Wicca: Encyclopedia II - Wicca - Definition

Wicca - Definition

Gerald Gardner is credited with re-introducing the word 'Wicca' into the English language, although he himself used the spelling 'Wica' in his published work of 1954. The spelling 'Wicca' is now used almost exclusively, (Seax-Wica being the only major use of the four-letter spelling).

In Old English wicca meant "A wizard, soothsayer, sorcerer, magician" (Bosworth, 1898 [1]). The word has long been out of use. Its modern English descendant is the word witch. Other disputed derivations are from the Old English roots wic, 'to bend', or wit, 'wisdom'. Wicca is often called the "Craft of the Wise", alluding to the latter derivation. (see Völva or witch).

Though sometimes used interchangeably, Wicca and witchcraft are not the same thing. Most, but not all, Wiccans consider Wicca to be a form of witchcraft, however Wicca has a distinct set of beliefs, ritual system and organisational structure that distinguish it from other forms of witchcraft. Similarly, most Wiccans and witches consider themselves to be Pagans, but many Pagans are neither Wiccans nor witches.

Wiccans (initiatory or otherwise) worship the Goddess, with most also choosing to worship the God, her consort; they observe the festivals of the eight Sabbats of the year and the full-moon Esbats; they have a code of ethics that they live by. Wicca is thus distinct from witchcraft, which does not require any religious element, and may be practised by people of any religion, or by atheists. The term witchcraft refers to the practical arts of casting spells, herbalism, and performing magic, and does not of itself imply that these arts are used for good or evil, despite the popular negative connotations of the word. Wiccans see their use of witchcraft as positive and good, and black or evil magic is viewed as antithetical to Wiccan beliefs and activities.

See Witchcraft for more details on these differences.

Many practitioners of traditional initiatory Wicca consider that the term 'Wicca' only correctly applies to an initiate of a traditional branch of the religion (such as Gardnerian or Alexandrian Wicca) because solitary Wicca or eclectic Wicca are so radically different in practice from the religion established by Gardner. However, the term has increasingly come to be adopted by people who are not initiates of a traditional lineaged coven. These non-initiatory Wiccans may undertake rituals of self-initiation, and generally work alone as solitaries or in casual groups, rather than in organised coven. Thus non-initiatory Wicca shares some of the basic religious principles, ethics and the ritual system of 'traditional' or 'initiatory' Wicca, but not the organisational structure, or the belief that Wiccan initiation requires a transferral of power from an initiator. Therefore, some practitioners of traditional initiatory Wicca have adopted the term 'British Traditional Wicca' to differentiate themselves from this movement.

While The Craft, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Charmed contain references to Wicca, these are dramatic fiction and should not be taken as factual. The fictional character Harry Potter has nothing to do with historical or modern witchcraft.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Definition", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki