Puesto121 asked this question on 3/11/2000:

Hi! I was just curious what Wicca is all about. If you could give me any information that would be great.

cassius622 gave this response on 3/11/2000:

Hi,

Your question is a good one, both simple and direct. However, a complete answer could fill several books!

In a way Wicca is a "composite" religion, made up of many various aspects. Ask 20 people this question and you will get 20 answers so different you'll be amazed that they're all describing the same thing.

My personal take on it is this: Wicca is the latest incarnation of the ancient Pre-Christian Mystery Religions. It is a Pagan religion with some ceremonial magic mixed in, so that it allows one to both honor deity and also achieve results in the material world.

Wicca is "a" Pagan religion, but not "the" religion of Paganism. It is in many ways different from the ancient Pagan religions that existed before Christianity... even though it honors the same deities. In Wicca aspects from many different times can be mixed in together. Ancient Goddesses and Gods are worshipped in a format that draws on elements from ancient Pagan rites, Medieval magic, and even some modern additions.

There are many different types of Wicca. Some focus on specific cultural paths, and honor specific ancient deities from say the Celts, the Romans, the Greeks, the Egyptians, etc. Some mix influences from many cultures together. Some focus very much on magical rituals and spells - others are more religious in focus seek to honor the ancient deities more than they work to do magic. It all depends on personal choice.

See how it gets difficult? If you'd asked this question about Christianity, the answer would have been simple. Christianity is about the worship in Jesus, and believing that he is the son of god. Wicca, on the other hand, can worship any of hundreds of gods, draw from any culture, use techniques from any age.

Amazingly enough it's not as complex as it sounds. It's rather like the difference between grade school and college. In grade school you have to study what they tell you to, and have no other options. In college, you get to choose your own focus, and take the classes that interest you. A few classes are common to everyone, but other than that the choice is yours.

So it is with Wicca. You basically get to work with the things that attract you spiritually, and for the most part aren't required to "believe" things that you have no connection with.

Now that I've managed to *thoroughly* confuse you, the easiest way to really learn about Wicca is to do a LOT of reading. One or two books won't do it since there are so many different opinions and paths, but a dozen or so just might! Try searching www.amazon.com for "Wicca" and see what you find. :)

Hope this helped!

-Cassius

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