In fairy-tales, witches always wear silly black hats and black cloaks,
and they ride on broomsticks, but this is not a fairy-tale.
This is about REAL WITCHES.
The most important thing you should know about REAL WITCHES is this.
"Listen very carefully and never forget what is coming next!” 

Roald Dahl (The Witches) 

What is Witchcraft?



A Glossary of Witchcraft Terms

Witchcraft is the name that was used by the Christian Church to stigmatize the followers of "The Old Religion".  It is the continuation of certain practices of the native spiritual and cultural beliefs of ancient Europeans that existed prior to the advent of Christianity.

Even under Christian persecution, the people continued to worship their Gods and Goddesses.  Though many were forced to masquerade under the cover of Catholicism, these older religions often dominated in the more remote regions and tended to localize themselves, or were kept within the members of a family.  In these families, the traditions of the religion were passed down from generation to generation.

Most people who follow these pagan nature traditions religions do not refer to themselves as practicing witches.  However, using the term "witchcraft" is an easy way for the fundamentalist Church to collectively demonize so called pagan religious beliefs and the people who follow them.

We are not evil. We don't harm or seduce people.
We are not dangerous. We are ordinary people like you.
We have families, jobs, hopes, and dreams.
We are not a cult. This religion is not a joke.
We are not what you think we are from looking at T.V.
We are real.
We laugh, we cry. We are serious. We have a sense of humor.
You don't have to be afraid of us.
We don't want to convert you. And please don't try to convert us.
Just give us the same right we give you--to live in peace.
We are much more similar to you than you think.” 

~ Margot Adler ~



 How is Witchcraft related to Paganism?

The term Paganism is used in contemporary times to refer to animistic, nature oriented religions which recognize the male and female duality which is found within nature. Paganism is an umbrella term which encompasses many religions including certain sects of Buddhism, Neo-Druidism, Wicca, and even some forms of the Abrahamic religions.  Witchcraft is one of the many forms of rituals practices associated with Paganism.

Some of the practitioners of the older European traditions who would be considered to be "pagan" in religious practice do not refer to themselves as such.  The reason for this is that in some cultures the term “pagan” refers to an unenlightened one. Instead, they will often refer themselves as “Heathens”.

(For more information see our Witchcraft and Paganism webpage.)

"The 'Art' of Traditional Paganism and Witchcraft is an art of the spirit; the Traditional worldview is a "way of seeing" that places the power of the Land, and the unseen places within the Land, first in all a person thinks and feels" and the "Craft"is the Craft of living in accordance with the Land, with the source of dreams, and the deeper urgings of Fate."

~ Robin Artisson ~

  Is Witchcraft the same thing as Wicca?

Wicca is not Witchcraft.  Witchcraft and Wicca  are two separate and distinct paths.  Though many Wiccans often incorrectly refer to themselves as witches, those who practice the Traditional Craft will never say they are Wiccan. Traditional practitioners will either refer to themselves as being a witch, a heathen, or they will use another manner of description altogether.

The origin of Traditional Witchcraft probably goes back to pre-historic times and is a family of traditions that come from a common ethnic and cultural background and the Traditional Crafter (or witch) follows a folklore tradition that is reflective of that background and is not practiced as a religion, but a way of life.. While as in every age, individual practices may be modified to reflect modern personal experiences, these modifications are done within the context of the  customs of the ancient peoples. Wicca however goes far beyond modifying the traditions of these ancient practices.

Wicca is a modern organized religion developed around 1954 by Gerald Gardner.  Wicca, as created by Gardner, is a concoction of ancient Western European  folk traditions, mixed with ancient Egyptian and Kabbalistic mysticism.  Historically speaking, there is no evidence of the usage of the word "wicca" prior to 1920 when it first appeared in ‘An Encyclopedia of Occultism’ compiled by Lewis Spence. The word was later usurped by Gardner as a label for his Wiccan Movement and erroneously claimed to be the derivation of and a synonym for the word witchcraft. 

Although initially Wicca was based more in magickal pursuits, it has since developed into more of a New Age religious movement centered around a hegemony of priests and priestesses who administer rites and practices based on a doctrinal system of beliefs  and a shifting ethics base within each individual gathering or “coven". 

