The Wiccan Basics Quiz

By: Torrance Grey
Estimated Completion Time
4 min
The Wiccan Basics Quiz
Image: Pixabay by Desertrose7

About This Quiz

Wicca — dozens of misconceptions swirl around this modern belief system, nearly as many held by Wiccans themselves as by "cowans" (outsiders). Chief among them is the idea that Wicca is a revival of a duotheistic (God/Goddess) nature religion that was dominant in Western Europe before Christianity. Historians have simply been unable to find evidence of this. Instead, this idea came mostly from the work of one Egyptologist, and it was carried forward by a loose coalition of feminist writers and folklorists. 

That's the bad news. The good news is, the modern belief system of Wicca is tolerant, life-affirming, and has advanced important social issues like feminism, gay rights and environmentalism. And it's only growing more popular, aided by television shows and movies that cast it in a positive light. All this despite saber-rattling and denunciations from threatened leaders of traditional religions, who have attempted to equate Wicca with Satanism, mainly as a way to warn children and teenagers away from it. 

Can you separate the fact from the fiction about Wicca? We've created a 35-question quiz to help you do just that. Show off how much you know about Wicca ... or learn a thing or two! Good luck, merry part, and merry meet again!



A group of Wiccans, or witches, is known as what?
A coven
A cult
A monde
A set
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

"Coven" is a word that many non-Wiccans will recognize. Covens of outright witches are common in horror and fantasy films; consider the recently-remade "Suspiria," in which a ballet school is run by one.

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True or false? A Wiccan might recognize Celtic or Egyptian gods as well as the God and Goddess.
True
False
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Some branches, or "traditions" of Wicca find the incorporation of ancient and polytheistic religions meaningful. Isis is one such deity, an Egyptian goddess with powerful magic and control over fate.

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The four corners, or directions, that Wiccans call on correspond to four what?
Animals
Crystals
Elements
Stars
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Wiccans call on the four elements of earth, water, fire and air. These were also the elements that the ancient Greeks and Romans believed made up the universe and corresponded to four basic human personality types. Wiccans do not generally subscribe to the ideas about personality but do link each element to a compass direction.

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With which of these is the Goddess associated?
The earth
Fertility
The moon
All of these
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Probably the strongest association is with the moon. This reflects a strong thread of dualism in Wicca, with the God representing the masculine energy of the sun, and the Goddess the feminine, fertile energy of the moon. This was also seen in Greek mythology, where Apollo was a male sun god, and Artemis (Diana), the female goddess of the moon.

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Wicca can be seen as a subset of what religious tradition?
Agnosticism
Animism
Atheism
Neopaganism
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Neopaganism is the broad umbrella term for faith traditions that are inspired by or attempt to reconstruct indigenous and often polytheistic faiths. It's typical for neopagans to take the best of what an indigenous tradition has to offer and reject the harsher aspects (animal sacrifices, for example).

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In Wicca, one's intentions and actions are said to rebound on a person in what way?
Threefold
Sevenfold
In the next life
Once in this life, and once in the next
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

If you cast a spell, for whatever reason, you should be prepared for its effects to "come back, times three." This rule is seen at the end of the witchcraft movie "The Craft," in which bad magic rebounds (or, at least, appears to) on two teenage witches.

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What is "divination"?
Being ordained as a priestess or priest
Seeing something hidden from you
Moving objects with your mind
Using animals to carry messages
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Often, divination refers to seeing the future, but this is not always the case. Sometimes, it can mean seeing something happening in a remote location or something that happened long in the past, and so on.

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What is the term for a male Wiccan?
Warlock
Mage
Wizard
It's just "Wiccan."
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Wiccans avoid gendered terms like "warlock" or "wizard." For that matter, some reject the word "witch" as well, because of its association with children's stories, horror movies and the like. But if the term "witch" is used, it applies to men and women, as does "Wiccan."

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"Samhain" is the Wiccan word for which holiday?
Christmas
Easter
Halloween
Thanksgiving
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

This Celtic word is pronounced "Sow-when," and is the precursor to our modern, secular Halloween. That is, it's the night when the veil between the worlds is the thinnest, and spirits can visit the realm of the living. The Halloween tradition of trick-or-treating is derived from the idea of leaving out food for hungry spirits so that they don't cause mischief. (See also "dumb supper," elsewhere in this quiz.)

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What is an "esbat"?
A bat that serves as a witch's familiar
Induction for new coven members
A cup to hold wine
A ritual held at the full moon
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Though Wicca is de-centralized and has almost no universal rules, we're pretty sure no tradition of Wicca actually involves using animals as "familiars." This mythological idea suggested that witches kept cats or other small animals to amplify their power in rituals, communicate telepathically, or carry messages to other witches.

