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Celtic Wiccan Beliefs – Is Wicca What the Old Celts Practiced?
Two questions we often get asked are: “What’s the difference between Celtic paganism and Wicca,” and, “Are Wiccan and Celtic paganism the same religion?” The two religions do seem to share quite a lot of common aspects. In order to find the answers to these questions, let’s take a closer look at what similarities the two religions share and what differences set them apart.
Although there are a number of people who claim that Celtic paganism and Wicca are basically the same religion, they are not. Celtic paganism is an ancient religion which existed during the Gaelic period. Wicca, in contrast, is a fairly new religion which was developed during the first half of the 20th century by, among others, Gerald Gardner. Because Gardner drew heavily from Celtic lore when putting together his Wiccan ideology, some people assume that this means Wicca is a modern offshoot of Celtic paganism. Here is why that assumption is incorrect:
1. Because traditional Celtic religions were cultural manifestations, the local people’s spirituality was closely tied to their cultural identity. Celts considered the gods to be ancient ancestors; this meant that they believed that their first ancestors were born of a union between creator God(s) and men and women of the time. Hence the gods were literally the first ancestors. The various Celtic beliefs surrounding the idea of the ancestors can be seen in a host of customs such as the feast of the dead. Wiccan religion, on the other hand, draws its deities and customs from a wide range of differing ideologies and customs. The idea of ancestral gods in the literal sense is not customary within the Wiccan religion.
2. Wiccan religion separates the god and the goddess into distinct masculine and feminine roles. They are understood to embody archetypal forms of masculine and feminine, which is then mirrored by humanity. The Celts, on the other hand, did not see gods and goddesses as being symbolic of a greater archetype, such as the archetypal male or female, but rather, they understood their deities to be absolute individuals. The Jungian idea of the ‘archetype’ which flows through Wicca, is not present within Celtic lore.
3. Wicca draws its inspiration from a whole spectrum of different religions and spiritual practices - Eastern philosophies, Egyptian ideologies, and Judaic ceremonialism, as well as Celtic lore. It would, therefore, be incorrect to define Wicca as a reinterpretation or continuation of traditional Celtic paganism. While Wicca certainly draws from Celtic lore, it also combines ideas and beliefs from many other religious and spiritual practices, and as such, Wicca is a wholly new religion in its own right.
4. Wiccan and Celtic ethics are incompatible. The basic Wiccan Rede, “An’ It Harm None, Do What Ye Will,” would have been untenable to the Celts. The Celtic notion of heroic mortality which places its focus squarely on heroism, duty to the tribe, tribal honour, and personal honour, is in stark contrast to the Wiccan Rede.
5. In Wicca, sacred space is created through ritual and can be located anywhere. For the Celts, sacred space was mostly static and clearly defined. The sacred space for the Celts was often the home, more specifically the hearth, which functioned as the cornerstone for family and spirituality.
6. Some people claim that the word “Wicca” stems from a Gaelic word, “Witta,” thus proving that Wicca is a continuation of ancient Celtic traditions. As concerns the Gaelic language, the sound W does not exist in Gaelic or in Old Irish. “Wicca” did not find its origins the Gaelic language.
7. Wicca places little emphasis on mythology. In contrast, mythological stories form a core part of the Celtic religion.
8. Wicca uses the four elements (earth, water, fire, and air) as a fundamental concept. Celtic religion does not prescribe to the concept of the four elements in the same way.
Although there are many other points of conflict between Wicca and Celtic paganism, these eight should prove that Wicca is not descended from Celtic/Gaelic paganism. Wicca is a unique religion, whole unto itself. While true that Wicca shares many common features with Celtic paganism, and certainly also borrows aspects of Celtic lore, it cannot be claimed that Wicca is a direct descendant of Celtic lore. The people who practise Wicca are therefore not, by default, Neo-pagans but rather Wiccans and Wiccans only.
