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What is Wicca

What is Wicca
What is Wicca

There is a lot of confusion between the terms Wicca and Witchcraft, many people, including famous authors, use them interchangeably, so is there a difference, if so what is it?

Classical Definition of Witchcraft

Is the practice of natural magic, and does not have to have any religious component. Natural magic is the simple magic connected with the world around us as opposed to the complex ritual or high magic practised by magicians. Both can be equally effective although natural magic is more commonly is used to solve everyday problems, whereas high magic often has more otherworldly goals. Someone of any religion can also be a Witch, however many faiths such as Christianity and Islam specifically ban the use of magic of any form, especially Witchcraft.

Classical Definition of Wicca

Is a religion with definable beliefs, which always includes the practice of Witchcraft. It is unique as a living western religion that explicitly embraces the female principal.

Wiccans believe in and worship a god and goddess,

the deities can vary according to the tradition, and group. This principle is extended to the everyday world, Wiccans believe duality, and equally value both males and females.

Wicca is connected to nature and the cycle of the seasons.

The 8 sabbats are essentially seasonal celebrations and allow Wiccans to have a real relationship with the Earth.

Magic is an essential part of Wicca, making every Wiccan a Witch.

Confusion with the meaning of “Wicca” from the USA

American author Scott Cunningham used the term Wicca, that was previously only applied to initiated coven Wiccans for his book for solitaries. His book was the best selling Witchcraft book of all time and its influence was massive, first in the US, then later in Europe too. It is likely there are now more solitary Wiccans than traditional coven based Wiccans. The arguments about who is a Wiccan still rage today with strong opinions on both sides. To reverse this trend is equivalent to King Canute attempting to turn the tide.

A Witch may be a Wiccan

Wicca is a both a magical system and a religion that includes Witchcraft in it’s core principles, however a Witch does not necessarily have Wiccan religious views. So a Wiccan is always a Witch, but a Witch is not always a Wiccan.

Unique amongst western religions

With its inclusion of female spirituality, magic, and affinity with nature, Wicca is unique among western religions. It truly is old ideas for the new world as its principles answer so many important modern issues

 Magic is an inseparable part of Wicca

Unlike other western religions Wicca always includes the practice of magic in the form of spells. The caster carries the entire responsibility for the results of a spell they cast, so while similar in concept to a prayer a spell is a far more personal force. See Wiccan Rede for restrictions on use of spells.

The Rede an essential limit on the use of spells

An it harm none, do what ye will . Is a deceptively simple positive morality, easy to understand, but hard to live up to. In a simple phrase it gives a moral blueprint for all of life’s decisions

Wicca balances reverence of both male and female

Wicca includes both a Goddess and a God, and gives equal status to females and males. This is both an important principle of Wicca, and one of its strongest attractions.

Local Gatherings

Local Gatherings

Children of Artemis (CoA), helps their members setup local gatherings in a Pub, Bar or Cafe to discuss Wicca, Witchcraft, Paganism, socialise, and generally have a good time. These are friendly get together’s so if you are close enough to one of the Gatherings, then please consider attending for an enjoyable evening.

The first gathering was established in Croydon, South London. Other Gatherings are being established constantly, and will be added to this page as details become available. Please email Us, or phone 0203 303 3290 if you would like to organise a gathering in your area.

The Witches Of London CoA Gathering

This Friendly social evening is open to all Pagan Paths as well as those who wish to seek a coven plus those covens that wish to recruit will be welcome. Meeting on the third Tuesday of each month  at the Front bar of the Cittie of Yorke at  22 High Holborn, London. WC1V 6BS Starting for 7.30 onwards. For more  email us at coacentral@witchcraft.org or like our Official Facebook Page.

