Ravenwood Church & Seminary of the Old Religion

Wicca is a nature oriented religion ~ Wiccans consider the natural processes of the Earth and the greater universe to be divine. All life and all lives are sacred. The cycles of nature and the universe have much to teach us about our own lives and the phases of our personal, physical, and spiritual development.

Members of the Wiccan priesthood, both men and women, are called Witches ~ A Wiccan is not the "witch" depicted by Hollywood images or defamed by the ugly stereotype seen at Halloween. The terms Wicca and Witchcraft refer to the whole of an ancient pre-Christian religion and its practices complete with deity, salvation, ethics, holy days and trained clergy who minister to Wiccan congregations. A warlock is any witch, male or female, who is shunned by the coven for unethical behavior.

Wiccans believe in God ~ To a Wiccan, God (The Creative Life Force) is the all-encompassing, all-powerful force of life - the Creator. Wiccans view The Creative Life Force manifested in a duality of male (God) and female (Goddess), each of equal importance. Though the different religions of the world worship gods and goddesses of many names, Wiccans consider all gods to be one God and all goddesses to be one Goddess. The Wiccan God and Goddess are the same deities as those worshipped by everyone else. There are many pathways, but they are all traveling up the same mountain along the way to spiritual fulfillment and a personal relationship with the Divine.

The Wiccan clergy consists of Priests and Priestesses ~ The clergy functions just like that of any other religion, performing religious services, legal marriages, funerals, baby blessings and personal counseling.

Wiccans usually celebrate 21 holy days each year ~ Though Wicca is a religion for the individual, Wiccans often come together to worship the God and Goddess. Wiccans mark the progress of the seasons and nature's cycles at thirteen lunar (full moon) Esbats and eight Sabbat festivals each year; four solar and four agrarian. The Sabbats make up what we call the Wheel of the Year.

Wiccan ethics are summed up in the following creed: “An ye harm none, do what ye will.” ~ This rule, also known as the Wiccan Rede, seems simple, but a great deal of personal responsibility is necessary to live up to its requirements. In striving to fulfill this creed, Wiccans must take responsibility for their actions and their consequences on a mental, physical, and emotional level. They must give deep consideration to all the possible repercussions of any thought or deed. Wiccans try to live a virtuous and balanced life in harmony with other people and with nature.

The Wiccan concept of Salvation is incorporated into the Witches Three-Fold Law, which states that any action or thought of an individual will return in like kind thrice over. ~ Thus if good deeds and intentions are set into motion, positive consequences will ultimately return to the individual. Whereas if negative or destructive deeds and intentions are propagated, the individual will receive the same in turn from others. Spiritual fulfillment is achieved through positive works and harmonious living.