Different traditions vary widely on this, but because we have an
emphasis on public ministry, the training involved in becoming a priest
or priestess is extensive; we try to make sure our clergy our as
well-trained as those of mainstream religions. We've answered the
question of how someone becomes a priest/ess within the WCC and/or the
Odyssean tradition in part 2 of this FAQ.

For other groups or traditions, you would need to consult them -- there's no one standard.

Short answer: no.

These are two texts that are used within many traditions of Wicca, with
minor variations. Of the two, the Charge is more widespread than the
Descent, probably because the Charge simply deals with the nature of
the Goddess, while the Descent deals with the balance and interplay
of life and death, a topic many people find uncomfortable or emotionally
challenging. You can find both texts in any of a wide variety of books
on Wicca — see our reading list for some suggestions. They can
also be found in many places on the Internet.

Briefly, polytheism means worshipping many deities, duotheism
means worshipping two deities, and pantheism means regarding
everything as divine, or as a manifestation of deity. Pantheism also
has a secondary meaning, according to our dictionary, of "the worship
of all gods of different creeds, cults or peoples indifferently; also:
toleration of the worship of all gods". All of these concepts can
be found within Wiccan theology, although there is considerable variation

The word "mystery" comes from the Greek word mystes,
meaning "initiate". Although it has the everyday meaning of
something not easily understood — which could in fact be said to
apply to Wicca — it has more specific meanings in a religious context.
One, according to our dictionary (Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary,
10th edition, just for the record), is "a religious truth that
one can only know by revelation and cannot fully understand". In

Wicca is a modern religion which traces its roots to pre-Christian paganism.
Its beliefs and practices stem from a blend of European pagan folk tradition
and 19th-20th century occultism. In its current form, it probably dates
to approximately the late 30s or early 40s, but some aspects of it may
go back further (this is a matter of some debate, as we'll see
later on).

Paganism is a generic term for polytheistic and/or nature-revering religions, be they ancient or modern. Some people use the term neo-paganism for modern pagan religions, to distinguish them from their pre-Christian predecessors.

(From a reply posted on the IMBAS mailing list in 1997 - a more detailed history will be developed for the site in the future.)