 The Basic Wicca Test
By: Keitha (FireWind)
From:The Glass TempleThis test is meant to serve as a sort of personal 'progress report'. In no way is it meant to be the end-all be-all of tests on Wicca. It's meant mostly for Solitary Eclectics learning from books, the Net, and trial and error. There are 4 parts:
A True/False section on the basics and concepts of Wicca,
A Multiple Choice section on the same,
A Long Answer section, and
A True/False section on 1 of 3 cultures.
There are 80 questions in total, of which the test is composed of 60. Good Luck! :) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------BASICS- True/False
1. The word Wicca comes from the word meaning 'To Weave'.
2. Modern Witchcraft began in the 1920's.
3. Every Witch is a Pagan.
4. No Wiccan group uses the Pentacle point down.
5. There are 12 Sabbats.
6. Divination is an integral part of Wicca.
7. The Burning Times was when people joined together happily for large celebrations and feasts.
8. The pentacle is the symbol of the 5 elements.
9. Water is an element.
10. Gnomes are elementals.
11. Deosil is the direction the sun moves across the sky.
12. A Circle is really a sphere.
13. All Wiccan rituals are conducted deosil.
14. You must have the correct tools to conduct a ritual.
15. Everything published in books is correct.
16. A pentacle is the same as a pentegram.
17. Witches sometimes dress in black because it is our right to do so.
18. The main purpose of Wicca is to learn how to cast spells.
19. All cultures have a moon Goddess and a sun God.
20. It is impossible to combine Wicca and Christianity.
21. The number 13 is unlucky to Wiccans.
22. A familiar must be a cat.
23. The cauldron is the symbol of death and regeneration.
24. Chakras are energy vortexes in the body.
25. A ritual is a serious undertaking which must never be approached with humour.
BONUS: Stonehenge was built by the Druids.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------BASICS- MULTIPLE CHOICE 1. The phases of the moon are: a) New, Full, Waxing, Waning.
b) New, Full, half.
c) New, Full, first quarter, 2nd quarter.
d) New, Full, first quarter, 3rd quarter, gibbous.2. Incense is used to: a) Purify a Space.
b) Create a cool mystical atmosphere.
c) Invoke the East.
d) All of the above.
e) None of the above.3. The Athame is used: a) To cast circles.
b) To cut herbs.
c) Sometimes both.
d) Always neither.4. A Spell: a) Is a method of always getting your way.
b) Is a method of getting revenge.
c) Is a method of bending reality to will.
d) All of the above.5. Which of these connections is correct: a) North-Earth-Death.
b) South-Fire-Birth.
c) East-Water-Birth.
d) West-Water-Death.6. A Sabbat is: a) A Jewish Holy Day.
b) An excuse to take the day off work.
c) A day with specific meaning to Christianity.
d) A day with specific meaning during the Wheel of the Year.7. The Maiden is: a) Always a virgin.
b) The spirit of the wild, untamed feminine.
c) An unmarried Goddess.
d) Any Goddess between Imbolc and Beltaine.8. The Crone is: a) The Death Goddess who allows for regeneration.
b) An ugly old woman.
c) Any Goddess between Yule and Imbolc.
d) The mother of Osirus.9. Meditation is: a) A way of relaxing the body and expanding the mind.
b) A cool way to levitate.
c) A body of water near Italy.
d) None of the above.10. The God is: a) Your favourite movie star.
b) The divine male principle.
c) Both.
d) Neither.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------BASICS- LONG ANSWER 1. Name the Sabbats and their approximate dates.
2. Name the moon phases and their meanings.
3. Name 10 Goddesses and their associated realms.
4. Name 10 Gods and their associated realms.
5. Explain the differences between Maiden, Mother, and Crone.
6. Name the Elements, their Directions, and meanings.
7. Name the 5 points of the Pentacle.
8. Name 5 herbs or gems, and their uses.
9. Name 5 tools and their uses.
10. Name 3 traditions and compare them.
11. Name 5 colours and their meanings.
12. Name 3 cultures that influence modern Paganism and compare them.
13. Name 4 Elementals and their associated Elements.
14. Locate the Chakras.
15. Briefly describe the history of Witchcraft.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------CULTURAL QUESTIONS- Choose 1 Category Only True/False ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ GRECO-ROMAN 1. The Greek and Roman cultures were Patriarchal.
