a tour of the weirder side of religion and spirituality, from hardcore Hindus to tribal

drug trips. So get out your cloaks and wands and get ready to dive into the Wizarding World

of Wicca. Luminos Extinguishum!

Humans have long been fascinated with stories of witches and wizards, like Harry Potter,

“Once Upon a Time’s” evil Queen Regina, and Magic Mike.

So it’s not surprising that the number of practicing Wiccans is on the rise. And although

Wicca is seen as mysterious, dark, and evil by outsiders, it’s got a number of similarities

to more established, accepted religions.

Wicca developed in the early 1900s and was popularized in England in the 1950s by former

civil servant and amateur archaeologist Gerald Gardner. Which, if you ask us, sounds eerily

similar to another religion popularized in the 50s by a charismatic science fiction writer

named L. Ron Hubbard. And although it’s hard to believe THIS guy was into paganism,

what with his clean-cut demeanor and totally normal haircut, it’s true.

But whereas Scientology supposedly deals with “science” and the inner workings of the

brain, Wicca is all about nature, and has its roots in ancient pagan practices. Wicca

has no governing body and no core text, so there’s a lot of variation in what individual

Wiccans believe and how Wicca is practiced. Generally speaking, however, Wiccans believe

in powerful divine forces coursing through nature and the universe, forces which manifest

themselves in two main deities: the Moon Goddess and Horned God, although Wiccans recognize

many other deities as well. To communicate with these forces, Wiccans hold rituals and

practice magic. Although Wicca has been dramatized and demonized by Hollywood and conservative

America, their meetings, like this Full Moon Ceremony, seem no more exciting or outlandish

than your average Christian service. Darker, with more candles, yes, but without the lighting

bolts and puffs of smoke we’ve been led to expect.

Many Wiccans practice solo, while others gather in small congregations of 13 people, called

covens. Hmmm, ceremony, dress, lighting of candles, offering prayers … where have we

seen this before? Oh, just every Catholic church service ever.

Although there is no real bible in the religion, Wiccans do adhere to a moral code, called

the Wiccan Rede. The Rede states “An it harm none, do what ye will.” Basically,

as long as it’s not hurting anyone, go for it. Wiccans also believe in the “three-fold

law” which states that whatever you do, for good or evil, will come back to you three-fold,

not unlike the concept of karma in Hinduism or Buddhism.

And although those who practice witchcraft have, throughout history, been demonized,

there are many more-traditional religions that have or have had mystical or magical

elements. Jewish Magic was practiced between 500 BC and 400 AD and Sufis to this day explore

the inner, mystical dimension of Islam. Even what we think of as mainstream-Christianity

is full of unexplained phenomena and rituals that can seem a little magical. Miracle-workers

and faith-healers claim to be able to say a few special words in the form of a prayer

to heal the afflicted. What’s so different between that and a Wiccan ceremony?

Do you believe in magic? Has anyone ever put a spell on you? Let us know in the comments

section below or by uploading a response video.