Questions for Wiccans?

inevoielaspreknow

2008-09-03 00:12:29 UTC

1.

Wicca is in no way evil. There are many types of Wicca, but none of them are evil in any way; the differences between them are very small.True Wiccans don't practice anything that has to do with evil; it is a nature and fertility religion (as well as Pagan of course, but there are some evil Pagan religions; Wicca is not one). We believe in Karma, so any harm done to another person will come back at us 3x. It is very peaceful, based on love and respect for the planet.

Although some people define evil as that which is not of their Deity. This is particularly true of the Abrahamic religions. Since Wicca is not of that deity, adherents to these religions term Wicca as evil. This only applies to those who have this definition of evil.

2.

Some Wiccans are:

+Monotheistic, recognizing a single supreme being, "The All" or "The One"

+ Duotheistic, worshiping a female Goddess and a male God, "the Lady and Lord"

+ Polytheistic, recognizing many ancient Gods and Goddesses, like Pan, Diana, Dionysius, Fergus, etc.

+ Atheistic, viewing the Goddesses and Gods as symbols, not living entities

3.

Since I'm not as familiar with Roman Catholic, I'll compare Wicca with Catholicism in general:

Catholicism is a "set" religion. There are no true variations.

Wicca has many variations, and can be combined with like religions; it's more of a personal thing. It has no set of rules, as long as you "harm none".

Catholicism is monotheistic. That is there is only one God.

Obviously Wicca is not monotheistic in nature. (see answer to question 2)

Catholicism teaches that there is a Devil.

The Wiccan religion does not believe in the Devil. For any of you who have heard that we are Devil worshipers, it's just plain not true! We don't think he exists. We see good and bad in everything. This being said, in some Wiccan beliefs, some of the gods have dark sides as well as good.

Catholics pray for guidance.

Wiccans use spells for help.

Catholics believe in one Baptism.

Wiccans don't get baptized unless maybe they have incorporated it into their religion or were baptized before becoming Wiccan.

There are other Sacraments, six in total.

Wiccans don't have this; we have what is called the "Wiccan rede", which is the closest to a set of rules that we have.

Catholics have a Bible.

Wiccans have what we call a Book Of Shadows. Traditionally, in a Wiccan family, this book is passed on from generation to generation. It contains spells, herbal remedies, cooking recipes, favorite bits of poetry- whatever they decide to put in it. Some may only have spells.

4.

Wiccan holidays:

October 31 -- November Eve -- Samhain

December 21 -- Winter Solstice -- Yule

January 31 -- February Eve -- Imbolc (Oimelc) or Brigid

March 21 -- Vernal Equinox -- Ostara

April 30 -- May Eve -- Beltaine

June 21 -- Summer Solstice -- Litha or Midsummer

July 31 -- August Eve -- Lughnasadh or Lammas

September 21 -- Autumnal Equinox -- Mabon or Harvest Home

Wiccan Sabbats (festivals):

Samhain- near Halloween

Yule- December 21

Brigid- February 2

Ostara- around March 21

Beltane- May 1

Litha - about June 21

Lugnasadh (Lammas)- August 1

Mabon- near or on September 21

And I'll tell you a little bit about one of each.

Holiday

June 21 -- Summer Solstice -- Litha or Midsummer

On this day, the noon of the year and the longest day, light and life are abundant. We focus outward, experiencing the joys of plenty, tasting the first fruits of the season. In some traditions the sacred marriage of the Goddess and God is celebrated (in others, this is attributed to the springtime holidays). Rhea, the Mountain Mother of Crete, has breathed out all creation.

Sabbat (festival)

Beltane

or May-Day, is a celebration of love.

It is one of the most important festivals the year. The word Beltane literally means, "shining fire." This is one of the most exciting festivals of the Wheel of the year. It is also one of the only holidays that is usually celebrated in the light of day. The collecting of spring flowers is one of the popular customs of this day. For thousands of years, people would go into the fields to collect the pretty flowers and exchange them.

