Wicca: Origins, Beliefs, and Modern Practice

The provided text offers a comprehensive overview of Wicca, a modern Neopagan religion that emerged in the mid-20th century United Kingdom. It traces Wicca's origins, highlighting the pivotal role of Gerald Gardner in synthesizing various intellectual and esoteric traditions, and the critical influence of Doreen Valiente in shaping its core liturgy and theological emphasis on the Goddess alongside the Horned God. The text then explores Wicca's duotheistic theology, its ethical framework centered on the Wiccan Rede and the Law of Threefold Return, and its vibrant ritual practices including the Wheel of the Year Sabbats and Esbat observances. Finally, it examines the modern Wiccan landscape, detailing the diversity of traditions (like Gardnerian, Alexandrian, and Dianic Wicca), its growing global demographic, hard-won legal recognition in Western nations, and its deep interconnections with feminism, environmentalism, and the digital age.

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