# What Is Wicca? What Wiccans Believe > The Pagan Federation says Wiccan-based Pagans see the goddesses as one Great Goddess and the gods as one Great God. The short Wiccan Rede is “An it harm none, do what ye will.” - Canonical: https://apologetics.wiki/wicca/what-is-wicca - Religions: Wicca and Paganism - Denominations: none - Beliefs: none - Tags: wicca, paganism - Updated: 2026-10-09 - Author: [Paul Ambrose](https://apologetics.wiki/author/hi-its-paul) ([GitHub](https://github.com/hi-its-paul)) The Pagan Federation says Wiccan-based Pagans see all the goddesses as one Great Goddess and all the gods as one Great God. Wikisource records the short form of the Wiccan Rede as “An it harm none, do what ye will.” Christians confess one God, and that Jesus is the way to the Father. ## Key points - The [Pagan Federation](https://www.paganfed.org/paganism/) says, “Paganism is not dogmatic. Pagans pursue their own vision of the Divine as a direct and personal experience.” - It says Wiccan-based Pagans “see all the goddesses as one Great Goddess, and all the gods as one Great God, whose harmonious interaction is the secret of the universe.” - [Wikisource](https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Wiccan_Rede) says, “The most common form of the rede is An it harm none, do what ye will.” - [Exodus 20:3](/bible/exodus/20/3) says, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” - [John 14:6](/bible/john/14/6) records Jesus: “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” - [What is paganism?](/wicca/what-is-paganism) quotes the Federation’s definitions. [Witchcraft and the Bible](/wicca/witchcraft-and-the-bible) quotes Deuteronomy 18. Gerald Gardner’s books are not quoted; they are still in copyright. ## What the Federation says The [Pagan Federation](https://www.paganfed.org/paganism/) says: > Paganism is not dogmatic. Pagans pursue their own vision of the Divine as a direct and personal experience. On Wicca it says: > Wiccan-based Pagans in the modern world, see all the goddesses as one Great Goddess, and all the gods as one Great God, whose harmonious interaction is the secret of the universe. It also says, “Pagan religions all recognise the feminine face of divinity. A religion without goddesses can hardly be classified as Pagan.” ## The Rede [Wikisource, “The Wiccan Rede”](https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Wiccan_Rede), says: > The most common form of the rede is An it harm none, do what ye will. The same page says “Rede” is a Middle English word for advice or counsel, and that “An” is an old form of “if.” The long 1975 poem printed on that page is not copied here. ## The Christian claim [Deuteronomy 6:4](/bible/deuteronomy/6/4) says the LORD our God is one LORD. [Exodus 20:3](/bible/exodus/20/3) says there shall be no other gods before him. [Isaiah 44:6](/bible/isaiah/44/6) says beside him there is no God. [John 1:1](/bible/john/1/1) says the Word was God, and [John 14:6](/bible/john/14/6) records Jesus: “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Christians do not confess a Great Goddess and a Great God whose interaction is the secret of the universe. They confess the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and that Jesus is God. That is [the Trinity](/christianity/the-trinity). ## Frequently asked questions ### Is Wicca the same as all pagan religion? The Federation’s sentence quoted above is about “Wiccan-based Pagans.” [What is paganism?](/wicca/what-is-paganism) quotes the wider definitions on the same page: a polytheistic or pantheistic nature-worshipping religion. ### What does the Rede require? The short form on Wikisource is “An it harm none, do what ye will.” [What does the Bible say about witchcraft?](/wicca/witchcraft-and-the-bible) quotes a different standard: [Deuteronomy 18:10–12](/bible/deuteronomy/18). ### Why is Gardner not quoted? His books are still in copyright. This page quotes the Federation and the short Rede sentence that Wikisource states. ## Passages quoted on this page ### John 14:6 King James Version. > Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. ### Deuteronomy 6:4 King James Version. > Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: ### Isaiah 44:6 King James Version. > Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God. ### John 1:1 King James Version. > In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ### Deuteronomy 18:10–12 King James Version. > [18:10] There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch. [18:11] Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. [18:12] For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee. ## Sources Numbered to match the HTML References list. Item 1 is `#ref-1` under `#references`. Scripture links to the King James Version on this site. 1. [The Pagan Federation, Paganism, Wiccan-based Pagans and the Rede’s setting](https://www.paganfed.org/paganism/) 2. [Wikisource, The Wiccan Rede, The short form](https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Wiccan_Rede) (The page states the short form. The 1975 long poem is not reprinted here.) 3. [Book of Exodus, 20:3](https://apologetics.wiki/bible/exodus/20/3). King James Version 4. [Gospel of John, 14:6](https://apologetics.wiki/bible/john/14/6). King James Version ## See also - [What Is Paganism? Modern Pagan Religion Explained](https://apologetics.wiki/wicca/what-is-paganism) — The Pagan Federation defines a Pagan as a follower of a polytheistic or pantheistic nature-worshipping religion, and says its adherents venerate Nature and worship many deities. - [What Does the Bible Say About Witchcraft?](https://apologetics.wiki/wicca/witchcraft-and-the-bible) — Deuteronomy 18 forbids divination, enchantment, witchcraft, and consulting familiar spirits, and calls those practices an abomination to the LORD. ## History [View history on GitHub](https://github.com/Apologetics-Wiki/apologetics-wiki/commits/main/src/content/articles/what-is-wicca.md)