The feminist influence in Wicca strengthened in the 1970s and 1980s, brought about by women who had entered the religion attracted by the female deity, but were faced with a misogynist reality in the religion’s ranks. When I was growing up, I always thought Beltane was the coolest, but that’s because I thought of it only as the holiday in which you lit a bonfire and went and made love in the woods. Other differences between Gardnerian and Alexandrian Wicca include the choice to practice in clothing or ritual wear, and an added emphasis on ceremonial magic and Hermeticism. The Alexandrian tradition isn't necessarily quite as secretive or dogmatic. While there is some emphasis on respecting tradition and following protocol, there is a greater emphasis on growth and living out your own path, allowing for many changes and adjustments as practitioners see fit. Most people think that witches are a Christian invention. But the idea of the witch who flies in the night and draws power from dark cosmic forces to work her ill will on others pre-dates Christianity, probably by many centuries. In Australia, Wicca "found a receptive social environment because of the long-standing presence and familiarity of Aboriginal culture with its 'pagan' (i.e. 'non-Christian') beliefs and practices". [42]

Seax-Wica is inspired by Anglo-Saxon Witchcraft as it was practiced in Anglo-Saxon England between the 5 th and 11 th centuries. Its main deities are Woden and Freya, who represent the God and Goddess as found in the original Gardnerian Tradition. There is an emphasis on studying herbal lore and several forms of divination, including Tarot and runes. Initially there was an attempt to reconcile and unite all of these traditions claiming to be Witch-Cult remnants, for instance the Witchcraft Research Association, which was founded in 1964 by Sybil Leek. After Leek emigrated to the United States, Doreen Valiente took over presidency, and began publication of a magazine, Pentagram. [41] However both the magazine and the organisation collapsed amongst infighting by the various traditions, with Cochrane consistently insulting, and even calling for a " Night of the Long Knives", against Gardnerians. [ citation needed] Wicca across the world (1960s) [ edit ] A significant symbol in Wiccan practice, the besom or broom is symbolically used for purification or cleansing, as well as sweeping negative influences away from any place. Of course, almost nothing is known about the specific magical and/or religious activities of the Druids, since they deliberately kept their knowledge in an oral tradition, so much of what is practiced today is inspired from Celtic mythology and the roles Druids play in these stories. Leek transformed her Wiccan practice into celebrity status centered around astrology, writing numerous books and a regular column in Ladies Home Journal. ALEX SANDERS

What is Wicca? An expert on modern witchcraft explains.

May Day is also celebrated by decorated and dancing around the maypole (representing the male aspect). And, it’s b One such figure was peculiar to the western Alps. She was the female embodiment of winter, a female figure often called Bertha or Perchta or Befuna. She punished social disobedience and rewarded ‘goodness’. She was always portrayed as an old hag, because she represented cold and winter. It did not take long for intellectuals to note her resemblance to the witches with whom they were familiar from classical literature. Also incorporating a belief system from the ancient world, Celtic Wicca and Druidic Wicca are technically two different traditions, but many Wiccans incorporate elements of both in their practice. The Druids were the priestly class of Celtic society, serving as healers, poets, and philosophers, who practiced divination and magic as part of their role. Therefore, they were part of the fabric of Celtic life, and would have influenced any practices that have survived over the centuries to become part of Celtic Wicca. Imagine you’re standing on a hillside. You look at the lumps in the grass. You are probably wondering what they are, or what they used to be. A panel nearby says that they are prehistoric burial mounds.

