Wicca, as most practitioners learn in time, has been pushed down an commercialized into ritualism. The ritualism seperates wicca from the main focus of any religion which is divinity (deity). I write this out of concern for the upgrowing new wiccans who find refuge in this religion, but even then are disoriented into its fundamental composition as such.
Now, wicca is very vast, now a days it ranges from celtic lore, to the judeo-christian pantheon, giving people the ability to choose and feel free to explore the depths of deity. But even having this, modern wiccan advertise magic as the center of this religion.
Having said this, I answer a question that I have received in many messages. Are magic and Wicca the same thing? No, magic and Wicca have a relationship but they are not the same thing. Wicca is a religion, as a religion it seeks to unite us with divinity. Magic is manipulating energies, in order to receive a wanted response.
Wicca as is uses magic as tool.
Now what exactly do I mean by tool? Wiccans believe magic to be a natural part of life, as such it permits us to be closer to our deity. As a tool it is optional. Optional? Yes, optional you don't have to do magic in order to be wiccan.
Returning to my original point in ritualism, Wicca has ritual, and rituals have their function, they are entertaining, and give out an air of regalness, and formal worship, they are need as tools. But let us not forget our 'gods', i keep seeing so many wiccans forget that magic is not religion. Wicca is not all about the magic, and it is necessary for people to remind us about this constantly, so that we walk back to the path of the sole reason Wicca is.
We honor the dieties of nature, the old ones, and recognize nature as sacred. Magic is just a bonus. Remember Wicca is divine, and it's focus deity. .
Re: The Divine in Wicca By: Brysing Moderator / Adept
Post # 3 Apr 08, 2011
Yes, indeed! Today's "Wiccan" beliefs seem to be a concoction of just about every religion there is! Until I joined this site the only thing I knew about chakras was that they are Hindu. Now it seems they are part of witchcraft. And others, Christainity, Judaism, Druidism. It is why I am constantly being browbeaten by "witches" who pick and choose bits of all these many beliefs and call it witchcraft. Well, they are not part of my witchcraft! Mine is a belief in the natural order of things. And I don't think I have cast more than a dozen spells in my entire life.
