Wicca and Witchcraft For Dummies

by Smith, Diane

• ISBN13: 9780764578342
• ISBN10: 0764578340
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-07-29
• Publisher: For Dummies

Summary

Examines Wiccan magic, rituals, traditions, and code of conduct Get the scoop on this ancient spiritual path Wondering what it takes to be a Wiccan? This plain-English guide introduces you to the vibrant world of Wicca and the practices of Witchcraft, describing its ancient origins, dispelling stereotypes, and explaining Wiccan beliefs, ethics, rituals, and holidays. You'll see what it means to live as a contemporary Wiccan -- and how to worship alone or with a group. Discover how to * Worship alone or join a coven * Perform charms, blessings, and spells * Obtain necessary tools and supplies * Spot spiritual scams and inappropriate behavior * Explore a spiritual path guided by nature

Author Biography

Diane Smith, a writer and editor for more than 20 years, is also an eclectic Witch.

Table of Contents

Introduction	1	(1)
About This Book	1	(1)
Conventions Used in This Book	2	(3)
Defining the Divine	2	(1)
Defining Paganism, Witchcraft, and Wicca	3	(2)
What You're Not to Read	5	(1)
Foolish Assumptions	5	(1)
How This Book Is Organized	6	(2)
Part I: Seeing the World through Wiccan Eyes: What Wiccans Believe	6	(1)
Part II: Looking at the Past, Present, and Future: How Wiccans Live	6	(1)
Part III: Coming Home: How Wiccans Become Wiccans	7	(1)
Part IV: Following the Sun and the Moon: How Wiccans Worship	7	(1)
Part V: Practicing the Craft: What Wiccans Do	7	(1)
Part VI: The Part of Tens	7	(1)
Appendixes	7	(1)
Icons Used in This Book	8	(1)
Where to Go from Here	8	(1)
Part I: Seeing the World through Wiccan Eyes: What Wiccans Believe	9	(30)
Believing That Everything's Connected	11	(6)
Swimming in a Divine Sea of Energy	11	(1)
Finding Kinship in the Cosmos	12	(5)
Going quantum: Matter versus energy	12	(1)
Tuning up the strings and dancing with the universe	13	(1)
Spreading chaos	13	(1)
Gazing at Gaia	14	(1)
Unfolding and enfolding	15	(2)
Believing in Deity	17	(8)
Honoring the Mysteries	17	(1)
Honoring the One	18	(2)
Deity as life force	18	(1)
Deity as the primal Goddess	18	(1)
Deity as the Source	19	(1)
Honoring the Two	20	(2)
A world in balance: Polarity and duality	20	(1)
The Goddess	20	(2)
The God	22	(1)
Honoring the Many	22	(1)
Honoring the Self	23	(2)
Believing in Magic: Where Science Meets the Craft	25	(6)
Tapping into Different Kinds of Energy	25	(4)
Drawing from the Divine: Energy of the Spirit	26	(1)
Thinking and talking: Energy of the conscious mind	26	(1)
Going deep: Energy of the unconscious mind	26	(3)
Directing Energy: Why Magic Works	29	(2)
Believing in Ethics, Responsibility, and Personal Relationship with Deity	31	(8)
Trusting the Individual Relationship with the Divine	31	(2)
Sending dogma to the doghouse	32	(1)
Saying no to hierarchy: You're not the boss of me!	32	(1)
Doing the Right Thing: Ethics and Responsibility	33	(6)
Following the Wiccan Rede	34	(1)
Accepting the consequences: The Threefold Law	35	(4)
Part II: Looking at the Past, Present, and Future: How Wiccans Live	39	(46)
Digging into the Past	41	(20)
Going Way Back: The Birth of the Goddess	41	(2)
Speculating about Shamanism	41	(1)
Shifting from Shamanism to spirituality	42	(1)
Finding Witches and Wiccans in History	43	(3)
Deciding whether Wicca and Witchcraft were real	43	(2)
Defending or doubting Margaret Murray	45	(1)
Remembering the Burning Times	46	(7)
Untangling the evidence	47	(2)
Estimating the number of the dead	49	(1)
Identifying Europe's hotbeds of hate	49	(1)
Recognizing the basis for the trials	49	(1)
