Eclectic Wicca: A Guide for the Modern Witch (Eclectic Witch, Book on Witchcraft)

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Thus, many practitioners of British Traditional Wicca have argued that gay men and women are not capable of correctly working magic without mixed-sex pairings.

The actual number of Wiccans worldwide is unknown, and it has been noted that it is more difficult to establish the numbers of members of Neopagan faiths than many other religions due to their disorganised structure. Traditional witches are those who practice ancestral magic instead of the modern approaches of the Wiccans. Similar in use to the grimoires of ceremonial magicians, [134] the Book contained instructions for how to perform rituals and spells, as well as religious poetry and chants like Eko Eko Azarak to use in those rituals. Main article: Book of Shadows A 'Book of Shadows', sitting on a Wiccan altar, alongside plants and crystals. They worship Norse gods, such as Odin and Freya, and draw their power by connecting with them spiritually.Gardner and others never used the term "Wicca" as a religious identifier, simply referring to the "witch cult", "witchcraft", and the "Old Religion". Wicca draws upon a diverse set of ancient pagan and 20th-century hermetic motifs for its theological structure and ritual practices. Originating in Britain, Wicca then spread to North America, Australasia, continental Europe, and South Africa.

Once the circle is cast, a seasonal ritual may be performed, prayers to the God and Goddess are said, and spells are sometimes worked; these may include various forms of 'raising energy', including raising a cone of power to send healing or other magic to persons outside of the sacred space. A green witch is an ideal best friend for the kitchen witch because their magical herbs can help a kitchen witch’s cooking have better results. Some Wiccans refer to the goddess deity as the "Lady" and the god deity as the "Lord"; in this context, when "lord" and "lady" are used as adjectives, it is another way of referring to them as a divine figure.Cosmic witches are all about astrology and astronomy, and they are largely focused on the lunar energies of the Moon cycle and spells that amplify or protect against celestial events. As in other forms of Wicca, some Goddess monotheists have expressed the view that the Goddess is not an entity with a literal existence, but rather a Jungian archetype. It is divided into a number of diverse lineages, sects and denominations, referred to as traditions, each with its own organisational structure and level of centralisation. These five elements are invoked during many magical rituals, notably when consecrating a magic circle.

The Wiccan practitioner and historian Aidan Kelly claimed that the practices and experiences within Wicca were more important than the beliefs, stating: "it's a religion of ritual rather than theology.Many Wiccans also seek to cultivate a set of eight virtues mentioned in Doreen Valiente's Charge of the Goddess, [86] these being mirth, reverence, honour, humility, strength, beauty, power, and compassion.