West Wiltshire CoA Gathering

Local Gathering in West Wiltshire. We will meet on the first Tuesday of every month at the Swan Hotel, 1 Church Street, Bradford-on-Avon, BA15 1LN at around 7PM
Everyone is welcome to come along we have the little room at the from of the pub reserved for us so feel free to join us. For more details you can like the Official Facebook page or email coacentral@witchcraft.org

CoA Artemision Gathering Germany

The first Children of Artemis Gathering to be established in Germany in association with Artemision Germany. Artemision CoA Gathering in Dortmund, Germany. We are currently meeting once a month online, at 9:00pm CET:-S on the second Tuesday of the month. Once physical meetings are possible there will be a second meeting on the second Friday of the month in Dortmund City Center

Artemision CoA Treffen Raum Dortmund, Deutschland Wir treffen uns zur Zeit jeden 2. Dienstag im Monat um 21h Online. Für die Teilnahme und Registrierung für unseren Online-Stammtisch bitte mit E-Mail Adresse hier registrieren: https://artemision.de/kontakt/ 
 
Wenn richtige Stammtische wieder möglich sind, wird es ein zweites Treffen, jeden 2. Freitag im Monat, in der Nähe des Dortmunder Hauptbahnhofs, geben. Das erste Children of Artemis Treffen in Deutschland in Verbindung mit Artemision Deutschland.
 
Please check the Facebook page for details.

Rochester Gathering – So Moot it Bee

The meeting is held on the last Tuesday of the month at The Rising Sun, 6 Delce Road, Rochester, ME1 2BU.

We meet up at 7.30pm to start at 8pm, so there is plenty of time to mix and meet with your friends. There is a £2 charge to cover the speakers expenses.

Blessed Be. For details of the talk and dates you can check their Facebook Page or check the Official Web Site

Threefold Pagans Okehampton Gathering

We meet at The Highwaymans Inn, Sourton, Devon. EX20 8HN every 3rd thursday evening of the month at 7.30.

All paths welcome to a interesting and varied, relaxed and informal meeting.

For more information you can email Leslea on lesleadines@yahoo.com or the Official Facebook Page

Hertford Gathering

Pub Moot held on the last Wednesday of the month at 8pm.

Find us in the upstairs room of The White Horse pub, 33 Castle street, Hertford, SG14 1HH.

Food served and a good selection of drinks.

10-15min walk from Hertford East and North station. Main bus station is also close by.

We are a friendly bunch that welcome newcomers and don’t expect you to have any particular experience or knowledge.
All we ask is that you are a Pagan or interested in learning more about Paganism and are tolerant of others beliefs.
For more information contact Kate at HertfordMoot@gmail.com

The Bishops Stortford Gathering

Held at the Castle public house , Castle Street, Bishops Stortford, Hertfordshire on the 3rd Monday of every month from 8pm.

Please come along and join in. We have a different fascinating subject every month, previous ones including, past lives, familiars, crystals, local ghost stories and legends.

For more info you can use the Official Facebook Page

CoA Southampton Witches

Performing Full Moon and Seasonal celebrations at Matley Wood in the New Forest. Keep an eye on their Facebook Group or Facebook Page  for exact dates and meeting times/spot.

CoA Rugby Gathering

Friendly and welcoming pagan Gathering meeting every 2nd Wednesday of the Month from 7PM at the Seven Stars Pub, 40 Albert Square, Rugby CV21 2SH. For more information you can check the official Facebook Page or join the Facebook Group

CoA Divine Moon Moot

Meeting on a Saturday from 12 noon at the family room at The Towers Walsall Rd, Great Barr B42 1EY, dates and location can vary dependent on the activity we have arranged for the meeting, so please do check our Facebook Page or email us at omian65@hotmail.com for the exact date and more details.

Stoke Central CoA Moot

Meeting on the second Wednesday of the month, starting at 6:00pm  at the upstairs room at The White Star in Stoke. Everyone is welcome to join us!!! For more information you can like our Facebook Page or join our Facebook Group .

Worthing Pagan Moot

Friendly and welcoming meeting on every second Wednesday of the month, 8pm at The Downview Pub, Worthing. Join their  Facebook Group to keep up to dates with all the news.

