Wicca
| Wicca | |
|---|---|
| Family | Modern Paganism / New religious movement |
| Origin region | United Kingdom |
| Founding period | Mid-20th century CE |
| Estimated adherents | A global modern Pagan religion with many independent practitioners and covens. |
Wicca is wicca is a modern Pagan religion centered on witchcraft, ritual magic, seasonal festivals, reverence for deity and nature, and diverse coven-based or solitary practice.
Overview
Wicca emerged publicly in the mid-20th century, especially through the work of Gerald Gardner and later teachers. It draws on ceremonial magic, folklore, romanticized witchcraft history, nature spirituality, and ritual practice. Wicca is highly diverse, with initiatory, eclectic, duotheistic, polytheistic, pantheistic, and non-theistic forms.
Key beliefs
- Reverence for nature, cycles, and sacred polarity in many traditions
- The Goddess and God in many Wiccan forms, interpreted in varied ways
- Magic as intentional ritual action in some traditions
- Ethical responsibility, often expressed through the Wiccan Rede or related principles
- The Wheel of the Year as a sacred cycle
Practices
- Casting ritual circle
- Seasonal Sabbats
- Esbats at full moons or lunar phases
- Spellwork, divination, and meditation in some traditions
- Initiation, coven work, or solitary practice
Places of worship
- Covenstead
- Home altar
- Outdoor ritual circle
- Festival gathering
Sacred texts
- Book of Shadows in various traditions
- Wiccan liturgies, chants, and ritual books
- Modern Pagan writings
Holidays and observances
- Samhain
- Yule
- Imbolc
- Ostara
- Beltane
- Litha
- Lughnasadh
- Mabon
Branches and related traditions
- Gardnerian Wicca - An initiatory tradition associated with Gerald Gardner.
- Alexandrian Wicca - An initiatory tradition associated with Alex Sanders and Maxine Sanders.
- Eclectic Wicca - Diverse non-lineage or solitary forms drawing from Wiccan practice.