The question that is asked often, and yet can draw much debate...what is Wicca? This is a subject that can cause quite a bit of controversy in Wiccan circles. And yet, it really doesn't need to. That's because the situation in Paganism in general has changed radically in the past two decades, and, in fact, has resulted in greater freedom for all.
Some have such an amorphous idea of the definition of Wicca that they have a difficult time putting it into words. Like it or not, however, there are parameters and boundaries in Wicca. Those who try to push the boundaries out too far risk reducing the term "Wicca" and "Witchcraft" to being meaningless.
Before I get into all of that, let's first look at the issue of limits and boundaries. To do this, I will first quote a piece I wrote for the Wiccan Study Group list several months ago (The larger piece was called "Divinity, Principles, And Parameters"):
We live in the material plane. While we may spend a lifetime seeking knowledge of other planes of existence, it's the material plane that we call home in this life. And our physical universe is a universe of limits.Many in the self-empowerment movement chafe at the mention of limits, believing such talk to be dis-empowering and counter productive, but they are a reality of life in the material plane. And indeed, knowing one's limits is a good thing. For example, if we jump out of an airplane at 10,000 feet without a parachute, we will die. No philosophical arguments can save us, just...splat! We're dead. Knowing and realizing this limitation (that we must obey the laws of gravity) is not dis-empowering, it's life-preserving. This is an example of what I call a "practical" limitation. Fire burns us, gravity pulls us, water can drown us...all practical limitations that add to our life span, and thus our richness of life.
Ultimately, limitations can be very...freeing, if you can believe it. I am in a limited physical body, and so are you...leaving me free to pursue my interests and you yours. Now, I know that some intellectual smart-ass may start waxing philosophically about how "on a quantum level, all is connected and there are no separations between us...yeah, well, we live in this level of perception, not the quantum level. This argument, on a practical level, lands like the chute-less jumper...splat!
The limits that we can safely rebel against are the "arbitrary" limitations, placed on us by human forces, sometimes forces seeking to control and manipulate our lives. "You can't eat any meat other than fish on Friday" is a great example of a purely arbitrary limitation. "No sex outside of marriage" is another. "Women can't lead religious services" is yet another. I'm not even saying that religiously based arbitrary limitations are bad...they're just fine when one chooses that path with those guidelines. It's when one religion's arbitrary limitations are imposed on society at large that it becomes unreasonable. It's these strictures that we rebel against when we leave mainstream religious thought in this country, and ones we seek to overcome to regain our sense of self-empowerment.
---Limitations As Freedom---
And yet we spiritual types cannot be completely free of all religious limitations. Why? Because arbitrary limitations are an inerrant part of walking a spiritual path. They may be freely chosen limitations, but they are there nonetheless. It's these limitations that give our spiritual beliefs shape and form, that differentiates our practice from the multitudes of religious thought that exists in the world
today. The boundary between Christian and Buddhist, Wiccan and Muslim, Santerian and Jew, Satanist and Taoist...all of these distinct paths are available because of their own limits and ideals.Believe it or not, these boundaries give one a tremendous amount of freedom. As a Wiccan, I have so much to learn, investigate, and explore...it will surely take me a lifetime (and then some) to search it all out, and that's just within the (well defined) boundaries of the Craft. If I had to struggle with the existential puzzles of sin, redemption, the triune (and yet unified) concept of God, the debate over ecclesiastical authority, and other Christian issues, I'd never get anywhere! But I don't believe in sin, nor in a need for redemption, the unified idea of the divine, any authority of any Christian Priest...having a clear line of demarcation frees me from a whole host of problems. Is salvation achieved through grace or works? I don't care...I'm a Witch, and thus don't believe in sin, and have no need for salvation. Makes it easier, huh?
Being a Wiccan Witch means having more limitations than your garden variety Neo-Pagan, but they're ones that help enrich and enliven the Craft for me overall. For example, I have this pressing need for balanced polarities in deities, and thus can't concentrate on just the God or Goddess to the exclusion of the other. A limitation, to be sure, but one that has taught me much about balancing those energies in myself. It's also reflective of my life path, where I've always seen women as equals, and thus see my gender opposite in theology as equal importance to the God who dwells within me. Thus, that stubborn Trad insistence on balanced deities in ritual works great for me.
So, what flavour of Witchcraft interests you? Strega, Celtic, Shamanic, Faerie? Each path has their own particular ways, and their own rules for how to and how not to do certain things. When dedicating to a particular path, there are individual limitations that you take on as part of walking that path. But, far from being suffocating, they give your energy form and force, and allow you to get things done, whether on a magickal or spiritual level. Energy without form is wasted, and dissipates quickly.
As the above (quite lengthy) passage illustrates, limits are not always a bad thing. Boundaries are essential to our understanding of our world, and can be nurturing if handled correctly.
Wicca is an individual path in the Neo-Pagan world, with it's own rules, rites, and structures. While it has become more elastic in the past two and a half decades, it is still not anarchic or limitless. Even those who label themselves "eclectic" still must follow certain guidelines in order to be "Wiccan" as opposed to being more generally "Pagan". And, in our present day, that's just fine.
