What is Wicca?
Wicca holds that there is more than what we see, and one can best get in touch with that in Nature. Beyond that, since it is not a 'revealed' religion (out of a book or the mouth of a prophet) you get a lot of differences among individual Wiccans, which is one of the things about it that appeals to people like me- the idea that you are able (and in fact responsible) for forging your own best link to the Divine, and that it is completely and uniquely yours. It makes communion with the Divine that much more personal.
God/Gods/Goddesses/etc?
The first thing a lot of people ask is, ‘so, do you guys believe in God, or just worship sticks and rocks and stuff?’ Let’s look at that. You have to ask yourself, what is God? Most of us can agree that God is the More that is greater than the sum of all the parts of the Universe that we can see and touch.
1. Some people think the More is like the Force (tm) in Star Wars, and emanates from all things, and it's flow can be directed by those who know about it (this is where you get all the spells and stuff). They may or may not think of it as having a separate identity; it may be like electromagnetic fields, or it may be like Jung's collective Unconsciousness.
2. Some people think the More is God, and all the gods and goddesses worshipped throughout time are but facets of God, who loves us and cares about us.
3. Some people think the More is the Goddess, and all the goddesses and many of the nicer gods are but facets of the Goddess, and the rest are patriarchal inventions who exist to oppress others.
4. Some think the More is the Goddess and the God, see number 2.
5. Some think there are actually all the gods and goddesses individually out there in their respective planes (Valhalla, Mt.Olympus, etc), and take the 'buffet approach' when deciding who to honor, and whose name to call out during sex.
6. And some others, that I probably haven't thought of.
Many Wiccans agree that the power of the More is omnipresent, which means it is also in each of us, so we see little sense in going to someone else to tell us how to best honor it, beyond learning some effective methods of getting in touch with it, but that's more like art school, where you may learn techniques of drawing and whatnot but can still chuck it all and do what you like (but will have had your horizons broadened by seeing how other people go about it) rather than church, if that makes any sense.
Most of us, as mentioned earlier, think that one of the most effective ways of getting in touch with the More is via nature, since man-made buildings just put one more middleman in the way. Thus, to head off another argument, we don't worship trees, rather we honor them them as manifesting the More in a particularly aesthetically pleasing way. We could honor ticks and crabgrass the same way, if we were so inclined. Most of us just aren't. :)
Wiccan Ethics
You can see, it's very different from many religions you probably have already learned about. The one 'commandment' of "if it harms none, do what you will" (often seen as 'an it harm none, do as ye will' or some variant of that) has been incorrectly interpreted to mean 'you should never harm anything.' This is not only simplistic, it's impossible to live up to, since by living we must harm (unless we learn to photosynthesize). The Rede states that if an action harms none, you can do that as much as you want. It very specifically does not say 'and if it does harm, don't do it at all.' What I believe this means is that it is up to each individual to determine what harm their actions cause, and then choose the course of action that causes the least amount of harm in whatever manner you decide. So Wiccans do harm, but we try to at least do it mindfully. This explains the many Wiccans that serve in the armed forces. So back to the photosynthesis comment- eating animals obviously harms the animal; but eating plants harms the plant so what to do? Many Wiccans seek the path of least harm and eat plants since growing plants takes less of a toll on the planet than raising food animals. Not all Wiccans are vegetarians or vegans however; meat eaters often will honor and give thanks to the animals they eat, and might tend towards free-range rather than factory-farmed animals for instance. This sort of hair-splitting is essential to maintaining balance and harmony upon the Wiccan path and is part of why Wiccans tend to be strong environmental supporters. It is also why the US Army Chaplain's Handbook describes Wicca as having a "high-choice" ethical structure.
A law that Wiccans recognize is the so-called Law of Three-fold Return. It’s more like a law of meta-physics than a commandment, though, and it states that all actions have reactions. Our tradition's particular interpretation is that the reactions occur in three realms: physical, emotional, and spiritual- so if you steal a dollar, it doesn't mean someone will steal three dollars from you (probably) but rather you will physically have deprived that person of a dollar, giving them the possibility of having you arrested, beating you up, or bad-mouthing you to everyone; emotionally you feel either guilt or proud of yourself for having put one over on your fellow, which in the Bible is called 'hardening of the heart' and takes it's toll in it's own way; and spiritually, you've earned a dollar's worth of bad karma (using 'karma' in the Western sense, I realize it's not the same as the Hindu concept). The Law of Three explains that no matter what you do, good or bad, you will reap what you sow.
