Black cats, magic wands, broomsticks, and love potions. This is what comes to mind when many think about witches. Growing up in a Catholic home, my parents always told me that any religion that involved magic, even if it was something as simple as Wicca, was Satanic. This is a common misconception of the religion Wicca. In fact, Wicca has nothing to do with Satan, or evil worship. Wicca has been falsely accused of being related to Satan, by those who do not understand it. This religion is purely nature based, it does not revolve around curses and the devil. Instead, Wicca honors nature and praises the God and Goddess in this world. Wicca translates to “wise one” and is described to be a nature based religion that follows old European and…show more content… Also knows as sabbats, or Wiccan holidays, these are traditions that are celebrated eight times a year (Blake, 2007). The first holiday celebrated is Samhain, pronounced sow-win, this is on October 31st; known to most as Halloween. Wiccans believe that this is the day of the year where the veil between worlds is at its thinnest, for most witches it is a sacred time to reminisce on their loved ones that have already passed. After Samhain, there is Yule; celebrated December 21st, or winter solstice. Yule is considered to be the origins of what most know as Christmas. The symbolism of the Christmas tree, comes from the early Pagan traditions of bringing in an evergreen tree in hope of winter ending soon. Today, most Wiccan’s will bring in a Yule log which they will add three candles, one for each cycle of a woman’s life; Maiden, Mother, and Crone (Ross-McFarland, 2016). February 2nd, known to most as Groundhog Day, is known to Wiccans as Imbolc; which honors the end of winter; “The infant god grows, while underneath us the earth stirs and begins to reawaken” (Blake, 2007, P.13). After Imbolc, Wiccans celebrate Ostara. Ostara, March 21st, is known for being the balance between light and darkness. This is the time where fertility is celebrated by dying or painting eggs. May first, Beltane is celebrated with a bon fire. In traditional celebrations, there is a bon fire, Stag King that represents the God, and a May Queen which represents the Goddess. Beltane is known most for celebrating fertility by having orgies; now-a-days many settle for a simple bonfire, wine, and monogamous sex. Wiccans Honor the beginning of summer with another bon fire party on Litha, more popularly as the summer solstice. “Earth is at its most fertile and full of life. The goddess, as Mother, is pregnant…” (Blake, 2007, P.14). The first harvest is celebrated August 1st on Lammas. The second Harvest is