Towns people would often proceed through the village streets putting flowers on all the houses and buildings. People inside the homes would offer them wonderful food and goodies to eat as sort of a spring version of "trick or treat." Another benchmark tradition of this holiday is the Maypole. In tradition, a fir was used. The young, unwed men would go to the forest and return with the tree that would be fashioned into the pole. The pole was brought to the center of the village to be guarded through the night until the first day of May. On that day, the people would come and dance around the maypole clockwise to bring fertility and good luck. Later, brightly colored ribbons were woven around the pole by the dancers as they wove around eachother. This symbolizes the balance of masculine and feminine energies and the duality of life. The ribbons would then be removed and kept in a safe place to be burned in the Beltane fires of next year. This action represents the old dying to give birth to the new.

Fertility is a central theme of Beltane. The people lived in close connection with the Earth. To have food to eat, the crops and the beasts of the fields would have to be fertile.

In the time of the ancients, this was a life and death matter. For this reason, we have a number of holidays and rituals that are connected with fertility. The maypole is connected to this theme by way of the view point of it being a phallic symbol.

Another fertility representation is the custom of jumping the cauldron. Couples wishing to conceive children will jump the cauldron together. Fertility of all areas of life are invoked during this holiday as well as sexual fertility. This is the day for Wiccans to laugh and banter about having the most joyous of times!

Can you be Wiccan and still worship God?

Yes, and you can even combine some Christian religions with it... but not Catholic, as it is completely against other religions.

When a Wiccan worships god, they do their magick (like spells) through God, and ask him to guide them and do his will. And of course, like the Wiccan rede says, you only use it for good.

I don't know why anyone would say otherwise; because the Divine is the same for everyone, just a different name. So for example: when people believe in more than one God, combined they are actually just one God. One God is a big concept to understand so many cultures divide him into many or a few gods/goddesses.

Mad Hatter

2008-09-03 14:56:07 UTC

1. Since "evil" is a relative term, it would completely depend upon your definition. As a Wiccan though, I would say no. I wouldn't classify my gods or any aspect of my beliefs as evil.

2. We believe in multiple gods. Wicca is not a monotheistic religion.

3. There are too many differences for me to count. Roman Catholicism is monotheistic, Wicca is polytheistic. Roman Catholicism has a concept of absolute good and evil, Wicca does not. The creation of each religion was was influenced by different ideas and each was developed during different social climates...the list goes on and on.

4. By "traditions," I assume you mean practices done by all Wiccans. As has been said by others, the celebrating of the Sabbats. However, it should be noted that different, traditions, covens, and even individuals engage in different practices.

5. In my opinion, no. To do so would be to attempt to combine both religions, which is possible, but it would not represent the beliefs of either religion and would be a completely different religion all together.

Nightwind

2008-09-03 10:56:46 UTC

1. No, although technically it would depend on your definition of "evil."

2. No. Wiccans are polytheists. Some believe there is a deity out there listening to the prayers of the Christians, but they do not believe it is a monotheistic God, and they do not worship him (because God has asked that worshippers worship only him, and we work with a minimum of two.)

3. Same as above. Wicca has no Original Sin. Wicca does not see sex as inherently dirty. Wicca sees each person responsible for their own actions, not the actions of their ancestors. Wiccans do not accept a need for salvation or a Savior. Wiccans do not need intermediaries between themselves and their gods.

4. Define "tradition." Question is unhelpfully vague at present.

5. You cannot be Christian and Wiccan because you cannot honestly be both a polytheist and a monotheist. The *core* beliefs of the two religions contradict each other on several very major points.

More Wicca info:

http://wicca.timerift.net/wicca101

http://wicca.timerift.net/wiccans.shtml

anonymous

2008-09-03 01:30:42 UTC

Wicca relates to the eternal source through a balance of the masculine and the feminine, so the deity takes on both forms of gender. It is also a nature based religion so worship or ritual can be via the natural.

The spiritual path is an individual one and, whilst many wiccans choose to worship in a group or under the guidance of a mentor or priestess, it is recognized that this is not always required. Nor is there a body to which all have to submit to.

