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Each watchtower was attributed to a direction and an element, by the Golden Dawn. At the core of the instructions was the Angelic Table: a grid of 25x27 squares, each square containing a letter. The Angelic Table is subdivided into four lesser grids for the four elements and the four directions, bound together by the cross-shaped Tablet of Union.
Wicca (English: / ˈ w ɪ k ə /), also known as "The Craft", [1] is a modern pagan, syncretic, earth-centered religion.Considered a new religious movement by scholars of religion, the path evolved from Western esotericism, developed in England during the first half of the 20th century, and was introduced to the public in 1954 by Gerald Gardner, a retired British civil servant.
In the center of the altar are kept the main symbols of the Wiccan faith, such as the pentacle. [4] Some Wiccans arrange their altars to represent all four elements and directions. [5] [4] In the North the earth element is represented; in the east is air, in the south is fire, and in the west water.
Wiccan views of divinity are generally theistic, and revolve around a Goddess and a Horned God, thereby being generally dualistic.In traditional Wicca, as expressed in the writings of Gerald Gardner and Doreen Valiente, the emphasis is on the theme of divine gender polarity, and the God and Goddess are regarded as equal and opposite divine cosmic forces.
In Gardnerian Wicca these are symbolic of the element of fire. [4] Athame is elemental in nature while the sword is planetary in nature. [11] Athame is traditionally black-handled and usually inscribed (sometimes in the Theban alphabet). It is used to direct energy for the casting of magic circles, controlling of spirits and other ritual purposes.
Drawing a circle around the five points creates a similar symbol referred to as the pentacle, [1] which is used widely by Wiccans and in paganism, or as a sign of life and connections. The word pentagram comes from the Greek word πεντάγραμμον ( pentagrammon ), [ 2 ] from πέντε ( pente ), "five" + γραμμή ( grammē ), "line ...
In the 1990s, Wiccan beliefs and practices were used as a partial basis for a number of US films and television series, such as The Craft, Charmed and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, leading to a surge in teenagers' and young adults' interest and involvement in the religion. [121] [122]
[4] The Dianic Wiccan belief and ritual structure is an eclectic combination of elements from British Traditional Wicca, Italian folk-magic as recorded by Charles Leland in Aradia, New Age beliefs, and folk magic and healing practices from a variety of different cultures. [3] [2]