Modern days have taken to a new faith: Wicca. It is one of the most fascinating practices today, and fastest growing faiths among teens.

Contrary to popular belief, the art of witchcraft does not involve cackling over cauldrons, flying on brooms or wiggling one’s nose.

The religion is not cult based; it does not follow the scenes portrayed in the movies like The Craft or shows like Charmed.

Unlike the stereotypical view that witches worship Satan and perform evil rituals, this religion focuses on a natural way of life.

Based on ancient practices, Wiccans follow the seasons and provide rites, spells, and blessings to influence the energies in the environment. Their belief lies in the ability to be part of nature.

Historically, Wicca originated 30,000 years ago. Its religious beliefs are centered on the pre-Christian traditions found in Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

Similar to mythology, Wiccans believe in gods and goddesses. However, there are various gods, therefore it is up to the individual to choose the god he/she will worship.

Aside from worshipping gods, Wiccan’s believe in the forces of nature and its role in the human world.

“We do not own the earth, we are just a small part of it,” said Herne, who is the builder of a Wiccan website www.wicca.com.

Eight Sabbats

Just like any religion, Wiccans set its own holidays, also known as sabbats. There are eight main sabbats in the Wiccan calendar.

One of the most important sabbats it Samhain (Halloween) celebrated on Oct. 31. This sabbat marks the end of the third and final harvest. It is a celebration of the eternal cycle of reincarnation. Not only does Samhain mark the end of summer, but it also marks the beginning of winter and the official New Year.

On the night of Samhain, Wiccan’s remember and commune with the dead because the veil between the worlds of the dead and living are the thinnest

Other sabbats celebrated are Yule (Winter Solstice) the darkest night of the year, followed by Imbolg (Feb. 2) marking the beginning of spring. Beltane (April 30) is the fertility sabbat and marks the final phase of planting while Ostra (Easter) is a time for the new. The remaining sabbats are MidSummer, Lammas and Mabon.

Sacred Principle

Despite the portrayal of witchcraft in movies, there are some aspects that are rightly associated with Wicca; one example is The Law of Return.

The Law of Return is simple. It states that everything one does, positive or negative, has a matching reaction of three-fold. This shows the most important principle in Wicca: Harm None.

Senior Debby Jensen, a former practitioner of Wicca “followed the law to maintain good karma. In a nutshell, the Law of Three is the saying ‘do unto others as you would have done to yourself.’”

Wicca is appealing. In our age of information and technology, teens are turning to some of our oldest ways.

Witches are not people of the past. They exist in the present- excluding the propaganda formed by Hollywood.

Teens may be living in a modern world but they are learning new roots. They are turning back to nature. They are becoming Witches.