Many of the seasonal events in the Christian calender have there roots in the pagan tradition. A lot of the saints days were adopted to replace the different festivals.

There are those who practice some of the occult arts who are practicing Catholics, but in general the Christian churches frown upon this.

Nyssa ♥

2008-09-03 05:30:16 UTC

1. Is Wicca evil? (again not offensive, thats just what I've heard)

Wicca is not evil. Some Wiccans COULD be evil, in the sense that they could be horrible people, but anyone of any religion could be like that, including Catholic. Wicca ITSELF is not inherently evil (by the way: it is also not witchcraft!).

2. Do wiccans believe in God?

Wiccans believe in a God and a Goddess. Some Wiccans worship just these two nameless entities, some worship gods from other, ancient pantheons. The God and Goddess encompass all. They are a unit, one does not exist without the other's influence, and they are totally equal, one not being above the other.

3. I'm roman catholic what are some differences between the two religions?

This is a toughie. There are too many differences between the two religions to fully explain here.

I recommend you read this webpage: http://wicca.timerift.net/christianwicca.shtml . It discusses why Christianity and Wicca cannot be combined into Christian Wicca, and it answers the question of what is different about the two religions.

4. what are some Wicca traditions?

Wiccans celebrate the Sabbats. The sabbats are our holy days. They coincide with many Christian holidays, but they have a completely different meaning to Wiccans. For example, you have Easter, which you view as the death and resurrection of your saviour. We have the vernal equinox, which falls around the same time of year, but it is a fertility celebration. Read this webpage for more: http://wicca.timerift.net/sabbat.shtml

plus could I be wiccan and still worship God?

Most Wiccans would say no, and I would agree with them. I believe it is possible for you to combine Wicca and Christianity, but the resulting combination would resemble neither faith, and therefor you could not technically call yourself a Wiccan who worships the Christian God. I don't like it when people combine Christianity and Wicca and call it "Christian Wicca" or "Christo-Wicca". I feel it is misrepresentative. If you read the website that has the essay about Christian Wicca, you should understand why.

Try this page to answer more questions about Wicca, from a non-Wiccan view point, http://wicca.timerift.net/wicca101/index.shtml , and then try reading over the rest of the site http://wicca.timerift.net to learn more in-depth about the actual practice of Wicca.

?

2008-09-05 17:04:06 UTC

1. In the eyes of the Christian Wicca is evil. In the eyes of a Wiccan it is not. Evil is subjective.

2. Wiccans believe in a god. But the god Wiccans worship is not Jehova/ Yahweh (the christian/judaic god). They also believe in a Goddess. Some wiccans are polytheistic some are duotheistic, and some (less common) are monotheistic.

3.Catholics believe in one god Wiccans typically believe in two or more.

Catholic believe in Jesus, Wiccans do not

Catholics believe in sin, wiccans do not.

Only catholic men can be priests. Wiccan men and woman can

Catholics believe people of other faiths will go to hell. Wiccans dont believe in heaven or hell

Catholics believe in afterlife, most wiccans believe in reincarnation.

You can be Wiccan and still worship god, Wicca does not have any rules about how you worship. But if you want to remain Catholic I wouldn't suggest it as you would be breaking the rules of Catholicism.

Michelle D

2008-09-02 23:54:28 UTC

I am not Wiccan, however I do believe this site answers many of the questions you post here;

http://wicca.timerift.net/wicca101/index.shtml

As for personal experiences:

1. Wicca is a religion. By itself, it is neither good nor evil. The people who follow it are just like you or I, they are people. They merely choose to believe in different things.

2. Wiccans believe in Divinities, yes. Eclectics may even follow a whole Pantheon (or primarily focus on one or two). Others choose to only follow the Horned God and the Triple Goddess, and believe that all others are merely aspects of these two.

3. Some differences might include that Wiccans do not believe in Original Sin, or that Jesus is their Savior, or that the Pope speaks holy writ. Wiccans follow their own path, and normally are exceedingly tolerant of others. They often hold that there is much to be learned in Nature and most of their actions reflect a desire to become more in touch with nature.