At one time, Wicca was practically the only game in town. In the 50's, 60's, and much of the 70's, those who wanted to follow the old Gods went to Wicca first because that's what they could find. Sure, there was the Church of All Worlds in California, the Reformed Druids of North America, and a couple of other non-Wiccan Pagan groups, but much of the books, magazines, press, and gatherings were all Wiccan.
This was at a time when most Wicca was of the Traditionalist (Gardnerian, Alexandrian, Welsh Traditionalist, etc) variety. It was very structured, very ornate, and very British in nature. It had definite rules as to how to gain entry, and how new covens could form. There was little solitary practice (outside of former coven members or Seax Wicca).
Eventually, there were many who wanted more freedom to experiment, and to break away from the British Traditionalist mold. They wanted a more flexible way of working, and they wanted to break away from the old system of establishing covens (initiation in an established coven, working through the degrees, and then hiving off). Thus, eclectic Wicca was born.
Even though I have a great love for pre-eclectic Craft, by and large the eclectic reformation was a good thing for Wicca. Some of the old trads had become moribund and fossilized (in direct opposition to what Traditional Craft is all about), and some dysfunctions (like declining initiatory standards amongst other things) needed to be addressed in a way that only a big shakeup could.
And shake things up the eclectic movement did. Also, it opened up the Craft to a much wider range of people by making solitary Wicca much more acceptable to the Pagan community at large. In fact, solitary eclecticism is now the dominant paradigm in Wicca today, and our numbers are growing faster than ever.
However, there are some downsides to this, and some of them are troubling. For one thing, rampant eclecticism has degraded standards so much that some even question if Wicca has standards as to who is and isn't a Witch. This has allowed the lazy and the incompetent to hide behind the word "eclectic" to cover for their own lack of knowledge. Stump them on some basic knowledge, or call them on some wacky or unethical behaviour, and they say "well, I'm on my own "eclectic" path, so those rules don't apply to me." You know the type...they've read half of a Llewellyn book and then set themselves up as an "expert" (the internet is filled with these types). The trouble is, new people (who might not be wise to their game) can be very confused by their tripe. Then the frauds' half-knowledge gets passed on to possibly genuine seekers.
Folks, these pretenders give eclecticism (and indeed Wicca in general) a bad name. We've fought too hard and too long to gain some measure of acceptance to have our image tarnished by people who are more into ego and fantasies than genuine spiritual growth. Really, do we want to be seen as a "breakfast cereal" religion..."if they're not fruits or nuts, they're flakes"? We must be willing to call these types out for what they are...our silence only gives them more cover.
And even those who may have more pure intentions can cause a drift that robs Wicca of it's uniqueness. There are some who like some of what they've heard, but for one reason or another just stop at a certain point and don't go beyond a cursory knowledge. Maybe they're just bewildered by the huge number of books and resources available, or maybe they've had bad experienced with dogmatists in the past. No matter what the reason, these people need to be nurtured and guided to a greater understanding of both the Craft and themselves.
The fact of the matter is, Wicca ISN'T the only game in town anymore. The overall Pagan movement has grown, and non-Wiccan Pagans are everywhere. To be a Pagan, even without the form and structure of Witchcraft, is widely accepted. In other words, if you just can't bear to live with the few basic rules regarding what Wicca is and what it isn't, then it's ok...go be a Pagan. It's an equally valid path. You don't have to be a Wiccan to love the old Gods. You don't have to be a Wiccan to celebrate the rhythms of the earth and of the seasons. You don't even have to be Wiccan to practice magick. All these things and more are available for the Pagan, and the boundaries are definitely more fluid!
So what is Wicca? Well, I will now give you my definition, more or less. Of course, there are many levels of nuance to go along with this somewhat simple definition, but this is it in a nutshell:
"Wicca is a Neo-Pagan religion embracing pre-Christian Deities, the holiness of nature, and the use of magick. It is an initiatory tradition. It pays homage to both the masculine and feminine Divine, can have male and female members, and can be practiced in either solitary or group (coven) situations. Wiccans follow the eight major Sabbats of the ancient world (Samhain, Yule, Imbolc, Spring Equinox, Beltane, Midsummer, Lughnassadh, & Mabon), and have a specific ritual structure that has particular methodologies for creating sacred space, working the elementals, involving the divine, and raising magickal power. Wicca is a ceremonial religion, one that is practiced ritually, and that has certain basic ritual tools to aid in it's practice. Wiccans follow a basic code of ethics, embodied in the Wiccan Rede: "An it harm none, do what thee wilt". Wiccans believe in both the positive and negative consequences of their actions, sometimes called "karma". Wiccans do not proselytize, but they will share what they know about their faith to those who seek."
I may be leaving something out, but it's late and I'm tired. I hope this (rather long) piece has helped clarify my attitudes to you all, and perhaps given you something to think about. I know I may return to this topic at some later time, but let me leave you with this:
I love Wicca, and I love what it stands for. With such wide-ranging possibilities available to the restless in Paganism, I believe it is time to paint a clear picture of just what Wicca is for the 21st century, or else we may see the word "Wicca" become meaningless.
Identifying with such a well-defined word may be labeling myself, but for Wicca, it is a label I wear with pride.