Every religion comes with its own set of beliefs and mythological tales, Wicca is no different. What you are about to read explains the heart of Wiccan beliefs and the origin tales of those beliefs. In order to fully understand Wicca, and/or to fully commit to the religion, you must understand the foundations of what Wicca teaches its practitioners. Even if you are only a casual reader with no intention to actually become a Wiccan in your own right, the following information will prove invaluable to understanding and empathizing with friends and family that take part in The Craft.
Three-Fold Rule
One of the first and most essential presiding rules of Wicca is the three fold rule. It pairs together with the other presiding rule that was spoken of earlier, “If it harm none, do what you will”. While other religions simply command you to observe particular rules and laws, Wicca explains their version of the golden rule by telling their practitioners that the universe works according to a three-fold rule. That rule being that what you put out into the world comes back around to you, but three times as strong.
There are many similarities with the common concept of karma. But, the major difference is that karma involves the concepts of past lives. Meaning that you could get good or bad karma depending on the things you did or ways you were in lives other than the one you are living. That is not the three-fold rule. The three-fold rule is far more cause and effect oriented. It's like how digging a hole to try trapping someone you dislike could come back around to bite you if you are tricked into falling in the hole instead. Except, with the three-fold rule this hole would be three times as deep and full of deadly creatures.
Basically, Wiccans believe that the universe works in accordance to a natural order and justice is a part of that order. If you are kind and nice and careful with the way you interact with the world and with others within it, then you have got nothing to worry about. In fact, there's something wonderful on its way to you as we speak. But, if you are not that kind of person and you have done a lot of wrong in your time, there are things three times as bad coming back to you. This does not mean you are doomed, however, but simply that you must learn and atone for your mistakes. Start doing good and living a positive lifestyle. Work off your punishments with good deeds and unconditional love.
You are not marred as imperfect or sinful or incomplete if you have done wrong or if you refuse to follow the Wiccan path. In Wicca, it is taught that we are all divine in our own ways. The only punishments that come upon us are the ones we initiate ourselves through our own negativity and the atrocities we commit. The rewards that we reap come to us in thanks for all the good we have done and all the positivity we have brought to the world. In Wicca, you are not born into anything and you do not inherit the wrongs of people before your time. Wiccan's, simply, believe the universe is just.
Horned God
As we established earlier, Wiccans are not monotheists. That is, they do not believe in a singular, lone God as Christians, Jews, and Muslims do. Instead, they believe in a balance of both God and Goddess figures.
Their God, sometimes called the “Horned God” because he is depicted with antlers or horns, takes on two individual roles. In some belief systems, these roles are actually two separate deities. Regardless, there are two masculine God figures. One is known as the Oak King and the other as the Holly King.
Oak King and Holly King
The legend is that the Oak King and the Holly King battle for supremacy, for the adoration and preference of the Goddess. If you find this difficult to understand if this battle is seen to actually take place between two aspects of the same God, just think about the goings on of your own mind. When your good conscience battles your temptations. When your better reasoning bows to your superstitions. When your anxieties get the better of your confidence. These are all just aspects of you, but they can fight each other and, sometimes, one of them wins.
In Wiccan belief, the Oak King gets the better of the fight at Midsummer or Litha (the name of a Sabbat – more on that in a moment), while the Holly King wins out in Midwinter or Yule. The Oak King reigns at his most powerful from Midsummer on until he loses in Midwinter to the Holly King, who then reigns the remainder of the time until Midsummer comes once again.
These battles and the supremacy won from them may be seen to help explain the nature of the weather and how it changes. Much like old Roman, Greek, and Nordic myths were known to do. Like in one particular myth which explained the lack of rainfall and the drying up of the crops by saying that Thor had lost his hammer. When the rain returned, it was because he had retrieved it again through a clever, and amusing ruse.
Like the mythology of the Horned God, and Thor, and the Gods and Goddesses of Rome and Greece, the Triple Goddess also has her own part in the story of life, according to Wicca.
Triple Goddess
The importance and graceful symbolism of the Wiccan Triple Goddess cannot be overestimated. In fact, there are branches of Wicca in which she is the only deity worshiped. But, regardless of if she gets all the honor and recognition to herself, or shares it with the Horned God, the Triple Goddess is composed of three parts. These parts do not fight each other as the two identities of the Horned God do. Instead, they are rather representative of the stages that the Triple Goddess goes through in a Wiccan calendar year (Oct 31 to Oct 30).
Maiden
The young girl, the virgin and as-of-yet innocent symbol of youth. The Maiden represents new beginnings, life changes, new ideas and identities. She represents the potential for what may come as separate for what has happened already. She represents the hope on the horizon.