This stands in complete contrast to Witchcraft's tradition of self-awakening and self-empowering in the craft. A Traditional Witch does not swear an oath to another human and is bound only by personal allegiance to their own moral codes and ethics. Witchcraft is not a religion, but an individualistic approach to spirituality.  Although the witch is a practitioner of a pagan tradition, the traditions that individual witches follow most often vary widely. 

"When looking at the real differences between Wicca and Witchcraft, it's hard to believe that people can think that they are one in the same. It's easy to see how Traditional Witches can become often irritated with Wiccan followers constantly calling themselves Witches. While using the term Witch to describe oneself, many Wiccans are trying to get away from the new age stereotype that has come along with the terms Wicca and Wiccan. However, a Witch is something else entirely. As the path of Witchcraft becomes more or more popular among people searching the Pagan religions, the terms of Wicca and Witchcraft to describe ones religious position will hopefully become more clear in time."

  ~ Spirited Enterprise ~   

Are Witches only Women?

Witchcraft is not exclusive to any individuals on the basis of sex, race or ethnicity and the only "society" one need be a part of is the society of Nature. Although women do seem to predominate in the Craft and some traditions have only women practitioners, others do accept men as equals. However, the idea of needing to be part of any collective is often counter productive t0 discovering  your path, as the essence of witchcraft is as a personal experience based on your individual awakening and not a product of "groupthink".

In the common vernacular, a male practitioner of the Craft is often called a "Warlock". The word warlock, as derived from the ancient Scottish  word "waerloka", actually means "liar and oath breaker" and many consider it  an insult to call a male witch a warlock.

In popular culture reference (Harry Potter), a male witch is often called a "Wizard".  From the Old English “wys-ard,” meaning “wise one.” it originally referred to anyone whose wisdom was respected; but later came to mean a male witch; now it is used to mean a powerful and wise magician of either sex. In most cases male witches prefer to be called simply "Witch".

As a male wishing to explore the path of witchcraft, do not be discouraged if you meet with animosity from certain "circles".  You may encounter groups who will tell you, for example, that they only allow homosexual men as they are supposedly more in touch with their feminine side and thus more acceptable to the goddesses. Though you may find this nonsense to be misandristic and even homophobic it would be of no use to argue about this with those of prejudiced mindsets any more than to argue against discrimination on the grounds of race or ethnicity.

These manifestations of ignorance and intolerance are anathema to true practitioners of paganism and witchcraft and the onus falls not upon you but upon the holders of these opinions and being a part of any group espousing hatred and discrimination disguised as a spiritual precept would do more to retard your search for spirituality than help it.

Further reading: "Men & Magic: Can Men Actually Be Witches?" (The Traveling Witch)

"Most people think witches are a coven of lesbians dancing naked in the forest,
celebrating the semen stolen from imprisoned hypnotized males,
which they then use to inseminate one another using turkey basters,
in order to create a legion of demon babies.
Well, that's only part of it.
We are also active in community outreach programs." 

Amy Sedaris

  Do all Witches practice magick?

Magick is a tool.  As a tool, it can be used within any religion. Some people who follow the religion of witchcraft do not practice magick.   It would be inaccurate to say that magick has nothing to do with witchcraft.  Still, there are those who choose not to practice magick.  Foremost, “magick” as practiced within witchcraft ceremonies is not dissimilar in idea from that of the concept of “transubstantiation”, the miraculous change by which, according to Christian dogma, the Eucharistic elements at their consecration become the body and blood of Christ while keeping only the appearances of bread and wine.

Some "magickians", like artist and writer Alan Moore believe that any act of creation is an act of magick and that Michelangelo sculpting “David” was as much a magickal act as any spell work. Michelangelo himself said he did not sculpt “David” but “released him” from the marble, which implies he himself saw that “ART IS MAGICK”.

(For more information see our "Traditional Magick" website.)

 "Magic's just science that we don't understand yet"

~ Arthur C. Clarke ~

 Are there valid scientific principles behind Witchcraft?

Traditional witchcraft often is found to have science, history and the arts at its foundation and while the usage of magic varies greatly depending on the nature of the caster, some principles of magic seem to be universal. Modern scientific understanding of quantum physics, especially in the theories of quantum mysticism, supports the ideas of the interconnection and interdependence of energy and matter and this scientific concept of an interconnected universe is at the heart of the mystical, spiritual system of witchcraft.

