The world of natural religions can be exciting, which is why many people are drawn to Wicca for beginners.
Wicca for beginners is a type of paganism, but only so the discussion is simple for the novices. Wicca for beginners (and advanced practitioners) is now commonly used to refer to the full range of modern pagan Witchcraft, including all of its associated beliefs and practices. Wicca and Witchcraft are often used interchangeably.
However, we must distinguish between the two. We can say that, generally speaking, Wicca is a type of Witchcraft. Still, we must be careful with associating the stuff in popular culture haphazardly with the practitioners of Wicca for beginners, as many do not relate or associate themselves with all of the stuff associated with Witchcraft around the world.
Are you interested in bringing home symbols of Wiccan Witchcraft and the occult? Xinar’s twenty-plus years in the jewelry-making supplies business have seen the coming and going of magnificent and detailed sterling silver charms denoting Wiccan symbols and elements. We also have a collection of silver charms that can act as talismans in DIY crafting.
Wicca for beginners was once used to denote the religiously-based initiatory tradition of Witchcraft, but in recent years, popular American television shows have expanded its meaning to include what was formerly known as natural magic or white Witchcraft
Yet, in Britain, when someone claims to be Wiccan, they typically mean they engage in religious Witchcraft. Despite popular stereotypes depicting Wiccans as young ladies, Wicca is practiced by men and women of all ages.
The Origins of Wicca for Beginners
Religious Witchcraft is more than a collection of rituals; it is a Pagan mystery religion that venerates the Goddess and God through the natural world. Most Witches receive their inspiration from Gerald Brosseau Gardner’s “Book of Shadows,” which he collected as one of Wicca’s key founders. Wiccan origins be traced back to occult practices before Christianity’s arrival (1884-1964).
In 1939, Gerald Gardner made headlines when he claimed to have been inducted into a coven of Witches that gathered in the New Forest of Hampshire.
His two most well-known works, “The Meaning of Witchcraft” (1959) and “Witchcraft Today” (1954), sparked a worldwide phenomenon and became instant bestsellers.
In Wicca, the Divine is revered in the forms of the Horned God and the Triple Goddess, whose cyclical manifestations on the Moon are personified by the Virgin, the Mother, and the Wise archetypes Woman or Crone.
Cernunnos and Herne, which translate to “Horned One,” are the most popular names for the deity. While the relative importance of Goddess and God varies throughout Wiccan groups, religious traditions, and regions, the vast majority of Wiccans hold that the Divine picture must have both a feminine and male aspect for completeness.
The Structure of Wicca for Beginners and Other Degrees
There are no central authorities in Wicca, so if you’re only starting with Wicca for beginners, you don’t have to be concerned about needing to connect with Wiccan authority to become a legitimate Wiccan.
Some Witches work exclusively independently, even those who study Wicca for beginners. Some of these people are members of covens, groups of witches who join together to practice magic and worship the Gods.
Some covens follow initiation rites in which more seasoned members instruct and guide those just joining the group. Other groups come together because a group of friends has decided to get together and study. Although thirteen is the traditional number of coven members, many covens today have fewer than that. Some of these covens are all-female, while others welcome members of the opposite sex.
Observances and Ceremonies
Sabbats are Wicca’s major celebrations; you should know these in your explorations of Wicca for beginners.
There are eight of these yearly celebrations since they correspond to the four seasons. On the shortest day, December 20/21, we celebrate Yule or Winter Solstice; on the longest day, June 21/22, we celebrate Midsummer or Summer Solstice; and on the equinoxes, March 20/21 and September 20/21, we celebrate Spring and Autumn Equinoxes, when the length of night and day are of equal length.
The other four celebrations are Imbolc on February 1/2, Beltane on April 30/1, Lughnasadh (also known as Lammas or Loaf Mass in English), on August 1/2, Samhain (also known as All Hallow’s Eve in English), on October 31/1, and Ostara (March 20/21), also known as the Festival of the Crosses. Finally, on the night of the full Moon, when the witches believe their minds are at their most potent, they hold esbats, a monthly ritual to honor their deities.