Her time of power is in spring, where the deathly elements pervading the Earth retreat and the fallen rise again. When the plants and flowers begin to grow, the trees start to bud, and everyone embraces the elements once more. Now much freer to do so in the warmth and life-giving nature of spring.
The moon is very important when it comes to the Goddess, and each aspect of her is celebrated at different times of year. The Maiden is celebrated during the waxing moon. Which is the cycle from new moon to full moon. It is the ascent from darkness to light. Which fully symbolizes the nature of the Maiden, creating new opportunities and bringing about new hope where it had once vanished away.
Mother
At her core, the Goddess and her aspects really represent the life cycle of the female of the species. Once young and innocent and new to the world, and now grown wiser and stronger and able to bear new life to start the cycle again. The Mother is the second aspect of the Goddess, which represents fertility and the giving of life, fulfillment, and growth.
Summer is when the Mother is at her most powerful, and the early autumn as well. There is warmth and everything has come alive. The sun is mighty and warm, the moon is bright and illuminating. And no moon more than the full moon – which is when the Mother is most celebrated. As the full moon only truly lasts one single night, these celebrations are extra special for Wiccans and are celebrated thirteen times a year (more on this in a moment). Many consider the Mother to be the strongest aspect of the Goddess.
The full moon represents what the moon look like at its fullest, what the Goddess is at her peak of power, what a woman can be at her weak of strength. If there is anything that a mother would not do for their child, it is not known to mankind. There is not a job they will not do, a crime they will not commit, a sacrifice they will not make for the protection and proper rearing of their children. Even women who have been abused, and stifled, and victimized, who have been made weak, and cowardly, and feeble – even they can become courageous, and mighty, and ferociously powerful for the sake of their children. Many consider that a woman is at her peak when she has a family to fend for and take care of, and perhaps that is why the Mother aspect of the Goddess is represented by the full moon.
Crone
No life is complete without death. But, more importantly, without the descent away from the maximum. While in popular culture old age is sometimes viewed negatively and the old woman is a stereotype for lagging behind the times, this is not the view of the Wiccan Crone. The Crone is the final stage of the Goddess and while it is not as new and fresh as the Maiden, not as powerful and strong as the Mother, it is a wise and formidable spirit.
While, in some ways, she represents the time of dying and death, she represents the ultimate conclusion to life. Not the sad conclusion, not the unfortunate conclusion, but the graceful conclusion. In this stage, the Goddess Crone represents the winter – the season when so many things freeze up and die. But, as we established before, they do not die forever. The same trees whose leaves dry up and fall out will grow new buds that will grow once again. Without the Crone, the Maiden has no freshness. Without the Crone, the Mother has nothing to protect.
She is celebrated in the waning cycle of the moon, which is the descent from full moon back to darkness. It is this descent that initiates the new cycle and allows the moon to once again grow full in the night sky. What importance would the full moon have if it were there at all times? What hope would the waxing moon provide if there were no darkness in the end?
Esbats and Moon Cycles
Since we are on the topic of the moon, lets talk about the celebration of the moon cycles. As we've been talking about, depending on the stage of the moon, either the Maiden, Mother, or Crone aspect of the Goddess is celebrated by Wicca devotees. But, with the time of the Mother being so short and her celebration being the same way, the special full moon occurrences are marked down with a particular title. Esbat.
An Esbat is a celebration every time the moon is full. There are thirteen Esbats in a year. Most months have only one full moon. With there being four seasons to a year, each season can be roughly narrowed down to three months each. December, January, February for Winter (time of the Crone). March, April, May for Spring (early time of the Maiden). June, July, August for Summer (late time of Maiden, early time of Mother). And, September, October, November for Autumn (late time for Mother).
Since most months have only one full moon, there should be an average three full moons per season. But, sometimes there isn't. Sometimes there are four. These moons, the thirteenth full moon of the year, are referred to blue moons. Hence the term 'once in a blue moon', which is roughly once per year.
Sabbat Celebrations
There are eight Sabbats. These are celebrations of the changes of seasons for Wiccans. They come every year and you can celebrate them with or without a coven. Here are the times to celebrate:
Samhain – End of Summer
Imbolc – Sundown February 1st through the day February 2nd
Beltane – Either April 30th or May 1st
Lughnasadh – July 31st to August 1st
Yule – Winter Solstice in Northern Hemisphere, Summer Solstice in Southern Hemisphere
Ostara – March 21st
Litha – June 21st
Mabon – September 21st
There is much more detail that could be given as to how to celebrate these holidays, and much of it is out there to find. Some special celebrations are kept tight within Wiccan covens, but most are not. Search out what you can find and celebrate your own way! Remember that Wicca is a personal religion, do not let anyone tell you how you should honor the God and Goddess and the changing of the times.