2. Athena is a Goddess of Wisdom who was born from Jupiter's forehead.
3. Hera was originally a popular matriarchal Goddess; her honeymoon with Zeus lasted about 300 years.
4. The Romans had a highly organized system of brothels.
5. Diana was the moon Goddess who never fell in love.
6. The fates spun the web of life, and controlled only the lives of humans (careful!).
7. Pan's name means "All".
8. The Styx was a river on Mount Olympus.
9. Venus was married to Haephestus and had an affair with Mars.
10. Zeus was also the Patron God of hospitality.Bonus: Modern literature is still highly influenced by Greek Philosophers. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CELTIC 1. The Celts were one of the last matriarchal societies.
2. The Celts had a large empire, and once kicked the crap out of the Romans.
3. Writing sacred literature was illegal for the Celts.
4. Celtic Britain was called Gaul.
5. Cuhulain was a war God who conquered France.
6. In Celtic tradition, the day begins at dawn.
7. The Dagda's name means "All Father".
8. The modern Sabbats are largely based on the Celtic holidays.
9. The Formorians were a race of giants.
10. Cernunnos was considered to be a Dark God by the Celts.Bonus: The Celts were said to fear nothing but the sky falling on them. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NORSE 1. The Vikings were the first peoples to find North America.
2. The Norse armageddon is called Ragnarok.
3. Balder was killed by a sprig of Mistletoe.
4. The modern days of the week are based on Norse Mythology.
5. All good people go to Valhalla.
6. Odin had two Ravens who fly out every day to tell him what is going on in the world.
7. Thor fought against injustices.
8. In the Norse creation myth, the Gods were created by a cow.
9. Brisingamen was the necklace stolen by Freya.
10. Loki is the father of the wolf Fenrir; they will both escape during Ragnarok.Bonus: Norse Culture can most closely be compared with the 'Star Trek' Klingon culture. Get the Answers Copyright Info: All articles by Keitha may be copied, posted, printed, distributed, reprinted, and linked to as long as the text is not changed, money is not earned, full credit is given to Keitha at www.glasstemple.com, and this notice is attached.For all other uses, please contact me © 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 Keitha.
All Other Rights Reserved. ANSWERS
By: Keitha (FireWind)--------------------------------------------------------------------------------BASICS- TRUE/FALSE 1. False. The Word Wicca comes from either the word meaning "To Bend", or "To Conjure". The first meaning is usually held to be true.
2. True. There are few records we can be sure about before Gerald Gardner.
3. False. Some Witches are not Pagan.
4. False. Some Wiccans use the Pentacle facing point down, some to denote 2nd Degree initiate.
5. False. There are 8 Sabbats.
6. False. You don't have to use Tarot or Runestones in order to be Wiccan.
7. False. If you said true, I highly recommend you pick up a copy of Barstow's "Witchcraze".
8. True. The Pentacle sumbolizes all 5 elements, and many of other things, too.
9. True. Water is an element.
10. True. Gnomes are elementals.
11. True. Deosil is the direction of the sun's movement across the sky. In the northern hemisphere, this is clockwise. In the southern hemisphere, this is counterclockwise.
12. True. A circle is a sphere.
13. False. Some rituals, such as banishing, are conducted widdershins.
14. False. You don't need any tools to conduct a ritual.
15. False. Basic first-year social science: don't believe everything you read!
16. False. A Pentacle is different from a pentegram.
17. True. No other justification is needed.
18. False. Wicca is not based on spellcraft.
19. False. Some cultures have an Earth Mother, Sky Father; some have a Sun Goddess, Moon God, etc.
20. False. This is a topic of debate, but some people do this quite easily and happily, so I have to say that it can be done.
21. False. The number is not generally unlucky to Wiccans. The number 13 was considered unlucky to Christians because there are approximately 13 full moons a year, and the number is important to Pagans.
22. False. A familiar can be a cat, a dog, a bird, a horse, or any other animal; it's up to the individual.
23. True. The cauldron is widely considered to be a symbol of death and regeneration.
24. True. Chakras are energy vortexes in the body.
25. False. Humour should never be banned from ritual. :)Bonus Question: False. Stonehenge pre-dates the Druids. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------BASICS- MULTIPLE CHOICE 1. The Phases of the moon are:
d) New, Full, first quarter, 3rd quarter, gibbous.
2. Incense is used to:
d) All of the above.
Incense really is used to create a cool mystical atmosphere :)
3. The Athame is used:
c)Sometimes both.
Some people use the Athame for general use, most use it to cast circles.
4. A Spell:
c)Is a method of bending reality to will.
However, ethics also come strongly into play.
5. Which of these connections is correct:
a)North-Earth-Death.
There are many interpretations of the directions and meanings of the elements, but this is from one of the most popular forms.
6. A Sabbat is:
d)A day with specific meaning during the Wheel of the Year.
7. The Maiden is:
b)The spirit of the wild, untamed feminine.
