Wicca is a modern pagan witchcraft religion that honors the Earth and the cycles of nature. Its essence lies in its deep connection with the natural world and the belief in the divine presence within all living things. Wiccans strive to live in harmony with nature, understanding that everything is interconnected. The main idea of the Wicca spiritual path is the worship of the Goddess and God, representing the feminine and masculine principles of creation. Wiccans believe in a balance between these two energies, understanding that both are necessary for a harmonious existence. The Goddess is usually associated with the moon, fertility, and nurturing, while the God represents the sun, strength, and protection.
Perhaps that is why Yeats invoked those invisible beings and lovely places less frequently in his later verse. But the young Yeats infused his early poems with Irish myths, mystical sites and magical beings such as the sidhe (the Irish language term for the “people of the fairy hills,” pronounced “shee,” as in “banshee”).
Yeats wrote his epitaph in his 1938 poem Under Ben Bulben, in which he literally instructed that he be buried near the mesa-like mountain north of Sligo Town. While some of my fellow Pagans and Wiccans believe in the literal existence of the Gods and Goddesses -- whether the classic Celtic, Greek, Norse or Egyptian deities -- I m an agnostic on that matter.
The Goddess is usually associated with the moon, fertility, and nurturing, while the God represents the sun, strength, and protection. Wiccans celebrate the cycles of the seasons with eight festivals known as Sabbats. These include Samhain, Yule, Imbolc, Ostara, Beltane, Litha, Lammas, and Mabon.
Essence of the Wicca spiritual path
In my mid-twenties, I was living a corporate, achievement-driven existence that neither fed my soul nor gave me joy. A series of synchronistic events conspired to wake me up and set me on a spiritual journey in search of the missing half of my womanhood and humanity.
My journey led me to Vipassana meditation, feminist graduate studies and new age spirituality. These were all powerful and transformative, and yet something was still missing for me: the feral, sensual, dreaming, witching, life-affirming sacred feminine.
One day it came to me: I am a pagan. This was the spiritual path that sang to my soul.
Paganism invites you to the realm of what else is true and possible. Take a little journey beyond the everyday and bring back whatever sings to your soul.
Paganism isn’t just about beliefs, it’s about stepping outside of the strictures of everyday reality and stepping into full-bodied experiences of the wild, magical world of what else is true and possible. After twenty-plus years of pagan explorations, these are five precious lessons that I’ve learned:
1. Life is delicious.
Paganism is a spiritual practice that calls us to a joyful, sensual communion with Nature and our bodies.
Take a walk on the wild side with your unruly, untamable pagan nature. Turn up your favorite music and dance from the inside-out. Eat a bowl of the ripest, sweetest fruit you can find. Make love to your partner as if you were made of one skin. Breathe the blue of the sky deep into your lungs. Spin yourself dizzy under the moonlight. Be radically, delectably, unapologetically alive!
Even in those bumpy times when your challenges and losses bring your down, remember that life is delicious and that there is always a brush of beauty to sweeten your sorrows.
2. The Earth is alive.
Paganism is defined by its earth-centered ethos. While our collective humanity has lost sight of the ways of the green world, pagans hunger to touch and be touched by the powers and splendor of Nature. And in this sensual, embodied exchange, we awaken to the living world.
Hang out in your favorite green space with your senses on high. Attune to your exchange of breath with the trees: their green breath of oxygen with your red breath of carbon dioxide. Open your flat palms toward whatever wild thing catches your fancy and sense the tingling meeting of your energies. Peer into the microcosm of a rotting log, with its teeming collective of interdependent inhabitants.
The Earth is alive. One web of life connects us all, breath to breath, and essence to essence. What your mind has forgotten, your body remembers.
3. The Goddess is everywhere, in everything.
I didn’t go looking for the Goddess. I set myself on the trail of my lost humanity and womanhood, and one day there She was, everywhere and in everything.
She is the burning ember of light interwoven with matter that shines forth in all living things. She is the unending, outrageous beauty of the wild world. She is the driving force that calls us to strive and struggle, and to grow and blossom. Her cupped hands hold us in the shifting seasons of our joys and sorrows, and life and death moments.
The Goddess’s deepest presence is love, not as an emotional state, but rather as the primal desire of life to seek out, create and nurture life. Through this love, all things are made holy and infinitely worthy. We are made holy and infinitely worthy.
