Wicca, Spells, Magic, and Whatnot

Wicca is widespread in the Internet. As you browse for Wicca, you will always tumble upon spells and magic.

This is because part of Wiccans’ ritual practices is casting spells in an attempt to change the present system of the physical world. You might have heard Wiccan spells for healing, love, fertility, or success. These examples are often called the white magic. Distinct from these kinds of spells is the black magic. The latter one is popular since the ancient times because it is associated with evil and Satanism. There are many who argue that black should be eliminated in describing the negative magic because the color has nothing to do with Satan.

It is important therefore to know the roots of Wicca to be able to delineate the good and bad in its practices.

Wicca is a pagan religion that believes in both the gods and goddesses—a belief that is comparable to the Taoist belief in yin yang. The god is associated with nature, wilderness, hunting, and sexuality. The goddess is pre-eminent.

Magic is part of Wiccan practices. This is often called the witchcraft or sorcery. This magic is defined as a science and art to effect change according to will. For them, magic is a law of nature. Others even say magic exists because it works for them.

There is no set of ethical codes followed by Wiccans in all kinds of traditions; however, several Wiccan practitioners follow the Wiccan Rede, a statement that guides them to a certain moral system.

Wiccan Rede states that “an it harm none, do what ye will.” The word “rede” came from the Middle English. It means advice or counsel. The first word “an” used to be a conjunction that means “if” in an old Middle English language. Further, the word “ye” means you.

The Wiccan Rede tells about the liberty to act while taking accountability to every consequence of such action.

Wiccans follow the Law of Threefold Return too. This is similar to karma of Hindus. It tells about the consequences and rewards of every action. Every good or bad deed a person does to another, it will return to that person with triple force.

Gerald Gardner introduced both the Wiccan Rede and the threefold return.

Several Wiccan traditions believe in five elements especially in consecrating a magic circle. This circle is usually used in casting spells. The five elements are Air, Fire, Water, Earth, and Aether or spirit. Five different points of the pentagram represent each sign. The pentagram is a fundamental shape in every Wiccan tradition. Other symbols include the triquetra and the tirple moon symbol. This belief is similar to Christianity’s crucifix.

Moreover, Wicca does not follow any particular book. The Book of Shadows is just a collection of spells, which has been continually updated and added. It contained the procedures of religious poetry and chants too. An example of a ritual written in the book is the ritualized sex magic. It is performed in Grand Rite.