Witches, Wicca and Witchcraft: General Beliefs and Practices

It is not easy to give definitions of the terms Wicca and Witchcraft that please everyone and this fact should be borne in mind throughout the course. For example, some see that the term "Wiccan" should be applied only to those who operate in covens, whilst many others feel solitaries can be considered Wiccan as well. Some feel the label Wicca applies to those who can trace the roots of their beliefs to Gerald Gardner and that Witchcraft refers to non-Gardnerian systems with quite different practices. Both groups can use the term "witch". Others use Wicca and Witchcraft quite interchangeably. It can be enough to drive you mad, particularly when you meet individuals who will tell you in no uncertain terms that their view is the correct one. However, the truth is that there are few hard and fast rules when it comes to this subject, and perhaps the safest option is to acknowledge that there is a debate over the use of terms.
For the sake of clarity, we should point out that in this course we generally use the terms Wicca, Witchcraft and the Craft interchangeably, although we make it clear when a tradition believes that it is not Wiccan and does not describe itself as such. We apply the term "Wiccan" to most coven witches and most forms of solitary practice; we also take a fluid approach to the religion of Wicca, believing very strongly that you should only do things that feel right to you. Inevitably though there are other opinions and other ways of looking at things; at the end of the day you will have to make up your own mind and we sincerely hope that this course will give such inspiration, with regard to this and many other issues.
Today, in the popular mind, a witch can be a figure of diverse fantasy. Generally portrayed as a female, the images range from the comic book scariness of the Wicked Witch of the West, to the cutesy teenager who casts spells in her bedroom, from the sexy witch wrapped in black latex, to the evil malignant hag creating misery. Rarely do these popular conceptions reflect present day Witchcraft's customs and traditions, hardly ever do they accurately reflect its female practitioners, and, even more infrequently, do they allow for the male witch. Given all this it is perhaps surprising to learn that witches belong to one of the fastest growing religions in the world today, and that the religion has got a healthy mix of female and male participants.
Wicca is a pagan religion that generally worships a Goddess and a God and respects the polarity between the feminine and masculine. The religion forwards the view that Deity is immanent within nature and thus Wiccans celebrate the seasons and cross quarter days in order to honour the planet and its forces. They work with natural and spiritual energies in harmony with nature. Some witches practice Wicca in a group known as a coven, others are solitary and work alone. All witches believe in the power of the Moon; those that are coven based attend a monthly gathering when the Moon is full, while solitaries carry out certain practices by themselves. Wicca is not a passively received religion and witches are not spectators; they actively take part in the rites and rituals and the continuing development of their spirituality. Often when basic training is complete witches choose to specialise in what may be loosely termed a "magical discipline" such as divination, herbalism, astrology, reiki, crystal healing or talismanic magic. These skills are then employed for the betterment of others as there is a strong ethos of love towards one's fellow human within the Craft.
In Wicca there are no absolute fixed rules, apart perhaps from its central principle, the Wiccan Rede, which states: An' it harm none, do what thou wilt. However, this does not mean that Wiccans do not have a commonality of belief. In America, between 1973 and 1974, an attempt was made to define this common ground. A brief and diverse association of contemporary Wiccans was formed under the name of the Council of American Witches. After much debate and searching for agreement they came up with a 13 point definition which was compiled by Carl Weschcke of Llewellyn publications [1]:
1. We practice rites to attune ourselves with the natural rhythm of life forces marked by the phases of the Moon and the seasonal Quarters and Cross Quarters.
2. We recognize that our intelligence gives us a unique responsibility toward our environment. We seek to live in harmony with nature in ecological balance offering fulfillment to life and consciousness within an evolutionary concept.
3. We acknowledge a depth of power far greater than that apparent to the average person. Because it is far greater than ordinary it is sometimes called supernatural, but we see it as lying within that which is naturally potential to all.
4. We conceive of the Creative Power in the universe as manifesting through polarity as masculine and feminine and that this same Creative Power lies in all people, and functions through the interaction of the masculine and the feminine. We value neither above the other, knowing each to be supportive of the other. We value sex as pleasure, as the symbol and embodiment of life, and as one of the sources of energy used in magickal practice and religious worship.
5. We recognize both outer worlds and inner, or psychological worlds sometimes known as the Spiritual World, the Collective Unconsciousness, the Inner Planes etc. and we see in the interaction of these two dimensions the basis for paranormal phenomena and magickal exercises. We neglect neither dimension for the other, seeing both as necessary for our fulfillment.
6. We do not recognize any authoritarian hierarchy, but do honor those who teach, respect those who share their greater knowledge and wisdom, and acknowledge those who have courageously given of themselves in leadership.
7. We see religion, magick and wisdom in living as being united in the way one views the world and lives within it a world view and philosophy of life which we identify as Witchcraft, the Wiccan Way.
8. Calling oneself "Witch" does not make a Witch but neither does heredity itself, nor the collecting of titles, degrees and initiations. A Witch seek to control the forces within her/himself that make life possible in order to live wisely and without harm to others and in harmony with nature.
9. We believe in the affirmation and fulfillment of life in a continuation of evolution and development of consciousness giving meaning to the Universe we know and our personal role within it.
10. Our only animosity towards Christianity, or towards any other religion or philosophy of life, is to the extent that its institutions have claimed to be "the only way" and have sought to deny freedom to others and to suppress other ways of religious practice and belief.
11. As American Witches, we are not threatened by debates on the history of the craft, the origins of various terms, the legitimacy of various aspects of different traditions. We are concerned with our present and our future.
12. We do not accept the concept of absolute evil, nor do we worship any entity known as "Satan" or "the Devil" as defined by Christian tradition. We do not seek power through the suffering of others, nor accept that personal benefit can be derived only by denial to another.
13. We believe that we should seek within Nature that which is contributory to our health and well-being.
Within this broad belief system, that most Wiccans would be able to subscribe to, there are a number of traditions; many of these are coven based but can be successfully adapted for solitary use. A quick list of the better known ones would include Gardnerians, Alexandrians, Seax-Wiccans, Cochranians and Faery Wiccans. There are also a number of non-tradition based solitary witches with their own particular styles of practice such as Hedge and Cyber Witches. Within each tradition the practices of Witchcraft are generally quite fluid and allow for freedom of expression, creativity and invention. There are few hard and fast rules and little dogma. Further, beyond the coven structure, witches are usually autonomous. This freedom from a religious chain of command has, for many, been one of Wicca's greatest attractions. However, the situation is constantly changing. There are now some very large traditions that are internet based with a definite hierarchy and more structure than is traditional. An argument in support of this would be that for Wicca to grow a formal organisation is necessary and inevitable. Whether or not this is a good thing must be left for you to decide.