Lift your face toward Her living light, open your heart to Her infinite love, take in Her green-drenched beauty and feel Her holy presence in your own shining soul, and know that the Goddess is indeed everywhere and in everything.
4. So without, so within.
Pagans celebrate the wheel of the year: eight sabbats that mark the turning seasons of Nature and their shifting balance of darkness and death with light and life.
Our life too is a shifting balance of light and dark, joy and sorrow, and life and death moments.
Ponder the seasons of your own life: the death-like times when darkness, sorrow and loss swallowed you whole, and other times when the sun was shining bright and life was rich and full. Dig deep and notice that the good things in life hold you in your darkest moments, and that your sorrows and challenges can make your high points all the more poignant and precious.
So without, so within; like the natural world, our humanity is woven of darkness and death, and light and life. And in this powerful truth, we can find our balance and wholeness in the face of life’s shifting seasons.
5. Magic is real.
Magic, in basic terms, is the ability to experience and work with the Mysteries (alternative states of being and knowing). Think of reality as a frequency dial that can tune into the astounding magical possibilities of the world around us: “normal”, everyday modes of consciousness fall within a specific frequency range; the Mysteries are engaged at different frequencies on the dial.
Pagan magic practices, such as ritual and spellcrafting, develop and deepen our abilities to turn the frequency dial and work in altered states of consciousness.
Be brave: turn that dial, step between the worlds and the Mysteries will show up, in all their wonder. Brave experience by brave experience, you can come to truly know that magic is real and a natural part of our humanity.
Don’t take my word for these things I have shared. Instead, think of paganism as an invitation into the realm of what else is true and possible. Take a little journey beyond the everyday for yourself and bring back whatever sings to your soul.
Artwork by:Stephanie Law
Check out Path of She book offerings in the Path Store.
I’ve come to believe there are as many religions on this planet as there are people. Survey 300 Christians in a Baptist church some Sunday and, if they are honest and revelatory, I believe you’ll find they all will have differences about what exactly a Christian believes, how one should worship, which commandments are the serious ones and which are really part of the 10 Suggestions, etc. Same with Buddhism, Paganism, Wicca, etc., and we won’t even get into the mind-blowing cosmic umbrella that is the Hindu faith.
Each Sabbat marks a particular point in the Earth's journey around the sun and is a time for reflection, giving thanks, and setting intentions for the future. Wicca also includes the practice of magic, which involves using natural energies and focused intention to bring about positive change. Wiccans believe in the power of their own will and in their ability to manifest their desires with the help of the divine. The use of magic is seen as a tool for personal growth, healing, and spiritual transformation. Central to the Wiccan belief system is the idea of personal responsibility. Wiccans understand that they are responsible for their own actions, the impact they have on others, and the well-being of the Earth. They strive to live ethically, following the Wiccan Rede, which states, "an it harm none, do what you will." This means that Wiccans should act in ways that do not cause harm to others or themselves. In conclusion, the essence of the Wicca spiritual path lies in its deep reverence for nature, the worship of the divine feminine and masculine, the celebration of the seasons, the practice of magic, and a commitment to personal responsibility. Wiccans seek to align themselves with the natural rhythms of the Earth and to live in harmony with the world around them..
Reviews for "Exploring the Dark Side of Wicca: Embracing Shadow Work"
1. Emily - 2/5 stars: I was really disappointed with "Essence of the Wicca Spiritual Path". I found the information to be lacking depth and substance. The author focused too much on the basics of Wicca and skimmed over more advanced concepts. It felt like a beginner's guide rather than a comprehensive exploration of the spiritual path. I was hoping for more in-depth explanations and a deeper dive into the rituals and practices, but this book fell short.
2. James - 1/5 stars: I strongly disliked "Essence of the Wicca Spiritual Path". The author's writing style was dry and unengaging, making it difficult to stay interested in the material. The information provided was basic and repetitive, offering nothing new or insightful. It felt like a regurgitation of generic Wiccan concepts without any originality or depth. I would not recommend this book to anyone looking for a meaningful exploration of the Wiccan spiritual path.
3. Sarah - 3/5 stars: Although "Essence of the Wicca Spiritual Path" had some interesting aspects, I found it to be overly simplistic. The author failed to provide enough context and historical background on Wicca, which left me feeling confused. The explanations of rituals and practices were too brief and left me wanting more. It felt like a superficial overview rather than a comprehensive guide. While it may be suitable for absolute beginners, those seeking a deeper understanding of Wicca may find this book lacking in substance.