Therefore, while the usage of magick varies greatly depending on the nature of the caster, some principles of magic seem to be universal. By the careful study of the structure  behaviour of the phenomena, especially by watching, measuring, and doing experiments, the development of scientific theories to describe that phenonema is possible.

"Witchcraft is a Science, an Art, and a Spiritual Practice.
Much of the magical tradition I practice ...
is rooted in folk tradition and lore."

Maggie Haseman

What is the Witching Hour?

In folklore, the witching hour or devil's hour, (3AM), is a time of night when witches, demons and ghosts are thought to appear and to be at their most powerful. Some believe the witching hour is the time of night when the veil between life and death is thinnest, allowing spirits and ghosts to travel between two worlds. Some aren’t really sure what the Witching Hour is, but they know strange things happens at 3AM.

The idea of an evil or dark period during the night can be traced back to at least the 1500s, when the Catholic Church prohibited certain actions between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m. in an attempt to limit and spot any witch activity. But the term ‘witching hour’ only dates back as far as 1793. Although this time may be associated with dark magic, evil spirits, and unruly witches, there’s actually no real reason why the witching hour should be viewed as a scary or negative experience.

"The witching hour, somebody had once whispered to her, was a special moment in the middle of the night when every child and every grown-up was in a deep deep sleep, and all the dark things came out from hiding and had the world all to themselves.”

Roald Dahl

What Is The Season Of The Witch?

By the half-way point of fall we are surrounded by a ambient prescience of impending death. Death and decline. Death and disappearance. The Sun seems to be dying as we approach the winter solstice six weeks away. Our world steeped in deep shadows, the light decreases daily, dimming toward the shortest, darkest day of the year. And the year, itself, is reaching the end; drawing to a close. Another cycle completing its course. The autumn cross-quarter day, (Samhain/Halloween), when all of nature seems to be dying, has long been observed as a Feast of the Dead in Northern cultures. The Celts and other Northern Europeans celebrated the Mid-Autumn Day of the Dead as Samhain. The Season of the Witch exposes a crease in time. A fissure between summer and winter. Between the old year and the new. During this period the dead are thought to have easy access to the living and are likely to pay a visit.

““Practically, a besom [broom] is used at Samhain
 to sweep away the last of the autumn leaves;
but its also used to ritually sweep out old energy
and create space for the new.”

Lisa Lister

  What Deities do Witches worship?

The Gods and Goddesses are seen as the male and female aspects of Nature. They do not reign over the Universe; they instead are the Universe itself. Most of the early inhabitants of ancient Europe followed one God and one Goddess, even though there might be many more deities in their particular pantheon. Often times the particular pair of deities someone followed would reflect some important aspect of their life such as their work, their home, their family, or their path in life. 

The God is usually represented a protector or warrior and the Goddess often related to fertility or the land. The Gods and Goddesses are not omnipotent beings, they have egos and what we would consider to be human characteristics and failings.

 (For more information see our "Paganism" website) 

"Witchcraft offers the model of a religion of poetry, not theology.
It presents metaphors, not doctrines,
and leaves open the possibility of reconciliation of science and religion,
of many ways of knowing."    
Starhawk

  What is "The Homeland" in Witchcraft?  

 A deep spiritual connection to the ancestral homeland lies in the heart of the true witch and "The Homeland"  is quite possibly the most important aspect of Traditional Witchcraft. The ancestral homeland is the home of the Gods and Goddesses, and in many beliefs the two are synonymous. The early inhabitants of Europe believed that the spirits they venerated inhabited the land itself. Many were migratory people, and when they traveled across the continent they took their deities with them. When these early Europeans wished to honor their deities, they created a connection between their ancestral homeland and the land where they now stood.  In this way, the new land  becomes a part of their ancestral homeland along with its spirits and when a Witch wishes to connect with these spirits they evoke (or invoke) the spirits of the land itself. 

"The homeland is quite possibly the most important aspect of Traditional Witchcraft.
The homeland is the home of the Gods, and in many beliefs the two are synonymous."

Lady Abyss

Do all Witches meet in "Covens"?

By definition, a coven is a gathering of witches, though historically the word "coven" did not come into common usage until 1921 when Margaret Murray promoted the idea, now much disputed, that all witches across Europe met in groups of thirteen which they called "covens". In Wicca and other similar forms of modern neopaganism, a coven is a gathering or community of witches, much like a congregation in Christian parlance. It is composed of a group of believers who gather together for ceremonies of worship or celebrating the Sabbats. The number of persons involved may vary, though any group of at least three Wiccans can become a coven. Coincidentally, in the U.S. a group of at least three "congregants" is required in order to be recognized as a tax exempt church.

