It is hard to pinpoint and explain all the beliefs that Wiccans hold on the one webpage without setting you on ‘overload’, and not only that but there are many different beliefs per Wiccan religion. Before beginning, though, there is a big differentiation that needs to be explained, and that is between Wiccans and Witches.

In many cases, the terms ‘Wiccan’ and ‘Witch’ are used interchangeably. On this site, this is not the case. On this site, the term ‘Wiccan’ is defined as follows:

- A Wiccan is a follower of the religion of Wicca, which was popularised in the late 40s/early 50s by Gerald Gardner. Wicca is a religion based around the worship of nature and the earth we live in, and the practise of Witchcraft. A Wiccan may or may not also be a Witch. A Wiccan will follow their beliefs and also practise ethically and responsibly.

Now, the term ‘Witch’ is slightly different:

- A Witch is a practioner of witchcraft, the artform created hundreds to thousands of years ago. Witchcraft is not a religion, but a practise. A Witch can be a Wiccan and embrace the beliefs and ethical views of a Wiccan, but some choose to practise as a Witch. Witches are not bound, unless they choose to be, to any specific ethical or moral doctrine.

I hope that clears it up a little - please give me your feedback, so I can leave it or redefine as need be.

Now, as I said it’s hard to pinpoint the beliefs that Wiccans have without boring you with a 10-page essay, so I’ll leave it to the Council of American Witches (which was formed and disbanded in 1974). Below is their outline of a Wiccan’s beliefs (again, many differing traditions may have different beliefs, but these are pretty encompassing of the majority of Wiccans):

Introduction:

In seeking to be inclusive, we do not wish to open ourselves to the destruction of our group by those on self-serving power trips, or to philosophies and practices contradictory to those principles. In seeking to exclude those whose ways are contradictory to ours, we do not want to deny participation with us to any who are sincerely interested in our knowledge and beliefs, regardless of race, color, sex, age, national or cultural origins, or sexual preference.

Principles of the Wiccan Belief:

1. We practice rites to attune ourselves with the natural rhythm of life forces marked by the phases of the Moon and the seasonal Quarters and Cross Quarters. We recognize that our intelligence gives us a unique responsibility towards our environment. We seek to live in harmony with Nature, in ecological balance offering fulfillment to life and consciousness within an evolutionary concept.
2. We acknowledge a depth of power far greater than that apparent to the average person. Because it is far greater than ordinary it is sometimes called “supernatural”, but we see it as lying within that which is naturally potential to all. We conceive of the Creative Power in the universe as manifesting through polarity-as masculine and feminine-and that this same Creative Power lies in all people, and functions through the interaction of the masculine and feminine. We value neither above the other, knowing each to be supportive of the other. We value sex as pleasure, as the symbol and embodiment of life, and as one of the sources of energies used in magickal practice and religious worship.
3. We recognize both outer and inner, or psychological, worlds — sometimes known as the Spiritual World, the Collective Unconscious, Inner Planes, etc. — and we see in the interaction of these two dimensions the basis for paranormal phenomena and magickal exercises. We neglect neither dimension for the other, seeing both as necessary for our fulfillment.
4. We do not recognize any authoritarian hierarchy, but do honor those who teach, respect those who share their greater knowledge and wisdom, and acknowledge those who have courageously given of themselves in leadership. We see religion, magick and wisdom-in-living as being united in the way one views the world and lives within it — a world view and philosophy of life which we identify as Witchcraft, the Wiccan Way.
5. Calling oneself “Witch” does not make a Witch — but neither does heredity itself, nor the collecting of titles, degrees and initiations. A Witch seeks to control the forces within her/himself that make life possible in order to live wisely and well without harm to others and in harmony with Nature. We believe in the affirmation and fulfillment of life in a continuation of evolution and development of consciousness, that gives meaning to the Universe we know, and our personal role within it. Our only animosity towards Christianity, or toward any other religion or philosophy of life, is to the extent that its institutions have claimed to be “the only way,” and have sought to deny freedom to others and to suppress other ways of religious practice
   and belief.
6. As [American] Witches, we are not threatened by debates on the history of the Craft, the origins of various terms, the origins of various aspects of different traditions. We are concerned with our present and our future. We do not accept the concept of absolute evil, nor do we worship any entity known as “Satan” or “the Devil”, as defined by Christian tradition. We do not seek power through the suffering of others, nor do we accept that personal benefit can be derived only by denial to another.
7. We believe that we should seek within Nature that which is contributory to our health and well-being.