Uncovering motives for the murders	50	(3)
Reviving Wicca	53	(8)
Gerald Gardner and the New Forest coven	53	(3)
A parallel path: Victor Anderson	56	(2)
The Wiccan boom of the 1970s	58	(3)
Living Wiccan Today	61	(12)
Taking a Snapshot of Contemporary Wicca	61	(1)
Keeping Silent or Telling the World: The Wiccan Dilemma	62	(5)
Spilling the magic beans to family and friends	64	(1)
Venturing out: Wicca in the workplace	65	(2)
Dancing the Circle of Life: Wiccan Passages	67	(6)
Naming or Wiccaning of a child	67	(1)
Marking puberty	68	(1)
Handfasting: Love Wiccan style	69	(1)
Aging with dignity: The wisdom of the Crone and Elder	70	(1)
Dealing with death	71	(2)
Looking Back to the Future: The Rebirth of the Goddess	73	(12)
Coming Full Circle	73	(1)
Ending Discrimination and Persecution	74	(1)
Settling into the Big Comfy Couch of Legitimacy	75	(4)
Gaining acceptance	76	(1)
Maturing Wiccans	77	(1)
Growing fast	77	(1)
Building community and reaching out to other faiths	78	(1)
Infighting in the Witch Wars	79	(6)
What are the Witch Wars?	79	(2)
Who are fluffbunnies and whitelighters?	81	(2)
Who let the dogmas out?!?	83	(2)
Part III: Coming Home: How Wiccans Become Wiccans	85	(42)
Considering the Wiccan Path	87	(8)
Looking Inward	87	(2)
Asking the Big Questions	89	(3)
Wiccan principles	90	(1)
Wiccan ethics	91	(1)
Knowing for Sure	92	(1)
Taking the First Step	93	(2)
Going Solo or Joining a Coven: Wiccan Options	95	(12)
Exploring the Choices	95	(3)
Getting real	97	(1)
Staying focused	98	(1)
Sizing Up Solitary Life	98	(5)
Weighing the pros and cons	98	(2)
Entering as a solitary: A doorway to Wicca	100	(3)
Considering Coven Membership	103	(4)
Asking coven questions	103	(1)
Entering as a covener: A doorway to Wicca	104	(3)
Making Room for Everyone: Craft Traditions	107	(20)
Taking a Look at Trads	107	(2)
Finding no McWicca	108	(1)
Giving birth to a tradition	108	(1)
Choosing a Paved Path: The Traditions	109	(16)
Traditional Witchcraft	110	(1)
Hereditary Witchcraft: Fam trads	111	(1)
Gardnerian	112	(4)
Feri, Faery, Fairy	116	(2)
Reclaiming	118	(1)
Dianic	119	(2)
Wicca and Shamanism	121	(4)
Clearing a New Path: Eclectic Wicca	125	(2)
Bits of belief and pieces of practice	125	(1)
The case against eclectic Wicca	126	(1)
Part IV: Following the Sun and the Moon: How Wiccans Worship	127	(90)
Setting Up an Altar and Choosing Tools	129	(22)
Creating Sacred Space	129	(3)
Defining sacred space	130	(1)
Designing sacred space	131	(1)
Focusing on the Altar	132	(3)
Choosing an altar style and material	133	(1)
Placing the altar in sacred space	134	(1)
Surveying the Tools of the Craft	135	(11)
Athame	136	(1)
Candles	137	(1)
Censer, brazier, or thurible and incense	138	(1)
Chalice, cup, or goblet	139	(1)
Deity images and symbols	140	(1)
Pentagram and pentacle	140	(2)
Salt	142	(1)
Wand	143	(1)
Water	143	(1)
Other tools	144	(2)
Carrying Out the Three Cs: Cleansing, Charging, and Consecrating Tools	146	(1)
Arranging Tools on the Altar	147	(4)
Quartering the sacred circle	147	(2)
Following tool etiquette	149	(2)
Designing and Performing Rituals: The Heart of Wicca	151	(32)
Understanding What a Ritual Is	151	(1)
Creating and Performing a Ritual	152	(23)
Designing a ritual	152	(1)
Deciding why, how, when, and where to perform ritual	153	(3)
Purifying the space	156	(1)
Purifying yourself	157	(3)
Casting a circle	160	(7)
Invoking, evoking, or welcoming Deity	167	(3)
Conducting a ritual observance	170	(1)
Raising power and working magic	171	(1)
Grounding power or Earthing power after ritual	172	(2)
Thanking or dismissing Deity	174	(1)
Taking down the circle	174	(1)
Getting Inspiration: A Sample Ritual	175	(3)
