Is Wicca A Religion Or Hocus Pocus?

The term skyclad is used to refer to the ritual of nudity. This for pagan and neo-pagan cultures, especially the Wicca religion. Some Wicca groups, or traditions, carry out all or some of their skyclad rituals. While nudity and the practice of witchcraft have been associated in the visual arts, the contemporary ritual of nudity is often attributed to the influence of both Gerald Gardner and the work Aradia, or the Gospel of the Witches, and as such it is mainly due to the Gardnerian translation and Aradiana covens.

Some holidays I celebrate are associated with religion. For example, one holiday I celebrate is Christmas. To my family and I, it more than just about Santa Claus and giving gifts. It is the day Jesus, our Lord and Savior, was born. I do give gifts to others, but I also incorporate the religious aspect by attending church. Another holiday that is celebrated by all African-Americans is Black History Month. Occurring the entire month of February,

Witchcraft is a religion. Wicca is one type of Witchcraft, but the term "Wicca" is occasionally applied to Witchcraft in overall. In the United States, most people who practice this religion call themselves Witches or Wiccans. It is an earth-based religion and in some ways is similar to Native American spirituality. Wicca (sometimes called Wicce, The Craft, or The Old Religion) is based on an ancient religion of love for life and nature. The religion of Witchcraft or Wicca is recognized by most state governments, the federal government, and the United States Armed Forces. The courts have recognized the right of even prisoners to practice this religion on an equal basis with other religions. In ancient times, people appreciated the great forces of Nature and celebrated the seasons’ cycles and the moon. They saw spirituality in the sun and moon and in the Earth Herself. Basically, in all life.

Voodoo is a religion also known as Vodou or Voudon. In modern day society, the word ‘Voodoo’ usually brings others to the thought of dolls with pins stuck in them to cause pain on one’s enemies and the resurrection of the dead as zombies. In addition, black magic, animal sacrifices, and circles of worshipers dancing to the beat of a drum are just a few of the many other misconceptions about the practice of Voodoo. According to anthropologist Wade Davis, however, “Voodoo is not some kind of dark mystical force, it is simply a legitimate religion” (Handwerk, 2002). Though Voodoo began in West Africa, it is practiced in various forms worldwide. As the religion of Voodoo spread, it encountered a difficult transition. In spite of this hardship,

Wicca is a positive, harmonious, nature-based religion, and the largest within Neopaganism (Neopaganism refers to all Eastern religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism and so on). Wicca, is also known as Pagan Witchcraft and as the name says, it is the practice of white Witchcraft and the worship of nature and it’s seen as a religion that’s based on pre-Christian traditions. It is relatively modern, it has been around for only about 50 years and was developed in England by Briton Gerald Gardner, a retired British civil servant, in the 1940’s and 50’s.

According to official Scientology website (www.scientology.org), Scientology is a religion that offers a precise path leading to a complete and certain understanding of one’s true spiritual nature and one’s relationship to self, family, groups, mankind, all life forms, the material universe, the spiritual universe and the supreme being. A cult can be defined as group of people having religious beliefs or practices regarded by others as strange or sinister. Scientology is a cult. My essay will raise points to support my thesis.

"We should educate people that 'Witch' is not evil but ancient and positive. The first time I called myself a 'Witch' was the most magical moment of my

From my understanding witchcraft is what is basically used to explain situations that human kind believe is unexplainable in terms of science or nature; or simplified reasons of human understanding of the world around us. These understandings of which most are found in rural or secluded areas, and in places where wealth is distributed unequally. I also gather from the readings of; Evan Pritchard, that witchcraft explains functionalism in primitive though lines and in contrast to Fraser McNeil and Daniel Jordan Smith’s readings witchcraft in another context explains structuralism.

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.

The development of Wicca in the modern times is associated with a gentleman named Gerald Gardner (1884-1964). He was a British civil servant and amateur archaeologist, who spent most of his working years in Southern Asia. Upon his return to England, he authored the book Witchcraft Today, which outlined many of the rituals and doctrines of the religion that is now called Wicca. Although Gardner claimed his book was inspired from Celtic traditions, it is actually a combination of Western faith, Asian magic, god and goddess worship, and Masonic rituals (Melton). The religion Gardner outlined in his book is a nature-oriented faith where a low emphasis on magic predominates. While there is a tendency to see Wicca and Witchcraft as one and the same and some Wiccans may identify themselves as witches, it is a personal choice and many modern Wiccans do not see themselves as witches. Witchcraft describes a magically-oriented practice but lacks the spiritual foundation that Wicca as a religion embodies. Today=s modern Wiccan religion is not the religion that Christians tried to

Unlike most religions thoughts on a divine ultimatum, Wiccans believe that the world shares the two alternatives of heaven and hell, in a glimpse of what was mentioned in the class group assignment, most Wicca’s believe that we have a shared space with heaven and hell. In Christianity and most other popular first world religions Heaven is the place where God dwells. It is a location that is a spiritual utopia in nature. That doesn’t seem to be the case with Wiccas,

Voodoo is the religion of the slaves who wanted to defeat their masters. They found power though procession of the spirits. It was unusual for a Wiccan to want me to become one in the coven if Wiccan is all nature.

Buddhist teachings consist of teaching others how to end suffering in their own lives. Buddha teaches that if you follow an eightfold path, then you are moving toward reaching nirvana. This is the end of all suffering and the goal of all Buddhists.

What is Religion? Religion has many meanings; a way of life, belief, and practices. In America people have different views on religion; it was indicated in the constitution. What is the constitution? The constitution is set of laws approved by the state. Religion and constitution are separate. As stated in the constitution of the United State of America, the first amendment, “congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.” In other words the constitution and religion are not connected. The founder fathers meant when talking about “freedom of Religion,” is that the state and church are separate; because people saw the church as mass control, people were also affected by the English’s monarchies and lastly the Americans

To begin with, I will start with what I first thought about the terms, magic, science, and religion. I first understood magic as something that was an act of illusion, used to trick or entertain other people. Having seen YouTube videos and live shows of magicians performing magic tricks, and seeing a live hypnotist hypnotizing audience members, I thought I knew everything about magic. I believed that they were always just an illusion, and its main uses were for entertainment purposes. I also confused magic with voodoo, something I saw in the television series, The Vampire Diaries. In one particular episode, someone who is considered a witch summons someone who is dead and allows him to be