What isn't Wicca

[Siona]

I see so many people say, oh I'm a witch, but I'm not a Wiccan. What makes you not Wiccan?

I know the term Wicca is used very loosely by many these days, but I consider Wicca to be a specific set of traditions, with specific practices and beliefs attached. Things like following... a god/goddess pair, using the specific Wiccan ritual structure (casting a circle, and all that), Wiccan tools, Wiccan ideas like the rede and threefold law, the wheel of the year - often with a specific Wiccan mythos (since none of the holidays originated with Wicca, they are pulled from older pagan religions). And of course more, or maybe less, depending on the particular tradition of Wicca one is looking at.

I personally follow none of those beliefs or practices, aside from a shared set of holidays, without any sort of specifically Wiccan mythos attached. For me, shared holiday dates are no where near enough to call myself Wiccan - especially since the things I do do, put me squarely into another tradition. Other religions share ideas, like Hinduism and Buddhism have ideas of karma and reincarnation, or the Abrahamic religions share holy texts and the like, but they are not all the same religion. A Jew is not a Muslim, despite sharing some beliefs, ideas, text, etc.

So it's not that I have something against Wicca itself, it just isn't the path I'm following.

[TwilightDancer]

Why would I claim the title of a religion when I don't follow any of the practices?



Blessed Be

[EtherealMoonRose]

Please excuse my ignorance.

If a lot of you don't class yourselves as Wiccan, then what do you class yourselves as? Pagan? (I do realize that's a broad term) I am rather curious

I must admit, I feel slightly offended. I know nobody is meaning any disrespect in this post. But a lot of you are saying you don't call yourself Wiccan- as if it's a bad thing?

I also only just woke up and skimmed through the post and replies so please excuse me if I've missed something.

[Siona]

If a lot of you dont class yourselves as wiccan then what do you class yourselves as? Pagan? (I do realise thats a broad term) I am rather curious

There are tons of different traditions of paganism and witchcraft (including those who do just refer to themselves simply as pagan and/or witch!), so the answer will probably vary quite a bit from person to person. Personally I consider myself a hedgewitch (which to me falls under the pagan umbrella, so I might also more broadly identify as pagan at times.)

I must admit, i feel slightly offended. I know nobody is meaning any disrespect in this post. But a lot of you are saying you dont call yourself wiccan- as if its a bad thing?

It's not bad, it's just not true. It's like if I called an orange an apple... are apples bad? I don't think so, but that doesn't make an orange an apple. I mean think about it, imagine someone insisting that you were a Christian, or some other religion that you are not. Clarifying that you are not that religion doesn't make that religion bad, it's just not what you are. Same with us... again, as I said in my original post, it's not that I have something against Wicca itself, it just isn't the path I'm following. Just as I am also not a Buddhist, Jew, atheist, or whatever else. These things are not bad, but I do not belong to those groups.

[EtherealMoonRose]

Thanks for clearing that up for me Siona

Blessings.

[Firebird]

I apologize to all the folks I upset,

Confounding how it was assumed that to not be one was bad.
...it appears as though my question is misunderstood.
Thank you to those who did manage to get your reasons out I appreciate the perspective.
Bb, Firebird

[Siona]

I do think it's interesting, it's a question I've been asked many times over the years, and I do wonder where the confusion comes in at times. I like to flip it around on those asking sometimes, what makes one a Wiccan? What sets Wicca apart from the other pagan traditions, what combination of things make it unique? I think if one can come to an answer to that, then it becomes easier to see why there are many other pagans and witches who don't fall into the category of Wicca. Not because there is something wrong with Wicca, but simply because they are following a different combination of beliefs and practices that make their own tradition something separate from others.

[EtherealMoonRose]

Firebird don't feel the need to apologize this is a very interesting topic. I myself tried to sum up what ISN'T Wicca and couldn't come up with anything that wasn't already mentioned.

[Becks]

I think it's a great topic. It's one that is filled with words people use regularly and aren't always mindful, or understanding, about what it is they really mean. It's downright confusing actually, and highly varied. I think that something we didn't really touch on is just how many people use the term "Wicca" to mean the "friendly witchcraft" that isn't associated with 'dark things'. I hope you all can feel the light joking tone in my wording here...There are a lot of people that do that...or maybe you or a friend have tried to explain it to somebody who is not familiar with these nuances in practices? When a layperson hears 'Wiccan' often they think..."Oh right! A good witch."

[TwilightDancer]

Please excuse my ignorance.

If a lot of you dont class yourselves as wiccan then what do you class yourselves as? Pagan? (I do realise thats a broad term) I am rather curious

I must admit, i feel slightly offended. I know nobody is meaning any disrespect in this post. But a lot of you are saying you dont call yourself wiccan- as if its a bad thing?

I also only just woke up and skimmed through the post and replies so please excuse me if ive missed something.

I classify myself as a witch.

I don't call myself a Wiccan because I don't follow the structure of that religion.



Blessed Be

[EtherealMoonRose]

I agree Becks. It's amazing that in this day and age the stigma that is still attached to being a witch, as if we hex and curse people and make blood sacrifices. Whereas if, in my case anyway, I tell someone I am Wiccan they will usually say something like "oh so you are into all that new aged hippy stuff?"

[Becks]

Maybe-I wonder if they hear Wicca and think "witchcraft-lite"?

[Firebird]

Really really sad morning.
This thread caused a long time loved and trusted member to come unglued, that was never my intent.
I had alot of admiration for this person... she had even been a mod at one time, and I considered her a friend I had never met. She has had many useful and wonderful posts here, several of which she has deleted.
Her responses and subsequent actions caused her removal and the team is schocked and saddened and very worried for this member, because it was quite out of character.
We wonder if she had been hacked, but we have no way of knowing.
The team would be willing to let this member return...she would need to contact Xiao.
Never thought I would cry over someone I hadn't met.
This really sucks.
Bb, Firebird

[SnowCat]

Spock would tell us that the needs of the many, outweigh the needs of the one. The mods and support have a responsibility to protect the forum for the other members. Nothing Firebird said was out of line. The team had to make a difficult decision. We never remove anyone without a lot of thought.

Snow

[YanaKhan]

I never intended to sound offensive to anyone, so I am sorry if I did.
I don't, nor have I ever thought Wicca is bad, I just don't follow the religion, so I wouldn't call myself Wiccan is all.