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What kind of ritual is a "handfasting"?
A raising of power
Induction of a new member
A marriage or "trial marriage"
A funeral
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Various forms of handfasting have existed in Europe for hundreds of years, not always referring to a marriage, but sometimes to a contract or commitment. Jim Morrison of The Doors might be the most famous person to marry by handfasting, to his wife, Patricia Kennealy-Morrison.

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How many people practice Wicca in the United States today?
12,000
150,000
2 million
No one knows.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Have we mentioned yet that Wicca is really decentralized, with no authority figures? It's a truth you'll see more than once in this quiz. And for this reason, it's no more possible to know how many people in the U.S. practice Wicca as how many get together to play cards.

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What does the term "skyclad" refer to?
Being naked
Being asleep
Wearing blue
Wearing white
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

This is one of the most charming terms from Wicca, the idea that being naked is literally "wearing the sky." Be sure to work out your body-image issues, though, before joining a coven that prefers skyclad rituals.

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The practice of black magic is sometimes called what?
Crowley's Way
Black-Hat Wicca
The Left-Hand Path
The Right-Hand Path
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

This term comes to us from the days when left-handed people were seen as dangerous, possibly having magic powers. (Yes, this was an actual thing). In some languages, "sinistra" means "left-handed," and this is the root of our word "sinister."

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Is cursing or hexing forbidden in Wicca?
Yes, it's one of the few universal rules.
No, not necessarily
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Many Wiccan traditions do believe in the "Law of Threefold Return," in which one's actions return "times three." But some Wiccans also believe strongly in magical self-defense, or hexes as a way to balance the scales and bring about justice. To each their own!

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Which of these places is considered Wicca's "Vatican"?
Devonshire, England
Lyon, France
Salem, Massachusetts
There is no such place.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Wicca is famously de-centralized, so it doesn't have a Vatican, a Salt Lake City or a Canterbury. Salem, Massachusetts is famously associated with the Salem Witch Trials, which didn't have anything to do with modern Wicca.

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When a Wiccan refers to "the Burning Times," what are they talking about?
The coming End of the World
The historic, European persecution of witches
An annual celebration of the fire element
Both the End of the World and historic persecution
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

It's Christians who usually believe the world will end in a great fire, as described in the Bible book of Revelation. The "Burning Times" is a term that refers to the burning of suspected witches at stake, a very real and unfortunate chapter in history. Such executions were a way to silence freethinkers and outsiders and, not incidentally, seize valuable property.

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Which of these is a traditional period for study, before someone can be inducted into a coven, or move up to priesthood?
One lunar cycle
90 days, or a season
A year
A year and a day
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

As with many aspects of Wicca, this one is shared by other folk traditions. In Haitian Vodou, the spirits of the dead are said to rest underwater for a year and a day before emerging to be reborn. Could this reflect early people's intuition that a solar year wasn't exactly 365 days, but 365 and a quarter (the source of the extra day in a "leap year")? It's a fascinating thing to think about.

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The fundamental rule in Wicca, "An' ye harm none, do what ye will," is often called what?
The Golden Rule
The First Principle
The Wiccan Rede
The Yard Stick
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

According to Merriam-Webster, "rede" is an archaic term for "advice" or "counsel." The Wiccan Rede sums up much of Wiccan philosophy in one simple, live-and-let-live piece of advice.

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According to Wicca, the three stages of a woman's life are maiden, _______ and crone.
Lachesis
Matron
Mother
Wife
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The word "mother" might raise some eyebrows among feminist Wiccans, as it seems to imply that child-bearing is an essential part of womanhood. We suppose you could argue that "mother" refers nowadays to a woman's creative and generative powers overall, at their strongest at midlife.

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Which goddess is most associated with the early-spring holiday of Imbolc?
Astarte
Brighid
Morrigan
Diana
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Brigid was a Celtic goddess of fertility and the earth. In Wicca, she is often associated with the home and hearth and "kitchen magic." She is honored especially at Imbolc, halfway between the winter solstice and the first day of spring. Imbolc is a loose translation of the Gaelic words for "ewe's milk," reminding us that the spring birthing season is coming.

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What is a "dumb supper"?
A meal held in silence
A meal of only cold food
Foods offered to the spirits of the dead
A term for fasting
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Wicca, like some of the Eastern religions, has a tradition of setting out food for the dead on special occasions. Though the food remains untouched in the literal sense, the spirits of the dead are thought to be "nourished" by this act of kindness and remembrance.

