Wicca: Difference between revisions
Rescuing 0 sources and tagging 1 as dead. #IABot (v2.0beta9)
(Rescuing 4 sources and tagging 0 as dead. #IABot (v2.0beta9)) |
(Rescuing 0 sources and tagging 1 as dead. #IABot (v2.0beta9)) |
||
Line 15:
The other type is solitary, which is almost the exact opposite of coven-based forms. Firstly, practitioners are given more leniency in their beliefs and practice. Whilst the core tenets of Wicca are there (e.g. belief in the God and Goddess, the Wheel of the Year, the 3-fold law & Rede, etc.), solitaries may also hold different opinions regarding various topics, such as with adherence to different theories of magic. Solitaries also differ from coven-based wiccans in that they freely share religious information, their primary sources being: the wide variety of books published regarding Wicca and similar metaphysical subjects, such as Buckland's complete guide to witchcraft; ideas inspired by their own personal meditations, known as Unverified Personal Gnosis (UPG). Because of the accessibility of materials and and greater number of outlets for solitaries, it is this face of Wicca is the most familiar to non-Wiccans.
Exactly who has the right to call themselves a Wiccan has been debated. [http://livingpagan.blogspot.com/2009/08/keep-wicca-traditional-keep-wicca-coven.html Some argue]{{Dead link}} that Wicca without the Mysteries isn't truly Wicca, the same as Catholicism without baptism and communion wouldn't be Catholicism. This isn't to say that the path isn't valid and that the person doesn't have the right to practice and believe what they feel is right, but simply that calling their practice and beliefs "Wicca" would be superficial and meaningless. Others argue that the term can be applied to any path derived from Gardnerian Wicca, Mysteries or no. However, most Wiccans and Pagans (Druids and such) separate Gardenarian\Alexandrian Wicca from other types, and consider them all valid.
Aside from this, Wicca is often misunderstood by other religions and Hollywood, and there are many unfortunate misconceptions. Wiccans do not worship the devil (the character simply doesn't exist in their theology), nor does their [[Older Than They Think|pentacle]] symbolize the devil. And before you ask, they typically consider spells to make specific people fall in love with you unethical, as it interferes with free will. Most do not go around cursing people, as they believe in the "three-fold law," which states that any action you do, good or bad, will return to you thrice over.
| |||