After the Thirteenth Century, people began believing that magic was from the devil, and witches were bonded with Satan. Satan is a Christian creation of a fallen angel. Wiccans are not Christian; do not worship a Christian god, or a Christian devil. For the most part, there is no deity of ultimate evil in the Wiccan belief structure. Oppression against religious movements is as old as recorded religion. The Crusades, Christian martyrdom, the destruction of the Cathar and other "heretics", anti-Semitic actions, and the burning of African-American churches in the southern region of the United States, all reflect oppressive and sometimes genocidal acts against members of differing religious groups. Many witches, the lowest number being in the

Numerous Neo-Pagan groups have achieved recognized status, and the Department of Defense recognizes Wicca, as well as other Pagan traditions, as valid religions. Wiccans may never be understood or respected by those who oppress them, but the same government protects us. Just like any other religious group, Wiccans follow laws and rules; have different beliefs, holidays, and gods. Wicca is thinking about your actions, and using your own gift of reasoning and morality to decide for yourself what impacts they will have, and if they are good or bad. It's also the responsibility to do this reasoning well. Since the Neo-Pagan movement, Wicca has been the largest growing religion in the country. And it's no shock to Wiccans that many people wish to join their religion, a religion based on love and nature. The basic principles have been mentioned in this paper, but Wicca is a very in depth religion, like any other (Kettler 1-2).

Spring Equinox is a time of passing transition and balance, and falls on March twenty-first. The Spring Equinox is sacred to dawn, youth, the morning star and the east. It is a time of passing transition and balance and falls on March twenty-first. It is the fourth sabbat in the calendar. Beltane, or May Day, means "the fires of Bel." This Sun God Bel supplanted Bride in the British Isles. He was part of the patriarchal takeover of Europe. A common chant during the fifth sabbat is:

Summer Solstice, falling on June twenty-first, is celebrated when the sun has reached its most northerly position. It is the sixth sabbat in the Wiccan calendar. Lammas, on August first, marks the end of summer and the beginning of autumn. The days also grow visibly shorter. This is the eighth sabbat in the Wiccan calendar which Robert Burns wrote a poem about This poem was passed down through many Books of Shadows. It reads :

· White - Protection, purification, all purposes. White contains all colors. It's linked with the moon. White candles are specifically burned during purification and protection rituals (Wolf 1).

· Orange - Attraction, energy, increasing personal physical energy. Burn to attract specific influences or objects (Wolf 1).

The Wiccans rely on four basic elements to run their rituals, spells, and most of their beliefs. Earth, air, fire, and water are these elements. Earth means "solid". Air means, "gas". Fire means "plasma". Water means "liquid". Earth, air, fire, and water are simply terms that represent the different states and arrangements of all matter. Earth is used to represent strength and prosperity, and air for wisdom and communication. Fire is used to represent willpower and passion, and water for intuition and love. The four elements in combination with 'Spirit' form the points of the pentagram. A pentagram is a five-pointed star formed by five straight lines connections the vertices of a pentagon and enclosing another pentagon in the completed figure. A circle, completing the pentagram, usually surrounds this 'star' (Friedberg 3, Gulick 1).

Some common words found in the essay are:
Wiccan Rede, Century Wicca, Fall Equinox, Dianic Wicca, Groundhog's Day, Wicca Pagan, Winter Solstice, Wicca Witchcraft, Gerald Gardner, Pink Love, wolf 1, wolf 1 ·, 1 ·, neo-pagan movement, color element, sabbat wiccan, wiccan calendar, sabbat wiccan calendar, corn rigs, moon considered, wiccans believe, considered 'rebirth witchcraft', neo-pagan movement considered, ritual include, falls march twenty-first,
Approximate Word count = 2333
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page double spaced)