What is Wicca?

“Wicca” is an Old English word meaning magic user. A male Witch is called a Witch, not a warlock. These days a Wiccan is a person who practices a life-affirming, nature-oriented religion. In general, Wiccans honour Deity in both female and male forms.

In addition, some traditions may encompass other beliefs. Some traditions are practiced by women only and recognize only Goddesses. Others include men and recognize male Gods in addition to Goddesses. Some folk traditions may date back many centuries; others have been in existence for only a few years. The strength of Wicca lies in its diversity. It is a living, growing religious tradition.

The short answer: Witch comes from the Old English Wicce (masculine) or Wicca (feminine) meaning “magician or diviner. The word Witch is not related to Wizard which means a wise man or philosopher.
Some Witches pray (in the popular sense of the word), some don’t. Some Witches regularly meditate on the Deities of their choice; some only invoke Deities to empower a ritual or to work Magic.

As to who or what our Deities are, you will get nearly as many answers as there are Wiccans. The majority opinion seems to be that there is a transcendent Divine, the sum of all that is and that everything partakes of that Divinity. The Moon, the Sea, and the Earth can all be personified as Goddesses, although saying that Wiccans worship the Moon.

We believe that life is essentially good, and creation and destruction are part of natural cycles. Evil is that which causes harm and/or decreases the joy in the world. The source of evil is not any kind of devil or demiurge, but human action. Evil is also subjective: what is good for one may be evil for another and vice versa. For example, a man kills an antelope for food — the antelope’s death is bad to the antelope, but good to the man who must eat to live.

The Lost Bearded White Brother