What is Wicca? And What it Isn't

Hexes, spells, magick - these words all bring one familiar image to mind: the witch. Usually, this witch is wearing a long, black cloak, a pentacle necklace (often confused with the pentagram) and is horribly ugly with a sharp, protruding nose and beady, black eyes. This witch might also be carrying a broomstick, chanting evil spells into the sky or stroking a midnight black cat. However, this image of a "witch" is extremely stereotypical and for the most part, ridiculous. A witch or wiccan, which is another name for a person, male or female, who practices the old pagan religion of Wicca, isn't some crazy, mythical, evil creature. Witches are professors, doctors, lawyers, even the girl-next-door. In fact, Wicca's popularity is gaining, especially in the where it is now the fastest growing religion. Nowadays, one person out of every five is either a practicing witch his or herself or knows someone who is (Ravenwolf 22). Even though Wicca is so popular today, it is actually a very old religion. It is even called the Old Religion because its' teachings have their roots in the ancient religion of Paganism (Crowley 1). Many of the basic principles seen in other major religions today also received their inspiration from the Pagan traditions of the past. Witches are as normal as Christians or Jews; but what makes them unique are the practices in which they partake and the way they have been viewed by others over the course of time Wicca, unlike other religions, does not have a "book" or "concrete" set of rules in which the Wiccan is required to abide by (Crowley 5). The main principles of Wicca include the Three-Fold Law (which states that any energy put out into the world, good or bad, will come back to whomever put it out times three), the idea that "If it harms none, do what you will", and the worship of the "Divine" which includes both female and male counterparts; a Goddess and a horned God (Ravenwolf 17).