention of the general public. Gardner wrote a number of Wicca’s definitive texts and formed the Gardnerian Tradition. In 1939 Gardner was initiated into the New Forest Coven (based in the New Forest, England) and he believed this coven to be a surviving group of witches from pre-Christian times such as those mentioned in Margaret Murray’s work. Gardner supplemented Murray’s work by ‘borrowing’ practices from freemasonry, ceremonial magick and works by Aleister Crowley and others and in 1945 became to propagate this new religion and gained media attention which in turn lead to the spread of Wicca. Gardner is known as the Father of Wicca and while his work has been heavily scrutinised there is no doubt that he was instrumental in bringing witchcraft to the attention of the general public (whether you believe this to be a good or bad thing is your decision).
Alex Sanders (6 June 1926 – 30 April 1988), born Orrell Alexander Carter, founded Alexandrian Wiccan in the 1960s. Sanders was introduced to esoteric ideals by his Mother and Grandmother and began working as a medium before going on to study ceremonial magick. In 1963, he was initiated into Gardnerian Wicca before founding his own coven and in this coven he merged his own ceremonial magick and left hand path work into his Wiccan practice. Sanders legacy is marred by criticism and controversy and he is not held in the same regard as other prominent figures in Wicca – possibly because of the unwanted publicity he brought to the practice.
How do Wiccans practice? Wicca is a duo-theistic (two deities) religion which are traditionally the Triple Goddess and the Horned God. These two deities are often (but not always) regarded as henotheistic (the worship of a single deity while still acknowledging the existence of others) but this is becoming less common within Wicca as pathways diversify and different Traditions have their own way of working with these.
Wiccans follow both the cycles of the Moon (Esbats) and the cycles of the Sun (Sabbats) with the Wheel of the Year acting like a Wiccan calendar. Sabbats are based loosely around the seasonal cycle of agriculture as it would have been in ancient Europe – with celebrations of new life, fertility, harvest etc. Esbats include celebrations at different moon phases, including the New Moon and Full Moon. Sabbats and Esbats in Wicca incorporate an ever changing cycle of growth, death and rebirth, with the Triple Goddess and Horned God changing throughout the year in a never ending cycle of balance with neither being more powerful than the other over time (for example at Samhain the Triple Goddess is at her strongest, but the Horned God is at his weakest, this is the opposite at Beltaine where the Horned God is the strongest and Triple Goddess at her weakest).
Very informative! Best I can see, on the money!