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Which of these is a name for the land of the dead?
Illusia
Kubla Khan
Sheol
Summerland
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In California, Summerland is a small town near Santa Barbara where a million dollars will buy you a falling-down shack. But in Wicca, Summerland is where the souls of the dead go for a time to recover before returning to earth in a new body.

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The God who is the counterpart to Wicca's Great Goddess is often called what?
The Bull God
The Horned One
Jove
The Sun God
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Wiccan God is often likened to a stag and called the Horned One or Horned God. Male deities with antlers or horns are found in religions that predate Wicca, like the god Pan in Greek-Roman mythology.

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Traditionally, how many Wiccans make up a coven?
Seven
Nine
12
13
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

"Thirteen" is traditionally considered an unlucky number, and this has a lot to do with the days in which "coven" meant "witches." People believed that 12 witches gathered as a coven, and the Devil himself made number 13.

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What is the term for a growing coven splitting in two, with a new leader?
Breaking up
Hiving off
Molting
Shearing
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

This is a British term which alludes to bees. When a beehive gets too big, some bees will break away, following a new queen. A coven that has grown too large to include all members effectively will hive off under a new leader or leaders.

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What is it called when a coven raises power for a specific purpose?
A cone of power
A harvest
A power-storm
A sabbat
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Don't confuse this one with "cone of shame." That's a comic term for a veterinarian's "Elizabethan collar," the plastic shield around the head that keeps a dog from licking or chewing up its stitches.

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Who claimed to be initiated into the "New Forest Coven" and to have passed down its "ardanes"?
Aleister Crowley
Gerald Gardner
Miriam "Starhawk" Simos
Marianne Williamson
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

If Margaret Murray is the "grandmother" of Wicca, Gardner is a good choice for "grandfather." He established a tradition of Wicca that is with us to this today. The problem is, no one can prove there ever was a "New Forest Coven" in England, or that they are the source of Gardner's "ardanes," or rules. Some of the language in the ardanes seems to have been lifted directly from the writings of occultist Aleister Crowley.

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Which compass direction does water correspond to?
East
North
South
West
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In Wicca, north represents earth, south corresponds to fire, east with air, and west with water. Water is considered a benign and life-giving element, and when poured into a black-bottomed bowl, can be used to see the future.

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What's another name for a book of spells?
A Book of Shadows
A grimoire
A reticule
Both a Book of Shadows and a grimoire
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Grimoire is, not surprisingly, a French term; "Book of Shadows" is for those who prefer a poetic phrase. Ideally, each book will be unique to the practitioner, as they write down their notes and observations on magical practices.

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What is the "Great Rite"?
A ritual held at Halloween
Any ritual with all 13 coven members
A ceremony that honors the moon
A term for ritual sex
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Sexual intercourse between a man and woman in Wicca is symbolic of the union of the God and Goddess. However, this is most often done in a non-sexual, representational way, with the man placing a dagger in a chalice held by a woman.

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A particular branch of Wicca is known as a ______.
Denomination
Sect
Tradition
It's just called a branch.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The word "tradition" in Wicca is more or less equivalent to a denomination in Christianity. Though the term suggests a certain age, this isn't so. A new branch of Wicca can be quite young, but still be referred to as a "tradition."

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Which of these famous female academics is sometimes called the "Grandmother of Wicca"?
Dian Fossey
Margaret Mead
Margaret Murray
Rebecca West
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Murray became famous and well-respected as an Egyptologist but strayed onto shaky ground when, at mid-career, she made an abrupt leap to European history and set out trying to prove the existence of a pan-European witch-cult that pre-dated Christianity. Though many historians discredited her theory, its appeal to the masses fueled the 20th-century rise of Wicca.

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Which of these is true of Gardnerian Wicca?
It calls for animal sacrifices.
It rejects ceremonial magic.
It is a mystery tradition that rejects publicity.
None of these
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Ever see a Wicca meetup advertised in your area? Yeah, those aren't Gardnerians. You more or less need to make the personal acquaintance of a Gardnerian Wiccan to be invited to join, which is why Gardnerians can usually trace their "lineage" back through generations, sometimes even to Gardner himself.

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True or false: Wicca is a religion with deep roots in pre-modern Europe.
True
False
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Sorry, but historians and anthropologists have simply found no evidence of a widespread nature or God/Goddess religion in Europe. Rather, Wicca is a 20th-century movement rooted in modern values of tolerance, gender equality and more.

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Pixabay by Desertrose7