This religion is a relatively new faith to America, since its
beliefs and traditions were transported from Britain in the 1960s. The religion
is traditionally practiced by witches, and is one of the fastest growing faiths
in America to date. In simplistic terms, Wicca is an Earth-based religion founded
on ancient beliefs including the use of witchcraft. The website for the
‘American Wiccans’ state that they are a welcoming religion, who do not exclude
individuals based on race, colour, sex, age, origin or sexual preference. It
stresses that they are not a witch-based religion since ‘not all Wiccans are
witches, and not all witches are Wiccan’, yet there is an element of witchcraft
which is not as dangerous or paranormal as it is conventionally suggested.
Wicca is a religion based on its love for nature and life in
general, focussing on the presence of the Earth, Sun and Moon and the cycles of
the seasons which they personify, referring to the ‘energies’ of the Earth as
masculine and feminine. Wicca existed back in Palaeolithic times with other
Pagan religions in Europe and it had a significant influence on early
Christianity. However, in the medieval period, people belonging to Wicca including women,
children and some men were hanged, drowned or burned due to the accusation of
being ‘Witches’. What is an interesting factor is the Church tortured them for
the magic and Satan worship that they were thought to have practiced, however
this is completely untrue. Wiccan’s do not want to be portrayed as Satanists
which is one of the most misleading factors conveyed through this religion. In
recent times, the Wiccan faith is still quite hidden and kept a secret due to
the attached connotations that they suffer due to the stereotype of the
‘witches’. It is understood that the idea of worshipping evil beings stems from
the idea from hundreds of years ago when some Christian leaders viewed
non-Christian’s as anti-Christian which meant that if you did not believe in
Christ then you must believe in the opposite, Satan or the Devil.
In Wiccan faith, there is no certain rules or doctrine that
they have to follow in order to be Wiccan, but there are several different
traditions in their religion and most meet to celebrate on nights of the Full
Moon throughout the year, and eight holy days. Although some Wiccan’s practice
on their own, most are organized into covens which are led by a High Priestess
or Priest which can either be really structured and strict or informal, which
highlights the notion of how the faith sets to comply with any type of individual
and their desires and decisions. Wiccan’s do not have a holy book like the
bible which they follow, they simply take inspiration and knowledge from
nature, literature, science, culture and experiences which each practitioner
within the covens note down in a personal book or journal. Within the covens,
they do practice what they call ‘magick’, spelt with a ‘k’ to differentiate
between magic that is often seen through theatrical shows. They use various
techniques to heal people and animals and to generally help their members in
their day to day lives, which emphasises how they practice this in a positive
light, not the stereotypical curses or spells that is portrayed in popular
culture. What is significant to note, is Wiccans are strong supporters of environmental
protection, equal rights, liberty, and local covens do work and help out local
families or organizations. They also
delight in the ‘divine human being and nature’ and part of their spiritual
tradition is to sing and dance and have large feasts.
This particular faith and website does not express how
typically ‘American’ it is, or how it associates itself with being an American
religion, except for the association of how it is an increasingly popular faith
in the United States, and the website specifically for the ‘American Wiccans’
demonstrates the platform it offers for individuals in America who are perhaps
interested in the religion. This is also highlighted by the amount of
information and frequently asked questions which suggests how the religion is
so often easily misinterpreted due to popular culture and the ignorance of
learning about different religions, not just based on stereotypes.
African American Wiccan
Upon researching this religion, there is also an ‘African
American Wiccan Society’ which is an organization that includes those of all
backgrounds, not just African Americans, to ‘support people of color in the
pursuit of Pagan knowledge and practices.’ The website outlines the same views
as the Wiccan religion, as well as other Pagan religions to educate people
about the faith and to ‘reassure people of color that they are not alone in the
quest for the spiritual self.’ Overall, it outlines the religion and the impact
of its popularity in America today.
Wiccan Products
The website ‘Zazzle’ (based in California) offers thousands
of different products worldwide, but notably it showcases ‘Wiccan products and
gifts’ available for purchase, which is interesting to compare in terms of how
the American Wiccan websites highlight how they are not conventional, evil
witches and how this is a negative, stereotypical representation of their
faith. Yet, it is interesting that these type of products are available and
part of market that sells to an audience who seek to buy items such as slogan
t-shirts, mugs, greeting cards and posters. Some of the slogans state: ‘Fire
burn and cauldron bubble this Witch needs coffee or there’ll be trouble’, ‘You
say I’m a Witch like it’s a bad thing’, ‘You put a spell on me’, ‘Hell hath no
fury like a menopausal Witch!’, ‘Cheeky Witch!’, ‘If the broom fits…’. This is
an interesting depiction of the religion in popular, mass culture today and signifies
how some faiths are marginalised due to the commodification of the religion.
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