 "The natural size of a coven is one.
Witches only get together when they can't avoid it.” 

~ Terry Pratchett ~

  What is the ethical standard for Witchcraft?

The life of a witch teaches that you should follow your heart and take responsibility for your actions.  There is no good or evil.  There is only the intent that one has when committing an action. Emphasis is thus placed on the intent of the action. This concept can be seen within a quote from a magickal tradition that says, "The whole of the action is the sum of its consequence".  Energy is not constant and in terms of returned energy, this means that the energy can have many things happen to it along the way including deflection, absorption or transformation. Things are often viewed in the perspective of survival and some witches see this in terms of protection of home, family, clan and self and they may take action if wrongfully provoked.

"Witchcraft ... is a spiritual path.
You walk it for nourishment of the soul,
to commune with the life force of the universe,
and to thereby better know your own life."   

Christopher Penczak

 Is Witchcraft a form of Satanism?

Traditional Witches do not worship Satan as this is a Christian concept not recognized in traditional pagan beliefs. Accordingly, the labels of “white witch” and “black witch , (popularly meaning a “good witch” as one who practices “white magick” and a “wicked witch” as one who practices “black magick”),  are also misnomers as Traditional Witches practice a “natural magick” drawing on the forces of Nature and they refrain from attempting to manifest any form of black magick and the drawing down of negative or demonic energies.

"The major misconception about Witchcraft today is that Witches worship Satan, which is just not so. We do not believe in Satan. That is a Christian creation. We don’t worship evil. Indeed, to give evil a name is not a real intelligent thing to do, because then you give it power."

~ Silver Ravenwolf ~

Can one be born a Witch?

To become a witch, one must become a practitioner of the religion. Different traditions have different methodology for becoming a part of their tradition.  For most, this involves some form of self-dedication to the Gods and Goddesses of the Earth.  Even for those born into a family tradition, a conscious decision to follow the "Old Ways" must be made. 

"Witchcraft is a craft, meaning that it is something that must be learned. It is not an innate skill, although it does rely on your ability to be in tune with all you senses. Witchcraft is also a journey. It is about discovering and nurturing your spiritual side. You can not be born at the end of this journey."

  ~ Silverlotus ~

 Can I Be A Christian Wiccan or Witch?

Many people in the Pagan community were raised in a religion that wasn't Paganism and sometimes, it can be a challenge to set aside the beliefs with which you were raised. Occasionally, however, you'll encounter people who didn't set their beliefs aside at all, but have found a way to perfidiously scramble their Christian indoctrination with Wicca or some other pagan path that they've discovered later in life.

So, what then about the verse "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live" (Exodus 22:18) that appears in the Bible? If you go strictly by the very wording of the passage, one could not be a Christian Witch any more than one could be a Nazi Jew. There are those who may say they are practicing witchcraft within a Christian framework, but this is not honest witchcraft, merely the manifestation of an inability (or fear) to commit uncompromisingly to their spiritual evolution.. 

• Of interest to note is that although the King James Bible version of Exodus 22:18 reads: "Thou shalt not suffer a WITCH to live", it is argued that the verse from the original Greek actually reads: "Thou shalt not suffer a POISONER to live". Under the direction of King James I of England, (James VI of Scotland), an English translation of the Christian Bible was published in 1611 and in keeping with James' paranoid obsession with witches, he ordered that the word "POISONER" be changed to "WITCH".  As the King James Bible has become the generally accepted standard English Bible this deliberate mistranslation has come to be accepted unquestioningly by most English speaking Christians as "gospel. This theory of mistranslation of the word "poisoner" as "witch" is said by some scholars to be debatable, as based upon a possible mistranslation from the Hebrew in the ancient Greek texts. In the original passage from the Torah the verse in question refers to a M'khashephah. To the early Jews, a M'khashephah was a sorceress (or witch) who used herbs in black magick rituals, which often involved the concocting of herbal poisons. So the ancient Greek translation of the word as "poisoner" would be historically correct. 

"Scratch the Christian and you find the pagan."

Israel Zangwill

   

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