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Wicca Fog

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Since the beginning of time, there have been numerous variations of religion. All across the globe, from New Zealand to Belgium, everyone has had a denomination of sorts--at one time or another. With the creation of new religions popping up throughout the centuries, there comes with them some heavy set opinions, and in turn many “righteous” actions. One of the most critiqued religions of the bunch is Wicca. Since the beginning of it’s formation, it has received more than its fair share of assessment, demolition, and genocide. The problem with opinions on such a heavy topic, is that people don’t usually take into account all of the facts and different aspects before being quick to judge. Hopefully this essay will clear up some of the fog in …show more content…

Debbie Wiseman, an anthropomorphic religious studies expert, refers to Wicca as “a modern religion based on pre-Christian Witchcraft traditions,” rather than coining them with the ever imposing term of “witches” itself. Wicca originates from numerous backgrounds but mostly, in part, from ancient northern European Paganistic beliefs like that of the Druids found in Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. Due to the publishing of the Books of Wicca by Gerald Gardner in 1951, anthropologists have come to the general understanding that these books were the beginnings of the mass movement that created the modernized variation of Wicca practiced today (Wiseman, 2015). One of Garder’s main influencers was an Egyptologist and anthropologist named Margaret Murray, who researched witchcraft during the first world war. She discovered that witchcraft was a “blend of many different polytheistic and/or nature revering religions and spiritual persuasions based on the belief system and way of life” (Wiseman, 2015). In short, Wicca is a nature based, multi-god worshipping religion that revolves around the cycles of the moon and the coexistence of the …show more content…

According to Wiseman, “Wicca is a way of life to it’s many followers, it’s a philosophy.” It is a unique religion, in that the hierarchy found in most practiced religions today is not present. It lacks the tiered code, and allows both male and female to be equal in all aspects. Both sexes have an opportunity to be initiated into priesthood, much to the contrasting variation found in Catholicism. Once someone is introduced to a circle or coven, people are encouraged to develop their own individualistic ideals and style of worship. In fact, it is found to be immoral to impose beliefs upon one another, but rather everyone should create their own and embrace them. This is based on the “Wiccan Golden Rule,” found in the Wiccan Reed, which states, “An Ye Harm None, Do As Ye Will” (Wiseman, 2015). This essentially translates to “you must tolerate and respect one another,” and is held as one of the highest values found within Wiccan

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