Wicca is a religion developed by the british Gerald Gardner in 1954.Wiccans worship the Horned God (which is not satan or other demon) and the Mother Goddess (or the Triple Goddess).Wicca is a religion which respects the nature,because they see divinity in it.For wiccans divinity is in all (mother,flower,kids etc.).Many wiccans believes in magic,witchcraft and they practice it,but not all witches are wiccans.Wicca teaches us to do everything we want but not to harm one.
Wiccans believes in the five elements (earth,fire,water,air and spirit) and they invoke it in their magical work and in circles.
Wiccans celebrate season festivals of the year which are known as "Sabbats".
Their festivals are:Yule,Imbolc,Ostara,Samhain (known by all as Halloween),Litha,Beltane,Lammas and Mabon.
Many wiccans believe in rencarnation.
So wicca is a modern,pagan religion very popular in our times.
!954? Ah,yes! Wikipedia! Gardner formed Wicca at least 40 years before that! If you are going to post something,please don't depend on Wikipedia. It is very often wrong!
That's true. Gardner did begin to develop Wicca in the late 1930's from a number of different sources including folk magic, Masonic rituals, ceremonial lodge work, and a number of popular books of the period.. He went public with it in 1954 with the repeal of the Anti-Witchcraft laws in Britain. An excellent book on the subject is " Gerald Gardner, Witch Father " by Phillip Heselton.
Wicca was brought to the United States by Ray Buckland and his wife, who were initiates of Gardner, in the early 1960's. From the US it rapidly spread into Canada. British emigrees also took their religion with them to Australia. Now it exists in many countries. It is estimated that there are some 300,000 Wiccans in the USA and it is one of the most rapidly growing religions in the US.
The idea that Wicca teaches us "to everything we want but not to harm anyone" is an over-simplification of the Wiccan Rede. It is true that the Rede says that anything which does not cause harm we are free to do. But it is silent on the subject of actions that do cause harm, leaving that up to the situation and the ethics of the Wiccan. This is explained more fully in a thread at http://www.spellsofmagic.com/read_post.html?post=477845
Wikipedia is not the best source for information on Wicca. I would suggest the following websites for better information:
http://wicca.cnbeyer.com/
http://www.wcc.on.ca/faq/index.html
And for more information on the Sabbats, their history, ways to celebrate them, etc. I would recommend the site at http://www.witchessabbats.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1&Itemid=2
Wickedspell, I have noticed you typically post in point form, which may be easier for you, it can cause issues when you try to teach or explain things.
Gardner has been spoke of above, so I won't repeat them. The Rede is up for personal interpretation based on your morals. It states so long as you don't harm you can do it, but what is 'harm'? To cause pain. What brings you pain? A paper cut, being called names, even eating fast food can bring harm. If the Rede is taken at face value we get all those teens claiming they're Wiccan and do whatever they want because 'I'm not physically hurting anyone'. The Rede is much harder when you actually define it. Some Wiccans became vegans because, as they see it, you are harming the cow for making it produce so much milk, you harm the bee for taking it's honey. Some refuse to take drugs, drink alcohol, even have tattoos and piercings because there is harm to yourself at some point.
Also, minor nit pick, the holidays are out of order. Each one is a different point on the wheel of the year which tells a story and marks moments in the year. The order is kind of important, but that's just me being picky.
Just a question [because I've seen you post a few things about Wicca] are you interested in learning, or do you simply wish to share knowledge? [Just curious]
