- Discussion
I wanted to post this here because I have seen a lot of anti-Wiccan rhetoric on TikTok, Reddit, and other places.
First of all, I want to say that I am indifferent as to whether or not other people are Wiccan. I do not care if you follow the Law of Threefold, and I do not care if you follow the Rede, but I do care if misinformation is spread about my beliefs.
So, one major thing that I notice is the claim that Wicca is transphobic/enbyphobic. This could not be further from the truth, at least in my experience. I am the child of a Wiccan, and I also identify as nonbinary. Never have I met a gender essentialist Wiccan. There are examples of certain individuals being transphobic, but I think characterizing Wicca as being transphobic is completely unfair. It seems that some people use the Goddess/God dichotomy present in Wicca as evidence of this claim, but this really seems to be a misunderstanding of how many Wiccans see the Goddess and God
Another common thing is that Wiccans are somehow lesser than non-Wiccan witches. That Wicca is meant to be a “jumping off point” for the rest of a practice. It is completely fine in my opinion for somebody to begin in Wicca, and then move outwards. However, when people characterize Wicca as being for beginners, and that people ought to move past it, is a bit demeaning. Also, as a community which often has a lot of awareness of social responsibility, it does make me wonder why so many are comfortable adopting certain Wiccan traditions, then turning around to complain about Wicca (while continuing to practice Wiccan magic).
I think that as a community, we have to be aware of the environment we create. Wiccaphobia is just like any other bigotry, no matter who is engaging in it. As a Wiccan, practicing for many years, in a tradition handed down to me by family – it can be quite alarming when I see uneducated anti-Wiccan musings. Especially since it is a such a diverse religion, with many views on theology and ritual practice. Witches, as a community, really should be aware of this – and make sure they are fully educated before they accidentally spread misinformation. This is part of why many Wiccans have the idea of a “year and a day” of study, because not everybody is meant to be Wiccan, but everybody ought to be mindful about the information they spread.
(As a reminder, not all witches are Wiccan, but most Wiccans are witches. Wicca is a religion, anybody can practice witchcraft, but being Wiccan requires an understanding of Wicca. Becoming Wiccan often involves initiation or self dedication, and Wicca is an incredibly diverse religion.)