Banbury Wheatsheaf CoA Gathering

We meet every month on the second Monday at the Wheatsheaf in Banbury. You will be able to find us in the back room of the pub for a friendly social evening. Everyone is welcome to join in regardless of your path, and good conversation about pagan topics and the craft is guaranteed. If you are in the area do not be shy and join us! See you there! To stay up to date with all the new just like our Facebook Page.

Sunderland CoA Pagan Moot

We meet every 1st Monday of the month from 7.30pm at the Ivy House, Worcester Terrace, SR2 7AW, look for the Witchcraft&Wicca Magazine on the table. Everyone is welcome to join in! We mainly host a social evening where you can spend time with likeminded individuals but also have the occasional workshop. Feel free to contact us on our email address: PaganMoot.Sunderland@gmail.com or find our facebook group.

Sunderland Goddess Circle

Meeting on the 3rd Thursday of each month at the Crystal Moon Emporium,52 Frederick Street, Sunderland, SR1 1NF. This meeting is open to all likeminded people following the Pagan path, meeting  times can vary so please check with the page for more details if you wish to attend. More information at their Facebook Page.

Hexham CoA Pagan Moot

Meeting on the 1st Saturday from 11am to 2pm at the Heart of Northumberland, 5 Market Street, NE46 3NS look for the Witchcraft & Wicca Magazine on the table. Everyone is welcome to join us! For more information you can email us at: PaganMoot.Hexham@gmail.com or we have a facebook group.

Morley Moot

We meet the fourth Tuesday in the month at 7-30pm for 8pm, In the Labour Rooms, Unity Hall, Commercial Street, Morley, LS27 8HZ. Cost £2 includes light refreshments. Children 14 and over welcome accompanied by parent or guardian. Contact David Speight on facebook, join Morley Moot Facebook Group or email Morleypagans@aol.com

 

Student Pagan Societies

Student Pagan Societies

Student societies are a great way to find like-minded people at your University. And because of that, we feel that we should do something to support Student Pagan Societies so they can thrive and reach as many pagan students as they can so no-one feels left out or alone. So we decided to create a membership plan for your society. Student Society Gold Membership is a different type of membership altogether, as it is not tied to a single person, but to the society itself. If you are interested you can email our Student Society Officer at studentofficer@witchcraft.org or join us in our Facebook Group and he can provide you with the details and information you will need to provide to sign up your Society  to this great new deal.

For £45 a year, the Student Society Gold Membership will give you, 4 copies of our Information pack when joining, 4 copies of each issue of the Witchcraft & Wicca Magazine, Witchcraft Times Newsletter on the registered email address, 10 2 for1 deals on tickets for CoA events, where you always pay members prices even when the special deals are all used up, early entry to CoA events, Gold Wristband at Witchfest which gives you access to the members bar where you can relax away from the crowd and with great deals on drinks.

Below is the list of Societies Registered with CoA:

Swansea University Pagan Society

Staffordshire University Pagan Society

Does Witchcraft still exist in the modern world?

Do Witches Still Exist in Modern World

Many people assume that witchcraft disappeared after the witch-hunts of the middle ages. Witchcraft was driven underground by the persecution but it was not eliminated. The surviving Witches had to be more careful, but carry on they did. As late as the early twentieth century the traditional figure of the old wise witch was still in existence (E.g. Mother Redcap from Cambridge born in the mid-nineteenth century died 1926).

Witchcraft & witches have often been prominent in various isolated and third world countries around the world. They occasionally are reported in European papers, recent cases that found their way into the UK press include Witches in the Ivory Coast, Mexico and South Africa. These witches can trace their tradition back through the centuries as they have been largely accepted by their cultures and have not had to operate covertly. These witches of the third world while some of their practices and beliefs are very similar owe little to the heritage of the Witches who were persecuted during the European and American medieval witch trials.

