20 MINUTES TO MASTER … WICCA
Wicca is based on an ancient set of beliefs passed down through generations. It teaches sensitivity to natural forces, the changing seasons, and the land to which we and our ancestors have relied on for centuries.Now, with this book, you can learn how to master the core ideas and practices of Wicca – in just 20 minutes.Wicca is a nature religion rooted in simple Pagan traditions, handed down through folklore, tradition and ritual. It is a unique synthesis of beliefs, springing from ancient traditions formed around the land, developed from the earliest human concepts of spirituality.Through practising Wicca, not only can you feel more in tune with the natural world, but you’ll learn to be more sensitive to your own being and spirituality too. If you feel ready to unlock your potential, 20 Minutes to Master Wicca is the key.In this book you’ll learn about and learn to understand Wicca’s core concepts – including:• The history of Wicca• The significance and meaning of traditions, symbols and rituals• The influence of the planets and astral bodies• How to communicate with the world around you, the magical realm, and how to put your senses in touch with nature• The tools you’ll need to conduct rituals• How to practise Wicca, both by yourself and with others.Previously published as Principles of Wicca, this ebook brings together classic text from an expert in the field of with a new chapter, placed at the end of the book, that condenses the previous ideas and practices into a simple and digestible 20-minute read.This is part of the 20 Minutes to Master series, five indispensable guides that show you how to transform your life in simple and effective ways. Other titles in the series include 20 Minutes to Master Your Psychic Potential, 20 Minutes to Master Meditation, 20 Minutes to Master Stress Management and 20 Minutes to Master Buddhism.
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20 Minutes to Master Buddhism
20 Minutes to Master Meditation
20 Minutes to Master Your Psychic Potential
20 Minutes to Master Stress Management
This ebook will show you how you can master Wicca – in just 20 minutes.
The book is split into two parts. The first part, Principles of Wicca, is an original, previously published work from an expert in the field. It’s a comprehensive and insightful introduction to the subject, explaining the ideas and techniques that will allow you to develop a true understanding and practise it every day.
The second part is 20 Minutes to Master Wicca, which you’ll find towards the end. This is your Wicca cheat-sheet – a short and lucid look at all the ideas and techniques covered in the first section, which will only take you 20 minutes to read. It’s a powerful and invaluable resource that you’ll return to again and again.
If you want to truly understand Wicca – in both the short term and the long term – look no further. The answers are here.
CONTENTS
1 What Is Wicca?
2 The Wiccan Universe
3 Nature and Seasons
4 The Magical Realm
5 Using Our Magical Energies
6 The Gods
7 Creating Ritual
8 Sabbat Rites
9 Going Further
1 What Is Wicca?
2 The Magical Realm
3 The Gods
4 Creating Ritual
5 Sabbat Rites
6 Going Further
This book is for those who would like to know more about Wicca and for those who would like to try Wiccan practice for themselves. Often Wicca is a group activity and a book such as this cannot pretend to teach a would-be Witch everything he or she wants to know. However, it is a starting-point which will allow you to explore for yourself some of the basic practices and concepts of Wicca. From here, you can decide whether it is something which you wish to pursue further or to integrate into your life.
Whatever you decide, learn and enjoy.
Happy exploring and blessèd be!
CHAPTER 1
If you go down to the woods today, you may have a big surprise. In deep forests and grass-clad clearings, you may find covens of Witches worshipping the ancient Pagan deities of their lands and peoples; chanting, drumming, feasting and rejoicing in the life that the Gods have given us. They may be making magic to heal the Earth or those that are sick; they may be practising the ancient arts of divination. They may be practising Wicca, the ancient art, craft and religion of Witchcraft.
Today, the words Wicca, Shamanism, Witchcraft, Witch, Wise Woman, Cunning Man, Magician are often heard; but what do they mean? Wicca is the religion of Witchcraft. Witchcraft is not merely a system of magic. Within the Wiccan community, Witchcraft has a capital letter and is used in a special sense. Wicca is a Pagan mystery religion of Goddess and God. It is also a Nature religion. It is not a remnant of the past and of the sixteenth- and seventeenth-century Witch trials. Ancient though the roots of this tradition are, it is alive and well in the world today.
My own Wiccan training was primarily in Britain, but since then I have worked with Witches in North America, Australia and all over Europe. Each country has its own Witchcraft traditions. These draw primarily on European traditions, but in the case of the United States, for instance, they are influenced by Native American spirituality and by West African traditions. Wicca is therefore a synthesis of a number of different belief systems that have endured into the modern age because they are relevant to our needs today.
The word Wicca itself is derived from the Anglo-Saxon word Wicce, a Witch. Originally this was pronounced Witcha, but in modern times it is pronounced Wicka. The word Witch is a difficult one. It conjures images of the dark, the hag-like, the forbidden; the three Witches in William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth; black candles, broomsticks, poisons, wax images with pins, incantations, ‘hubble, bubble, toil and trouble’, cauldrons, graveyards; many suspect things. There is also the image of the Witch as a vampire: a strong woman using her sexual energy to lure men into her power; just as in Greek myth the Witch Circe turned the hero Odysseus’ men into swine.
Positive images of the Witch are more difficult to find, but they are there in folklore and children’s stories. There is the user-friendly granny – a nice elderly lady with silver-grey hair who lives in a cottage in the middle of the wood with a big black cat curled up by a warm fire. She is the fairy godmother whose magic wand heals all ills. There is the occasional TV Witch. Some people may remember or have seen re-runs of the television series
