Research Question: What is the Wiccan Religion? What holidays do Wiccans celebrate? How do they celebrate, what are their rituals like? What is the difference between paganism and being wiccan?

I chose the topic of the Wiccan Religion because it is something that has greatly interested me since I was a small child. Also I have a friend who is Wiccan. It is not exactly witch craft and neither is it good or bad. There is no such thing as white or black magic. That is something used by people who have no real idea of what "magic" truly is. It is not the magic itself that is bad it is the wielder of the magic and the choices they make.

I know that the wiccan religion is centered around the number three. What you do unto others, you get back times three. The cycle goes the Maiden, the Mother, and the Crone. They have different holidays than is custom for people in the United States. They celebrate Samhain, the spring and fall equinox, and the summer and winter solstice.

I wish to learn some of the rituals and about why people feared them so much. Wiccans were among the many innocent to burn during the Salem Witch Trials and other famous "Witch Hunts". I'd like to know why some people chose this religion over others. Were they simply drawn by the idea of a natural magic? Were they raised by parents who practiced it?

I've done research on the topic in the past because it interested me so much. I also met Natasha Sherlock who tried to get a pagan group started on campus. The group leaned more towards wiccanism and not just paganism which is a broad category that wiccanism just happens to fall under.

I haven't had any trouble locating sources. There are a few books on the Wiccan religion in the library as well as an encyclopedia on everything Wiccan. I also have a book on the Wiccan religion. I think this assignment will be awesome because it's something I actually want to write about. My writing is usually much better when it's over a topic of interest.

Working Bibliography

Ballard, Byron. "Dianic Wicca Interview with Byron Ballard." 3 Jan. 2010. Web. 22 Feb. 2010. <http://www.warren-wilson.edu/~religion/newifo/religions/paganism/index/dwicca/interviews.shtml>

Conway, D.J. Wicca The Complete Craft. Freedom, CA: The Crossing Press Freedom, 2001

Frost, Gavin and Yvonne. Church and School of Wicca. 13 Sept. 2006. Web. 22 Feb. 2010 <http://www.wicca.org/>.

Lewis, James R. Witchcraft today : an encyclopedia of Wiccan and neopagan traditions. Santa Barbra, CA: ABC-CLIO, 1999.n

Sherlock, Natasha. Personal Interview. 20 Feb. 2010