Getting the Idea: A Ritual for Self-Dedication	178	(5)
Declaring intention to Study	178	(3)
Dedicating versus initiating	181	(2)
Waxing and Waning with the Moon: The Esbats	183	(12)
Celebrating the Moon	183	(2)
Enlightening Lunar Lore	185	(2)
Cool cosmic coincidence	185	(1)
The Moonlight myth	185	(2)
Working with the Moon: A Labor of Love	187	(3)
Going from Luna to lunacy	188	(1)
Working Moon magic	189	(1)
Celebrating an Esbat: The Ritual of the Moon Trees	190	(3)
Drawing Down the Moon	193	(2)
Turning the Wheel of The Year: The Sabbats	195	(22)
Celebrating the Sun	195	(3)
Timing of the Sabbats	196	(1)
Figuring out the Sabbat cycles	196	(2)
Observing the Sabbats during Ritual	198	(2)
Working Sabbat observance into basic ritual	198	(1)
Understanding how to celebrate the Sabbats	199	(1)
Exploring the Individual Sabbats	200	(17)
Yule, winter solstice	201	(1)
Brigid, Imbolc	202	(2)
Eostar, spring equinox	204	(2)
Beltane, May Eve	206	(2)
Litha, summer solstice	208	(1)
Lughnasad, Lammas	209	(3)
Mabon, fall equinox	212	(2)
Samhain, Witches' New Year	214	(3)
Part V: Practicing the Craft: What Wiccans Do	217	(88)
Making Magic Happen	219	(12)
Who Can Work Magic?	219	(1)
What Are the Principles of Magical Work?	220	(6)
Inviting Deity: Wiccan magic	221	(1)
Working magic	221	(2)
Recognizing when to turn to magic	223	(1)
Adopting the right magical mentality	224	(1)
Getting results, or not	225	(1)
When Do Wiccans Work Magic?	226	(2)
The New Moon or Dark Moon	227	(1)
The Waxing Moon	227	(1)
The Full Moon	227	(1)
The Waning Moon	227	(1)
Where Do Wiccans Work Magic?	228	(1)
Why Do Wiccans Work Magic?	228	(3)
Spellcasting: The Poetry of Wicca	231	(10)
Spellcasting: Matter-of-Fact Magic	231	(1)
Focusing on Intention	232	(2)
Spellcasting during Ritual	234	(4)
Casting a spell	234	(3)
Exploring how spells work	237	(1)
Staying Mindful of Ethics	238	(3)
Healing others	239	(1)
Looking for love	240	(1)
Boosting Magic with Fire, Stones, and Herbs	241	(20)
Gathering Magical Materials	241	(2)
Magical objects as symbols	242	(1)
Magical objects as triggers for the unconscious mind	242	(1)
Kindling the Magic Spark with Candles	243	(4)
Fire and spirit: Candle magic basics	243	(3)
To snuff or not to snuff?	246	(1)
Finding Power in Stones and Crystals	247	(2)
Stones and stereotypes	247	(1)
Stones and magic	247	(2)
Reaching Back to Our Roots: Herbs and Other Botanicals	249	(6)
Herbal magic	249	(1)
Buying, drying, reaping, and keeping herbs	250	(1)
Buying herbs	251	(1)
Gathering herbs from the wild	252	(1)
Growing your own herbs	252	(1)
Storing herbs	253	(2)
Working with the Mommets and the Poppets	255	(2)
Positive poppets	255	(1)
Poppet construction	256	(1)
Pocketing magic: Plackets	256	(1)
Making and Using Charms	257	(3)
Charming basics	258	(1)
Amazing amulets, nature's gifts	258	(1)
Crafting talismans	259	(1)
Maintaining Perspective	260	(1)
Working with Trance and Dreams	261	(22)
Giving Trance a Chance	261	(9)
De-mystifying trance	261	(2)
Entering into trance spontaneously	263	(1)
Entering into trance intentionally: Getting a little R and R	264	(2)
Benefiting from trance	266	(3)
Exercising caution during trance work	269	(1)
Dreaming Big Dreams	270	(13)
Using dream energy	271	(2)
Dreaming the night away	273	(1)
Recalling and interpreting dreams	274	(3)
Mastering lucid dreaming	277	(6)
Daring to Divine	283	(14)
Understanding Divination	283	(4)
Revealing how divination works	284	(1)
Choosing a divination system	285	(1)
Divining	286	(1)
Scrying with Water, Mirrors, Copper, or Crystal	287	(1)
Using a Pendulum	288	(2)
Casting Lots	290	(1)
Reading Tarot Cards	291	(3)
Selecting from dozens of decks	291	(1)
Getting familiar with the Major and Minor Arcana	292	(1)
