Wicca 101 – Tidbits
Here are the answers to some questions I have been asked recently:
Q: Is there a specific Wicca deity?
A: There are many “traditions” within witchcraft and Wicca. For instance, a Dianic tradition, which derives its name from the Goddess Diana, may acknowledge and use only the Goddess aspects and not address any male deities. However, most traditions acknowledge both a female and male deity on the basis that one could not exist without the other and in deference to the idiom “as above, so below,” wherein the reverse must also be true (i.e., “as below, so above” meaning if there are men and women on earth, there must be a Goddess and God “above”). There is a Norse tradition which venerates Freya and Thor; a Celtic tradition which venerates Dagda and the Morrigan; an Egyptian tradition which venerates Isis and Osiris; the list of traditions is extensive and continuously growing. Some traditions work with a mixture of deities for different purposes. Some simply address divinity as “Goddess and God and the All-in-One” or “Lady and Lord.” Each person and group (or coven) is free to define for themselves what the terms are and what the terms mean to them. That is one of the many beauties of this path.
Q: Aren’t all religions, at their base, built upon the same “foundations?”
A: Wicca/witchcraft is NOT a religion. There are no rules that every pagan, witch and Wiccan agrees upon. Most, but not all, witches and Wiccans follow the “rede” which reads “An it harm none, do as ye will.” Those who do not follow the rede believe it is restrictive; they reserve the right to punish their enemies or anyone who tries to harm them. Another example is the “rule of three” which specifies that what you send out will come back to you three-fold; some believe, some do not. Usually witches and Wiccans that don’t believe in the rede don’t believe in the rule of three either; obviously, they wouldn’t want the rule of three to be operative if they want to put a curse on someone, otherwise the curse would come back to them three times worse! So, while it is true that ALL of the world’s religions have the following in common (a creed, doctrines, dogmas, theology, myths, cosmologies, anthropologies, eschatologies, philosophies, beliefs, miracles, signs, symbols, semiotics, semantics, relics, amulets, talismans, denominations, sects, orthodoxy, heresy, heterodoxy, apostasy, conversion, missionaries, holy cities, gender, and racial and ethnic issues, all wrapped up in the big bow of ORGANIZATION with the attendant development of religious law, religious power, religious hierarchies, religious properties, and religious monies, etc.), witchcraft and Wicca are NOT organized and do not share ALL of the preceding throughout the entire spiritual grouping, collectively and loosely referred to as “Pagani” (the plural of Pagan). It is the sharing of and identification with agreed upon definitions within a group of ALL of these factors that makes and creates a religion. Were I to sit down and write a creed, document my doctrines, outline my dogmas, develop my theology, etc., through the whole list, then I could be considered a religion consisting of one single person. Pppfftt! Why would I bother? That is why the majority of Pagani dislike and don’t use the word “religion;” we say “spiritual path” or something similar.
Q: Is it just the Christian belief system that includes “Love Thy Neighbor?”
A: “Love Thy Neighbor” is certainly not just a Christian concept. The whole of Christianity was built upon pre-existing religions; there is NOTHING new in Christianity except it’s name. I invite you to read the first part of this post: http://faeriekat.wordpress.com/2008/01/30/zeitgeist/. Then check out these websites: http://www.unification.net/ws/theme015.htm and http://www.teachingvalues.com/goldenrule.html. “Love Thy Neighbor” fits well within the definition of “harm none.”
Q: How many years do I have to be within the craft to become a High Priestess?
A: Different traditions have their own criteria for and definition of what constitutes a High Priestess, what courses of study are required, and what level of knowledge and maturity must be reached. Additionally, some High Priestesses are elected by their coven, some are selected by the High Priestess they are replacing, some are selected by the High Priest, and some are granted that title by virtue of their heritage.
Solitary practitioners, like myself, do not use the term at all, because it presupposes a hierarchy, and you must have more than one person to be “higher” than someone else. Sometimes, when a solitary practitioner is acknowledged by others or they themselves feel they have reached a level of knowledge sufficient to qualify as “wise” in the craft, she may call herself a “Teacher,” “Crone” or “Wise Woman,” celebrating the fullness of life and her role as this third incarnation of the Goddess.
Bendithion
