Additionally, , identified as pagan in , increasing to , in The result is Witches of America , both a snapshot of present-day witchcraft across the United States and a memoir of my own searching and questioning.
Not literally, of course. The local ranchers she consulted with had no idea that she regularly hosted rituals under the moonlight out on her property, just a few miles away.
On the other hand, there is a certain amount of drama and flair to ritual magic that the movies have come close to getting right. Witches do gather in a circle to perform rituals, sometimes outdoors, under the Moon. They use wands and ritual daggers or athames to guide magical energy in the right direction; they chant, sometimes in ancient languages.
And the Charmed reboot even featured a common spellcraft ingredient: baking soda. Returning to the sinister devil-worship thing: The horror-movie assumption that anyone who labels herself a witch is out to harm others is false and unfair. Witches often do practice in covens. A witchcraft tradition can spawn many lines or splinter sects founded by the disciples of a particularly influential priest or priestess.
And those lines, in turn, are each often made up of at least a few covens. There are no churches or synagogues in paganism: Any natural place can be made into a place of worship. Covens have adapted to the times—many now meet online , and there are plenty of witches with an active social media presence.
Because pagans believe the universe is driven by forces that are equally male and female, the community seems to be equal parts men and women. The person credited with founding Wicca was a man: Gerald Gardner. Adherents refer to themselves as practitioners , not believers. A yearly cycle of rituals, known as sabbats, celebrate the beginning and height of each of the four seasons of the Northern Hemisphere.
Each ritual encourages participants to celebrate the changes the seasons bring to nature and to reflect on how those changes are mirrored in their own lives. The rituals are constructed to not only celebrate the season but to put the participant in direct contact with the divine. Most Wiccans practice alone and are free to develop their own unique practice.
They are nonetheless in regular contact, networking on the internet and congregating at large gatherings to conduct rituals, learn about magical and spiritual practices from one another, and enter what they see as a magical space where they can more readily encounter and embrace divinity. Although many Wiccans claim to draw inspiration from ancient cultures, such as pre-Christian Anglo-Saxon and Celtic traditions, it can be seen very much as a religion of our times.
They do magic to heal themselves and others or to find a new home or job, among other things, and emphasize that magic must not cause harm. Magic is viewed as changing the practitioners as much as their circumstances, encouraging adherents to pursue self-growth and self-empowerment. There is currently an increase in the U. It is estimated that there could be around 1. As I am aware from my own research of more than 30 years, however, not all witches consider themselves Wiccans.
Based on my most recent survey data , approximately , Americans are Wiccans. The increasing numbers that have been witnessed in surveys and the growth of groups, such as those on TikTok, suggest that the religion is continuing to grow. The religion differentiates itself from more mainstream religions, such as Christianity, by celebrating a Goddess as well as a God.
In addition, Wicca lacks a formal institutional structure such as a church and puts more emphasis on ritual and direct spiritual experience than belief.
Adherents refer to themselves as practitioners , not believers. A yearly cycle of rituals, known as sabbats, celebrate the beginning and height of each of the four seasons of the Northern Hemisphere. Each ritual encourages participants to celebrate the changes the seasons bring to nature and to reflect on how those changes are mirrored in their own lives.
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