Ok, i ask a simple , what is wicca, and i get yelled at. Honestly, i just wanted to ask. But i still don't understand it. do i have to go to another site to find out? i come here for all of my information about that stuff, because this is the one site i trust wont butcher and make fun of and tease the whole idea of magic. So, can anyone answer this question. What is wicca? What does it mean to study a certain cultural magic such as Egyptian? I only ask this, because sometimes i do better at understanding things when other people explain it to me. i am sorry i asked that stupid question. But now i would like an explanation like what the title says.
well Wicca is simple and yet complex, so i'm going to avoid all but the Gardenia branch. Wicca was invented in the 1950's by Gerald Gardner. he claims to of been initiated into a Wiccan coven prior to the 1950's, but after the law was changed [in England it was illegal to practice witchcraft until 1951. up to that point you would face 2 of 5 years in jail] but everyone says he created it in 1954. Wicca was based off a series of old religions and beliefs. it's rather earth based, and is one of the most peaceful of the pagan paths. they follow two basic rules; As in Harm None Do as Ye Wilt [basically if what you're planning harms no living things including yourself, you can do it] and the Three-Fold Law [anything you do, good or bad, returns to you three times]
Even Gardner said this path is personal and can be altered, so there are a lot of Wiccan paths. [such as Alexandrian Wicca, Celtic Wicca, Dianic Wicca, Eclectic Wicca, and Seax-Wicca] keep in mind though the old adage, all Wiccans are witches, but not all witches are Wiccan. [confusing sentence i know] 'Witch' is a term basically for anyone who works magick. Wicca is a religion, a Witch doesn't necessarily have to follow the Lord and Lady, a Christian could in theory work magick. as i said above, all Wiccans fall the Rede and the Three-Fold Law, but witches don't. some might follow one or the other but most follow their own morality as a guide. an example, a Wiccan wouldn't curse someone, because it will cause harm, regardless of what might of happened to the Wiccan at the hands of the person, the Wiccan would let the Three-Fold Law even things out. a witch on the other hand, might cast a curse, if the person caused the witch harm, and the witch might take karma into their own hands.
what does it mean to study a certain cultural magick? simply that, you feel spiritually drawn to that path. just like someone would feel Wicca is their right path, someone might feel Egyptian is right in their heart. so they might pray to one male and one female deity from that culture [like Isis and Osiris] or they might follow the whole region and pray to all the gods for each thing they need help with [Hathor for beauty, Bastet for music, Bes for child protection, Thoth for wisdom...] or they might just pray to a single deity. [keeping with Egyptian] many deities were more popular in certain towns depending on the towns location and their needs. so a town by the nile with a lot of crocodiles would primarily pray to Sobec, while a town near the desert might pray to Seth. people today would do something similar, feeling drawn to one deity they would follow that god/goddess teachings.
basically, if you're having trouble, this is the time to study and reflect. changing religion isn't something you should go into because it seems cool, your friends have converted, you want to be different, or cast spells. meditate on the question, sometimes a deity will appear to you, or you will get an answer/push in a direction. when you feel a path calling to you, before you go out and buy all the tools, research it. check your library first for some reputable books on the subject, if none is available, try used book stores, and failing that either look at some articles or buy one beginners guide. for Wicca i subject anything by Raymond Buckland [Wicca for Life was my first book] or Scott Cunningham. [Wicca: a Guide for the Solitary Practitioner is an excellent choice] avoid books by either Silver Ravenwolf or D.J. Conway ans they have mixed reviews leaning more towards negative information.
Wicca is a modern religion which is based on the pre-Christian religions of northern Europe. Wiccans view the Divine as manifesting in both male and female forms, God and Goddess. And Wiccan practices are tied closely to the cycles of nature, called the Wheel of the Year. A very good explanation of Wicca can be found at http://www.wiccaexplained.350.com/whatiswicca.htm I've been a practicing Wiccan for over 30 years now. Feel free to ask me any questions about it you would like.