4. Traditions vary greatly upon whether one is Solitary or if one belongs to a Coven. Different covens have their own traditions, kind of similar to how a Roman Catholic church has different traditions from a Russian Orthodox church. Certain rites such as Drawing Down the Moon (having the Goddess literally speak through a member) and the symbolic Great Rite (union between the God and Goddess) frequently show up in covens. Solitaries have their own unique rites, perhaps a special rite when the Moon is full, or one for the Changing of the Seasons.

5. To the best of my knowledge, no. You could be a witch (yes, I do know a few Christian witches) however Wiccans mainly believe in duality. Christians hold that there is only one God. Further, Wiccans do not seek repentance, as they hold that there is nothing to repent. Such beliefs, if I recall correctly, conflict with the fundamentals of Christianity. Please do continue asking questions! Learning is always for the better.

Good luck!

Gianni

2008-09-02 23:58:36 UTC

1) Definitely not. Sometimes people accuse us of worshipping the devil or Satan but that's simply not true. As Wiccans, we do not believe in Satan. We alone are responsible for our actions. Please don't misunderstand. We are not all love and light either. Wicca is also about personal transformation, empowerment, and learning. It takes time, it takes work, and most of it is done on your own. I guess the best example I could give is this, I'm a dad. I love my children and would never expose them anything that I perceived to be evil or harmful. My daughter has decided that she too is drawn to Wicca. As a result of her choice, I couldn't be happier. Nuff said.

2) Yes. We do believe in God. We also believe in Goddess.

3) I was Roman Catholic once upon a time. I respect your faith but learned many years ago that it's not for me. I can't agree with any faith that espouses to be "the one and only way". I saw no reason to being constantly threatened with eternal damnation if I didn't strictly follow along.. That said, there are a great many differences between Wicca & Catholicism. We have no popes or bishops who make laws for us. No sacraments or holy days of obligation. We all have a basis for our beliefs but understand that everyone has to approach their Deity in their own way. What's works for me might not work for you. We understand that and respect a persons individuality. That does not mean anything goes. There are definite beliefs that separate Wicca from other spiritual paths.

4) In a few weeks we'll be celebrating the Sabbat of Mabon. It's one of the harvest festivals so there are traditions associated with it. Some will bake bread, can fruits or vegetables, etc. with the thought to give thanks to Mother Earth for providing for us. There will be "First of Fall" festivals and some of us will join with other Pagans in outdoor rituals to honor our Gods/Goddesses. There are 8 Sabbats based on what we call the Wheel of the Year and there are traditional observances for each. Again, not all Wiccans will be doing the same thing.

I hope this answers at least a few of your questions. I will star it in the hope that other Wiccans will see it and add to what I've written. Take care.

silver moons

2008-09-03 07:26:33 UTC

1. No.

2. Gods and Goddesses, spirits, ancestral spirits, the Old Ones. We see nature as divine.

3. One is monotheistic (but Roman Catholic...not really), and one is animistic/polytheistic, go figure

4. British Traditional, Shamanic, Celtic, Dianic, Seax-Wicca, Alexandrian, Gardnerian, Faery Wicca, Christian Wicca (yeah i know :o). I'm a Solitary Shamanic Wiccan.

anonymous

2008-09-03 00:09:04 UTC

1. wicca is not evil.

2. we believe in a god and a goddess.

3. there are a few differences

1. we pray

2. we give thanks, give offerings(not living or dead things)

acorns,flowers,beautiful items of the four spirits.

4. what you put into your rituals is what you get out of it.

you are one with god/goddess .

here are some books for you to look up.

i was a christian, but got tired of all the political bull behind the pulpit.

everyone loses the true meaning of love and life.