It's not a cudgel to be used to 'guilt trip' you into behaving well. In Wicca, there’s no point system for getting into Heaven, your karmic bill (good, bad or neutral) comes due immediately, even if the effects may take some time to play out. This can be used as a warning, but really it is just a simple fact; if you are nice to people, people are more likely to be nice to you. If when a friend comes over I play nice music, feed her a good meal, and engage in interesting conversation with her, she will probably invite me over and send me a birthday card. If I yell at her and throw pointy things at her, she will say bad things about me behind my back and give me a bad job reference if I'd asked her for one.
So you can imagine that Wiccans strive to be very vigilant in our actions- and why the very idea of ‘cursing your enemies’ or even trying to make someone fall in love with you is not even considered to be an option. Manipulative magic is frowned upon. The absolute worst most Wiccans will do if they believe someone is intentionally trying to harm them is try a binding spell, or perhaps a reflective spell, and even that after long and serious consideration, and after more mundane courses of action have been tried. I also keep in mind that any work I try to do magically is going through the Goddess and the God; and most Christians would feel pretty uncomfortable asking Jesus to curse their ex-girlfriend or whatever!
The Afterlife
This also brings me to another common question- do you believe in Heaven? Well, in a sense yes. My personal idea of the afterlife is somewhat similar to the Albert Brooks movie Defending Your Life. I think that when we die, we go to a place and review what we’ve learned in our lifetime. Our reason for being, after all, is to learn everything we can! Life is the Universe’s way of knowing itself. Notice I say life, and not humanity. We are one particularly intelligent form of life, but this does not grant us special privileges or make us the cherry atop the sundae of creation- we are merely one strand in the web. In an attempt for our Deep Selves (our souls, spirits, Higher Selves, what-have-you) to know ourselves, we try to experience everything. Poverty, wealth, illness, health, woman- and man-hood, bug-hood, tree-hood- every kind of condition. So we experience many lifetimes, and learn many things. When we have learned all we can, we can move on to the next plane (what’s that like? I don’t know really; I suspect it’s like moving up a grade level and you get to learn new things) or we can choose to stay and help others. Those that do are your enlightened souls, boddhisatvas, saints, the wise men and women that have stood like the Hermit in the Tarot deck, holding the lamp up for us to see by. That’s my take on it anyway; your mileage may vary- you will find that most Wiccans do believe in karma and reincarnation.
Holidays
Our holidays, naturally, are based on the cycles of nature. The 8 Sabbats, as we call them, are based on the solar astrological calendar. They basically divide the year into 8 equal pie slices, and celebrate the agricultural/hunting cycle of the year, since we see ourselves as intimately connected with Nature and our place in it- the Earth and Sky as manifestations of the Divine. So you have:
Yule - Winter solstice (Dec 21) (dates will be approximate since the Gregorian calendar doesn't exactly line up with the astrological one- so we won't necessarily celebrate the holidays on the same day every year)- the re-birth of the Sun, in that the daylight has been growing shorter and shorter for weeks- today the Sun appears to stop it’s southerly motion on the ecliptic (sol stice- Sun still) and begin to move north and the daylight grows again. A very happy, celebratory time- the beginning of the waxing half of the year. We don’t view it as ‘better’ than the waning half since they are both necessary, but since the ancients probably wondered if the days would keep getting shorter and shorter until they disappeared and it would be cold forever and we’d all die of starvation, except for the grace of the Gods who saw fit to keep the cycle going- you can see why it is a happy event!
Imbolc, Lady’s Day- halfway between Winter solstice and Spring equinox- (Feb 2)- sometimes seen as the beginning of Spring; the first signs of new life begin to appear, the days are visibly longer, this day is sometimes called the ‘Feast of Waxing Light’. In preparation for the new growing season traditionally there are rituals of preparation, cleansing, and initiations at this time. Sacred to the Celtic goddess Brighid- a three-fold goddess (as are many Celtic goddesses, they were very fond of trinities) of healing, craftwork, and poetry.
