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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.
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.
A Wiccaning can take many forms, drawn from older pagan traditions, folklore, and the more modern beliefs of the individuals involved. [4] In most the central event is the presentation of the infant to a God and Goddess usually through being held up by its Mother, a High Priest, and/or High Priestess in sight of the sky.
What's the difference between witches and Wiccans? While many people use "witch" and "Wiccan" interchangeably, they aren't necessarily the same thing. "Wicca is a branch of witchcraft," says Blake.
The Frosts had adopted the term "Wicca" in the late 1960s, when it was gaining increasing usage within the pagan witchcraft community, as a name for their religion. [6] The pair resisted using the term "pagan" until the late 1970s. [2] In 1975, Yvonne stated that "I do not consider myself a pagan. I do not worship any nature deity.
Drawing down the Moon (also known as drawing down the Goddess) is a central ritual in many contemporary Wiccan traditions. During the ritual, a coven 's High Priestess enters a trance and requests that the Goddess or Triple Goddess , symbolized by the Moon , enter her body and speak through her.
Whilst the Horned God is the most common depiction of masculine divinity in Wicca, he is not the only representation. Other examples include the Green Man and the Sun God. [3] In traditional Wicca, however, these other representations of the Wiccan god are subsumed or amalgamated into the Horned God, as aspects or expressions of him.
The Covenant of the Goddess (CoG) is a cross-traditional Wiccan group of solitary Wiccan practitioners and over one hundred affiliated covens (or congregations). [1] It was founded in 1975 in order to increase co-operation among witches and to secure for witches and covens the legal protection enjoyed by members of other religions. [2]