People who follow Wicca are called `` Wiccans . '' However , Wiccans have encountered hostility from some politicians and Christian organizations , including former president of the United States George W. Bush , who stated that he did not believe Wicca to be a religion . According to the history of Wicca given by Gerald Gardner , Wicca is a survival of the European witch-cult that was persecuted during the witch trials .