Oestara- Spring equinox- (Mar 21)- the start of the new season of growth. Eggs and flowers are common symbols (and where the origins of ‘Easter’ come from- note the similarities- Oestara is a German goddess of rebirth and fertility) and the Gods walk through the meadows and fields causing animals to awaken and mate, and plants to grow.
Beltane- halfway between Spring equinox and Summer solstice- (May 2)- the start of Summer; the Goddess and the God lay together in the fields and consummate their sacred marriage- the maypole is a pretty graphic representation of this, and the maypole dance is a pretty common occurrence at Beltane circles. A time of celebration of life in all its forms.
Litha- Summer solstice- (June 21)- mid-Summer, the peak of the season of growth and the height of the Sun’s powers; but the waning half of the year begins today since the days from here on out will grow shorter.
Lammas, Lughnasadh- halfway between Summer solstice and Fall equinox- (Aug 2)- the beginning of the harvest time. Traditionally, the god Lugh’s (Lugh represents the grain) death is recognized, but only as an acknowledgement of the necessity of death in the death-rebirth cycle, sort of like Good Friday.
Mabon- Fall equinox- (Sept 21)- the height of the harvest. A time of gathering in your harvest, be it actual or metaphorical, and giving thanks. A time for reflecting on balance- the day and night are of equal length today.
Samhain- halfway between Fall equinox and Winter solstice- (Oct 31)- the end of the harvest. A more solemn recognition of death, since Nature shows us this in the lengthening of night, dying of many plants, hibernation of many animals. The God is in the Underworld, awaiting rebirth at Yule. The Goddess, his gateway, is bidding the Earth to rest as the season of growth ends. Often a time to recognize ancestors and those who sacrificed for what we have today.
There are also 12 or 13 Esbats- these are the Full Moon celebrations. They are not as focused on celebration in many circles as the Sabbats are, but more a time for doing magical workings. We try to make them reflect what is going on in Nature here in central Texas, rather than using there traditional European calendar which has Moons like ‘the Snow Moon’. We don’t get a lot of snow down here, so I give you a year of Moons, Austin Style:
Cedar
Moon: Sun in Capricorn, Moon
in Cancer (December/January)
It’s
the time of blooming cedar.
Cedar (technically Ashe juniper, but most of us Texans refer to it by
it’s commonly
known name) is the only green one usually sees in the landscape around
this time of year.
Eagle
Moon: Sun in Aquarius, Moon
in Leo (January/February)
At this time Bald
Eagles migrate through
the area, stopping at lakes and in coastal areas to feed on the
abundant
fish found there.
Bluebonnet
Moon: Sun in Pisces,
Moon in Virgo (February/March)
This time of year
is when many colorful
native wildflowers paint the fields and sides of the highways,
including my favorite- the Texas bluebonnet.
Grackle
Moon: Sun in Aries, Moon
in Libra (March/April)
Grackles are
glossy black (males) or
dark brown (females) members of the blackbird family. The males do a
quite impressive mating 'dance' at this time of year that involves
strutting and puffing themselves up.
Greening
Moon: Sun in Taurus, Moon
in Scorpio (April/May)
Now everything is
growing like mad-
the trees are in full leaf, and many of the wildflowers have faded to
make
way for tall grass.
Firefly
Moon: Sun in Gemini, Moon
in Sagittarius (May/June)
This is the time
of year when we can sit
outside at dusk wherever there is some expanse of greenery and watch
the fairy dance of the lightning bug
Crepe
Myrtle Moon: Sun in Cancer,
Moon in Capricorn (June/July)
Things are
heating up in Texas, and crepe
myrtles of all shades of pink, red and white are blooming in our yards.
Dog
Moon: Sun in Leo, Moon in Aquarius
(July/August)
The hottest time
of the year in Texas.
The so-called ‘Dog-Days’ of Summer because the Dog
Star Sirius is rising
just before the Sun now, and the ancients thought the combined heat
from
the Sun and Sirius was what made the heat so intense.
Gold
Moon: Sun in Virgo, Moon in
Pisces (August/September)
Now all the green
grass and many of
the crops have turned a warm golden color as the beginning of the
harvest
season arrives.
Butterfly
Moon: Sun in Libra, Moon
in Aries (September/October)
Here is the time
when the small brown
‘snout’ butterflies and also the more
easily-recognized orange and black
Monarchs migrate through the area on their way to Mexico.
