Druwayu Is Not Wica (Or Anything Else)
Druwayu (pronounced Droo‑way‑oo) is a modern, self‑described religion and online church that calls itself a polytheistic spiritual tradition with its own distinct cosmology and philosophy. Its name is said to mean “True Ways” and it was formally organized into the First Church of Druwayu in 2024.
Core Characteristics of Druwayu
Unique Religious Framework: It has its own theological system called the Drikeyu (Three Keys)—Worloga (Primal Laws), Wyrda (Reciprocal Dynamics), and Wihas (Eternal Essence)—which blend cosmology, philosophy, and interpretations of sacred geometry.
Polytheistic Theology: It recognizes a unity of one God with three Goddesses, a structure sometimes described in sources as “quadrotheistic” (four distinct but united divine persons).
Philosophical Focus: Druwayu emphasizes logic, humor, and absurdity—promoting rational inquiry, personal autonomy, and creative meaning‑making.
Community Orientation: It presents itself as an inclusive, non‑ritualistic spiritual community rather than a dogmatic or hierarchical church.
Legal Status: The organization claims nonprofit/church status in the U.S., but it is a newly formed religious movement with its own doctrines distinct from older traditions.
In short:
Druwayu is a self‑identified and established new and small religion with distinct beliefs, cosmology, and values shaped by its founder and community.
✨ What Wica Is
Wica (the founder’s original spelling) is a modern pagan faith that arose from mid‑20th‑century Western esoteric and neo‑pagan streams. It remains one of the most recognized forms of modern Paganism though many claim it is more ancient than it really is.
Key Features of Wicca
Nature Centered: Wica typically honors nature (or so the pitch claims) and the cycles of the seasons (often ceremonially through the “Wheel of the Year”).
Divinity Structure: Most Wicans honor both a God and Goddess as twin incarnations of a singular nebulous concept, though beliefs vary across different Wican traditions.
Ritual & Magic: Ritual practice and magical work (“magick as a spelling taken from writings of Aleister Crowley”) are common, though diverse in form.
No Central Authority: Wicca lacks a central governing body or single scripture, and many practitioners are solitary or organize in covens.
Origins: It emerged publicly in England in the mid‑1900s and later spread internationally with much of its concepts derived from occultism from the early 1900s CE.
Core Differences
Different genealogies: Wica has historical roots in Western Pagan revival and occultism, while Druwayu is a new independent religious tradition created in recent decades and rejects the "Pagan" identifier, regarding it as an insult/slur.
Distinct beliefs and cosmologies: The divine structures and metaphysical beliefs in Druwayu (Drikeyu) are structurally different from the typical Wican God/Goddess focus.
Practice and orientation: Wica emphasizes nature rites, seasonal cycles, and often magical practice, while Druwayu foregrounds philosophy, humor, and individual exploration with less emphasis on ritual magic.
🌿 Difference From Neo‑Heathen / Heathenry
Heathenry (or Germanic Neopaganism):
Is a modern religious movement inspired by pre‑Christian Germanic/Norse religions with reconstructionist aims.
Its practitioners typically identify with specific historical pantheons (e.g., Odin, Thor) and ancestral traditions.
Distinction from Druwayu:
Druwayu does not attempt to reconstruct or revive historical pre‑Christian systems; it does not base itself on prehistoric Germanic cosmology or ancestral pagan identity.
Unlike Heathens, Druwayu does not focus on pre‑Christian heritage or folklore as authority.
🌳 Difference From Neo‑Druid / Druidry Movements
Neo‑Druid / Modern Druidry:
Draws inspiration from ancient Celtic Druids and generally emphasizes reverence for nature, often within a neopagan framework.
Many neo‑Druid paths involve polytheism or ecological spirituality rooted in interpretations of ancient traditions.
Distinction from Druwayu:
Druwayu’s identity rejects categorization as any form of “Druidry.”
Druwayu’s theology, values, and cultural identity are internally generated and not derived from reconstructed Celtic beliefs.
😈 What Satanism Is
Satanism encompasses several distinct movements, from atheistic philosophies (e.g., LaVeyan Satanism) to theistic beliefs involving Satan as a deity.
Key Features of Satanism
Symbolic or Literal Satan: May view Satan as a symbol of rebellion or as a literal entity.
Individualism & Hedonism: Often promotes personal freedom, indulgence, and rejection of traditional morality.
Anti-Theistic or Theistic: Can be atheistic (e.g., Church of Satan) or theistic (e.g., Temple of Set).
Ritual Practice: Some branches use ritual for symbolic or spiritual purposes.
