For this post, I looked into this belief of “Wicca,” or modern day witchcraft (magic). Wicca ideals were first molded by its creator Gerald Brousseau Gardner (1884-1964) who was a retired British civil servant at the time. The components of Wicca are as follows, “a revenance of nature, the practice of magic, and the worship of a female deity known as, “The Goddess” and many other deities, such as “The Horned God” etc. This belief in Wicca requires one to consider the presence of more than one God (polytheistic in nature). The first coven was formed by Gardner in 1954 after there was, “repeal in England of archaic witchcraft laws.” Wicca as a belief was popular throughout the 1960’s, 70’s, and 80’s but by the late 1980’s, overall growth of the movement started to decline. Typically, teenage women–and women in general–believe in this “religion” as well as its magical practices.
Some evidence that supports Wiccan witchcraft is the fact that most modern day witches perform magic as a way to, “protect nature from the ravages of humankind.” This magic takes the form of “rites” which, if conducted properly, are performed in a space somewhat consecrated in nature and with the help of physical pentagrams. People have seen these pentagrams many times in movies and are usually viewed within the horror genre. Whether these spells actually function to bring humans and nature into complete harmony is a mystery. But Wiccans do their part and participate in these spell-casting rituals whenever possible. Others suggest that this form of “magic” is really just an eccentric excuse to practice, “Christianity without having to deal with the burdens of Christianity.” When delving into it, Wicca has distinct similarities to Christianity. The magic added to it is just another flavor that gives these modern day witches just enough control over their own individualism. This is an aspect that the whole Wiccan form of witchcraft is centered around.
I don’t believe that Wiccans are misinformed. But I do believe that these collections of people are using this alternative form of religion to blanket the fact that all they desire is a form of individualism. Because of that, they consciously perform rituals (rites) paired with magic to showcase how different they are compared to dedicated Christian followers. Some could hypothesize that this facet of magic merely exists within this religion because the Wiccans want to show people how they stand out from the collective society.
Wiccans most often have agendas and reasoning’s for why their form of witchcraft is produced. Individuals who take part in Wiccan tradition are usually people, who are, “Anti-Consumerists, anti-materialists, romanticists, proponents of individualism, minimalists, and feminists.” These Individuals believe in a single lifestyle, but they are also environmentally driven to do what’s best for nature.
All in all, Wiccan magic (witchcraft) and its utilization—in my mind—is a result of a divergence in our history from a collective religion towards a more individualistic approach regarding that same religion. I believe psychologically, that these individuals perform these acts of magic as a way to prove to themselves that they are indeed providing protection against impurities that may affect the world/nature. As of now, there is no empirical evidence that I can see which shows/proves the effectiveness of this magic.
Works Cited:
• https://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/teens/hidden-traps-of-wicca
• http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/paganism/subdivisions/wicca.shtml
• http://www.humanreligions.info/wicca.html
• https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2001/01/the-scholars-and-thegoddess/305910/
• https://www.britannica.com/topic/Wicca
Hello!
I really enjoyed reading your blog post on Wicca. This post drew my eye because I have heard about this form of religion before. There was a lady on the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills that practiced Wicca! This women really focused on nature and the creatures of earth so I was able to connect what you said that Wiccans want to protect the purity of nature and earth. This lady also integrated Christian symbols such as the cross into her everyday life so I can also see how some of these believers can connect to Christianity. It is an interesting thought that they are trying to be more so individualistic within religion and I can totally see as making sense! Some people may want to stray away from the group setting of a church. I was very interested how their “spells” work so I think this was an interesting choice of topic! Apparently, their is light and dark forms of Wicca which differentiate if they are doing spells for good or bad and I think thats a cool topic to look into further. Overall interesting post!!
This was really interesting! I have heard of wicca before, but didn’t know much about it before reading this post. I thought it was really interesting to see that they take a more individualistic approach to their magic and that they have a concern for nature.
I have always been really fascinated with wicca. I run a small etsy business and use crystals in a lot of my jewelry, so I find myself spending a lot of time at spiritual shops. These shops always seem to be full of books on wicca. For the most part they seem to be harmless, just people trying to connect more with nature. Did the Wicca claim they could perform any sort of spell that you thought was really interesting?