Doing a tarot reading	293	(1)
Surveying the Planets---Astrology Rules	294	(2)
Other Types of Divination	296	(1)
Keeping a Book of Shadows, a Sacred Record	297	(8)
Understanding the Importance of a Book of Shadows	297	(3)
A personal Book of Shadows	297	(2)
Collective Books of Shadows	299	(1)
History in the shadows	300	(1)
Choosing a Style for the Book	300	(5)
Plain or fancy?	301	(2)
Handwritten or high tech?	303	(2)
Part VI: The Part of Tens	305	(18)
Ten Habits of Effective Wiccans	307	(6)
Grounding	307	(1)
Centering	308	(1)
Shielding	308	(1)
Visualizing	308	(1)
Meditating	309	(1)
Relaxing	310	(1)
Exercising	311	(1)
Living Well	311	(1)
Serving	311	(1)
Laughing	312	(1)
Ten Wiccan Principles of Behavior	313	(4)
Don't Ask	313	(1)
Don't Tell	314	(1)
Put That Camera Away!	314	(1)
Show Respect at Public Rituals	314	(1)
Be Wise with Alcohol and Drugs	315	(1)
Care for Children and Animals	315	(1)
Take Care of Yourself	315	(1)
Don't Touch Others' Belongings	316	(1)
Be Tolerant	316	(1)
Ten Warning Signs of a Scam or Inappropriate Behavior	317	(6)
Inflicting Harm	317	(1)
Demanding Control	318	(1)
Exercising Inappropriate Authority	318	(1)
Encouraging Isolation or Dependency	318	(1)
Charging Inappropriate Fees or Demanding Undue Money	319	(1)
Engaging in Sexual Manipulation	320	(1)
Making Inflated Claims or Promises	320	(1)
Using Illicit Drugs or Excessive Amounts of Alcohol in Spiritual Practice	321	(1)
Breeding Paranoia	321	(1)
Recruiting and Proselytizing	321	(2)
Appendix A: Wicca FAQ	323	(20)
Understanding Wicca	323	(4)
What is Wicca?	323	(1)
What's the difference between a Wiccan and a Witch?	324	(1)
What is Witchcraft?	325	(1)
Is Wicca a religion?	326	(1)
Is Wicca a cult?	326	(1)
Worshipping Deity	327	(2)
Who---or what---do Wiccans worship?	327	(2)
Do Wiccans worship Satan?	329	(1)
If Wiccans don't worship Satan, why do they use pentagrams?	329	(1)
Evaluating Ethics and Morality	329	(4)
Do Wiccans have morals and ethics? Who or what keeps a Wiccan in line?	330	(1)
Do Wiccans have clergy, denominations, and churches?	331	(1)
Do Wiccans believe in heaven and hell? What happens after death?	332	(1)
Working Magic	333	(2)
What is magic, and how do Wiccans use it?	333	(1)
Do Wiccans work black magic?	334	(1)
Do Wiccans curse or hex people?	334	(1)
Would a Wiccan turn someone into a toad?	335	(1)
Dealing with Negative Stereotypes	335	(3)
What about sexuality? Do Wiccans engage in ritual orgies?	335	(2)
Do Wiccans ritually abuse children?	337	(1)
Do Wiccans engage in animal or human sacrifice?	337	(1)
Looking at Lifestyle	338	(2)
How do Wiccans become Wiccan?	338	(1)
How many Wiccans live in the United States and Europe?	338	(1)
Are all Wiccans women?	338	(1)
Do Wiccans legally marry?	339	(1)
Do Wiccans raise their children in Wicca?	339	(1)
What happens when Wiccans grow old?	340	(1)
Finding Wiccan Resources	340	(3)
What are the best resources about Wicca?	340	(1)
Which books are credible?	341	(2)
Appendix B Magical Properties of Colors, Herbs, and Stones	343	(6)
Magical Herbs, Not Medicinal Herbs	343	(1)
Choosing Colors, Herbs, and Stones	344	(5)
Courage, personal strength, and will power	344	(1)
Creativity and art	344	(1)
Dreams	344	(1)
Education and Study	345	(1)
Emotional health and healing (Fighting depression and anxiety)	345	(1)
Justice and politics	345	(1)
Love, sex, and attraction	345	(1)
Luck	346	(1)
Mental abilities, memory, and focus	346	(1)
Money, prosperity, and financial security	346	(1)
Peace	346	(1)
Physical health and healing	347	(1)
Protection of home and property	347	(1)
Psychic abilities	347	(1)
Purification	347	(1)
Spirituality	347	(1)
Wisdom	348	(1)
Index	349