Essay On Wicca

As with altars having comparable traits to a shrine, there are other comparisons of the Wiccan religion to the more traditional religions of the United States and the rest of the world. For instance, praying is comparable to meditation in Wiccan society. Even with this comparison of prayer and meditation, Wiccans pray to their God and Goddess. This will be elaborate later on. Another comparison is initiation. Most, if not all Wiccan, go through initiations which is a ceremony that initiates them fully into the dedication of Wicca. One can do this alone, but it is recommended to be initiated with a Wiccan group, instead of solidarity.

Several of these simple Wiccan spells allow even a new believer to begin practicing Wicca. There isn’t just one single Wiccan book of spells, but there is a large list of books and histories that Wiccans refer to in their teachings and belief system.

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.

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

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

In Native American witchcraft, amulets and charms play the central role. Practitioners of one region dress similarly as well as use same kind of totems to have a sense of unity with each other. For them land is considered as deity that provides them with objects necessary for witchcraft and magic. These objects come in many shapes and forms. These may include herbs, stones, feathers, bones etc (world of Wicca, 2014).

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.

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 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 was born when Gerald Gardner paid Aleister Crowley 200 pounds to write his system of modern witchcraft. They used the Masonic lodge structure as a guide to the initiatory rituals of Wicca, including ending spells with So Mote it Be, and the act of pointing a sword at the chest of a person and saying “It is better if you rush upon this blade than enter the circle with fear in your heart. How do you enter?”. The Free Masons are a fraternal organization that can trace its

Rituals are thought-in/as-action.” Many Wiccan rituals follow the same patterns. The circle is drawn, the corners or quarters are called, the altar is placed in the middle of the circle and the same symbolic tools are used in nearly all Wiccan rituals. The chants, incantations, and spells may change from rite to rite or ceremony to ceremony but the opening sequences of each ritual is performed in nearly identical

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.

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.

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