Learning more about Wicca through your blog post was really interesting because I have a friend who practices witchcraft. Ironically, even though I know this does not apply to everyone, my friend does consider themselves anti-Consumerists, anti-materialists, romanticists, proponents of individualism, minimalists, and feminists. I do believe that people are performing Wicca just as a way to be closer to nature. However, it with such rituals, I have seen my friend who backs up into the “supernatural” to defend this belief of why a ritual might not happen. Usually their response being, ” the goddess/god is not happy with me right now” etc. This event goes along with how you describe that they use this magic to prove to themselves that they are protecting the world. Another interesting thing I saw in your post was, how Wicca is just an individualistic form of Christianity or at least it seems. I find this a bit funny because a lot of religions branched off of Christianity because they wanted to be more individual. However, the other branches recognize this while Wicca seems to not want to.
How does your friend practice witchcraft? That is really interesting and something I did not know took place (along with Wicca). Especially the idea of individualism being the sole motivator for these groups coming into being. I feel like society in general pushes for individualism, but conformity at the same time: “be yourself but not too much or you will be looked down upon” is what I think of. I feel like Wicca may have come to be due to the prevalence of magic-related media out there right now, like Harry Potter.
The first time I learned about Wiccan belief was in high school. My school offered an alternative religion course which covered a broad array of various religions and beliefs. One of the largest aspects of the religion that i recall was indeed their love and connectedness with the earth. I would argue that this is a very positive characteristic, especially if it leads to actively taking steps to better the environment. I would be interested in seeing if there are Wiccans who are spearheading movements to help protect the environment in practical ways.
Hello!
I am really excited when I am reading your post. Most people have the stereotype that study witchcraft must be evil. Like you say, it’s only a way they achieve the individualism. I have many friends they like the witchcraft because they think it’s a convenient tool. However, witchcraft is merely let you get closer to nature, and it aims to protect the environment. Indeed, I learn more about witchcraft and Wiccans from your blog.
What an interesting topic to choose! I had always heard of this as being described as a type of religion, which I am not completely sure still whether that is correct or not. Do these people consider themselves religious or is it more of a society like flat earthers?
I was also wondering if you had found anything on people who are against or oppose this because of the fact that it was created so recently?
Hi,
I took a class this semester and a Wicca priest was invited in our class. As a religious, I think it might be limited if we just regard Wicca as a kind of extraordinary belief. I think what really works in Wicca community is the community itself, just like other mainstream religious like Christianity. But one thing I always wander is the boundary between extraordinary beliefs and religious. Because we always lack of evidence to prove the existence of divinity.
One thing I’ve always found interesting about Wicca is that it is so female-centric, both in its history and its practitioners, whereas the vast majority of other religions are focused on males (e.g. Jesus in Christianity). What elements of the Wiccan religion do you think drive this unique aspect?
I have never heard of Wiccans but I do know there are those beliefs that contribute to ideas of witchcraft or magical practices. With similarities to Christianity, it seems Wiccans act in a way that shows them as non-denominational who lean towards the beliefs of Christianity. It seems that through popular TV shows and trending movies, the ideas of witchcraft are something people want to believe is real.
I totally agree with this comment regarding the popularity of witchcraft depicted in trendy tv shows and movies–for instance The Craft, Blair Witch Project–where witchcraft is often used as a way to get revenge, cause destruction, or win power. I think this also lies with some grouping of powerful women and magic, which is often portrayed as a negative, overly ambitious thing. It’s interesting that when it all comes down to it, Wicca seems like a peaceful, harmonious belief system, that is only demonized in forms of popular culture.
Wicca has different forms in different cultures. I think it comes from the respect and fear for mysterious things which is kinda traits inherited from our ancestors. Your post about that is very enlightening and it’s fun to see people get attracted by such belief.
Wicca is one of those newer (relatively) extraordinary beliefs that I feel very positively ambivalent toward. By that I mean that the adherents don’t seem to promotor or incite anything negative and the belief seems to give them a community. Much in the same way that those who pursue Bigfoot or other cryptids find for themselves friends and events that make them feel welcome, I think this particular belief is a way to feel connected to nature and one’s femininity in a society that usually doesn’t highlight or reward either. It’s not something I have any direct experience in, but I can’t help but kind of shrug at beliefs like this and be happy that they seemingly make other people happy.