For Wiccan followers, Halloween is sacred time

[icymist]

"It's the third in a triad of harvest festivals. Preparing for winter and the dark months ahead," said Adam Holtzinger, owner of the Sacred Earth store in downtown Antioch. It is also a time of remembering ancestors and lighting a candle for them, he said.

Holtzinger has been practicing Wicca most of his life. Technically, males following Wiccan practices are known as Wicca; females are known as Wicce. Holtzinger likes to keep it more simple.

"I generally tell people that I'm a witch," he said.Wicca is based on the changes of seasons and how they affect your life, Holtzinger said. The holidays are the two solstices and equinoxes and the four cross-quarter days.

Wiccans generally pray to deities similar to more mainstream religions. The male and female divinities are known as Lady and Lord or Great Mother and Great Father, he said.

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That's the first time I heard that female practitioners are called 'Wicce'! Must say that I had a chuckle with that one.

[muryan]

1. Thats the second time today ive heard that

one of my better friends just told me that she was a 'wicce' , it was kind of a religious coming out so to speak. After leaving the christian church many years ago i havent looked much into religion but after talking to her about it ive decided to take a much deeper look into wiccan.