What is Wicca? What is Witchcraft?
Before I go into what I feel are the core beliefs of Wicca, let's talk about how Wicca has evolved. In the earliest days, there were no published books. If you wanted to be a Witch, you had to find a coven, study with them, and become initiated. As more people became initiates of Gardner, they left his group to form their own covens (this process is known as "hiving"). Gradually, books came to be published on Witchcraft, but they were far and few between. Most consider the big turning point in Wiccan publication to have occurred in the mid-80s, with the books of Scott Cunningham. His "Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner" was a book written for seekers who had no access to established Wiccan covens. It's a good introductory overview text on Wicca, and the first book I purchased as a seeker. In the nearly 20 years since then, there has been an explosion in published books, which has contributed to a diversification of what it means to be Wiccan. Now there are several types of Wicca, instead of just one. I'll explain the various types in another essay. What's important to note now is that all these types have similar basic core beliefs, or else they really can't be called "Wiccan". The funny thing is that these core beliefs are still a matter of debate.
The following list of Wiccan Core Beliefs was put together by a group of folks on a Pagan message board called The Cauldron (http://forums.delphiforums.com/CUSTOM799... I participated in the discussion, and we had input from several different types of Wiccans, as well as other sorts of Witches and Pagans. This is by no means an exhaustive list, nor is it written in stone. Use these as guidelines when you think about what Wicca means to you. Is this what you're looking for in a religious path? Do they conflict with something you've read about elsewhere?
1. Wicca is a mystery religion. Mysteries are that which cannot be explained to those who haven't experienced them. Childbirth is a good example of a mundane Mystery. You can't really understand how it feels until it has happened to you.
2. Wiccans believe that Divinity is made manifest in duality, usually in masculine and feminine Forms.
3. Wiccans believe that the world was created and is maintained by the joining together of these two Forms in the Sacred Marriage, and that a re-enactment (in
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