The largest of the Neopagan religions, Wicca is a belief system and way of life which has been based on pre-Christian traditions that originate from Wales, Scotland and Ireland. Wiccans have an overwhelming respect and admiration for the Earth and celebrate the elements throughout the year. They have eight festivals called Sabbats, collectively known as the Wheel of the Year, that are separated every six to seven weeks throughout the calendar year in which they celebrate the seasonal cycle of the Earth.
Wiccans worship a God and Goddess, the Triple Goddess and the Horned God. The Triple Goddess symbolises the Maiden (enchantment, inception, expansion, the promise of new beginnings, birth, and youth), the Mother (ripeness, fertility, sexuality, fulfillment, stability, power and life) and the Crone (wisdom, repose, death, and endings) The Maiden is represented by the waxing moon, the Mother by the Full Moon and the Crone by the waning moon. The femininity of the Triple Goddess is counteracted by the masculinity of the Horned God which is associated with nature, wilderness, sexuality, hunting and the life cycle.
Wiccans engage in the ritual practice of Magic, following a code of morality known as Wiccan Rede which forbids them from harming people, including themselves, except in some cases of self-defense. They believe their magic is White Magic rather than Black Magic which is associated with evil and Satanism. White Magic is used by Wiccans to bring about real changes in the physical world relating to matters like healing, protection and fertility as well as banishing negative influences.
Wiccans are separated from all other major religions by a belief system where there are no set rules or rituals and each person or group of worshippers can create their own way of working and celebrating.
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