Wicca or Witchcraft: Definitions of terms in Witchcraft

Including: Occult, Earth, Pagan, Neo-Paganism, Witchcraft, The Craft, Coven, Witch, Magic, Sabbat, Esbat

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Wicca, Wicca - Definition, Wicca - History of Wicca, Wicca - Origins, Wicca - Later developments, Wicca - Beliefs and practices, Wicca - Morality, Wicca - Discrimination and persecution of Wiccans, Wicca - United States, Wicca - Wiccan traditions, Wicca - Notes

Read more here: » Wicca: Encyclopedia II - 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 ...

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Wicca, Wicca - Definition, Wicca - History of Wicca, Wicca - Origins, Wicca - Later developments, Wicca - Beliefs and practices, Wicca - Morality, Wicca - Discrimination and persecution of Wiccans, Wicca - United States, Wicca - Wiccan traditions, Wicca - Notes, Wicca - Bibliographical and Encyclopedic Sources, Wicca - Academic Studies

Read more here: » Wicca: Encyclopedia II - Wicca - Definition

Wicca is a Neopagan religious movement found in many different countries, though most commonly in English-speaking cultures. Wicca was first publicised in 1954 by a British civil servant named Gerald Gardner after the British Witchcraft Act was repealed. He claimed that the religion, of which he was an initiate, was a modern survival of an old witch cult, which had existed in secret for hundreds of years, originating in the pre-Christian Paganism of Europe. Wicca is thus sometimes referred to as the Old Religion. The veracity o ...

Including:

Wicca - Definition Wicca - History of Wicca
Wicca - Origins Wicca - Later developments
Wicca - Beliefs and practices Wicca - Morality Wicca - Discrimination and persecution of Wiccans
Wicca - United States
Wicca - Wiccan traditions Wicca - Notes

Read more here: » Wicca: Encyclopedia - Wicca

Seax-Wica is a neopagan religion loosely related to the Wiccan tradition and based on a rough reconstruction of Saxon tradition. In 1973 Raymond Buckland, an author and practitioner of Gardnerian Wicca, created a new variation of Wicca tradition, which did not break his Gardnerian Wiccan oaths. He wrote a book called The Tree as its definitive work. It was published in 1974 by Samuel Weiser Inc. There is also an online Books of ...

Including:

Seax-Wica - Openness Seax-Wica - Organization

Read more here: » Seax-Wica: Encyclopedia - Seax-Wica

Gerald Brosseau Gardner (June 13, 1884 - February 13, 1964) was a British civil servant, amateur anthropologist, writer, and occultist who published some of the definitive texts for modern Wicca, which he was instrumental in founding. Gerald Gardner - Life. Gardner was born in England to a relatively well-off family who had in their service Josephine "Com" McCombie, an Irish nursemaid[1]. Gardner, who had asthma at the ...

Including:

Gerald Gardner - Life Gerald Gardner - Wicca
Gerald Gardner - Etymology
Gerald Gardner - Bibliography Gerald Gardner - Notes and references

Read more here: » Gerald Gardner: Encyclopedia - Gerald Gardner

Cone of Power - Psychic energy raised and focused either by an individual or group Mind,to achieve a definite purpose.

(See also: Cone of Power, Pagan, Wicca Pagan Dictionary)

Goddess, The - Definitions differ but Generally the universal mother of all who created the universe with the god. Often associated with the Moon, ocean, earth, fertility, birth and death.

(See also: Goddess, The, Pagan, Wicca Pagan Dictionary)

WITCH CLOAK,  TRAVELER'S CLOAK: same as the Cloak, but with a hood. When used as a Witch's garment, best make it of natural fibers; include secret pockets for tools such as herbs or crystals; and include protective herbs in the linings. This is a personal item, DON'T let others wear your cloak! A symbol of dignity and invisibility. OPINIONS VARY ON COLOR MEANING: dark for protection OR black for absolute evil. OPINIONS VARY on this latter definition, MANY feel black is a lack of color; drawing & absorbing & storing energy.

NOTE: there is much disagreement on the proper definition of cloak, many will say the weight or material defines it. But the ones I've given here make the most sense to the most people.

NOTE: Never approach unannounced, a person in a black; SOME wearers are not very nice & carry weapons!

(See also: WITCH CLOAK, Witchcraft, Wicca, Paganism, Pagan Dictionary)

NECROMONICON: was the literary invention of writer, H.P.Lovecraft. This author is reknown for his wonderful fiction HOWEVER, he lost the rights to this work and others turned this fictional work into a 'religion' for the gullible. PERHAPS after these many years of 'worship', it can now be entitled to the title of religion. But only by a VERY LONG STRETCH of that definition!

As such, it deals with altering & predicting life by use of 'entities' from other planes. And deals with 'portals' in time & dimensions. All kinds of nifty role-playing, fantasy & sci-fi stuff! It's also deals with all kinds of gruesome things - which is so sickening & repulsive to this person, as to make me wonder what kind of people would involve themselves in this. Though so far my encounters with 'practitioners' of necromancy, have been young persons. And they seem oblivious to the fact they are making some money-mongers VERY HAPPY! I most wholeheartedly urge everybody to STAY AWAY from this subject. To those who think they know better, good luck. The arguments FOR this practice only cause more REVULSION, and show the ignorant arrogance involved with it.