The greater sabbats or cross-quarter days fall approximately halfway between the greater sabbats and have origins in Celtic traditions. They include: Imbolc, Beltane, Lughnasadh, and Samhain. Over time, this resurgent practice of what many Wiccans refer to as “the Old Religion” began to spread, as members of Gardner’s group went on to form their own covens, which led ultimately to the spread of what came to be called “Wicca” from England to North America and beyond. Eventually, it became clear that there was not, in fact, a verifiable direct link between Wicca and a singular pre-Christian pagan religion. Nonetheless, Wiccans do feel a timeless connection to the energies of the Earth, which are very much still active today, and can be tapped into by communing with Nature. Practicing Wicca Hutton, Ronald (1999). The Triumph of the Moon: A History of Modern Pagan Witchcraft. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-820744-1. In Wicca, there are four greater sabbats and four lesser ones, though they may vary depending on the region. Second, there is no official “holy book” or specific, rigid ideology that all practitioners are expected to adhere to. While there are several beliefs that Wiccans have in common, there is no single way of understanding the divine that is considered to be more “correct” than another. For example, some Wiccans have a pantheistic view of the world, meaning they believe that the same divine source is present in all of nature, while others are more polytheistic, incorporating one or more additional deities from other religions into their practice along with the Goddess and God. Practitioners do not have a Bible of any kind, although some may view the Wiccan Rede to be a kind of textual guiding force, and others may document their own beliefs and practices in writing in a book sometimes known as a grimoire, or Book of Shadows, which may become their personal religious guide.

The Horned God

The fire element is symbolized by a triangle. Sometimes known as the living element, it’s associated with power and the principle of duality, as it can create and destroy. The 4 lesser Sabbats or quarter holidays are the two solstices and two equinoxes. They have origins in Germanic traditions and include: Yule (winter solstice), Ostara (spring equinox), Litha (summer solstice), and Mabon (fall equinox). The Greater Sabbaths (Cross-Quarter Days) The number of practicing Wiccans in the United States has proven difficult to estimate, with sources reporting anywhere from 300,000 to three million practitioners. SOURCES Similar to a hearth witch, a house witch focuses on making their house a magical space. Think: cooking, cleaning, and performing homey rituals. Whether you prefer to be called a hearth witch or a house witch—or both—is really up to you! Ceremonial Witch

It is said to symbolize the ability to make choices and bring change. Representing the element of fire, it isn’t used as a mundane knife for carving or cutting. 7- ChaliceThe original and most well-known form of the Dianic tradition was founded in the 1970s by a woman named Zsuzsanna Budapest. Another form of Wicca sharing the name “Dianic” was later started by Morgan McFarland and her husband, Mark Roberts. This latter tradition does admit men into covens, as do other traditions inspired by the original Dianic Wicca. However, those initiated through Budapest’s lineage remain female-only. Seax-Wicca

The deities of Wicca are the Goddess and the God , who are the feminine and masculine essences of the all-encompassing life force responsible for all of creation, including the cycles of life and death on Earth. Wiccans believe that these deities are multi-fold; in that sense, it is a duotheistic religion, rather than traditionally monotheistic religions like Christianity. The modern English word witchcraft has three principal connotations: the practice of magic or sorcery worldwide; the beliefs associated with the Western witch hunts of the 14th to the 18th century; and varieties of the modern movement called Wicca, frequently mispronounced “wikka.” Sea witches have a special connection to the ocean. They might practice water magic, use seawater in their rituals, bring seashells home for their altar, and pay special attention to the Moon (because it controls the tides, after all). Sex WitchIn 1970, Paul Huson published Mastering Witchcraft [49] a book purportedly based upon non-Wiccan traditional British witchcraft, and the first do-it-yourself manual for the would-be witch, which became one of the basic instruction books for a large number of covens. [50] [51] [52] [53] Wicca is considered a modern interpretation of pre-Christian traditions, though some involved claim a direct line to ancient practices. It may be practiced by individuals or members of groups (sometimes known as covens). Many newcomers to the religion may start out as solitaries, learning and exploring until they feel drawn to explore practicing with others. Similarly, some coven members may ultimately decide to move to a solitary practice, whether due to the dissolution of the coven they belonged to or other circumstances. Either way, one type of practice is not superior to the other—while there are significant differences between coven membership and solitary practice, the essence of the core beliefs and rituals carries through both forms of Wicca. Eclectic Wicca In truth, Wicca is extremely dynamic and ever-evolving, so it’s difficult to make very many statements about it that every single person identifying as a Wiccan will agree with. However, it’s probably safe to say that when looking at the night sky, or the view from the top of a mountain, or the glassy surface of a lake, most—if not all—Wiccans will feel very much in the presence of the divine. So then, what is Wicca? What does it mean to be a Wiccan? And what are the core religious beliefs? Life cycles: the Wiccan Goddess and God