Wicca, witchcraft and Paganism are victims of more misconceptions than most other religions. In particular, the new Wiccan religion is very much misunderstood by the general public. If you are confused about some of the things you are hearing about Wicca, here is a little more information to dispel those myths.
1) Wiccans worship Satan
The figure of Satan is part of the Christian mythos. Those of us who do not follow Christianity, do not accept the existence of this character. We do not worship Satan, nor do we summon demonic forces to do our bidding.
2) Wiccans engage in ritual orgies
This misconception may have arisen from the practice of doing ritual in the nude (also called skyclad). Not all Wiccans practice this way, and there is nothing sexual about it.
3) Wicca is only for women
Wicca has attracted a great number of women because of the focus on the Goddess, which is an uncommon alternative among other mainstream (and male-oriented) religions. But Wicca is open to everyone, male or female.
4) Wicca has no rules
This little untruth is often used by our detractors to show that we must live wild and unrestrained lives. We may not have books of commandments to bind our lives, but many Wiccans do follow one single law: Harm None. Those two words have as much power as an entire book of rules. We refer to this statement as the Wiccan Rede and is part of a longer poem.
5) Wiccans cast spells and hexes to control people
If we really did this, Wiccans would all be wealthy, happy and powerful. We believe that for every action, there is a re-action, and that includes using magick for negative manner. Wiccans don’t believe in a punishing God, but we do think that bad actions will come back and bite us in the butt (karmically speaking).
6) Wicca is a cult that is trying to recruit people
Wiccans believe that each individual’s path of spirituality is valid, and no one path is better than any other. We do not convert or recruit anyone. Proselytizing is not a practice we follow. As for being a cult, most people these days are solitary practitioners and not part of any group. Hard to be in a cult when you are by yourself.