12 Domains of Culture on Religion, Spirituality and Worship

Introduction The terms Witchcraft, Wicca, and Paganism are often used interchangeably. However, the terms have very different meanings and each term has a complex history. First, I will discuss each terms brief history and then their definitions. Finally, at the end, I will sum up my conclusions concerning the terms similarities and differences.

One of the greatest myths precipitated about Wicca is that it is an ancient religion. Wicca is not an ancient religion. It has no ties to medieval or even pre--‐Christian religious beliefs. Wicca was inspired by a theory of Margaret Murray, who proposed that there was one organized Cult of Diana. This idea is largely dismissed as inaccurate and Murray’s work is considered by scholars to be full of factual errors.

I found it interesting to know that the Wiccan religion does have holidays. There are 8 holidays called Sabbats. The Wiccan calendar follows the seasons. These holidays are Samhain, Yule, Imbolc, Ostara, Beltane, Litha, Lammas, Mabon. Kathy states the Goddess also goes through the seasons as Maiden, Mother and Crone. Here are a few dates and Holidays that Kathy mentions. Samhain is the Wiccan New Year. Which is October 31 or November 1. This is a big holiday for her. Her family gets together and has a big feast on this day. Kathy states “The veil between worlds is the thinnest during this time.” I found that very interesting. Imbolic is the holiday that celebrates the beginning of the preparations of Spring and planting. The time of year for this holiday is February 1st and 2nd. Kathy is real big into harvest and planting. She has a big garden in her backyard. She was so kind as to give me some of her cucumbers that she planted and grew in her garden.

Clifford Geertz, in his essay “Religion as a Cultural System”, presents what he considers to be the definition of religion. According to him, religion is about symbols and people use these symbols as a guide for their view of the world and how they should behave in that world. Religion, states Geertz is “a system of symbols which acts to establish powerful, pervasive, and long-lasting moods and motivations in men by formulating conceptions of a general order of existence and clothing these conceptions with such an aura of factuality that the moods and motivations seem uniquely realistic” (Geertz, The Interpretation of Cultures, page 90). What he is trying to do in this essay is provide the reader with a way of understanding religion by

As time moves forward many ideas and concepts move forward with it. Wicca and Witchcraft then, and now, are seen through a new light. There was a dark cloud covering the topic of witchcraft for centuries. This dark cloud has lifted and we are able to understand with a scientific mind why there was a dark area in history covering Witchcraft. Witchcraft and Wicca are not the same thing, contrary to what many people believe.

The following paper will talk about Wicca and Paganism as a religion within the United States. Wicca is a diverse community as a religion, but is not yet considered by any Supreme court case but some aspects such as traditions are recognized by the federal and state courts. This will be further touched upon further later on.

Living with earth-centered Pagan values is not new or unusual. Though blessed with a surplus of modern conveniences & high technology, something in all of us deeply connects to a simpler past. In fact, the term "pagan" comes from the Latin word for "country dweller”. Most people experience Paganism today as artifacts of popular culture rather than as a complete spiritual practice. Many seasonal festivals such as Halloween, Christmas, Mardi Gras, Easter, May Day, & Groundhog Day, plus hundreds of other folk traditions, originated in ancient Paganism.

In most religions, there is a main God. In the religion of Wicca, there is a Goddess that is the focus of worship (“Wicca Beliefs and Practices”). They believe all have a God or Goddess within, and one will naturally develop gifts for divination (“Wicca Beliefs and Practices”). Every member has their own spiritual path to follow. This belief is shared by many other religions as well. The rituals they perform are associated with the seasons and moon phases. Wiccans also believe meditation, chanting, rituals, burning candles, and other religious actions help set off a sense of the mystical (“Wicca Beliefs and Practices”). They do not believe in heaven or hell but they do believe in the concept of karma and reincarnation (“Wicca Beliefs and

All through history, religion and what God someone follows has drastically affected their lifestyle by affecting their political statuses. The way someone lived was determined by what religion they followed politically,economically and socially. Most colonies official religion was Anglican/Church of England or Christianity but some did not have an official religion which created problems. The slaves that were forcefully immigrated to the colonies were not able to practice their own religion because some owner were extremely religious and other were not able to connect to their God or Gods. American history demonstrate that religion and the God someone followed had drastic effects with politics by not being able to be part of it, economy by not being able to own any land and make money for himself , and society by not being about to join any communities or organization extremely affected slaves to reach true happiness in the place they call home.

Wicca is a one of the 300 plus religions in the world today . Wiccan is also known as the Witchcraft. Wiccan is a belief that thousands of people practice and this paper is going to explain all of Wicca that you may not know.

The Five Points of Wiccan Belief encompass all of the core beliefs which are essential to learning and practicing. The Five Points of Belief are as follows: The Wiccan Rede, The Law of Return, The Ethic of Self-Responsibility, The Ethic of Constant Improvement, and The Ethic of Attunement. These belief points are the foundation of the Wiccan culture. Referring back the first tenet, the Wiccan Rede, “as it harm none, do as thou will”, it is comparable to the Golden Rule: do unto others as you do unto yourself.

Wicca is a sect of the religion of known as Witchcraft. It was established surprisingly by a man named Gerald Gardner in the early 50’s. It’s based on a medley of traditions and beliefs experienced and learned others as well as Garner Himself. Wicca is a highly structured form branched off from the beliefs of Witchcraft, incorporating initiations onto its advancement of leadership. Many unknowingly intertwine the label Wicca with Witchcraft together, but it’s not exactly the same thing. Although Wicca spawns from Witchcraft it is however its own religion and shows its own beliefs that differ. There are many traditions, beliefs, and ideology throughout the religion of Witchcraft, Wicca is just some of the vast denominations in a vast pool of other branches of witchcraft.

Essay Two In his book, The Triumph of the Moon: A History of Modern Pagan Witchcraft, the English historian, Ronald Hutton discusses many topics. This book covers the history of Wicca and a modern version of the Pagan religion in the early twentieth century of England. With this text, a lot of controversy has arisen.

When discussing religion, many people have different perspectives about religion beliefs and how to approach it. Religion is grouped in different sections such as, religion and spirituality, religion and philosophy, and religion and politics. Religion has many different views from different cultures because everyone approaches it differently with different beliefs also. To make something religion, is to have some type of belief in God, but everyone’s belief is different depending on the culture someone is located in. In society back then and today, religion has no set essence of a definition because of the different aspects people group religion in. This paper will explain the different aspects of what people believe constitutes different types of religion.

(Author Unknown. Blessed Be. Online Wicca Resource Center, publisher unknown date of resource creation unknown. Publication unknown. Sept. 30th 2011.)