Wicca is one of several Neo-Paganism religions that experienced an enormous revival in parts of Europe and North America in the second half of the twentieth century. According to some sources, Wicca was the eighth largest religion in the USA at the turn of the century, with more followers (between 200 000 and 500 000) than established religions such as, for example, Buddhism.

Wicca Like other Neo-Paganism religions, Wicca is a modern version of an ancient indigenous pagan religion that more or less died away with the expansion of Christianity. Modern Wicca is a combination of certain principles of the ancient Celtic religion in which the goddess of fertility and the Horned God were worshiped, rituals and practices that were taken over from other occult groups (for example magic), and twentieth-century knowledge.

ABOVE: Wicca-witch performing a ritual in nature.

Basic doctrines of Wicca The Goddess and the Horned One Like other Neo-Paganism religions, Wicca is a form of nature worship. Practitioners of Wicca believe in a balance of polarities (divergences) that are regarded as male and female. These two poles - the male and female - are embodied in nature as two deities known as the Goddess and the Horned One. The two deities form a perfect balance and are regarded as equals.

ABOVE: Wiccans believe the “Horned One”brings death and represents the “male force”. The Goddess represents the internal 'force of existence' and the origin of the entire creation including the earth, nature and life itself. Proof of goddess worship in the pre-Christian era has been found all over Europe in the form of small female statues. The Goddess has three aspects or 'faces' that are respectively depicted as the virgin, the mother and the crone, and correspond with various cycles in nature, such as the three positions of the moon, the female menstrual cycle and the cycle of birth, life and death. The Horned One (also known as the ancient Celtic god Cernunnos - 'horned') represents the male side of nature and is also the one that opens the 'gate' to life and death. He possesses the fertility that enables the Goddess to give life, but is at the same time the hunter and therefore also

the one who brings death. Wiccans believe that the Horned One represents the male force that is wild and strong, but not violent, patriarchal or destructive. Images of the Horned One also later appeared in Egypt, Mesopotamia, and India. Wiccans believe that pagan gods such as Diana, Pan and Zeus all represent different qualities of the Goddess and the Horned One.

Three important beliefs Unlike most religions and faith groups Wicca does not have a specific set of rules and prescriptions that members have to follow. However, there are three beliefs or principles that serve as guidelines for everything Wiccans believe and do. Wiccan Rede The first principle is called the Wiccan Rede and serves as ethical guideline for magic as well as the everyday life of the Wiccan. It simply states: "If it harms none, do what you will." Wiccans can decide for themselves what path they want to follow in life, as long as nobody, themselves included, is harmed. Three-fold law The second principle in which Wiccans believe is the three-fold law. This means that a person's deeds come back three times over. If you do something evil, evil three times worse will affect you, and if you do something good, something three times better will be returned to you. Reincarnation Wiccans do not believe that a heaven or hell exists. They believe that a person's soul is reborn in another body after his or her death. Some groups believe that this cycle of birth, death and re-birth is infinite, while others believe that a soul that has learnt all the lessons of life finds eternal rest in a place they call Slumberland.

ABOVE: An artist's impression of reincarnation. Reincarnation is viewed as a kind of 'cosmic legal system' that also controls the abuse of magic, as a person's deeds in this life determine in what position one will be born again in one's next life.

Holy writings Wicca does not have a specific set of all-encompassing holy writings. Each coven has its own Book of Shadows with rituals, invocations and amulets that are important to it. Wiccans like to copy rituals or aspects of rituals from each other or from other forms of magic. These are then adapted as the group experiments to find out what is the most effective for the group.

Special feast days Like other Neo-Paganists, Wiccans have four important feast days and four lesser feast days that are all called sabbats, and occur more or less 45 days apart. The main sabbats are the Samhain (31 October), Imbolc (2 February), Beltaine (1 May) and Lammas (1 August). Their origin is thought to be related to hunting, farming and the fertility of animals.

ABOVE: Wiccans and other New Paganists performing solstice-rituals at Stonehenge in England. The four lesser sabbats are the two annual equinoxes on 21 March and 21 September (equinoxes - when the day and night are of equal length), and the two solstices (when the sun is furthest away from the equator). In the northern hemisphere the winter solstice falls on 21 or 22 December and the summer solstice on 21 or 22 June. In the southern hemisphere these two are reversed. During sabbats Wiccans from different groups sometimes meet to celebrate the festivals together.

