Essay On Wicca

This article is about witchcraft and its different varieties of practices in different cultures. This article explains how witchcraft exists and plays an essential part in structural and functional aspects of a society. It also sheds the light on the journey of witchcraft from being profane and wicked to acceptable part of a culture.

Almost all structured religions have such an ethic, this is a strong belief in the Wicca religion for, nature, and the entire human race. As a Wicca they have a set of moral and spiritual values that precisely fits the purpose. They live by the values and beliefs that direct their lives as witches, from both inside and outside of the Coven setting. The ethics are incorporated into the Wicca law, also known as, The Ethics of Wicca.

It is unknown who founded the Wiccan religion. There is no holy text they follow that offers direction and guidance into the religion. It has no central authority and Wiccans can either practice alone as solitaries or in groups called covens. The practitioners of Wicca create order and meaning within their belief system

To truly understand the meaning of shamanism one must uncover the original definition. The word shaman comes from the language of the Evenk, a small Tungus-speaking group of hunters and reindeer herders from Siberia. It was first used only to designate a religious specialist from this region. By the beginning of the 20th century it was already being applied to a variety of North America and South American practices from the present and the past. Today people have gone as far as defining the word shaman as any human that acknowledges that he/she has had contact with spiritual entities. Well at least the term still refers to human beings.

Though some practice alone or with only their families, many Wiccans are organized into covens of three to thirteen members. Some are led by a High Priestess or Priest, others rotate or share leadership. Some covens are highly organized and hierarchical, while others may be more informal and democratic. Extensive training is often required before initiation, and a coven membership is considered an important

Paganism branches off into : Wicca, Druidry, Astru, Kabbalah, Shamanism and Discordianism. Wicca now has the most followers of the branches of Paganism, it is a polytheistic practice and is prevalent most commonly in the United Kingdom. Druidry is closely aligned with the ancient practices of Wicca, it is based on ancient Celtic Druidism. Astru is rapidly growing but is still the smallest, it is most prevalent in Iceland, Germany, and Scandinavia. Even though Wicca, Druidism, and Astru are very closely related, they all developed independently. Kabbalah is a practice where the mystical and magical aspects came in, it was created by the Jewish during the middle ages. Shamanism is one more common among Native American cultures, they use drumming to send for the shaman to the

Lastly, Wicca does not follow any particular book like Christianity and the Bible, or Islam and the Koran. One book does exist (The Book of Shadows) but it is just a collection of spells which has been updated and extended over

Sandpaintings may be seen as beautiful art by outside observers, but to a Navajo medicine man they are transient tools used in healing ceremonies to divine the source of an illness and its remedy. The sandpainting ritual is important to the Navajo for accessing the unseen world because it acts as a portal or bridge between the worlds across which contact and interaction with the holy people can be made and life-giving power can flow. When a Navajo experiences a physical or mental affliction, it is believed that an imbalance has been created between the ill Navajo, the world, and beings within the unseen world known as the holy people. The holy people, found in Navajo myths, direct their powers against the one who has caused the disturbance

It is important to note that Wiccans are not the type of witches that are often portrayed in Hollywood films nor do they necessarily look as you have been taught to expect. Many turn to Wiccan or Paganism because they find their selves to be lost within their culture and society. Reasonings as to why the Wiccan lifestyle as a religion is charming to people is because they tend to be open to most with an open mind. Free thinking is encouraged and meditation is a regular thing to gain positive energy.

The world is full of many different beliefs, religions, and practices. With so many different beliefs, many very closely related, people tend to confuse the characteristics of some of these beliefs. In a world where political correctness is so important, learning the differences and similarities between similar belief systems can be very useful. One source of confusion is the difference between Paganism, Wicca, and Witchcraft. These terms are primarily mixed up by Christians, who consider the use of magic as a sin, as declared so in Scripture.

There are many who are Wiccan today that do not believe that the origin of their religion is in Witchcraft; while others believe that these religious practices are part of the foundation of Wicca. Because paganism was not an organized religion and was primarily passed on through oral traditions, there is questionable historical evidence to support a direct connection between the two.

There are many different branches, called "traditions", of The Craft, most of which are based on the religious practices of one or more ancient cultures. There are Celtic Wiccans, Egyptian Wiccans, and Greek Wiccans. One of the newest traditions is a hybrid of Celtic Shamanism and the tribal religions of Ancient America. There is, however, a basic outline for conducting worship services that is followed by all covens and solitaries. A standard Wiccan worship service, or ritual, which takes place on one of the eight yearly sabbats (the solstices, equinoxes, and four Ancient Celtic agricultural festivals) or at an esbat (full moon), consists of the creation of sacred space(called "casting the circle;" this is done through visualization), prayers, and offerings (these are usually material possessions, plants, or handmade items; Wiccans never sacrifice animals or people), and a sharing of a simple meal with fellow witches (if a member of a coven) and the Deities. Worship services have many important purposes, but the main reason Wiccans perform rituals is to gain understanding of the energies of the divine and, ultimately, the energies contained in the witch himself/herself. The harnessing

Wicca is a religion just like any other religion that we practice today such as Christian it, Judaism, Hinduism and more. Its image has been marred by people the image which it usually evokes such as the old crone stirring her cauldron with a black cat ready to strike. If you are just getting started in Wicca or want to know if it is for you, the wiccan basics is the book for you. There is a great deal to understand about the craft before you can get to the point of actually doing spells. You need to develop a connection with a goddess, a god and of course, the elements. You need to know where Wicca comes from.

Hi Nellie! Thanks for the reply. Your right some people probably do try and practice witchcraft in todays society, I am guessing they don't get very far. I find it hard to believe in things like witchcraft. When I was 17 I had a psychic reading at a local county fair. At that time I was very gullible. I felt like she read right through me. She claimed she could see my future based on my past. It freaked me out. I later looked into it and all of the questions she asked would help answer all of the questions concerning my past. I no longer believe in such thing. I feel as if psychics fall under the same category of shamanism in some way. I think that I would only be able to believe in the power that mediums have, if I experience it myself. In

Shorter defines witchcraft as the “inborn power to harm others secretly and unjustifiably.” This mean, there is no reason, it shows that witches harm randomly because they are driven to do so. According to Magesa, they operate psychically and project from the mind their powers on the victim. There is no rite preformed or spell uttered. Magesa draw a dichotomy between a sorcerer and a witch thereby states, “The use