While the persecution of witches and publicity the authorities and the church gave to it thankfully disappeared in the middle ages, witchcraft has persisted in Europe up to the present day. As there is little documentary evidence regarding the craft in the intervening centuries this is a very difficult statement to verify. This may be partly due to the secrecy needed before the repeal of the Witchcraft Act in England in 1951, and because Witchcraft in early Europe was largely a verbal tradition.

Whatever the truth of its origin Wicca and Witchcraft have now become a fast growing minority religion since the revival in the 1940s. It possibly now has as many followers in some western countries as other more officially acceptable alternative religions such as the Sikhs. Wicca is now even recognised by some government bodies such as the American military, which recognises it as an official religion. Even in Britain, the UK Home Office has authorised Wiccan prison visiting priests and priestesses.

Does Wicca have a moral code?

Do Witches Have a Moral Code - Wiccan Rede

Wiccan Moral Code – The Wiccan Rede

Yes a deceptively simple positive morality expressed in a mere eight words :
“An it harm none, do what you will”.
When this philosophy is followed correctly, it encourages you to think about the effect your actions (whether magical or mundane) have on others. You are responsible for the consequences of anything that you do, whether good or bad. When combined with the “Law of Threefold Return” which states :
Anything you send out, returns to you threefold
it is clear that it is important to avoid doing harm to others and doing good will actually improve your own life.

Are there different types of Wicca and Witchcraft?

Are there different types of Wicca and Witchcraft?
Are there different types of Wicca and Witchcraft?

Witches can be grouped into two basic types, the coven or group Witch often referred to as a Wiccan, and the solitary Witch or Hedgewitch. There are further subdivisions within these broad definitions that I will not attempt to explain here. Very generally some find the company, support and advice others can give a vital part of their Craft.

Others find satisfaction and enjoyment on the solitary practice of their beliefs. Neither is right or wrong, each just suits different people, and people may change over time with solitaries joining covens and Wiccans opting for the solitary path.

What do Witches Believe?

What do Witches and Wiccans believe

Wicca is a pagan religion, this means that its adherents worship pre-Christian Gods and Goddesses of the land and includes the practice of Witchcraft. This reference for ancient deities may at first seem strange, but the message of balance in nature and between the sexes is very relevant and modern. The old Gods and Goddesses have it appears been merely snoozing the centuries away, awaiting the time when they could return to their people at their time of need.

The view that life, fun, love and enjoyment of almost every kind are sacred and the divine gift of the Gods and Goddesses is one that Christianity would find hard to accept. In most world religions including Islam, Christianity, and Judaism there is a predominant view that the ultimate spiritual goal is beyond this earth and all pleasures of this world are attempts to corrupt your true purpose. In Wicca the divine is seen in all the fun and pleasures of this life, the old Gods were not in the least staid or boring.

Humanity has made many mistakes regarding the environment, poisoned landscapes and long lists of recently extinct species bear silent witness to this fact. Many Wiccans believe that the loss of respect for the natural world is a direct consequence of the patriarchal religions that have dominated history for the last thousand years. This may be true, the facts certainly support the theory, but it is undeniable that Wiccan philosophy could not allow many of the historic environmental mistakes to have occurred.

What are Witches?

What are Witches
What are Witches

If you accept that Witches still exist, what sort of people are they and why haven’t you heard very much about them?
The popular image of the Witch is of an old bent woman with a hooked nose wearing a tall pointed black hat and a long black cape riding a broomstick in the company of a black cat. This is a stereotype that has been perpetuated and popularised by such diverse media as fairy tales, cartoons, fantasy fiction, TV, horror and comedy films. Examples of a Witch portrayed in a good light in the media are unfortunately rare, however there are a few examples, such as Samantha in the old American TV series “Bewitched”. Today with the exception of the of Halloween night you are unlikely to see many Witches that conform to this popular stereotype.

