A neopagan movement with rituals that emphasize the natural world and a firm set of ethics and principles, but which does not believe in gods, the divine or the supernatural.
Category Archives: Paganism/Wicca
coven
A gathering or association of witches. A medieval Scots word meaning a gathering, its first recorded use in connection with witches was in 1662 at a witch trial in Europe. The word was used in association with Wiccans in the early 20th century. See Wicca.
Filed in Paganism/Wicca
Dianic witchcraft
A neopagan form of religious tradition that is centered on the divine feminine and Goddess worship. Has some overlap with Wicca, in that members follow the Wiccan Rede, but differs in that most Wiccans worship both the masculine and feminine.
Filed in Paganism/Wicca
esbat
A meeting within Wiccan and other occult communities that is timed around the lunar cycle; includes social and business engagements rather than major holy days. See also: sabbat.
Filed in Paganism/Wicca
magick
Filed in Paganism/Wicca
neopaganism
A term used to describe contemporary paganism, as opposed to ancient paganism. Some groups or individuals describe themselves as “pagan” because they trace their belief and practices back to ancient times and the emphasis on the natural world and goddess worship. Others prefer “neopagan” because their faith blends the old and the new.
Filed in Paganism/Wicca
occult
Matters regarded as involving supernatural or magical elements. Examples of occult practices include fortunetelling, tarot card readings, alchemy and astrology. Witchcraft is generally considered occult. Practices often revolve around or incorporate natural elements and have a history of being hidden or practiced secretly. Often, this is used to describe practices that do not fit into established religious traditions.
Filed in Paganism/Wicca
pagan
Generally, a person who does not acknowledge the God of Judaism, Christianity or Islam and who is a worshipper of a polytheistic religion. Many pagans follow an Earth-based or nature religion. The modern religious movement known as neopaganism has adopted the name as a badge of faith. Note: Some pagans prefer to see the term capitalized. See neopaganism.
Filed in Paganism/Wicca
reconstructionism
Filed in Paganism/Wicca
Rule of Three / Threefold Law
A tenet held by some Wiccan practitioners and other followers of the occult; states that whatever energy is put out into the world by a person, that energy will be returned to that person three times.
Filed in Paganism/Wicca
sabbat
A gathering in Wiccan traditions for one of the eight major holy days; timed around the solar cycle. See also: esbat.
Filed in Paganism/Wicca
Samhain
A pagan festival marking the end of the harvest and the beginning of the winter. Believed to be Celtic pagan in origin, but increasingly observed by neopagans, Wiccans and other occult groups.
Filed in Paganism/Wicca
shielding
A spiritual technique of building an energy field around oneself; believed to protect one’s energy from escaping while guarding the individual from external negative energy.
Filed in Paganism/Wicca
Wheel of the Year
Filed in Paganism/Wicca
Wicca
There are many forms of Wicca, but most share a worship of the divine feminine, or Goddess, and a reverence for nature and its cycles. It is traditionally believed to be based on the symbols, celebrations, beliefs and deities of ancient Celtic peoples. Many scholars consider it the largest segment of neopaganism, saying it can be traced back to Gardnerian Witchcraft, founded in the United Kingdom during the late 1940s. See neopaganism.
Filed in Other faiths, Paganism/Wicca
Wiccan Rede
A document in the Wiccan faith that summarizes the faith’s moral system; influential to other occult faiths.
Filed in Paganism/Wicca
witch
Filed in Other faiths, Paganism/Wicca, Religion and culture
witch feminism
A modern anti-patriarchal popular social movement in which largely young, Western feminists compare themselves to witches. While this movement shares visual cues and some spiritual practices with traditional Wiccan or pagan faiths, it is generally a secular movement.
Filed in Paganism/Wicca, Religion and culture
wyrd
Pagan Norse concept that corresponds to the idea of destiny or fate; an ancient term that has seen recent emergence in neopaganism, including contemporary Germanic neopaganism.
Filed in Paganism/Wicca