Paganism is one of the largest of the minority religions in the United States. There are no reliable estimates of the number of Pagans/Wiccans in this country. The best estimate is on the order of 750,000. That would make Wicca about the 5 th largest organized religion in the United States, behind Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and Hinduism.

2 History and Origin The very term "Pagan" is defined in the American Heritage Dictionary as…One who is not a Christian, Muslim, or Jew," as these were the organized religions of the time. Pagans are students and practitioners of the Old Ways; the ancient traditions of old tribal ways worshiping several deities and working with herbs and divination tools. Paganism was found to date back centuries to several different cultures all around the world.

 You do not have to be a Wiccan or a Witch to be Pagan, but you do have to be Pagan to be a Witch or a Wiccan.  To be a Witch is to be a magic user; which means to manipulate the energies within the Earth to affect a physical change within your or another's life. The liberal code of morality known as the Wiccan Rede states… Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill, An it harm none do what ye will. 3

 Characteristic of the Craft is the celebration of seasonally based festivals known as Sabbats, The Wheel of the Year is a pagan term for the annual cycle of the earth's seasons. It consists of eight festivals, spaced at approximately even intervals throughout the year. These festivals are referred to as Sabbats. While the term Sabbat originated from Abrahamic faiths such as Judaism and Christianity and is of Hebrew origin, the festivals have historical origins in Celtic and Germanic pre-Christian feasts. 4

 The Wheel of the Year has developed in modern Neopaganism and modern Wicca, is a combination of the two cultures' solstice and equinox celebrations.  Eight Sabbats are celebratory events or Pagan Holidays. 5 Image fills this entire area (OR originates at the upper left corner of the area outlined and is sized to the full width or height of this bounding box.)

 The circle around a pentagram (transforming it in to a pentacle) is a symbol of "unity, wholeness, infinity, the goddess, and protection. To earth-centered religions throughout history. The five- pointed star is representative of the four primal elements (earth, air, fire and water,) and traditionally a fifth, called spirit. The circle binds them together to create life. 6

 Sage is used for the cleansing of space and divination items to rid them of negative energies. This is actually common in other religions around the world. 7

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 The Athame, a knife, is one of the primary tools employed by modern Wiccans in their rituals. It will have a double-edged blade. The blade is never used for cutting and no attempt is made to keep it sharp, though often great care is taken to make it artistic. The Athame is normally used to cast the circle at the beginning of rituals, thus establishing the magical space within which rituals are performed. 9

 Witches are often associated with the color black. Some would argue that both are evil, and represent the powers of darkness. Black is a powerful color in religious symbolism, worn by spiritual representatives of many faiths, such as priests, nuns, and Hasidic rabbis. Few people would accuse their local nunnery of Satanic worship even though so many of them are found in flowing black robes.Whether they know it or not, religious leaders wear black because the practice carries with it an ancient psychic truth that has always been a part of Witchcraft. The color black is like a solar battery, drawing in energy and light. Allowing for the ability to tap into universal light. 10

 The practice of natural medicine, folk medicine, spiritual healing, and shamanism can also be applied under the umbrella term of contemporary Witchcraft, and is the practice of alternative medicine and New Age healing techniques, such as Crystal Healing, Herbalism, Reiki, and Aromatherapy. 11