Wicca is a Western mystery religion
2 invented and founded by Gerald Gardner in the
UK
in the 1950s, followed shortly by the very similar Alexandrian Wicca in
the 1960s, although the two strands are now very closely intertwined
3
and Wicca is decentralized. Wiccan practices centre on ritual, nature
veneration, natural cycles, and magical and spiritual learning
4. Much of it derived from pseudo-folklore. Its festivals are held on the eight yearly
Sabbats. Divinity in Wicca is seen as both male and female (typically as the Horned God and Mother Goddess
4), as are the general forces of nature which emanate from the male and female principal
5,6, and these two sides complement one another
3,7.
Groups of adherents are called covens and as with other mystery
religions entrance to Wicca comes by way of initiation, a process which
requires study and the gaining of the trust of the others. Covens aim to
have thirteen members, which are then traditionally seen as "full", and
growth comes by way of splintering
3. Solitary practitioners are called
hedgewitches. Compared to other new religious movements in the West, adherence to Wicca takes up a surprising amount of dedication and time
3.
Hello, my name is Jack Sparrow. I'm a 50 year old self-employed Pirate from the Caribbean.
No comments:
Post a Comment