Wicca is a religion that recognizes the Goddess and God as deities who are not distant as in the other religions but wholly manifested in nature and in our forms. Wicca does believe that all things in the world (animate and inanimate) have spirits as they are part and parcel of the natural phenomenon that happened many billion years ago. Every element in this environment has a role to play and each of them are important. Wiccans do not consider humans as a superior species. All of us who inhabit this world are equally qualified to live here and enjoy life as they see it in the entire Universe.
Wicca allows each of us to be who we are. No rules, no regulations and no tithing to any organization or business. We do not need to answer to any other person as our spirits are as powerful as anyone else’s. Wicca encourages us to believe in ourselves and to find that power that resides within us. Each and every one of the Wicca practitioners can set up an altar in their homes, invite the deities to enter their home and assist or bless in the ceremonies that each individual is capable of conducting. In these ceremonies, no one is more important than another. And that is the amazing way the Universe was created. Everyone is capable of creating their path without the assistance of anyone else.
Respected author and long time Wiccan author Scott Cunningham used the term “alternate states of consciousness” to define the state of mind which leads to creation of what we see in our reality. Every human being is certainly capable of creating whatever they need for their sustenance. However, Wiccans also know that one must not abuse this power; any attempt to create havoc in the life of another will be met with backlash and tragedy to the originator. This rule is called “The Wiccan Rede” and it enables Wiccans to make the right choices.
Since Wicca places a high level of importance on nature, Wiccans prefer natural things to work with. All of the items that they may need for working in their altered state of consciousness or meditative state are usually natural. For example, the Wand is usually a discarded tree limb and the besom is made of herbs and other plants. Wicca believes that each botanical on Earth has a purpose and exists to heal and nourish. A natural way of life is indeed encouraged in Wiccan traditions as we consider the planet Earth, our only home. Celebrations that happen many times a year focus mostly on the changes in seasons and harvest rituals. Recycling and nurturing the Earth is also considered as part of our responsibilities in Wicca. Reincarnation and rebirth is also accepted in Wicca.
Wicca practitioners use magic or magick to create reality. Just as Catholic priests chant over a piece of bread and “convert” it into the body of Jesus, Wiccans use their powerful minds to concentrate and connect with the Deity. Using the power or meditation and altered consciousness, Wiccans can easily change their life and that of others. Using this internal power, Wiccans can improve the health, financial situations, lack of love and hope and many of life’s challenges. Wicca proves to us that human beings are not “sinners” or “losers” and they are amazingly powerful entities who can change the world if they put their spirits to it.
