Continuing to explore terms associated with Wicca, you probably didn’t know that in some parts of the world, women were not the dominant sex practicing or being accused of witchcraft. Especially seen in Scandinavia, the majority of people accused for practicing witchcraft were men. The statistics of this past trend doesn’t stop there. Below you will learn of the Burning Times and a few countries that still practice witch hunts today.
In Finland, 70% of the accused were men, where Iceland showcased close to 80% accused male witches. Between 1450 and 1700, Europe also saw a noticeable trend in male witch accusals. While certain countries noted many male witches, across the entire continent, men made up 25% of the accused witches in the area. In certain countries, witch-hunts still occur.
Burning Times: This is the term used to refer to the period of time when Europe engaged in a rash of witch-hunts. In regards to witch hunts of today, there are still some parts of the world that still engage in countrywide witch-hunts. This is a common practice still seen throughout India and Pakistan.
coven: This is the term used to make reference to a group or congregation of Wiccans. While the common amount of members within a coven is 13, the ideal number of participants can be anywhere between 10 to 15 members
Drawing Down the Moon: This Wiccan ritual is one that typically is performed when the moon is full. This is said to be the time when the power of the God and Goddess may “draw down” onto whoever is considered the High Priest and Priestess at the time.
Proper Person: This is a term that is associated with Alexandrian Wicca. It refers to a designation that an individual must obtain from a coven so that they may continue in the path of initiation. A Proper Person should possess the right motivations, as well as display maturity and ethics among other characteristics.
Hereditary Witch: When a witch has learned all of their witchcraft skills from their relatives, this is the term that is bestowed upon them.
tradition: This term refers to a branch of the Wiccan religion. There are many main traditions attached to Wicca. The major branches of Wicca to take notice of include: Gardnerian Wicca, Alexandrian Wiccan, and Seax Wicca.
blessed be: This is regarded as a common greeting between a Pagan and a Wiccan.
Threefold Law: Also known as the Law of Threefold Return, this is a Wiccan ethical doctrine that is quite similar to that of the Buddhist belief in karma. The only thing different is that it is a little more intense. The Law of Threefold Return states that actions, no matter how good or bad, will come back to either haunt or reward an individual threefold.
Wiccan Rede: This term refers to the Wiccan ethical code, which makes it known that “If it harm none, do what you will.”
