Wicca and Other Introductions

What is this blog?

This blog in going to be to educate people about Wicca, to share my experiences with the craft and be my Book of Shadows online.

What is Wicca?

Wicca is a nature-based religion that believes in multiple deities. Most Wiccans worship both a God and a Goddess. There are different aspects of the God and the Goddess as well, so many pantheons are worshiped in Wicca. Wiccans work to bring back the ancient pagan religions, mostly of European origin. There are hundreds of Traditions of Wicca, such as Celtic, Egyptian, Greek, Italian, Norse, Welsh, and Dianic. Wiccans either work in groups (called covens) or they work alone (solitary). This is all dependent on the witch. There is no centralized authority in Wicca, such as a governing church. Witches are left to themselves to maintain their ethics and morals.

What is a Book of Shadows?
A Book of Shadows is a book containing religious texts and instructions for magical rituals found within the Neopagan religion of Wicca. A Book of Shadows is a personal record of spells and beliefs, typical to Witchcraft and Wiccan traditions. Each one is individual, and most often very private. A Book of Shadows may contain: 1. Laws of your coven or your tradition: If you are a part of a coven, you can write down your coven’s rules and guidelines. If you are a solitary practitioner, you can write down your personal code, the Wiccan Rede and any other laws that you follow in your specific path.

1. A Dedication: You can write out what god/goddess you have dedicated yourself to and why. (Feel free to include pictures and drawing) If you have been dedicated into a coven, you can keep a copy of your initiation ceremony.
2. Gods and Goddesses: Depending you’re your path or tradition, you may follow several deities or just one. Either way you can keep myths, legends, and or pictures of your deity or deities in your BOS.
3. Correspondence Tables: You can keep a record of the phases of the moon; a list of herbs, stones, minerals, crystals, colors, candles and what they are used for.
4. Sabbat Rituals: You can keep a wheel of the year, a list of rituals for each of the sabbats that you celebrate.
5. Other Rituals: You can keep sections on how to Cast a Circle, Drawing Down the Moon, Invoking the god/goddess and any other rituals that you preform.
6. Divination: You can keep a section of the different forms of divination that you may use, Such as Tarot, Scrying, and Astrology.
7. Sacred Texts: You can keep certain texts that appeal to you. Such as The Charge of The Goddess, an old prayer, and or a chant that is meaningful to you.
8. Magical Recipes: If you are a kitchen with this might be your favorite section. Even if you are not a kitchen witch you may still have a few magical recipes that you would like to record in your BOS.
9. Spells: You may want to keep your spells divided into sections to help keep your BOS organized. Love, Luck, Prosperity, Home, Healing, Creativity, Travel, Personal Power, Protection

What is the Wiccan Rede?

The Wiccan Rede is a statement that provides the key moral system in the Neopagan religion of Wicca and certain other related Witchcraft-based faiths. There are many different versions, both long and short. The one  located in my Book is as follows:

 Bide the Wiccan law ye must

In perfect love and perfect trust

Live ye must and let to live

Fairly take and fairly give

True in love ever be

Lest thy love be false to thee

With a fool no season spend

Nor be counted as his friend

Soft of eye and light of touch

Speak ye little listen much

Ever mind the rule of three

What ye send out comes back to thee

This lesson well thou must learn

Ye only get what ye earn

Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill

An it harm none do as ye will