Most modern witches are perfectly ordinary looking people, who you may well meet in your everyday life and not notice anything strange about them. A few have occupations such as Tarot reading, Astrology, or spiritual healing where it can be an advantage to dress in an outlandish style, but this is definitely a minority. They work in a wide variety of occupations and may be either old or young. Both men and women can be witches as they were in medieval times, it is often forgotten that in some countries more men were executed for witchcraft than women.

Witches as a group of people do tend to have some similarities. There is a deep regard for nature in all its forms in the religion so many are members of a wide range of ecological and environmental groups. The respect for nature and animals also means many are vegetarians. They are people who believe that more exists in this world and beyond than can be easily explained by science alone. This means they have a spiritual aspect to them that is often missing in modern western society. Wicca has both male and female deities and has a special respect for females. This female bias has resulted in many crossovers with feminist organisations.

Latest News and Relevant information on Wicca,Witchcraft, Druidry, Paganism and more

Latest Witchcraft, Wicca and Pagan News

All the latest witchy news from around the world. On this page you can find the latest news and relevant information for Pagans, Wiccans, Witches, Druids, Heathens form all parts of the Pagan Community.

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Casting A Circle

Casting a Circle - Wicca or Witchcraft

Witches’ create sacred space in the form of a circle each time they work. This is in contrast to many other religions that permanently consecrate a place. There are many ways of constructing a circle, varying from the very complex to surprisingly simple.

The important ingredient in all of them is you must have absolute belief that your circle has been correctly cast. We have included a simple circle cast below suitable for beginners, or those with limited time or space.

What You’ll Need

4 candles (Nightlights are fine)
Matches or lighter
Frankincense incense (Joss Sticks of the same scent are OK)
A small bowl of water
A small bowl of salt
A compass (If possible)
A small plate of your favourite food
A small glass of your favourite drink

Decide on space within which you will have your ritual, the ideal circle is nine foot in diameter but use whatever is available. You must not be disturbed during the ritual, if this means a very small space, so be it , make do with what you have. Clean the circle, ideally with a broom ( a vacuum cleaner or brush will do), but whatever the tool be conscious you are clearing your own sacred space.

  • Place the candles in the four quarters of your circle (North, East, South, & West), (Ideally using a compass, but this doesn’t need to be exact, if you have nothing else available just use your intuition)
  • Place the bowls, drink and food in the centre of the circle
  • Light the candles
  • Light the incense from the North Candle
  • Take a pinch of salt
  • Drop the salt into the water and stir with your finger,
  • Visualise the water becoming clear, cleansed and pure, shining with blue light
  • Take the bowl and sprinkle water around the circle, please be respectful of the candles when doing this.
  • Visualise blue light starting to shimmer around the circle now.
  • Now Concentrate your mind on the circle as a physical entity, it must really exist to you.
  • Stand in the middle and trace the circle with your finger starting in the North through East, South and West back to north visualising blue light flowing from your finger into the perimeter of you circle as you progress
  • Your circle is now cast, the feel of a circle is relaxed but safe and secure
  • Now within this cast circle you are free from any outside interference.
  • Within this circle you can now perform whatever spell, or simple act of worship you wish. Remembering to abide by the Wiccan rede “An it harm none, do what you will”.
  • When you have completed the spell or ritual, you must ground yourself, and close the circle down
  • To ground yourself and bring yourself back from your current susceptible state slowly eat and drink, savouring each mouthful. We rarely notice the wonder of our food and drink so make the most of this opportunity.
  • When you have finished your mini-feast it is time to start dismantling your circle
  • Now acknowledge and bid goodbye to the quarters, starting with the East and passing clockwise to the North
  • Standing in the centre trace the circle with your finger starting in the North through East, South and West back to north visualising blue light flowing back into your finger from the perimeter of you circle as you progress
  • Bid farewell to the circle, and to the Goddess and the God who have watched over you.
  • Extinguish the candles & incense
  • The circle is now dissolved, but remember you can always invoke this safe space any time you wish to.
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