A bit about Wicca

Tuesday, November 04, 2014

Disclaimer: I hope I can portray this article in a non-stereotypical way. I want to personally thank Estelle Daniels for letting me interview her for this piece and hope that you, as the readers will take this time to learn more about the Wiccan religion.

 
For the Wicca religion, you won’t be able to find a church, a dogmatic set of beliefs, or “Bible thumpers” knocking at your door trying to convert you. You have to want to find Wicca yourself.  “A lot of what we teach is experiential. You can read some books how it’s going to describe how it going to feel like, but you need to experience (Wicca) for yourself” said  Estelle Daniels, The Wiccan Church of Minnesota’s current May Queen.

The religion of Wicca is a nature based religion which generally believes in the duality or multiplicity of deities. There are 8 celebrations that celebrate the changing of the seasons. This weekend, the Wiccan community is celebrating Samhain. “This is the time of year when the veil between the two worlds are the thinnest” explained Daniels. Samhain is a celebration that allows for personal soul examination as well as a time to honor ancestors within the Wiccan community.

Hollywood has shown their fair share of witches in the past. From Bewitched to Vampire Diaries, Hollywood seems to not be able to get enough of them. Daniels explained very clearly that there is a distinction between what Hollywood portraying and real life. Not all witches are wiccans, and not all wiccans are witches.” She said. Because of these interpretations of the word “witch” the community has now begun to reclaim the word as “empowered female” or “empowered witch”.

“You got two TV series that presented Wicca (in an accurate manner): Buffy and Charmed. Willow’s portrayal as a Wiccan was really well. Even the evil Willow” she said Daniels. 

Just like in the 90s TV Show Charmed, Wiccans have Covens. These covens, which contain usually 5-20 people, are the base of Wicca. Within the Covens members can obtain three degrees which take a minimum of a year and a day to obtain. The degrees are the following: Initiation, Picking a specialty, and become responsible for the community.

For Daniels, magic is the control use of will. “Some people would say that prayer is magic. We’re beseeching a deity to a cause and change.” Wiccans practice many things, Daniels explained. Some examples are astrology, tarot cards, and ceremonial magic.

The Twin Cities is known within the Wiccan community as “Paganistan”.  Because of Minnesota’s lakes and parks many wiccans reside in Minnesota. “We like nature. My idea of worship is walking up and down Minnehaha falls while picking up trash.  Minnesota is a magical place to me.”

 

 

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