Wicca
Your exploration continues here. This section is on how Wicca fits within the Order of the Dryghtyn.
Those who practice Wicca will tell you that it is a practice. However, much of Wiccan practices is rooted in belief and belief falls within a religious connotation. That said, magic is the focus of Wiccan practice. As noted in the Order of the Dryghtyn image on "The Journey Begins" page, magic is one of the paths between reality and spirituality.
Wicca also espouses deities. Gods and goddesses are worshipped, followed, and paid homage. Some would say that the imagery of the Lord and the Lady are the pillars upon which the Wicca belief system stems. The Horned God and the Triple Goddess are the proverbial heads of this practice.
The Dryghtyn is the merging of the Lord and the Lady into one symbolic Divine being that encompasses all beliefs and practices. Wicca is a fairly new practice to fall into the Order of the Dryghtyn. The idea of witches may be old and have a rather troubling past, but Wicca itself began to make a marked effect on humanity in the late 19th century.
Foundational beliefs are similar to all of the religions previously mentioned. Many Wiccan will practice sacred holidays, giving sacrifices and offerings, and perform rituals for the favor of the energies of the earth. As old as Hinduism and Buddhism, the Order of the Dryghtyn finds its roots in the 8th Century. Wicca, or witches and warlocks, have long been held as wielders of the energies or magics of the created world.
As persecuted as other religions, after the witch hunts that killed many women the world over, those who practiced went underground. And many of the teachings were passed down orally between the women of families. Finally freed from threat, Wicca emerged ready to claim the title witch in the pursuit of "do what ye will" just so long as "none be harmed."
Wicca practice varies based on the practitioner and the practice allows for many different practitioners to pursue deities and energies they feel drawn to work alongside. Some focus on spells and herbs. Others focus on creativity and wealth. And still others focus on neutrality and responsibility. Therefore there is a lack of pillars or paths or "rules." Common threads to the other mentioned religions can be found in Wicca, but again is practiced by some instead of all.
The veil between Wicca and the Order of the Dryghtyn is quite thin as much of the beliefs of the previous religions have been melded to match Wiccan practices (all those Christian holidays are focused on traditionally "witchy" holidays). The Horned God and the Triple Goddess can be easily seen as the Lord and the Lady. Their paths are easily traversed whether through religion, magic, philosophy, subconscious, and gifts. All is encompassed within the Order of the Dryghtyn and Wicca.
The difference lies between Wicca and the Order of the Dryghtyn is that Wicca encourages community where the Order of the Dryghtyn allows for a solo practice that recognizes all beliefs, practices, and religions as paths to the Divine. There is love and acceptance for all within the Order of the Dryghtyn.
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