6 Things About 21st Century Wiccans

As of this date, there are 1 million Pagans in the US alone, and a big percentage of those practice Wicca and Witchcraft. Is there a big difference between being a witch in the 21st century and being a witch in the 17th century? Well, yes, in a sense that Witchcraft is now a recognized religion and there are witches that win in the local elections, and imaginary witches are not being put on trial of course. So many things happened after the Witchcraft Trials. Sometime in the 60s, a neo-Pagan religion–Wicca–was established.

Despite the development and increasing number of practitioners, there are still people who  are not aware of the witches in their midst–could be because of the image of the witch they have in their heads or the witches themselves are not comfortable with coming out.

Well, here are things that are still true about witches living in the 21st century.

Many Wiccans still remain in the broom closet

Wiccans do not have much representation elsewhere except in pop culture media which mostly only perpetuates misconceptions about Wicca and Witchcraft (no, witches cannot fly on broomsticks!).

In the 21st century, despite the fact that Wicca is a recognized religion, there are still witches who are afraid of coming out. For every witch you recognize, there are 5 witches who are afraid to come out with their beliefs. For every witch who wears a pentacle around his or her neck, there are 5 who choose to wear the more unobtrusive pentacle belly button ring.

And pagan businesses thrive because in fact, there are many witches all over the world and they also function as an open space where witches can express themselves. This is precisely why the Moonlight Family is dedicated to spreading the word about Wicca and is very welcoming to those interested in the Wiccan path, we want witches to have an area where they can be themselves and express themselves.

Wiccans dress like everyone else

This is why people think there aren’t many witches around because they don’t see men or women wearing the tall black witch hats and the black witch robes and are not huddle around a cauldron stirring something up.

Wicca is all about a spiritual belief where absolutely no one is required to wear a pentacle or dress a certain way. The mother at the grocery pushing her child’s stroller could be Wiccan. The dad who dropped his son off at school could be Wiccan. The student trying to pass this grade to move on to the next could be Wiccan. Your neighbor with her many cats could be Wiccan. So there really is no telling if a person is Wiccan unless you get to know him or her.

Wiccans live by a strict moral code

Wiccans live by a code where if they don’t want it done to them, then they do not do it to anyone; and anything they do, will come back to them threefold, just like karma. Wiccans are a very ethical people because this is what being on a spiritual path does to you, it balances you and humbles you. Hexes and casting spells that harm anyone are frowned upon for real.

Wiccan Checklist Hoodie, Men and Women T-shirts, Racerback Tank, Pullover, and Mug from The Moonlight Shop

Many Wiccans have more than one partner

In Wicca, where marriage is done via handfasting, you can have many partners. Though I am not saying this for all (because there are Wiccan partnerships that are monogamous), Wiccans are more open minded about sexual orientation and partnerships and can have more than one. So there are in fact many polyamorous Wiccan households where the people have more than one committed relationship.

Wiccans celebrate Halloween differently

Many non-witches would think Halloween is the time when witches would blend in perfectly with what everyone is up to. “This is probably the time when they slaughter babies, make potions, and fly on their broomsticks,” they think. Halloween for witches is definitely not about all those things plus rounding up the neighborhood asking for candy or dressing up in the sexiest outfits and getting drunk until you vomit.

Witches observe Samhain, when the veil between this world and the spiritual world is at its thinnest. So we hold rituals to try to communicate with the ancestors and loved ones that have passed for just one night of the year.

Wiccans have no intention of bringing you over to their side

Witch’s Strength from The Moonlight Shop

If there’s one religious group that wins in having no intent to have people believe in their beliefs, it’s the Wiccans. You will not see them thumping their Books of Shadows and asking you to just please take the spiritual path or else! You will not see them shaking their heads at the practices of other religions. Wiccans are the most respectful and peaceful people you can ever meet. They tend to keep to themselves, just seeking spiritual enlightenment and living a spiritual life The common misconception about Wiccans is they live will-nilly and worship the devil. That couldn’t be further from the truth.