To: JF Quinnelly who wrote (17462 ) 2/5/1998 4:13:00 PM From: greenspirit Read Replies (1) | Respond to
Freddie, this conversation about religion is interesting. I have been fascinated recently in reading up on the religion know as Wicca. It seem their main charter is the promotion of anti-christian ideas. Somehow this doesn't suprise me. :-)Wicca was the first (or at least one of the first) of the neopagan religions. As a result, it is the best known, and tends to overshadow its younger, smaller siblings. This bias appears in the postings in alt.pagan and in this FAQ. This does not mean that Wicca is more valid than other neopagan religions -- just larger and louder. Wicca itself is a new religion, drawing strongly on the practices of Ceremonial Magic. While there are claims that Wicca goes back into the mists of pre-history, honest examination of the practices and history of the Wicca will make it clear that Wicca is new. (Actually, the word "Wicca" itself is recently coined, at least in its present usage. The OE "wicca" was pronounced "witch-ah" and meant male magician. The new word "Wicca" is pronounced "wick-uh", capitalized as a religion, and means a religion, not a person.) However, Wicca has developed in many directions and should not be seen as a unified whole, even though it is fairly new. Rituals and beliefs vary widely among Witches.
