It has come to my attention that despite modern times allowing the internet to be commonly accessible in most households, there are many people out there who genuinely do not know about Wicca, and what it means to be Wiccan, a witch, or pagan. Many people are carrying around misconceptions and falsehoods they think to be truths.

This article is about educating as many people as possible, so that if someone does "Google It", they find real and true information.

What is Wicca?

Wicca is a nature based, polythiestic spiritual path that works around the seasons' changes, moon cycles, and other natural occurances. Wicca is considered to be a neo-pagan practice, meaning it is a more recently developed pagan path than its spiritual ancestors' paths. In other words, it is based on practices that pre-date all religions, including Christianity and Islam. It is based on the roots of all spirituality.

What is a Wiccan?

A Wiccan can be a man or a woman who follows the spiritual path of Wicca. They may also refer to themselves as a witch.

Aren't witches evil?

There are good people and bad people in the world. They come in every religion, every background.  Witches are not evil, are not good or bad- People are evil, good, or bad. Wiccans adhere to the Rede, "An it harm none, do as ye will." To judge a person as either "good" or "evil" based soley on their religious beliefs has a label, also. It's called bigotry.

But, don't witches worship Satan?

Satan is a part of the Christian and Muslim religions. Satan is not part of our deity structure at all, as our diety structure pre-dates Christian and Muslim religions. The path we follow was created before any religion created "Satan".

Wiccans believe that each and every human being is completely responsible for his or her own actions. To us, evil is a choice, however a bad one, that a human might make, not an entity or symbol to blame our behavior on.

If an individual chooses to do evil, most pagans believe they will be punished via the laws of karma. In other words, "What goes around comes around" or "You get what you give".  This is also referred to as the Law of Three; whatever deed you do, good or bad, comes back to you threefold.

So it is in a witch's best interest to be a good person.

Then why do you use a symbol of Satan?

The pentagram, or five pointed star, is not Satanic.  It was used by Pythagoras as a symbol of health and his followers wore them to recognize each other. In Medieval times, some Christian knights used the pentagram as their symbol.  

To modern Wiccans the pentagram means many things; the five points represent the elements Air, Earth, Fire and Water with the top point representing  Spirit. The pentagram in a circle may also represent a human with their legs and arms outstretched, surrounded by universal wisdom or the "Goddess" - humankind at one with the environment (much like the famous Da Vinici painting). Many Witches and other pagan practitioners do not wear the pentacle at all, but have other symbols of special meaning to them.

Satanists turn the symbol upside-down, which puts the elements of Fire and Earth on the top (Fire symbolizes willpower and passion while Earth symbolizes prosperity and earthly goods) and Spirit at the bottom. Satanists also turn the cross upside-down. This does not make the cross or pentagram a Satanic symbol.

In some Wiccan traditions, the upside down pentagram denotes "second degree" status - a wiccan who has moved up from "initiate" (this can be compared to a christian who makes their confirmation). To members of these traditions, the reversed pentagram is considered extremely positive and has no connection to Satanism. A symbol is simply an image or mark alone. It is the mind and the beliefs of the beholder which assign to it a particular meaning.

Do Wiccans or witches sacrifice animals?

No! Absolutely not! The point of sacrifice is to give up something of one's own in order to gain something more important. Wiccans believe in the sanctity of all life. Most pagans believe that animals are part of the same natural cycle of life as humans are. Witches have long been associated with animal companions known as "familiars." Many Wiccans go as far as to live vegetarian or vegan lifestyles as well!

Do Wiccans and witches cast spells?

Yes. Most of us do. However, the term "spell" is widely misunderstood.

Spells are like prayers and are used to create needed change in one's own life or the life of a loved one. But while prayers are a petition to an external Deity to create the change, most Witches and Wiccans believe that Deity is present in everything, including ourselves. Spells, then, are the channeling of our own divine selves, our own energies, to create the change.

Many Christians light candles in a church, we do the same thing- however the Earth is our church and so we light a candle in our sacred spaces in our homes, in our backyards, etc.

Spells which use love magic to gain the attention of a specific individual, or curses, are considered "manipulative". Most Wiccans believe anything that violates the free will of another is considered unethical. Many other pagan paths have similar codes of conduct based upon their tradition or belief and almost all believe that the responsibility for their actions will lie with them.

Aren't all Witches only women?

No. Neither are Wiccans or those in other pagan paths. Witches can be either gender. The term "Warlock" is never used to describe a male Witch (despite what mainstream TV shows like Charmed say) as it is considered to be a religious slur. "Warlock" is an old Scottish word meaning "traitor" or "oath-breaker". Men and women alike can be Witches, Wiccans or pagans.

How do you convert people to be Wiccan, Witches or pagans?

We don't convert anyone. We feel that the attempted conversion of others is a form of religious bigotry. For example, if someone tries to convert another to their religion, they assume that the other person's beliefs are not as valid as their own. We feel that all paths are equally valid as long as they do not impede upon the basic civil rights or free will of another. According to our beliefs, it is up to the individual to choose their own path. We do not try to manipulate others into our way of thinking, we only try to educate others about our religion so that they may better understand us. We do, however, try to help guide those who have already expressed an interest in the pagan belief systems or religions.

OK, well...what do Wiccans, Witches, or pagans actually do?

More or less the same thing your average Joe's and Jane's do. We come from all backgrounds. We raise families, work at our jobs, have Fourth of July and Superbowl parties and spend time with our friends. We practice our religions and spiritual paths, celebrate our holidays with festivals or small gatherings, and continue to learn about and explore our past while thinking about our futures.

Many covens and groups meet once a month to worship together under the full or new moon. Pagans tend to hold ceremonies or "circles" out of doors as we feel that being with nature brings us closer to the divinity who creates it. However, if it is 10 degrees outside, we do not hesitate to practice indoors!

Some pagan beliefs may seem weird to those who haven't heard much about them before. Pagans, on the other hand, tend to be very well educated in the beliefs of other religions. They find various religions interesting and often encourage their own children to learn about these other paths. Pagans believe in free will and choice, that an educated choice is always better than blind obedience to any religion or dogma. We are not "anti" other religious systems. We have merely made our decision to be pagan and we expect others to share the mutual respect we show them.

We only ask that we are permitted to practice our religion without prejudice or interference as is our right here in the United States under the Constitution and as outlined within the constitutions of many other countries. The freedom to practice religion -or no religion-as you choose ( be it Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist or Pagan) is the freedom to follow your spirit and your heart. This precious freedom must be defended, protected and treasured by all or it will not be guaranteed for anyone. Source