Wicca and Feminism

It's no surprise that Wicca gained popularity during the 1960s and '70s as feminism emerged. For women who were raised in partriarchal religions, Wicca offers balance and equality. It is one of the few faiths that honors a feminine Deity. In fact, many women probably became interested in Wicca during those decades because of its feminist appeal rather than its spiritual tenets.

Hungarian hereditary Witch Zsuzsanna Budapest was one of the early influences in feminism's link with Wicca. Other pioneers, including California writer Starhawk, author of the bestseller The Spiral Dance, and Margot Adler, journalist for National Public Radio and author of several books including Drawing Down the Moon, also guided Wicca's growth through the '70s and '80s. In the early days of the women's movement, some Witches found it difficult to separate the political from the spiritual nature of Wicca. Over time, however, many of Wicca's followers - and many feminists - have broadened and deepened their understanding of women's power as well as their relationship with the Goddess.

Dianic Covens, named for the independent Roman goddess Diana, are feminist in orientation and place more importance on the female principle than the male. If you consider feminism beyond its limited, political sense, however, and see it as a worldview that equally values both women and men, feminine and masculine energies, then Wicca is inherently a feminist religion.

In Wiccan terms, the Goddess is often depicted in three aspects - maiden, mother, and crone - that signify the three phases of womanhood. Wiccans also see Mother Earth as a manifestation of the Goddess (Barbelzoa). God, the masculine principle, is considered to be the Goddess's equal and is often viewed as her consort. The Goddess is linked with the Moon, the God with the Sun. Many Wiccan Rituals and Sabbats are based on the changing relationships between the earth, the sun and other heavenly bodies.