Topaz
Moon: Sun in Scorpio, Moon
in Taurus (October/November)
The state
gemstone of Texas is the topaz,
as is the birthstone for November.
Mistletoe
Moon: Sun in Sagittarius,
Moon in Gemini (November/December)
Mistletoe is most
easily seen in bare tree branches now.
Mistletoe has many connections to the Yule Sabbat in December.
Every so often, the Moon will appear in the same sign twice in a row- this is the famous Blue Moon. We're having a Blue Moon in 2010: on September 23rd, it's full in 0 degrees of Aries, and on October 22nd it's full in 29 degrees of Aries. Thus, the first one is the Butterfly Moon, and the second one is the Blue Moon.
If you have any questions about any of the above- clarification, details, et cetera, feel free to contact me.
Glossary
(since
Wicca is not a revealed religion, many of the symbols and definitions
used will vary widely from one group or individual to another, as it
should
be. The following definitions are those of me only, the High
Priestess
of Phoenix Moon, and don’t necessarily reflect those of
anyone else.)
All: the infinite, eternal Force which contains within it all forms of life and manifestation. Essentially, the All is the Higher Power of Wicca.
Athame: the black-handled knife representing the element of Fire- thus, will and passion. It's used to direct energy, never as a weapon. The athame also represents the phallus of the God.
Chalice: a cup placed on the altar representing the element of Water- thus, love and abundance. The chalice is also seen as the cauldron, the womb of the Goddess.
Coven: the members of this group who have taken Initiation- the clergy of the group; its Priests and Priestesses. In Tradition terms, the coven is our Inner Court.
Degrees: one way of gauging progress along the Wiccan path. Our tradition recognizes 3 degrees, but acknowledges that there are many different ways to measure wisdom.
Elements: a system of symbols most Wiccans work with that categorizes all matter in the Universe into Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and Spirit- based on ancient Western alchemy. See pentacle, pentagram.
Esbat: Moon celebration. New Moon Esbats are seen as times of teaching or socializing. Full Moon Esbats are a time for the Coven to gather and work magic.
God: the male face of the All, the yang, that-which-is-brought-forth, the Life Force, the All-Father, often represented as the Sun, the Green Man and the Horned Hunter.
Goddess: the female face of the All, the yin, the cauldron of death and rebirth, the Form for the God’s Force, often represented by the three-faced Moon Goddess (Maiden, Mother, Crone) and the Earth Goddess.
Grove: all the members of Phoenix Moon Grove, including students and Dedicants. Essentially, the congregation. In Tradition terms, the grove is the Outer Court.
Magic: moving energy to effect change. Optimally one does this through the Will of the Goddess and God, so it is basically prayer invested with personal energy.
Pentacle: a pentagram encompassed by a circle (representing the All). This symbolizes the whole of Creation, and thus manifestation (or the element of Earth). We most often use the point-up pentacle, because the top point represents Spirit ruling the more material elements. The point-down pentacle has had practical uses in ancient symbolism but is not used often due to popular current negative associations.
Pentagram: a five-pointed star representing the 5 elements, Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and Spirit. The pentagram is often used as a protective symbol.
Polarity: one of the easiest ways for humans to relate to the All. Since the All is by definition unknowable, we connect to it as best we can by seeing it in terms of yin and yang, Moon and Sun, Goddess and God.
Sabbat: Sun celebration. The solstices, equinoxes, and the mid-points between them make up the eight Sabbats, also known as the Wheel of the Year.
Three-Fold Return: a law commonly believed by Wiccans that is often read as ‘whatever you do comes back to you three times’. This is the law of Karma. It is not a law of punishment, but more like a law of physics. The three times refers not to triple intensity, but to the three different levels: physical, emotional, and spiritual.
Wand: a measuring tool often made of wood, representing the element of Air- thus, intellect, creativity and communication.
Wiccan Rede: our
‘Golden Rule’- it states:
An it harm none, do what you will. Translated: If
it hurts no
one or nothing, do what you want; if it causes harm, do what causes the
least
amount of harm. We keep a pretty tight definition
of ‘harm’ (including harm to other people, to
oneself, to other creatures
and to the environment), and will very carefully consider any actions
that can
potentially cause harm.