Symbols Wicca does not have a specific symbol, but most occult symbols are recognised and used. Images of the Horned One or the Three-Fold Goddess (often as the different positions of the moon) and pentagrams are particularly popular.

Organisation and structure Most Wiccans are individuals who carry out rituals on their own and they do not necessarily have contact with other Wiccans. Others form part of small covens that comprise no more than fourteen members. Covens usually split into two separate groups as soon as there are fourteen or more members. Covens usually have a High Priest and/or Priestess who represents the Horned One and the Goddess respectively and who is elected by the other members. Barring a few exceptions, there is seldom a hierarchical structure or overarching organisation outside the coven.

Rituals and practices The rituals and practices used in Wicca come from a wide variety of sources in magic, and therefore differ considerably from one group to the next. Rituals are mainly carried out during Esbats, but also during special meetings that are arranged mutually by the group. Covens usually prefer to meet somewhere out of doors where outsiders will not disturb them and they can be close to nature. A circle is made of branches or rope or drawn on the ground with a stick, and all rituals are carried out in this circle. A wand, chalice, pentagram and athame (dagger) are used to represent the four elements, while the High Priestess represents the fifth element - spirit. During rituals a 'cone of power' is generated and released to achieve the objectives of the ritual concerned. The aim of rituals can vary from healing, soothsaying (through different methods), teaching (where the High Priest or Priestess serves as medium through which the Horned One or Goddess teaches the other members), dedication of aids or initiation of new members. When the rituals have been completed, the group eats and drinks together and the circle is then destroyed.

ABOVE: Tools used by Wiccans and other New Paganists for their rituals. Although modern Wiccans express themselves strongly against any practices that will harm others, animal and human sacrifices undoubtedly played an important role in the original Celtic religion from which Wicca developed (see Druidism).

Glossary Amulet: A lucky charm (usually a small stone) that contains magic and protects the wearer against evil spirits or brings him/her luck. Burning Times: Period from 1550 to 1850 AD when a total of approximately 200 000 people in Europe were accused of witchcraft and devil worship and killed - mainly by burning them alive at the stake. Celts: An Indo-European nation that developed a unique culture from about 800 BC and migrated west through Europe and lived in the British Isles, modern France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, north western Spain and a part of Turkey by 200 BC. Chalice: Used during rituals to drink, among other things, water. The liquid it contains is a female symbol of the element water, and by drinking of this together, the goddess is made part of the group. Circle: A special round area indicated by string, sticks or drawn in the ground within which NeoPaganists practise their rituals. Cone of Power: Spiritualistic energy that is raised during rituals and released to achieve certain objectives in magic. Curse: A practice in magic to harm someone by casting a 'spell' on him. Elements: Five natural elements, earth, air, water, fire and spirit (akasha), which form the basis for all natural magic. Familiar: A spirit or protector that becomes the companion of a witch or wizard and manifests itself in a special object or pet. A cat is easily used for this, thus the old perception that witches all have black cats. Esbats: Wicca meetings that are held during the phases of the moon to carry out magic rituals. Hexagram: A geometric representation of two overlapping triangles. Originally a Judaist symbol known as the Star of David. Used in modern magic to raise spirits or to drive them out. Magic: The manipulation of supernatural forces to accomplish change in the visible (natural) and invisible (spiritual) world through a variety of rituals, spells and other practices. In brief: any action or gesture that activates magic or possesses magic. Medium: A person who serves as an intermediary between the living and the spirit world. Offerings: A sacrifice or gift to a supernatural being as a plea, in thanks or as a penalty. It can consist of food, drink, animals or even people. Pentagram: A five-pointed star drawn in one continuous line that is commonly used as the sign of the occult and allegedly has special powers. In Neo-Paganism the five points represent the five elements, with spirit at the top.

Soothsaying: Practice of making predictions or obtaining secret knowledge on the basis of signs or phenomena. Spell: An expressed or written formula to cause change to circumstances, a person or events. White witch: A term to distinguish someone who practises white magic from someone who practises black magic. Witch: Someone who practises magic (man or woman). Witch hunt: The prosecution of witches and wizards. Refers particularly to the Burning Times. Wizard: Someone who practises magic, and usually a man. Note: The meanings given here refer to the use of the words in a Neo-Paganism context. A few of these words also have other meanings. Article by Manie Bosman (E-Mail [email protected])