Khnopff71

2008-09-03 00:26:13 UTC

Wicca is a religious/spiritual tradition that links itself to ancient polytheistic beliefs. It is based upon an equal balance between female and male deities and archetypes, although many wiccan covens do a disservice by emphasizing the Goddess over the God in a feeble attempt to address the imbalance caused by the patriarchal monotheism of the last few thousand years or so. It is decidedly more Earth-based than many religions, emphasizing a balanced life here on earth as well as in the after-life, since to take care of Earth, one's physical home, is as much a part of a Wiccan's responsibility as taking care of one's soul or spiritual home.

As a religious, spiritual tradition, it is neither good nor evil, for the practices can be used for both. Many wiccans do attempt to harness the power of existence for good causes and purposes, but it is just as incorrect to say that all Wicca and/or Wiccans are evil as it is to say that all Wicca/Wiccans are good. And since many religious beliefs use the 'defects' of other beliefs in order to showcase their own arguement, the 'evil' possibility/potentiality of Wiccan traditions and practices gain more 'press' than the positive ones ('if it bleeds, it leads' is more than just a newspaper maxim.)

As for what 'God' wiccans believe in, it is closer to the idea of the Great Spirit that is predominant in many Native American traditions. The 'great spirit' presides over all existence, but such a spirit can take a certain form in order to better transmit information and guidance. This form, in Wicca/Paganism, becomes the God and Goddess, great spiritual overseers that can be understandable and relatable to human beings, both male and female. Because such 'Gods' are much more involved in the day-to-day activities of human beings, with the belief that taking care of today also takes care of tomorrow and the rest of the future, Wiccans see them as being as close as a flower, instead of thinking of them as distant supernatural ideas that need to be made flesh in a particular person in order to be contacted.

Many of the differences between the two religions are based on viewpoint: a shared duality in Wicca that reconciles itself in all things (now/later, Earth/Heaven, Male/Female, Sacred/Profane) or a monotheism in Christianity that is based as much on power and control as it is about sharing and kindness, with all of the power resting in the hands of male deities and personifications. Women bear a strong but decidedly secondary role in Christianity, whereas in Wicca women can take on strong authoritative roles, since the power to govern wisely is not based on gender but on ability or wisdom, the root of Wicca means 'wise'.

Many ancient and pagan traditions were 'occupied' by Christianity when it rose to prominence. Thus, holidays like Easter and Christmas fall on days that celebrate similar, original pagan holidays. For Easter, the holiday is Ostara, a lesser sabbat or religious day of observance, where the young Goddess is reunited with her lover, the reborn God. The egg, the symbol of new life that represents the newborn God and the upcoming union between him and the Goddess, is still decorated and passed among Christians, only the egg is meant to symbolize the 'new birth' of Jesus.

Christmas, likewise, falls within the same time period as Yule, a period of great feasting during ancient times. Straight from wikipedia:

"According to the medieval English writer the Venerable Bede, Christian missionaries sent to proselytize among the Germanic peoples of northern Europe were instructed to superimpose Christian themes upon existing local pagan holidays, to ease the conversion of the people to Christianity by allowing them to retain their traditional celebrations. Thus, Christmas was created by associating stories of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, the central figure of Christianity, with the existing pagan Yule celebrations, similar to the formation of Halloween and All Saint's Day via Christianization of existing pagan traditions."

In one sense, Christianity did not change any of the old religious connotations since it is very easy to simply substitute Jesus and Mary Magdalene in the roles of Wiccan 'God' and Goddess' since both serve similar functions within both Christianity and Wicca, although the differences are significant according to Christians (Jesus is God but not THAT sort of God, and Mary Magdelen is certainly no Goddess, if you believe them.)

As for 'traditions' many Wiccans find that the traditions they find become a starting point for their faith, not an ending point. It reminds me of a story about and Indian who used to carve ceremonial pipes. Everyone respected his work and thought about how holy and sacred it must be since he made it. However, someone he gifted a pipe to thought it would look/feel different if they carved something extra into it. The old Indian, seeing the initiative, announced that the person who did the carving had reached

cindy h

2008-09-02 22:58:48 UTC

Wiccans do not beleive in God. They worship the earth. What you have to realize is, it is witchcraft, and witchcraft is of satan, no matter how "nice" the witchery is.