So goes a popular pagan chant. To me, this is the essence of Wicca -- being one with nature. Think about it: science teaches us that all that there is in the universe -- the earth, the moon, the sun, the planets, the galaxies, the trees, the stag, the salmon, the bear, as well as you and I -- are all the current result of an eons long process that literally began with a bang. Whatever form things have evolved into, we all share a common beginning, a common heritage, and we all move together in one grand cosmic symphony.

Wicca is a celebration of life.  It views the world, and all of earth's inhabitants, as sacred.  It recognizes that nature moves in cycles -- the phases of the moon, the turning of the seasons, the movement of our lives -- and it honors and celebrates these cycles as holy.  We attune ourselves to the changing cycles of nature, and to the changing stages of our lives.

When discussing Wicca, you will find that different people will describe it in different ways.  This is because Wicca is a very non-dogmatic spiritual path, and so you will find many different traditions or flavors of Wicca, each with its own special emphasis and ways of celebrating.  But in general, there are some commonly accepted points of view.

Most flavors of Wicca personify nature in terms of gender balanced opposites -- the Goddess and the God.  Some feminist Wiccans, however, personify nature soley in terms of the Goddess.

The Goddess is the creative force of the universe.  To this day, we commonly use the terms "Mother Nature" and "Mother Earth".  This concept is embodied in the Wiccan idea of the Goddess.  As Starhawk once wrote, "the Goddess does not rule the world -- she is the world."  She is the fertile field, the hidden cave, the vast ocean.  She is the giver, as well as the taker of life.  She also represents the phases of a woman's life, and hence her heavenly symbol is the moon.  The new crescent moon represents a woman during her youth, the "maiden" years of her life.  It is a time of new beginnings and endless possibilities.  As the moon waxes and moves towards full, so a women enters the "mother" stage of life.  This represents maturity, fertility, the fullness of life.  Finally, the moon wanes, and a woman enters the "crone" years.  Rather than viewing a woman as old and feeble, as is common in today's western culture, the Wiccan view associates this with wisdom and knowledge.  It is important to note that in Wicca, all stages of a woman's life are valued and honored.

If the Goddess is the creative force, then the God represents that which is brought forth from Mother Earth.  He is the green growing shoots, the grain that is harvested, the hunter in autumn as well as the stag that is hunted.  As the embodiement of the harvest or the hunt, he is viewed as giving his life so that others may live.  And yet, it is not his end, as he returns to the Mother's womb and is reborn in the spring.  Since the God is so strongly associated with the agricultural cycle, his heavenly symbol is the sun, that source of energy that shines down and allows the crops to grow.

Wiccans honor the Goddess at the full of the moon, and sometimes at the new moon as well.  These celebrations are referred to as Esbats.  The Goddess and the God are also honored eight times a year at celebrations that are in tune with the agricultural cycle.  These celebrations are referred to as Sabbats.  For more information, see below.

Is Wicca in any way related to or associated with Satanism? NO!!! Satan is a part of Judeo-Christian theology, not Wiccan.  The God is frequently depicted wearing horns, but this is because he is associated with the symbolism of the stag and other horned animals (hunter and hunted).  Wiccans neither acknowledge nor worship Satan.

In short, Wicca is a religion that celebrates life, the cycles of nature, and honors both genders as equal compliments to each other. It is a beautiful, life affirming path that has much to offer our contemporary world.