What Wicca Is

So last time I talked a little bit about what Wicca is not, and rightly so because the media and other entertainment sources, as well as religious (which I did not cover last blog...its a whole different post) have really given Wicca a muddied picture.  Now lets talk about what Wicca in general really is.

Now firstly I had mentioned that it is not an easy out of life problems.  What Wicca is however is a belief system that puts you in harmony with the world around you.  The Wiccan Reed, our chief set of guidelines for living, for instance, tells us to do no harm in our day to day activities.  Later on I will be doing a point by point overview of the Wiccan Reed.  The basic is idea is tough, that its principles contained in the Reed are all geared toward peaceful co-habitation with the world and people around you.

The main focus is Wicca is self improvement by harmonious use of what the world around us provides, while at the same time honoring the ones that provide such things to us.  Its true, we do have many Gods and Goddesses that we pay honor too because we, and we do use ritual spell work to do that.  But its all in the name of improving who we are and our value to the world and universe around us.

So how does Wicca improve us?  It encourages us firstly to recognize that there are beings that are greater than us.  Unlike the many Christian based religions out there that almost force their beliefs on others and are stringent in enforcing their many many over bearing ideals on to its members, Wicca is a free flowing belief system that is open to many different ideas and views, lifestyles and so on.  If another person practices Wicca has maybe some slightly different ideas and thought processes, or even ways they do things while engaged in their craft. 

This is entirely OK to us because in our view when we ourselves do something in a certain way while practicing the craft, something moved us to do or view it that way.  We never really know why until the end result manifests itself for what it is. That's not for us to question, we instead respect the differences of other people, even if it doesn't necessarily resonate with us personally.  Unfortunately the Christian religion and many other religions for that matter, are largely strict about their specific form of worship.  

I don't think there will ever be a full and official definition of what Wicca is because its so eclectic compared to the more structured religions. As such, its much more open to interpretation.  Yeah you will find endless books at your local Barns and Noble Bookstore...or better yet at most Metaphysical stores but remember, where many of them are going to echo similar basic beliefs, I would say a fair many of them are going to differ on many of the finer points, and often those differences will be based on the authors experiences.

The best advice here is constantly be learning, fill yourself with as much knowledge as you can from as many different sources as you can.  Then think about what your learning.  As you do, the universe will tell you whats going to fit you best.  Its not one of those things where people can tell you when you know its right.  That's a feeling and conclusion that only you can come to.  So be open to so you wont miss it.

Next time:  The Basics:  The Wiccan Reed Part 1