8. The Crone is:
a)The Death Goddess who allows for regeneration.
9. Meditation is:
a)A way of relaxing the body and expanding the mind.
10. The God is:
b)The divine male principle.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------LONG ANSWER These are the most subjective questions, and I couldn't possibly cover all of the possible answers. But here's a few of the more objective ones: 1. Approximate dates of the Sabbats:
Feb 2nd: Imbolc
March 21st: (approx) Ostara; Spring Equinox
April 30th: Beltane
June 21st: (approx) Litha;Summer Solstice
Aug 1st: Lammas
Sept 21st: (approx) Mabon; Fall Equinox
Oct 31st: Samhain
Dec 21st: (approx) Yule; Winter Solstice
2. The Moon Phases and their meanings: Note: These are my interpretations, and might not be yours. NEW: Banishing, releasing. Crone Goddess.
1ST QUARTER: Beginnings. Maiden Goddess.
WAXING GIBBOUS: Bringing a project to completion.
FULL: Manifestation, Mother Goddess.
WANING GIBBOUS: Making choices and changes for the better
3RD QUARTER: Endings.
3. If you got 10, give yourself full marks. :) 4. Same as above. :) 5. MAIDEN: The Goddess of spring, beginnings, the wild, the untamed, the free. The Maiden Goddess relies on no-one but herself, doesn't care what people think. She is the huntress, the strong woman, the Waxing Moon Goddess. She is a virgin in the sense that she relies on no man. MOTHER: The Goddess of summer, the strong, caring woman. The nurturer, growing in wisdom. The mother understands love and loss, and how to give without losing. She is the Full Moon, the equal of the horned God. CRONE: The Goddess of fall and winter, the Death Goddess, the old woman. The Crone is sometimes a cruel joker, but she is the necessary sleep before dawn. The Hag, the wise one, who understands all things. 6. The Elements: Earth - North - Death, strength.
Air - East - Beginnings, Clarity, change.
Fire - South - Passion, Purity.
Water - West - Emotion, Connection.7. Points of the Pentacle: Top: Spirit
Top Right: Water
Bottom Right: Fire
Bottom Left: Earth
Top Left: Air
8. If you got all 5, give yourself full marks. :) 9. See above. 10. Also see above. If you would like to learn more, check out Margot Adler's "Drawing Down the Moon". 11. Another "see above". 12. Same as above, but the major ones tend to be: Celtic, Greco-Roman, Norse, Native American, Mayan, etc. 13. Elementals: Gnomes - Earth.
Syphs - Air.
Salamanders - Fire.
Undines - Water.
14. The Chakras: Crown
Third Eye
Throat
Heart
Solar plexus
Sacral
Root15. hehe... I couldn't begin to guess what you said. If you covered pre-history, the Burning times, and some 20th century stuff, give yourself full marks. :) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------DIFFERENTIAL CULTURAL QUESTIONS. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------GRECO-ROMAN 1. True. Women generally didn't have a lot of power.<br2. True.
3. True. The people wouldn't accept Zeus at first, so they had the longest honeymoon in history while the changeover took place.
4. Curve ball... :) This is actually true. They even had descriptive coins for just in case a Roman found himself somewhere he didn't speak the language.
5. False. Diana fell in love with a Shepherd.
6. False. The fates also controlled the lives of the Gods.
7. True.
8. False. The Styx was a river in the underworld.
9. True.
10. True.
Bonus: True. Modern literature is still fighting a debate with Plato. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------CELTIC 1. True. Women had a lot of power during a time of decreasing female self-determination.
2. True. In about 300 BCE, the Romans betrayed the Celts. In response, the Celts marched on Rome, sacked the city for a year, and then went home.
3. True. It was illegal to write anything sacred down.
4. False. Celtic France was called Gaul.
5. False. Cuhulain was a Celtic hero, but he wasn't credited with invading France.
6. False. In Celtic tradition, the day begins at sundown.
7. True.
8. True.
9. True.
10. False. Cernunnos was considered to be a Dark God only by Christians of the time.
Bonus: True. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------NORSE 1. False. The Native Americans were here first.
2. True.
3. True.
4. True.
5. False. Only slain warriors go to Valhalla.
6. True.
7. True.
8. True.
9. False. It was stolen by Loki from Freya.
10. True.
Bonus: Just try and tell me that's not true... :) Copyright Info: All articles by Keitha may be copied, posted, printed, distributed, reprinted, and linked to as long as the text is not changed, money is not earned, full credit is given to Keitha at www.glasstemple.com, and this notice is attached.For all other uses, please contact me © 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 Keitha. All Other Rights Reserved.
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