Most Sabbat ceremonies take place at night, lit evocatively by candlelight if held indoors or by the Moon, bonfires and lanterns if conducted outside. The Sabbat begins at sunset and ends at sunset the next day. Some Witches designate certain rooms in their homes as temples where they can perform rituals in private. Some people make do with their traditional homes.
The circle is the sacred space in which rituals are performed; even if a temple is present, the space for the circle must be established anew for each ceremony. First, a broom or besom is used to cleanse the area, and then the space is blessed with the four elements (air, fire, water, and Earth). Next, a wooden wand or a knife with a black handle called an athame is used to draw a circle around the circle in the air, symbolically closing it. Then, respect is shown to the east, south, west, and north. Invoking the deities of the Goddess and God, as well as performing magical rituals, are all done within the sacred place. Blessing a chalice of wine and cakes and then passing them around at the end of a ritual is common.
The Synergy of Morality and Magic on Earth
A five-pointed star with a candle at its center made of sand and rose petals, pointing upward.
The pentagram is a potent magical symbol even for those studying Wicca beginners.
For beginners, like other Pagan religions, Wicca makes use of the occult. For example, it is a central belief of witches that the human mind possesses transformative powers beyond the current understanding of science.
During their rituals, Witches not only pay homage to their deities but also cast spells for healing and assisting others with everyday issues. When magic is used, it must be for the benefit of the person using it and not in any way detrimental to anybody else, as this is the ethical standard by which the practice of magic is governed.
Witches believe that the energies we make affect our lives and that lousy magic has a multiplier effect on the person who cast it. A common name for this mechanism is “Threefold Law.” Another essential ethical precept is the importance of living in harmony with one’s fellow humans, oneself, and the rest of the planet. Wiccans place a premium on ecological concerns.
Wiccans strongly believe in the possibility of another life when this one ends. After physical death, one’s soul is reincarnated and reunited with friends and family from previous lives. The purpose of reincarnation is not to escape from life on Earth but to gain as much knowledge as possible by experiencing it repeatedly. After a soul stops being reborn, it goes to a happy place called “The Land of Youth” or “Summerland.”
The Wiccan Connection in Other Pagan Spiritualities
Wicca for beginners also involves studies and practices that the Goddess spirituality movement has picked up. They are popular among those who reject faiths ruled by males and worship the Divine as Goddess.
Wicca and Druidry have a lot of common ground. The practices of both religions typically take place in the open air and emphasize forging solid connections with the natural world. In addition, they both place a premium on taking care of the planet and being environmentally conscious.
Compared to Wicca, Druidry has stronger Celtic roots, places less emphasis on magic, and gives greater attention to the arts as a means to enlightenment.
Druidry, or Druidism, as it is often known, emerges now as a cultural endeavor to promote the Breton, Cornish, and Welsh languages, a fraternal effort to provide mutual support and generate cash for worthy causes; and a spiritual journey.
The ancient Druids, who were the keepers of a mystical and religious tradition that predated the arrival of Christianity and whose influence can be traced from the western beaches of Ireland to the west of France – and perhaps beyond – serve as the inspiration for all of these various ways. Caesar claimed the Druids came from Britain.
Even though nothing is documented about these ancient people, organizations in Britain influenced by the concept of the Druids started to appear as early as the eighteenth century. This is even though Druidry was replaced with Christianity by the seventh century. Scholars who became interested in the topic sparked a revival of Druidry, which is now being carried on by a tiny but fast-expanding amount of individuals all over the world who are motivated by the heritage, rites, and teachings that have developed over the past more than two centuries and draw upon folklore and folk tales with beginnings in the pre-Celtic era.
Druidry is attractive to many who have lost interest in mainstream religion but long for a deeper spiritual connection to the Earth and their family’s past. In addition, people in today’s fast-paced, ecologically precarious society long for a feeling of timelessness, peacefulness, and a renewed respect for Mother Nature.
