What is Wicca? What is Witchcraft? Is there a Difference??
Wicca:
Wicca is a religion. Essentially, Wicca is a polytheistic religion that places sole focus upon dedication and reverence for male and female deities, generally referred to as the Goddess and God (by name based upon individual preferences and traditions followed). This religion is BASED upon beliefs that are pre-Christian in origin. The common misconception is that Wicca IS an ancient religion. This is an erroneous assumption. Many authors like to confuse Wicca with Witchcraft, which is an ancient practice. The problem lies in the creation of Wicca itself. While Gerald Gardner, roughly 50 or so years ago, created Wicca to be a modern revival of Witchcraft, many people misunderstand Wicca to be an ancient religion, simply because Gardner "borrowed" aspects of ancient Witchcraft (as well as many other aspects from other religions, practices and spiritual beliefs) and created his religion of Wicca. Wicca incorporates Witchcraft into its religious practices, calling upon the God and/or Goddess to assist in their Witchcraft practices and spell work.
Witchcraft
Witchcraft's origins are largely unknown. It is theorized by many, that Witchcraft was practiced for centuries before any organized religion took form. It is also theorized that Witchcraft was perhaps practiced by cavemen, or people of the ancients, who would dance around a bonfire in a ritualistic hunt, some wearing animal skins to depict the animal, and the hunters carrying their weapons of hunting, to ensure a prosperous hunt, envisioning how the hunt would progress and seeing themselves returning successful; afterward they would take part in the actual hunt, remembering the ritualistic dance, and thus returning successful.
Visualization is a major point in Witchcraft, to ensure that one's craftings would become successful. Witchcraft does not place sole focus upon any particular deities; many Witches don't even believ, nor honor/worship any deities at all. Witchcraft's focus is upon crafting, not deity worship. Many Witches are adept at herbalism, gemology and astroloty, among other practices...many Witches partake in many psychic activities, as well, but remember that psychism is not a sign of being a Witch, nor is it a necessity or requirement to be one.
The main difference between Witchcraft and Wicca is the fact that to be a Witch, it does not require the belief in any deities, nor are there any universal ethical beliefs or rules that must be followed by each and every Witch (That, is left to the individual Witch). Wicca has their core tenent of ethical belief entitled "The Wiccan Rede" in which states "An it harm none, do what thou will". Many confuse the Rede with "The Rede of the Wiccae", which is a pretty poem that incorporates the Wiccan Rede within, but is not the Rede itself. Many also seem to believe that the Rede is only two words "Harm None" and this too is erroneous. The Rede contains eight words only...not two, nor an entire poem. Not all Witches follow the Rede, nor do they all follow different traditional ethics or laws/rules that do not apply to their tradition or lack thereof. To say a Witch MUST follow the Wiccan Rede is like saying all Witches must follow the Nine Noble Virtues of Norse Heathenism.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
**Resources
Sites:
*Wicca for the Rest of Us (http://wicca.timerift.net/)
Books:
*"Progressive Witchcraft" by Janet and Stewart Ferrar, courtesy of Witchschool.com's course of the same title.
No comments:
Post a Comment