supratimbiswas@... asked this question on 12/30/1999:

What is Wiccca in a nutshell?

The_Oracle gave this response on 12/30/1999:

Wicca in its most basic and most misunderstood form is simply witchcraft, not to be confused, as it often is, with devil-worship. Wiccans do not worship the devil due to the fact that the devil is a Christian construct, and wiccans have pagan beliefs. Wicca is a relatively new name for a whole group of very old religions. There are wiccans that practice Celtic Traditions, Druidic Traditions, Shamanism, Italian Traditions, South American Traditions, African Traditions, Voodoo, Aboriginal Traditions, New Age beliefs, and many more that I am sure that I have forgotten. Witchcraft has been practiced by a very large percentage of cultures since man developed religion. Many claim that wiccan beliefs are THE FIRST religion. With out going into specific beliefs, wicca as a religion is very open as far as what and how you choose to worship. Wicca is neither good nor bad, just as man himself or herself is neither good nor bad, but a complex mix of the two.

That is the proverbial tip of a VERY LARGE iceberg. Wicca has been the center of very heated debates for a long time (ever heard of the Salem Witch Trials, or perhaps the Spanish Inquisition?) and is very misunderstood. Witches have been portrayed as evil for so long that there is a social stigmatism against anyone who openly claims to practice the art. They are either labeled a headcase and disbelieved, or they are persecuted. However, since the "rebirth" of wicca there are many more people who claim to practice it, and more tolerance has evolved towards it. Hope this helps.

Blessed Be.

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