Wicca

Wicca is an alternate, and sometimes preferred, name for the religion of contemporary Witchcraft. Some witches prefer to call themselves Wiccans rather than Witches and say they practice Wicca, rather than Witchcraft, because the words do not carry the negative stereotypes attached to Witch and Witchcraft. The terms Wicca and Wiccan distinguish practitioners of contemporary Witchcraft the religion from practitioners of folk Magic and other forms of witchcraft as sorcery. They signify an organized religion with a set of beliefs, tenets, laws, ethics, holy days and rituals.

Some Wiccans believe that Wicca is derived from the Old English terms wita, which means “councilor,” or wis, which means “wise.” Wicca is Old English for “witch,” as is the Old English term wicce. Wiccian means “to work sorcery” and “to bewitch.” Still another Old English term, wican, means “to bend.” In the sense that Witches use magic to influence events, Wicca and Wiccan are therefore appropriate terms.

SEE ALSO:

SOURCE:

The Encyclopedia of Witches, Witchcraft and Wicca – written by Rosemary Ellen Guiley – Copyright © 1989, 1999, 2008 by Visionary Living, Inc.

BOOKS FOR YOU TO READ IN OUR LIBRARY:

Book of Witchery : Spells, Charms & Correspondences for Every Day of the Week- Ellen Dugan
Wicca Spellcraft for Men - A.J. Drew
The Study of Witchcraft: A Guidebook to Advanced Wicca - Deborah Lipp
Progressive Witchcraft: Spirituality, Mysteries & Training in Modern Wicca – Janet Farrar and Gavin Bone
Wicca and the Christian Heritage: Ritual, Sex and Magic - Joanne Pearson
Cunningham's Book of Shadows: The Path of An American Traditionalist - Scott Cunningham
Wicca A Modern Guide to Witchcraft and Magick - Harmony Nice
When Someone You Love is Wiccan - Carl McColman
A Witches' Bible: The Complete Witches' Handbook - Stewart Farrar & Janet Farrar
A Charmed Life – Patricia Telesco
Raising Witches - Ashleen O'Gaea
Circle of Isis: Ancient Egyptian Magick for Modern Witches - Ellen Cannon Reed
The Hedge Druid's Craft: An Introduction to Walking Between the Worlds of Wicca, Witchcraft and Druidry - Joanna van der Hoeven
Wiccan Mysteries: Ancient Origins & Teachings - Raven Grimassi
Coming to the Edge of the Circle: A Wiccan Initiation Ritual - Nikki Bado-Fralick
Star Magic : The Wisdom of the Constellations for Pagans & Wiccans - Sandra Kynes
Sons of the Goddess : A Young Mens Guide to Wicca - Christopher Penczak
Witches All: A Treasury from Past Editions of The Witches' Almanac-  Elizabeth Pepper
Grimoire for the Green Witch: A Complete Book of Shadows – Ann Moura
Wicca for Couples Making Magick Together - A. J. Drew
The Elements of Ritual: Air, Fire, Water & Earth in the Wiccan Circle - Deborah Lipp
Exploring Wicca - Lady Sabrina
Eclectic Wicca: A Guide for the Modern Witch - Mandi See
A Little Bit of Wicca: An Introduction to Witchcraft - Cassandra Eason
A witch's beverages and brews : Magick potions made easy - Patricia Telesco

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