In addition to these points, the following is also descriptive of Wiccan beliefs.

1. Wiccan Deities: Beliefs differ:
   • Most Wiccans believe that a creative force exists in the universe, which is sometimes called “The One” or ” The All”. Little can be known of this force. Most regard the Goddess and the God as representing the female and male aspects of the All. These deities are not “out there somewhere;” they are immanent in the world. Many regard various pagan Gods and Goddesses (Pan, Athena, Diana, Brigit, Zeus, Odin, etc.) as representing various aspects of the God and Goddess. The term “Wicca” normally implies that the person’s religion is based upon Celtic spiritual concepts, deities, and seasonal days of celebration. Some Wiccans include beliefs, practices and symbols from ancient Pagan religions (e.g. Egyptian, Greek, various mystery religions,
     Roman, Sumerian) or upon Aboriginal religions (Native American Spirituality, Shamanism). Some Wiccans are actually agnostics, who take no position on the existence of a supreme being or beings. They look upon the Goddess and the God as archetypes, based on myth.
   • It cannot be stressed enough that Wiccans have no supernatural being in their pantheon of deities who resembles the Christian-Muslim Satan.
2. Respect for Nature: Wicca is a natural religion, grounded in the earth. All living things (including stars, planets, humans, animals, plants, rocks) are regarded as having a spirit. Many Wiccan rituals deal with bringing harmony and healing to nature. Wiccans tend to share a great concern for the environment.
3. Gender equality: Wiccans celebrate the sexual polarity of nature. For example, the fertilizing rain is one manifestation of the male principle; the nurturing earth symbolizes the female. Females are respected as equal (and sometimes at a slightly higher rank) to males. A priestess is often the most senior person among coven — a local group of Wiccans. They aim for a female-male balance in most of their covens (local groups), although men are typically in the minority.
4. Human sexuality: Sexuality is valued, and regarded as a gift of the Goddess and God, to be engaged in with joy and responsibility, and without manipulation. Wiccans generally accept the findings of human sexuality researchers that there are three normal, natural, and unchosen sexual orientations: heterosexuality, homosexuality and bisexuality. Some Wiccans celebrate “the Great Rite” which involves ritual sexual intercourse. However, it is consensually performed by a committed couple in private.
5. Afterlife: Wiccans have a wide range of beliefs:
   • Some believe in ancient legends of a Summerland where souls go after death. Here, they meet with others who have gone before, review and integrate their previous lives on earth, and are eventually reincarnated into the body of a new born. Some believe that after many such cycles — perhaps some as female and others as male; some lives with a high standard of living and others in poverty; some in positions of power and others suffering oppression — that the individual accumulates sufficient experience
     to go on to another level of existence about which we know nothing. Some see an individual’s personality, memory, abilities, talents, etc. as functions of the human brain, which degrades and disintegrates at death. They no not anticipate any form of continuity after death.
   • Other Wiccans anticipate continuity after death in some very narrow senses:
     • That the molecules that go to make up our bodies may in turn be incorporated in other living entities;
     • That our influences on children, friends, and society in general will continue to have influences on the next generations.
6. Three-fold Law (a.k.a. the Law of Return) The law states that:“All good that a person does to another returns three fold in this life; harm is also returned three fold.”
   This belief strongly motivates each Wiccan to avoid attempting to dominate, manipulate, control, or harm another person.