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Wicca is a Neopagan religion that can
be found in many English-speaking countries. Originally founded by the British
civil servant Gerald Gardner, probably in the 1940s, although it was first
openly revealed in 1954. Since its founding, various related Wiccan traditions
have evolved or been created, the original being Gardnerian Wicca, which is
the name of the tradition that follows the specific beliefs and practices
established by Gerald Gardner.
Though sometimes used interchangeably, "Wicca" and "Witchcraft" are not the
same thing. The confusion comes,
understandably, because both practitioners of Wicca and practitioners of
witchcraft are often called witches. In addition, not all practitioners of
Wicca are witches, and not all witches are practitioners of Wicca.
Wicca refers to the religion. This can be a reference to both the initiatory
tradition, where initiates are assigned a degree and generally work in covens,
and to Solitary Wicca, where practitioners self-dedicate themselves to the
tradition and generally practice on their own. Both Initiates and Solitary
Wiccans worship the Goddess, with most also choosing to worship the God, and
both celebrate the Sabbats and Esbats. On the other hand, witchcraft, or, as
it is sometimes called, "The Craft”, requires no belief in specific gods or
goddesses and is not a specific spiritual path. Thus, there are Witches who
practise a variety of religions besides Pagan ones, such as Judaism and
Christianity. It is considered to be a learned skill, referring to the casting
of spells and the practice of magic or magick (the use of the "k" is 'in order
to distinguish the Science of the Magi from all its counterfeits', and was
coined as a spelling by Aleister Crowley). To add to the confusion, the term
witchcraft, in popular older usage and in a modern historical or
anthropological context, means the use of black or evil magic, that which
Wicca is said not to encourage.
Contrary to popular belief, representations in popular media such as The
Craft, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Charmed are dramatic fiction and should
not be taken as factual, just as it should be noted that the fictional
character Harry Potter has nothing to do with historical witchcraft.
Source and further reading:
Wikipedia.org |
