What is Wicca?

     Wicca is the name of our religion. We are Pagans who respect all religions. Wicca is not an organized or monolithic religion. There is no Wiccan Central. There are many paths and all are valid. The Goddess is Aradia to some, Diana to others, Isis to me. Wicca gives us the freedom to make it up as we go along, so long as we follow the Law.

Are witches the same as Satanists?

     Absolutely not. Witches are Pagans. Satanists are twisted Christians for whom the cross and other Christian symbols have power. They pervert Christian symbols for their own evil purposes. We have nothing in common, being positive whereas they are negative. Christian symbols have no meaning for us. We don't even believe in the Devil.

What exactly is a witch?

     A witch is someone who practices the Craft, who worships the Goddess and/or the Old Gods. Every witch is a priest or priestess of the Goddess. We obey the Law: do as ye will, so long as ye harm none. This is why we do not practice black magic. Witches are a force for Good in the universe.

I know Wicca has different traditions - which one do you follow?

     Dianic Wicca, Gardnerian Wicca, Faery Wicca . . . I practice Wicca as seems right and natural to me. If you want to give it a name I suppose you could call it Goddess Wicca, because to me Goddess-worship is more important than casting spells. When I talk about the Old Ways, I mean the Bronze Age. When I say Old Religion, I mean old. It dates back at least to the Ice Age, when early European peoples carved Goddess statues to worship the Great Mother of us all.

Can guys be witches? What do you call a male witch?

     A witch is a witch, whether male or female. There are lots of male witches. Wizard, sorcerer and magician are names for non-witches who practice black or white magic. We don't use the term warlock. Warlocks, according to historians, were men who pretended to be witches in order to betray us during the Burning Times.

Can males practice magic as well as females do?

     Of course. Talent is a function of gifts, dedication and strength of will, not gender.

At what age can I start?

     Everyone is welcome in Wicca, so long as they follow the Law. We believe that children have the right to choose their religion. But youth is the time for study and exploration. If you are very young you should read widely before you make a choice or begin to practice magic. Study many religions, including whatever one you were raised with. Educate yourself so that your choice will be an informed one.

Do witches hurt or kill animals in their rites?

     Never! We love animals. That 'eye of newt and toe of frog' stuff is nonsense. It is hard to reconcile the gibbering witches of Mac Beth  with the proud Pagan priestesses of Egypt, Babylon, Knossos and Ireland, or with ethical modern Wiccans, but those were Burning Times, when magic and the Craft itself became degraded under constant persecution.

I'm a Christian but I want to practice magic.

     Go ahead. You could invoke saints and angels instead of deities. Mary is a goddess.

Is it true that every spell I cast comes back to me three times?

     Witches believe in the Law of Three. Everything we do, good or evil comes back to us three times, not just spells.

Coven questions?

     I am a solitary, a witch who practices alone. I have never been in a coven and have no wish to join or form one, so I am definitely not the right person for coven questions. What I would say to you, though, is to really check people out before you get involved with them, and not to be a part of any group whose workings or beliefs are not in line with your own.

What about the millennium?

     It's a Christian construct that is totally irrelevant to witches. But enjoy the parties, if you like, and don't worry about the world coming to an end.

     Besides, who can say when the millennium occurs. A comparison of the gospels with the natural history of Palestine shows that Jesus was born in the Spring. Various popes revised the calendar. December 25 was adopted for the nativity when Christianity spread to Europe, in appropriation of Pagan winter solstice festivals.

I think someone has a spell or curse on me . . .

     Could be. But it's much more likely that you or your family are just going through a negative or fallow period. Bad things just happen, sometimes. Suffering teaches spiritual lessons. Spending your time or energy trying to figure out who did this to you isn't going to help. Cursing someone back just perpetuates the negativity, and you might have the wrong person. If you have good reason to suspect human agency is at work, try a spell of protection or bind that person instead. Be very wary of people who offer to remove curses for money. Real witches do not take money for the help they give.
 
 
 
 

If you insist on calling spirits (with a ouija board, or whatever) make sure you cast a circle first, to contain them, and be sure to effectively banish them afterward. You may call them for your purpose, but they might have their own agenda.