How did a Diverse Group of Followers Lead to the Modern Practice of Wicca? What is Wicca? Wicca is a religious movement that stems from both Christian beliefs and practices to Christian fear of witchcraft practices. This had mostly derived on several islands of Great Britain and Ireland, but later evolved in American events, such as the Salem Witch Trials in the seventeenth century. Though many religions fear forms of witchcraft and sorcery, often Christians (Who’s Afraid of Witches?, Agang), Wiccans have stated that they have no evil intent at all. Wiccans show appreciation of nature throughout all their rituals. They hold value to many virtues in life, especially the human body, the earth, animals and plants. The
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Mind the Threefold Law ye should – three times bad and three times good ... Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill – an it harm none, do what ye will,” (The Rede of the Wiccae, Thompson). This quote is one of many that is held significantly by Wiccans, but there exists no cemented or ethical code followed by all Wiccans. However, a majority follow a code known as the Wiccan Rede, which stated "an it harm none, do what ye will". This is interpreted universally to take responsibility for the consequences of one's actions and limit harm to oneself and others, as well as a declaration of the freedom to act as someone wants to. Another common statement of Wiccan morality is the Law of Threefold Return which holds that whatever a person does will return to that person with equal force or triple force on each of the three levels: body, mind and spirit, much like the belief in karma. The Wiccan Rede was most likely introduced by Gerald Gardner and Doreen Valiente. The Threefold Law was an interpretation of Wiccan ideas and ritual, made by Monique Wilson further popularised by Raymond Buckland publishing these ideas in his books on …show more content…
In Valiente's poem, they are ordered in pairs of complementary opposites. Dualism and symmetry is common throughout the religion and philosophy. Furthermore, some Wiccans also observe a set of Wiccan laws, called the Craft Laws or Ardanes. It is argued that the first thirty of these rules were invented by Gardner himself, and the others were added later by Alex Sanders during the end of the twentieth century. Debates on Origins According to Gerald Gardner's account in Witchcraft Today and The Meaning of Witchcraft, Wicca is the survival of a cult of witches in Europe that was persecuted during the witch trials. Theories of a European witch-cult, as well as widely vast trials across Europe, have been discredited by many modern researchers. However, Wiccans are commonly known to side with witch trial victims. (Witchcraft Today, Gardner) (The Meaning of Witchcraft,
Mind the Threefold Law ye should – three times bad and three times good ... Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill – an it harm none, do what ye will,” (The Rede of the Wiccae, Thompson). This quote is one of many that is held significantly by Wiccans, but there exists no cemented or ethical code followed by all Wiccans. However, a majority follow a code known as the Wiccan Rede, which stated "an it harm none, do what ye will". This is interpreted universally to take responsibility for the consequences of one's actions and limit harm to oneself and others, as well as a declaration of the freedom to act as someone wants to. Another common statement of Wiccan morality is the Law of Threefold Return which holds that whatever a person does will return to that person with equal force or triple force on each of the three levels: body, mind and spirit, much like the belief in karma. The Wiccan Rede was most likely introduced by Gerald Gardner and Doreen Valiente. The Threefold Law was an interpretation of Wiccan ideas and ritual, made by Monique Wilson further popularised by Raymond Buckland publishing these ideas in his books on …show more content…
In Valiente's poem, they are ordered in pairs of complementary opposites. Dualism and symmetry is common throughout the religion and philosophy. Furthermore, some Wiccans also observe a set of Wiccan laws, called the Craft Laws or Ardanes. It is argued that the first thirty of these rules were invented by Gardner himself, and the others were added later by Alex Sanders during the end of the twentieth century. Debates on Origins According to Gerald Gardner's account in Witchcraft Today and The Meaning of Witchcraft, Wicca is the survival of a cult of witches in Europe that was persecuted during the witch trials. Theories of a European witch-cult, as well as widely vast trials across Europe, have been discredited by many modern researchers. However, Wiccans are commonly known to side with witch trial victims. (Witchcraft Today, Gardner) (The Meaning of Witchcraft,