(See also: NECROMONICON, Witchcraft, Wicca, Paganism, Pagan Dictionary)

Wicca: The single largest tradition within Paganism, which is earth-centered, celebrates the eight Pagan holidays, envisions Deity as both male and female (which it calls the God and the Goddess), practices magick, and believes in an afterlife known as the Summerland. The Wiccan ethical system is stated in the Rede and the Rule of Threes. The Rede contains the ethical instruction to "harm none and do what you will." The Rule of Threes states that whatever you send out from yourself will come back threefold.

(See also: Wicca, Magic, Shamanism, Paganism, Wicca)

Wicca: Wicca is a religion of veneration of Nature and the worship of Divinity as containing both feminine and masculine aspects. It is founded upon the spiritual roots of pre-Christian European beliefs and practices. When Wicca first came to public attention in the early 1950s through the efforts of Gerald Gardner, it was portrayed as the remnant of an ancient European fertility cult. Practitioners referred to Wicca as the Old Religion. It was also known as the Craft of the Wise. On the surface modern Wicca appears to be a folklore and folk magick system. On the inner initiate level Wicca contains pre-Christian European Mystery Teachings.

(See also: Wicca, Magic, Shamanism, Paganism, Wicca)

WICCA:

1) The contemporary pagan religeon predating Christianity. Expresses reverence for Nature, viewing Diety in all natural things; uses magick; worship is of God (Lord) and Goddess (Lady). A follower of Wicca, is a Wiccan.

2) Meaning: wise ones, and, or to turn, bend & shape. Wicca is often termed the 'new name' for Witches, and there seems to be some argument as to its proper use.

3) "A religion of experience rather than dogma."

4) from an old Anglo-Saxon word Wiccae, a masculine noun meaning "wizard"; the feminine form of the word is Wicce.

4) the British Traditional family of Witchcraft religions derived from Gerald Gardner's tradition.

5) any of the modern eclectic Witchcraft traditions obviously related to the Witchcraft described by Gerald Gardner in his published books.

6) a Word which has come to mean Witch or Magick worker.

7) the Shamans or "Medicine Men" of the Celtic Tribe or the "Witches" of the village. This was the Herb Woman or Cunning Man of the English community of medieval times. NOTE: Anglo-Saxon, wicca is masculine & wicce, feminine; and means a person who Divines information. Old English, wicce & Saxon, wych; means 'to turn, bend, and shape'. Indo-European root word of 'wic' & 'weik'; also means 'to bend or shape'. Germanic 'wit', means knowledge, or to know. Including 'witch' as one of its derivatives.

(See also: WICCA, Witchcraft, Wicca, Paganism, Pagan Dictionary)

WICCA - the name most modern day Witches use for the Craft. It is, in actuality, the Old English word for male witch, the femminine being wicce. The Old English word, Wiccain meant to bend or to shape. This is the root word from which we get wicker.

(See also: WICCA, Wiccan, Wicca, Witchery, Pagan, Paganism, Pagan Dictionary)

Dianic Wicca: This is a Wiccan path that focuses on the strong female Deity Diana. Dianic groups often allow only women members and may concentrate only on Goddess energy. Specifically, they work with the image of Goddess as maiden, mother, and crone, known as the Triple Goddess.

(See also: Dianic Wicca, Magic, Shamanism, Paganism, Wicca)

Faery Wicca: Those who practice Faery Wicca work specifically with nature spirits.

(See also: Faery Wicca, Magic, Shamanism, Paganism, Wicca)

Tradition, Wicca - An organized, structured, specific Wiccan subgroup. Much like Christianity has denominations each with their own style, Wicca has many traditions (and some Wicca follow no specific tradition see eclectic Wicca). Common examples include Garnerian, Seax (not sex), Dianic, Faery, Pecti, Teutonic, Caledoni, Alexandrian, and there are many others...

(See also: Tradition, Wicca, Pagan, Wicca Pagan Dictionary)

Wicca - A modern neo-pagan religion with spiritual roots in the earliest expressions of reverence for nature as a manifestation of the divine. Wicca views Deity as Goddess and God; Thus it is polytheistic. It embraces magic and reincarnation, and is in no way associated with Satanism.

(See also: Wicca, Pagan, Wicca Pagan Dictionary)

ALEXANDRIAN WICCA: Founded by Alex Sanders in England. Alex claimed to have been initiated as a Hereditary Witch by his grandmother, when he was seven years old in 1933, but critics claim many Alexandrian rituals are almost identical to Gardnerian ones, with a little more emphasis on ceremonial magic.

The tradition's rituals, while basically Gardnerian, are modified with many Judeo-Christian and Ceremonial Magick elements. Covens work skyclad. The eight Sabbats are observed and the Goddess and God are revered.

Alexandrian Wiccans are considered to be Traditional Witches who trace their line of initiatory descent from Alex and Maxine Sanders, through a line of Alexandrian High Priests and High Priestesses, according to the Alexandrian Book of Shadows, and who practice the Alexandrian Tradition of Wicca.

(See also: ALEXANDRIAN WICCA, Pagan Organisations, Paganism, Pagan Dictionary, Wicca, )

ALGARD WICCA: Mary Nesnick, an American who was initiated into both Gardnerian and Alexandrian traditions, combined them in 1972 and created a new tradition called Algard.

(See also: ALGARD WICCA, Pagan Organisations, Paganism, Pagan Dictionary, Wicca, )