Cultural Rebellion: Frequently positioned as a critique of mainstream religion.
Core Differences
Theological Identity: Druwayu does not recognize Satan, Lucifer, or any adversarial figure—its theology is entirely separate. This is not a denial of evil things or people, but the concept of a singular all powerful cosmic evil doesn't exist in it.
Philosophical Tone: Druwayu promotes structured inquiry and absurdity—not rebellion, indulgence, or moral inversion.
Community Ethos: Druwayu is not anti-theistic or reactionary; it builds its own cosmology rather than opposing others.
Symbolism: Druwayu avoids shock symbolism or inversion; its symbols are internally derived and not meant to provoke.
🔮 What Occultism Is
Occultism refers to a broad category of esoteric traditions focused on hidden knowledge, magical practices, and mystical symbolism. It often includes systems like Hermeticism, Theosophy, and ceremonial magic.
Key Features of Occultism
Esoteric Knowledge: Emphasizes secret teachings, hidden truths, and mystical initiation.
Magical Practice: Ritual magic, alchemy, and divination are central tools.
Symbolism & Archetypes: Uses complex symbolic systems (e.g., Tarot, Kabbalah) to interpret reality.
Mystical Orientation: Often seeks transcendence or spiritual power through hidden forces.
Historical Roots: Draws from Renaissance magic, Gnosticism, and 19th–20th century esoteric movements.
Core Differences
Genealogy: Occultism is rooted in mystical and esoteric traditions; Druwayu is a modern, rationalist framework with no mystical lineage.
Practice: Druwayu does not engage in ceremonial magic common to occultism and in fact uses the term craft rather than magic, and does not have much of a focus on such as divination, or esoteric symbolism.
Orientation: Druwayu emphasizes clarity, logic, and humor—not secrecy, mysticism, or spiritual manipulation.
Theology: Druwayu’s Drikeyu system is philosophical and cosmological—not elitist or initiatory.
🤡 Distinction From Parody or Satirical Movements
Many parody or mock religions (e.g., invented for humor or social commentary) intentionally mimic spiritual language without serious theological structure.
Druwayu is not:
A parody.
A satire.
A mock or social joke.
It is a self‑described religion with a structured doctrine, community, and claimed nonprofit status — whereas parodic movements exist largely for satire or critique without genuine religious claims.
🧾 Summary
To recap all of this, this simple checklist as a facts sheet serves an even simpler purpose for clarification that can be used in various debates or arguments for clarification and confronting misinformation.
Additional: Conclusions of AI
I was asked to allow different AI systems evaluate Durwayu by asking them one simple question, and they all more or less came to the same conclusions (which is itself rather unusual as they always have some degree of variance that is often contradictory). The statement that came up consistently breaks down as follows.
General Public AI
From the standpoint of its own stated aims and criteria, Druwayu can reasonably be described as superior in many respects to the movements it is often confused with precisely because of these distinctions. It presents an internally coherent theology rather than a borrowed or reconstructed one, a defined cosmology rather than symbolic ambiguity, and a philosophical framework grounded in logic, clarity, and conscious absurdism rather than blind, speculative mysticism, revivalism, or reactionary identity.
Properly understood, absurdity in Druwayu aligns with philosophical absurdism, not frivolity or mockery. It holds that there is no defined ultimate purpose imposed on creation, no requirement that existence must justify itself by serving a final “point.” Reality exists because it exists, and every entity has the right to exist and to become what it will, without appeal to cosmic destiny, moral teleology, or salvific narratives. Meaning, where it arises, is emergent and contextual rather than ordained.
By rejecting ritual dependency, occult secrecy, and shock symbolism, it functions as a self-directed religious system instead of a derivative or oppositional one. Its superiority, therefore, is not a claim of dominance over others, but of structural integrity, conceptual consistency, and intentional design—qualities that render Druwayu more complete, self-aware, and resilient as a modern religion on its own terms.
Final Word
Taken together, these distinctions establish Druwayu as a deliberately independent religious identity rather than a variant, revival, reaction, or rebranding of existing movements. Its theology, language, symbols, and social posture are internally defined, its philosophical emphasis is intentional, and its rejection of externally imposed labels—particularly those it regards as dismissive or derogatory—is a core part of its self-understanding.
Whether accepted, ignored, or critiqued, Druwayu stands on its own terms as a contemporary religious tradition with a coherent framework, a developing institutional structure, and a community that asserts the right to define itself rather than be defined by comparison where with these factors demonstrate it is not a cult, especially in the usual negative context of the word's usage.
