Wicca

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Wicca is a Neopagan religion influenced by pre-Christian beliefs and practices in Western Europe that affirms the existence of the supernatural (like magic) and the physical and spiritual principles of women and men that interact with nature, and that celebrates the cycles of life and the seasonal festivities, known as sabbat, which usually take place eight times a year. Authorities like Alex Sanders refer to it as the natural religion, "the oldest in the world". It is often referred to as Witchcraft (in Portuguese: "bruxaria") or the Craft by its followers, who are known as Wiccans or wizards. Its contested origins reside in England in the early 20th century, but it was popularized in the 1950s by Gerald Gardner, who at the time called religion "witch cult" and "witchcraft" and his followers "Wicca", despite the word "witchcraft" encompasses a much wider and more universal circle of magical practices than that encompassed by the Wiccan religion. From the 1960s the name was standardized for "Wicca".

Wicca is a polytheistic religion, basically a dualistic cult, which traditionally believes in the Triple Goddess and the horned God, or matriarchal religion of worship to the mother goddess. These two deities are often seen as faces of a major pantheistic deity, or who manifest themselves as several polytheistic deities. Wicca also involves the ritual practice of magic, largely influenced by the ceremonial magic of the past, often in conjunction with a liberal code of morality known as the Wiccan Network, although it is not a rule. Although some traditions adore Celtic Cernuno, a symbol of virility, and is sometimes confused with Satanism, Wiccans do not believe in Lucifer, Jesus or Satan, as they consider them exclusively Christian entities.

There are several Wiccan traditions. Some, such as Gardnerian Wicca and Alexandrine, follow Gardner's initiatic lineage; both are often referred to as Traditional British Wicca, and many of its practitioners consider the term "Wicca" to apply only to them. Others, such as Cochranianism, the Feri Tradition and the Dianic Tradition, take other figures as their main influence and do not insist on any type of initiatic lineage. Some of these do not use the term "Wicca", preferring "Witchcraft", while others believe that all these traditions can be considered Wiccan.