Wicca deity differs from other faiths in that both a male and female divinity are recognized. In faiths like Christianity and Islam for example only one, masculine God is recognized and worshipped. However, practicing Wiccas typically have different interpretations of these divine beings.
Wiccas will invoke the Goddess and God during their magical circle and other rituals as a source of energy to aid them in their spiritual growth or other aims. The fact that the Wicca deity form part of The Craft differentiates a Wicca from a magician. In the Wiccan belief system there are no recognized evil supernatural beings as there is the Devil in the Christian faith.
Instead Wiccas believe that evil is practiced by human beings and that the Wicca deity acts as a helper. This means that they teach human beings to learn from their mistakes and help them to draw on their positive aspects. So, to a Wiccan there is essentially no concept of good vs. evil or Armageddon. Rather cycles of life and death are given prominence as is rebirth and the learning of lessons on earth.
Wiccas do not believe in heaven and hell but some believe in a place called “the Summerland” where people go between lives to rest and reflect on the life that has just ended. So how does a Wicca explain the Wicca deity?
There is more than one view and belief about Wicca deity within the practice of witchcraft. They can be summed up as follows:
1) The Wicca deity - God and Goddess together make up a whole being. This is like saying that the God and Goddess are part of the same coin and therefore equal.
2) Other Wiccans do not believe in the existence of two deities. Instead they believe only in the Goddess. This is a feature of what is known as Dianic Wicca, in which most members are female. For these women a female Wicca deity can be a very crucial part of healing in a male dominated society
3) Another view of Wicca deity is that the Goddess gave birth to the God. While both are seen as important the Goddess is believed to be the primary force in the universe. However God is still included in rituals and acknowledged as an important deity.
One way to view Wicca deity is that the Goddess and/or God are different aspects of a whole. Depending on what is needed each aspect has its gifts to bring to the situation. These aspects may reflect love, courage, strength, healing and creativity, for example. They are given different names which have roots in ancient cultures with which these aspects have been associated.
Wiccas might invoke a specific deity such as Aphrodite or Venus as the Goddess of Love. The Wicca deity that is called on will reflect the aim of the invocation. A wicca might call to Yemaya, the Goddess of the Ocean when doing ritual work using water, or Neptune, God of the Sea. Pan may be invoked to add the element of playfulness and spontaneity into daily living. The Crone aspect of the Goddess such as Hecate or Cerridwyn are sometimes invoked to help Wiccas deal with death, the end of a relationship or a difficult spiritual experience.
