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Wicca: Practices
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Wicca is one variety of pagan witchcraft, with distinctive ritual forms, seasonal observances and religious, magical[4] and ethical precepts. Other forms of witchcraft exist within many cultures, with widely varying practices. Many Wiccans, though not all, call themselves Pagans, though the umbrella term Paganism encompasses many faiths that have nothing to do with Wicca or witchcraft. Wicca has ... been described as a Neopagan or a Mesopagan path.[5] Because there is no centralised organisation in Wicca, and no single orthodoxy, the beliefs and practices of Wiccans can vary substantially, both among individuals and among traditions. Typically, the main religious principles, ethics, and ritual structures are shared, since they are key elements of traditional teachings and published works on the subject.
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There are occasional accusations that Wicca is a form of black magic and Satanism, especially in connection with Satanic Ritual Abuse hysteria, although Wiccans deny any association with either of these. Because of the popular negative connotations associated with witchcraft, many Wiccans continue the traditional practice of secrecy, concealing their faith for fear of persecution. Revealing oneself as Wiccan to family, friends or colleagues is often termed "coming out of the broom-closet".
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Although Wiccan writers are prolific, Wicca has no sacred texts as such to guide belief and practice. Most Wiccans view the Divine as dual (male/female) or plural, accept the idea of reincarnation, and see the natural world as a manifestation of divine force rather than as something created by a transcendent god. Attunement of the self to natural cycles through seasonal rituals is Wicca's central public religious practice.
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Because of extensive religious propaganda dating from the late Middle Ages, Wicca has often been linked to Satanism. Wiccan beliefs and practices are no closer toSatanism than they are to Buddhism, Hinduism, or Islam. In fact, Wiccans do not recognize the existence of an all-evil supernatural being similar to the quasi-deity Satan. He is found mainly in Christianity and Islam.
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Though sometimes used interchangably, "Wicca" and "Witchcraft" are not the same thing. The confusion comes, understandably, because both practitioners of Wicca and practitioners of Witchraft are called witches. In addition, many, but not all, Wiccans practice witchcraft and vice versa.
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The bestselling memoir of Manhattan lawyer, Phyllis Curott, chronicles her exploration of Witchcraft, joining a coven, and remarkable initiation into Wicca. Engagingly written and rich with detailed rituals and traditional Wicca practices.
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