The Issue Of Belief
Wiccans do not believe in the Christian God or Satan. Instead, we worship the divine in the forms of a God and Goddess. Wiccans often have different ideas about the nature of the divine. Most Wiccans feel that the gods and goddesses described throughout history are attempts to better understand the divine. The mythologies of various cultures are equally valid if different ways of seeing and describing the divine. Some Wiccans feel ties to a pantheon of gods from a specific culture. Other Wiccans call upon gods from different pantheons that suite a specific ritual or spell.
Although many magickal practices can be traced back to the days when paganism was prevalent- before the beginnings of Christianity, most of what is known as Wicca was just recently created. During the 1950s, Gerald Gardner set down the foundations of Wicca. These foundations came from different paths. Gardner claimed at the time that the teachings he called Wicca came from an unbroken line of Witches. This claim has been mostly accepted as unlikely. A good essay on the history of Wicca can be found here-
http://www.monmouth.com/~equinoxbook/roots.html
Since then many people have expanded and added to the Wiccan path. Many Wiccans have been studying and working hard to rebuild and rediscover ancient traditions. This knowledge is reinterpreted for modern use. Other Witches embrace the modern origins of Wicca and focus on modern theories of spirituality. Today Wicca is a mixture of both the new and ancient. There are also different traditions that Witches can follow. This is very similar to the different denominations within Christianity. Such traditions vary in the way a Witch worships the God and Goddess and the way he/she conducts a rite or spell. Each tradition will often have their own Coven but there are also solitary Witches which practice on their own.
AN IT HARM NONE, DO WHAT THOU WILT
This guide is very easy to interpret- you may live and act as you wish as long as by doing so you don't cause harm on yourself or others. Although this seems very simplistic, it is often difficult to act without causing harm. The Rede is also the very tip of the iceberg, when it comes to ethics. Ethical considerations are one of the hottest topics in many Pagan discussions. The other guide that Witches use in dealing with their power is The Law Of Three. It is a warnings to all that would do either good or ill:
Rule of Three
Ever mind the Rule of Three
Three times what thou givest returns to thee
This lesson well, thou must learn
Thee only gets what thou dost earn!
Those that do not follow these laws are not true Wiccans.
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