Hello & Merry Meet! Glad you’re here to know the basics of Wicca & its ideology. To know about Wicca means to know that you must also do your research via books, discussion forums, YouTube videos & the like. DO NOT let this page be your sole research for what WIcca is about. See this page as more of a guiding light to explore your spirituality.
Witchcraft
Let’s go ahead & knock out the interesting stuff first. Witchcraft. Do they do it? Yes. Witchcraft isn’t what you see in the movies like The Craft, (Back in my day) Charmed, or The Good Witch -damn, I’m old- there isn’t some big baddie out there wanting to take your soul or some magical mission you’re on to defeat the forces of darkness. It’d be cool if it was, but witchcraft is about sending out your intent to make change be it in your life or someone else’s. It’s also not done with the best of intentions, as in real life when you have people who may go about their life hurting or manipulating people because they can, have something holding them back mentally, or avenging a hurt in their heart. Witchcraft or magick, spelled with a ‘k’ to separate it from mundane magic shows with a clown or magician is as old as humanity itself, with people conducting rituals to ensure their land is fertile & for a good harvest, sending magick out in the world in honor of God(s), or to bewitch someone or group who has harmed them.
Much of ancient witchcraft is lost to us today. As the world went from a largely polytheistic to monotheistic society so did its acceptance of the old ways, leading to a destruction of much of what we used to do as people were killed, wars waged, old practices erased, & ancient tombs, temples, & idols destroyed. Its important to note that the rise of Abrahamic religions wasn’t nor will ever be the first time a section of history or religion was wiped out because the new holders of the world didn’t like it & sought its replacement. Deities went in & out of style every so often with the new comes the vanquishing of the old. Its also important to know that Wicca itself IS NOT an ancient religion harkening back to times before monotheism’s rise. Its a faith that conducts some rituals & has beliefs similar to ancient practices, but at the end of it its a modern religion not even a century old. New doesn’t mean wrong no more than old doesn’t mean wrong. The focus is on the practitioner & the history we as Pagans are setting for the future & continuing the revival of ancient faiths with modern practices in a modern day. So what are some of the tools used in a modern Wiccans practice?
Ritual Table
Ritual tables are also known as altars & is where the practitioner conducts ritual. It doesn’t have to be related to magick or witchcraft as there are plenty of Pagans & Wiccans who have an altar to honor their Deity/ies of choice. It can be purchased or made of natural materials, as decorative or simple as you like & works with any budget. A lot of newcomers worry about their budget & if its acceptable to have x thing as part of the ritual in place of y; what matters first & foremost is intent. Its not a good idea to go straight to witchcraft soon after you’ve joined as you should build up your practice & knowledge first, but there’s nothing wrong with understanding the history & correspondences associated with the craft.
Book of Shadows
A Book of Shadows is a book that contains different writings, correspondences, & recitations used by a Wiccan to conduct ritual or to understand a specific topic to their religion. It can be made from a three ring binder, large journal purchased from the store or anything in between. It should be kept safe from damage or abuse to the greatest extent possible & is to be treated with respect. To avoid your writings being known by any prying eyes, its best to encode it in a form only you can translate, especially if you live with your parents or others who aren’t as sympathetic to your faith.
Statuette
Statuettes are a great decoration to have being that they can help the practitioner focus & visualize their deities. An example would be if one were celebrating Ostara & had a statuette of a rabbit, fish, or honey bees to symbolize fertility & prosperity or a practitioner having a statuette of Deities they worshipped so as they practiced they felt closer to them. Another word for a statuette in this context is an idol, & while we as Pagans have idols or something similar to an idol, that does not mean we practice idolatry. Our idols help us feel closer to Divinity, but the idol isn’t actually the Divine. So were my idol to break or be damaged it wouldn’t necessarily mean that I disrespected my Deity, let alone harmed or killed it, just that an accident occurred that may result in me having to replace my idol.
Incense/ Censer/ Burner
These are all ways to put smell into the air. It doesn’t really matter you use to make it happen, but the smells can be used to cleanse a space or lit as long as the ritual commences or used with different scents depending on the nature of the ritual, time of day, or what Deity is being honored. Incense are by far the cheapest option & can be found in bulk at any dollar store or big box store. They come in many smell combinations are best for Pagans on a budget. They do not last as long as other options, but are balanced out by how many you can buy at once. Oil burners last the longest & of course the most expensive yet most customizable. Buying essential oils can run you a base of $20 for a few ounces & MUST be diluted to avoid chemical burns or breathing issues upon inhalation as its very concentrated. Dilution bases such as grapeseed, jojoba, & almond oil as well as others exist & are quite scentless so you don’t have to worry much about scent dilution. Less dilution means a stronger smell, & some experimentation is required to achieve a satisfactory dilution to essential oil balance, so don’t be afraid to experiment to see what is right for you. Be sure that you buy a glass dropper when using essential oils & bases to avoid degradation if using plastic as well as having one dropper for each bottle. Censers & burners essentially do the same thing except that one is made to be swung around while the other is essentially a fancy incense. Catholics traditionally use censers during worship & ritual, though I’ve heard of Pagans using them like sage to spiritually cleanse a space. A censer can be used in a dramatic fashion when cleansing as one could purify a space & use the chain to dance alongside ritual chant. Very creative as long as you don’t hit your head!
Candles
A staple among Wiccans, witches, & ceremonial/ritualistic Pagans candles are used for a vast array of purposes. From invoking aspects of the Divine, Casting the Corners, celebrating holidays, conducting magick, honoring of those who passed, meditations, conversing with the Divine, there’s no shortage of ways to use candles. There are different types of candles as well. Pillar, taper, & container candles are primary candles used for ritual. Depending on your setup you can choose any combination of these candles. Some use pillar candles as elemental candles to represent earth, air, fir, water, spirit, & use taper candles for God & Goddess candles while some use the same candle type for all elemental & Deity representations. Its really up to you as what combination if any you want to use. Votive candles are much smaller candles that can be used for smaller events/ practices such as prayers or recitations. If used for these smaller events they can last for quite a long time being that you average recitation doesn’t last longer than five minutes. Tealight candles are used for oil burners given their small size easily allows a snug fit inside an oil burner.
The best thing about candles is a practitioner’s ability to make their own from scratch, infusing them with essential oils, intents, designs & colors. Some people draw runes & sigils upon them for protection, fertility, knowledge, money or any multitude on reasons. If you have the budget & ability to make your own candles I strongly suggest you do so as there’s nothing closer to your heart than lighting a candle you made yourself & infused with your intent, effort, & love.