Popular Wiccan Rituals And Ceremonies

By Leslie Ball


Wicca is the name given to a pagan religion that has existed for centuries. Many often get it wrong and believe that Wicca has to do with the occult and dark practices of magic, however, the truth is the contrary. In fact, Wicca is a very peaceful religion that is linked to nature and has a lot to do with magic and witchcraft, but not of an evil kind. There are common Wiccan rituals and ceremonies that happen during the year.

Festivals in Wicca are based on the seasons. There are about eight of these festivals throughout the year and they are known as Sabbats. The cycle of these festivals is referred to as the Wheel of the Year. They occur during the four solstices and equinoxes and the four mid points between them. Other pagan religions may only celebrate four of these festivals.

Ritual practices happen mostly in a sacred circle, which keeps the energy of the Guardians in and also contains the magic and spells conducted within the circle. Wicca believes in using white magic, which society commonly thinks of a good magic. A religion like Satanism, on the other hand, is often associated with dark magic, or black magic.

Wiccans have a number of reasons for wanting to cast spells and practice magic. These include to protect someone, to heal someone, to help with one's fertility and to get rid of negativity. Chanting, drumming or dancing can be a part of casting spells. Wiccans also believe in the adage that whatever is done in the world comes back to the doer threefold.

Most ritual practices tend to happen during any one of the Sabbats. Pagans like to make use of either a full moon or a new moon for their rituals. During a ritual practice, one can attain a higher level of consciousness or have an enhanced religious experience.

There are a number of objects that are associated with ritual practices. An athame is a knife or dagger that is often used. Other commonly found items are a chalice, pentacle and wand, but it is not unusual to see candles or a cauldron or even a broomstick. These tools are often placed on an altar that is inside the circle and can be used to conduct various spells.

Coveners who want to raise their energy to send to an individual outside of the circle, mainly for healing purposes, conduct a ritual known as Raising the Cone of Power. During this practice, everyone holds hands and forms a circle inside the sacred circle. They direct their chants or the like towards a focal point above the circle, which is where the energy grows towards. This makes the shape of a cone, hence the phrase.

Wiccans do not have a specific God or figure that they pray to. However, they do have representations of a God and Goddess through the Sun and Moon. These figures can be embodied by a High Priest and a High Priestess for the purposes of conducting a sex ritual. During such, the two fornicate in order to increase the sexual and therefore magical energy. This can then be used to work magic or cast a spell.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment