What is Wicca??

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What is Wicca??
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• Wicca is a Pagan Religion
• Wicca (and Pagans) Honor
• The Elements of Nature Earth, Air, Fire and
  Water
• The God and Goddess (or Lord and Lady)
• Are Wicca and paganism the same thing?
• The word pagan comes from the Latin word pagani
  meaning civilian or rustic which would be
  equivalent to todays redneck or hick
• Wiccans are pagans, but pagans are not
  necessarily Wiccan.

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• What Make Wicca a Religion and Paganism a
  Non-religion?
• While both are a way of life, Wicca believes in
  Divine Spirit above all
• Paganism while spiritual is not (necessarily)
  a religion
• Yes, you can be spiritual without being
  religious!!

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• What is Wicca??
• Wicca is an Earth-based spirituality founded on
  the pre-Christian belief systems of European
  peoples, combined with modern concerns such as
  environmental issues and social justice.
• Wicca does NOT have a single, written book of
  laws (like the bible).

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• Wiccan Traditions
• Alexandrian - founded by Alex Saunders in 1933
• British Traditional - Saunders/Gardner descended
• Celtic - uses Celtic/Druidic practices
• Church and School of Wicca
• Correlian-Natavist
• Covenant of the Goddess
• Dianic - Goddess based not female only, but is
  feminist
• Eclectic - a little bit of everything!
• Fairy/Faery
• Gardnerian - Founded by Gerald Gardner in the
  1950s 1st out of the broom closet tradition
  famous member Aleister Crowley
• Georgian - founded by George Patterson in the
  1970s
• Seax-Wica - one of the first traditions that
  allowed self-initiation and solitaire work

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• What is a Pagan??
• When one defines oneself as Pagan, it means she
  or he follows an earth or nature religion, one
  that sees the divine manifest in all creation.
  The cycles of nature are our holy days, the earth
  is our temple, its plants and creatures our
  partners and teachers. We worship a deity that is
  both male and female, a mother Goddess and father
  God, who together created all that is, was, or
  will be. We respect life, cherish the free will
  of sentient beings, and accept the sacredness of
  all creation.
• Edain McCoy

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• Pagan Traditions
• Asatru/Odinism -Asatru is the modern rebirth of
  the pre-Christian indigenous faith of the Norse
  peoples
• Celtic Traditionalism - reconstruct the beliefs
  and practices of the original Celtic people, as
  opposed to Druidic learnings
• Ceremonial Magick - followers of this Tradition
  uses a great deal of ceremonial magick in their
  practices. Detailed rituals with a flavor of
  Egyptian magick are sometimes a favorite, or they
  may use the Quabbalistic magick
• Church of all Worlds - is dedicated to "healing
  the separation between mind and body, men and
  women, civilazation and Nature, Heaven and Earth.
  
• Discordianism/Erisian
• Druidism Celtic/Britannic natural religion
  not just for men
• Egyptian-Isian Kemetic - resurrection of ancient
  Egyptian religion in one form or another
• Gnosticism - Gnosticism is a concept of spiritual
  experience which has its roots in many religious
  practices and is not restricted to Christianity
• Golden Dawn
• Greco-Roman
• Green Witch
• Hedge Witch - hedgewitch is one that follows in
  the footsteps of the old village wisewoman
• Shamanism
• Stregharia Italian witchcraft
• Wicca

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Is Wicca a Religion or A Way of Life??
Its BOTH!
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WiccaWitch Whats the Difference? Is There A
Difference?
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• Wicca is First and Foremost a Religion that
  Practices Witchcraft
• A Witch isnt Necessarily Wiccan

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The MILLION DOLLAR QUESTION What is a Witch?
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What A Witch ISNT
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Francesco Mario Guazzo, Compedium maleficarum,
1608)
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Hans Baldung GrienWitches' Sabbath, 1510
(The Famous History of Lancashire Witches, 1780)
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What a Witch is

• A Witch is an individual who works magick through
  natural means and treats each spell as a
  scientist would with methodologically,
  scientifically, and in an organized manner.
• A Witch is an individual who works to empower
  themselves to their highest potential through
  means of practice of magick and by practice of
  deeds.

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Beliefs of Wicca/Witchcraft Regarding Magick

• The Power shall not be used to bring harm, to
  injure or control others. But if the need rises,
  the Power shall be used to protect your life or
  the lives of others.
• The Power is used only as need dictates.
• The Power can be used for your own gain, as long
  as by doing so you harm none.
• It is unwise to accept money for use of the
  Power, for it quickly controls its taker. Be not
  as those of other religions.
• Use not the Power for prideful gain, for such
  cheapens the mysteries of Wicca and magick.
• Ever remember that the Power is the sacred gift
  of the Goddess and God, and should never be
  misused or abused.

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Of the many different traditions, there are two
key beliefs that all traditions share

• Lest in thy self defense it be, ever mind the
  rule of three
• Do ye what thou whilst, an it harm none.