The philosophy of the religion (acknowledged as such by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1986) can be overly simplified into "we are all one and we love life in all its forms." Everything has energy. Everything is interconnected.
As Starhawk said in "Spiral Dance ": Our practice arises from a deep, spiritual commitment to the earth, to healing and to linking of magick to political action. All living beings are worthy or respect. All are supported by the sacred elements. We are called to make the earth a place where all the children (not just human) can thrive.
Each one of us embodies the divine. Our ultimate spiritual authority is within and we need no other person to interpret the sacred to us. We foster the questioning attitudes and we honor intellect, spiritual and creative freedom.
Honoring both Goddess and God, we work with female and male images of divinity, always remembering that their essence is a mystery that goes beyond form.
In honoring the Goddess and God, we acknowledge the duality that exists in all facets of life. Wicca is the celebration of nature and the circle of life. We honor the seasons of the year, phases of the moon and states of our lives (maiden, mother, crone).
Wicca is an Earth religion -- an accepting, open-minded faith that celebrates diversity and considers us all to be children of the same mother. Gender, age, race, sexual orientation, physical status, family background or ethnic heritage are not important in Wicca. We are male and female, old and young, gay and straight, healthy and disabled, and of all colors. (Eileen Holland)
Silver RavenWolf defines Witchcraft as " a proactive, Earth-centered belief system that honors all life. Witchcraft is a nature-based, life-affirming belief system that follows a moral code and seeks to build harmony among people which in its process empowers the self and others. Its magick is nothing more than an advanced understanding of quantum physics melded with spirituality."
Witchcraft is a religion of ecology; it's goal is harmony with nature so that life may not just survive, but thrive. Love for life in all its forms is the basic ethics of Witchcraft. Starhawk)
Wiccans collect no dues, have no central organization, no governing body, no supreme leader, no great high priestess who speaks for the Goddess. Our temples are gardens and forests, libraries and beaches, mountains and bookstores. Wicca consists simply of its Witches and their collective beliefs and practices. It is a voluntary association of individuals who share one faith, but practice it in a myriad of ways. (Eileen Holland)
Most Wiccans don't believe in predestination. Although we honor and revere the Goddess and God, we know that we're free with full control and responsibility of our lives. We can't point at an image of an evil god, such as Satan, and blame it for our faults and weaknesses. We can't blame fate. Every second of each day, we're creating our futures, shaping the courses of our lives. Once a Wiccan takes full responsibility for all that she or he has done (in this life and past ones) and determines that future actions will be in accord with higher ideals and goals, magick will blossom and life will be a joy (Scott Cunningham).
What Wicca is not is Satanism. We do not worship the Devil, kill small animals or sacrifice children. We are not evil, nor do we practice evil acts or black magick or manipulative or exploitative magick.
We are also not "new age." Although we do share some characteristics (divinity, working with energies, etc.) with the new age movement, Wicca is a RELIGION that has been practiced for hundreds, maybe thousands of years.
*From Bewitching Ways*
Also read these ebooks:
Eliphas Levi - The Conjuration Of The Four ElementsHippolyte Taine - Witchcraft And The Suspicion Of Witchery
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