Wicca
From The Red Pill
The Basics
Think of the concept of religion as a tree. Paganism would be one of the larger boughs originating from the trunk. From that bough sprouts many, many branches of different legnths and sizes. Wicca is one of the larger ones, and from it there are even more branches. Hopefully, that has illustrated the extreme diversity of Paganism and religion in general, but also conveyed a commonly held Pagan belief that all religion is reaching towards the same goal, we all just go about it in different ways.
The origin of the word "Pagan" is from the Latin paganus, which means "country dweller." There is speculation that it came to be derrogatory and synonymous with "heathen" because of the early Church's efforts to convert the people to their faith; the people (pagans, country dwellers) weren't Christian, so they were heathens. Make sense? Of course, "heathen" means something quite similar, "of the heath," but it generally denotes something more offensive than does pagan nowadays. Still, some people prefer the term Heathen when discussing their religion, such as Asatruar (those who reconstruct practices of ancient Norse/Scandanavian people) and Druids (people who attempt to reconstruct a sacred Celtic priesthood).
Today, Pagan generally refers to anyone that does not follow Christianity, Judaism, or Islam (or, anyone that does not worship Jehovah/YHWH/Allah exclusively). Sometimes the other two "major" religions in today's world, Hindism and Buddhism, are counted as Pagan religions, but not always. In general, Pagans are polytheists (belief in many Gods, as opposed to monotheism, belief in one God), but some are non-dualists. That's a whole other barrel though, and and will be discussed in more detail another time.
In general, Pagans revere Nature, the Moon, the Sun, the Seasons, the Elements, and the cycle of Life, Death, and Rebirth. Specific paths and traditions will focus more on one aspect or another, but they usually include the above, coupled with the worship of the Female aspect of Deity in addition to, or in some cases the replacement of, the Male side. Many Pagan paths are fertility religions, which means they recognize, respect, and rejoice in the growth of nature, each other, and inspiration, since fertility doesn't only refer to sexuality. Of course, there are always exceptions, different branches, with different beliefs and practices.
Obviously, Paganism includes many differing faiths. They will not all be discussed here, as that would take up more space and time than available, so instead this will focus on the author's specific area of knowledge and interest, that being Wicca.
Wicca: There is debate over the actual meaning of this word. Here is one way the definition may have evolved:
"The Random House College Dictionary derived "witch" from medieval English wicche, formerly Anglo-Saxon wicca (masculine), or wicce (feminine): a corruption of witga, short form of witega, a seer or diviner; from Anglo-Saxon witan, to see, to know. Similarly, Icelandic vitki, a witch, came from vita, to know; or vizkr, clever or knowing one. Wizard came from Norman French wischard. Old French guiscart, sagacious one.(1) The surname Whittaker came from Witakarlege, a Wizard or a Witch.(2) The words "wit" and "wisdom" came from the same roots.
1- Leland, Charles Godfrey. Gypsy Sorcery and Fortune Telling. New York: University Books Inc., 1962. Pg. 66. 2- Wainwright, F.T. Scandinavian England. Sussex, England: Phillimore & Co., Ltd., 1975. Pg. 238."
Others believe that the Anglo-Saxon wicce simply means "witch," with no reference to wisdom or knowledge. Others say it means "to bend," which some interpret to be in reference to Magick and spellcraft. But whatever the origin or meaning of the word, Wicca has been a widely practiced branch of Paganism since the mid-20th century, and is still growing today.
There are really only two basic "laws" of Wiccan ethics, the Wiccan Rede and the Three-Fold Law (also called the Three-Fold Law of Return, the Law of Three, the Rule of Three, etc.). The Rede states, "An' it Harm none, do as ye Will," but is a far more profound statement than it seems upon first glance. The Three-Fold Law states that the actions of a Wiccan, for ill or for good, will return to then three-times over.
Also common to Wiccans are the eight yearly Sabbats, celebrations of the seasons based upon an agricultural calendar. While the act of celebrating them is common, how each is celebrated varies between groups and individuals. Wiccans also celebrate the Full Moon, and some the Dark (or New) Moon as well.
Some Wiccans are Traditionalists, meaning they follow a specified path, usually working in Covens or Groves etc., with the same basic ritual for each Esbat (Full Moon) and Sabbat. Often times, a Wiccan tradition will be oathbound and may require specific training and an intiation. Usually, there are three degress of progression in a Wiccan Tradition, and at the third, an initiate is considered an "adult," with all the priviledges and responsibilities related thereto. In general, only specifics of Traditions are oathbound, such as the particular God and Goddess names used, the names of Coven members (without their express permission to reveal them), tools used, details of ritual scripts, and other contents of the tradition's Book of Shadows.
Traditions may vary on which culture's pantheon they call upon and worship, but ususally do not mix Gods from multiple pantheons. Generally, however, Wiccan worship and practice focuses on the archetypes of the God and Goddess, seeing them as the ultimate manifestation of masculine and feminine divinity, sometimes without applying specific names to that. The God and Goddess are also as "two sides of the same coin," so to speak. That is, the God and Goddess are part of an all-encompassing Divine that is present and active in all people, places, and things, but is without gender.
There are also two other forms that Wiccan (and Pagan for that matter) practice can often take. Both usually fall under an emerging term, "Neo-Wicca."
Solitary: This is fairly self-explanitory. Solitaries are those who practice alone, and are usually self-taught through books and other resources. Sometimes this is done by choice, other times by circumstance. Solitaries may consult and consort with other Wiccans to share experience and ideas, and sometimes for celebrations. Although Solitaries rarely follow any specific Tradition, due to lack of others to teach them, there are those occasional few who make due where they can in keeping with a certain Tradition's practices.
Eclectic: The actual meaning of this word is, "Selecting or employing individual elements from a variety of sources, systems, or styles; Made up of or combining elements from a variety of sources," which describes very well what this particular way of practice is all about. Eclectics will often incorporate the customs, beliefs, and Gods of many different cultures into their own belief system and worship. They generally have no set way of practicing, and often "go with the flow," so there is often much variation from ritual to ritual. They can work as Solitaries or in a Coven/Grove, etc. There is an emerging practice among Eclectics, that of Eclectic Traditions. Initiates and/or members of an Eclectic Coven/Grove, etc. will "hive off" and start their own group, carrying on the practices of their Mother Coven, bit also incorporating new elements. This continues on for "generations" of Covens, thus creating an Eclectic Tradition of sorts. Eclectics are often very resistant to the Traditionalist practices of oaths and secrecy, and many will perform self-dedications and/or self-initiations.
