The most frequently asked questions on Witchcraft

F.A.Q. on Witches

The following "frequently asked questions" are offered here to dispel many of the myths about Witchcraft or the Craft of the Wise. Witchcraft IS a legally recognized religion and has been since 1985.

Witch: A practitioner of a nature-based religion which recognizes the feminine in divinity and follows the seasonal cycles. A Witch believes that the divine exists within his or herself as well as without, and therefore feels a direct connection with the God/dess self. Witches come from all racial, socio-economic and religious backgrounds. What we share in common is a loosely structured system of beliefs largely known as "Wicca".

Q: Are there "Black Witches" & "White Witches", good Witches & evil Witches?

A: Witches are just Witches. We tend to refrain from using the terms "black" and "white" to describe a person's magical morality as we feel these terms promote racist thinking. As far as "good" or "evil" Witches are concerned, Witches are highly moral and religious people. Those that follow their religious principles, regardless of the religion, usually do "good". Those who go against their own religious tenets tend to act in harmful and manipulative ways. When you ask if someone is a "good" Witch or a "bad" Witch it is the same as asking someone if they are a "good" Presbyterian or a "bad" Presbyterian.

Q: Do you worship Satan?

A: Satan is a part of the Christian and Muslim religions. Since we are neither Christian nor Muslim, we do not recognize the existence of Satan, let alone worship him/it. Wicca, the religion of Witches, is a religion of responsibility. As we do not believe in any outside force, such as "Satan", we believe that each and every human being is completely responsible for his or her own actions. To us, evil is a choice, albeit a bad one, that a human might make, not an entity to blame our actions upon. If an individual chooses to do evil, we believe they will be punished via the laws of karma. If one is working for the good of others, we feel that the same laws will reward them. In other words, "What goes around comes around." As the majority of Witches believe in reincarnation, we feel that karma can follow a person from one life to the next. This sometimes helps explain why terrible things happen to wonderful people.

Q: So why do you use that "Satanic" symbol?

A: The pentagram, or five pointed star, is not Satanic. Pythagoras used it as a symbol of health and his followers wore them in order to recognize one another. In Medieval times, some Christian knights used the pentagram as their symbol. To modern Witches the pentagram means many things; The five points correspond to the elements Air, Earth, Fire and Water with the top point corresponding to "Spirit". The pentagram in a circle may also represent a human with their legs and arms outstretched, surrounded by universal wisdom or the "Goddess" - humankind at one with the environment. Satanists turn the symbol upside-down, which puts the elements of Fire and Earth at the top (Fire symbolizes willpower and passion and Earth, prosperity and earthly goods) and Spirit, spirituality, at the bottom. Satanists also turn the cross upside-down. This, in itself, does not make the cross or pentagram a Satanic symbol. In some Wiccan traditions, the reversed pentagram is a symbol of "second degree" status - one who has been elevated from "initiate". To members of these traditions, the reversed pentagram is considered highly positive and has no connection to Satanism.

Q: Do you do blood sacrifice?

A: The nature of sacrifice is to give up something of one's own in order to gain something more important. We do not feel that the life of another creature is ours to give...therefore we would never kill an animal in ritual, as we would not consider it a true sacrifice. Witches believe in the sanctity of all life. For this reason a large percentage of Witches are vegetarian.

Q: Do Witches cast spells?

A: Yes. However, the term "spell" is widely misunderstood. Spells, much like prayers, are used to create needed change in one's own life or the life of a loved one. Prayers are a petition to an external Deity to create the change. We as Witches believe that Deity is present in everything, including ourselves. Spells, then, are the channeling of our own divine selves, our own energies, to create the change. Spells and Prayers are just different approaches to the same goal. One difference is that Witches generally will not do a spell for anyone who has not given them their permission. Spells such as those which use love magic to gain the attention of a specific individual, or curses, are considered "manipulative". Anything manipulative goes against the free will of another is considered wrong. It is against our belief system to become involved in such things.

Q: Is Witchcraft a cult?

A: A cult by definition is a group of people who blindly follow a leader. As Wiccans tend to be free-thinkers and have no one person we consider to be the leader, we cannot be called a cult.

Q: Do you have ritual orgies?

A: These rumors come from our lack of taboos regarding sex. We have no rules which prohibit homosexuality, nudity or pre-marital sex. Our one rule "An thou harm none, do what thou wilt." tells us that harming others through misusing sexuality is wrong. Sex as the generative force in nature is seen by Witches as something utterly sacred. We feel that the physical act of love is to be approached with great respect and responsibility.

Q: Why do Witches wear black?

A: We all don't. Most Witches seem to favor green and/or purple. Black, however, is in many cultures a symbol of clergy. Priests, Ministers and Rabbis all favor black as the main color of their ritual garb. Scientifically speaking, color is energy. The colors you see are the ones which are reflected and not the ones absorbed. Therefore, what appears to be white, which is the culmination of all colors in the light spectrum, is actually reflecting all colors and absorbing none. What appears to be black, is absorbing all colors and reflecting none. This is evident in the fact that when one is wearing white, one feels cooler - as the fabric is sending the heat energy outward, and when one wears black - the heat energy is absorbed in the cloth that one is wearing, making one feel warmer.

Q: Aren't all Witches Women?

A: No. Witches can be either men or women. The term "Warlock" is never used to describe a male Witch as it is considered to be a religious slur. "Warlock" is an old Scottish word meaning "traitor" or "oath-breaker". Men and Women alike are called Witches.

Q: Why would anyone want to be Wiccan?

A: People are generally drawn to Wicca for several reasons. Many women feel left out of more mainstream religions because of the lack of feminine divinity. For them, the Wiccan concept of the Goddess as Mother of all Living fills an empty space in their spiritual search. As a nature based religion, Wicca also appeals to those who feel a strong need to "get back to the Earth" and places a major importance on protecting the environment, which we are a part of, not apart from. People drawn to the mystical find Wicca much more accommodating as we do not see anything unnatural about psychic ability or the use of magic to create needed changes in one's life. Another reason is our one rule "An thou harm none, do what thou wilt." This tells us that nothing is inherently wrong unless it harms someone, including oneself. It gives us the freedom to make our own decisions about what is best for us.

Q: How do you convert new Witches?

A: We don't. We feel that the attempted conversion of others is a form of religious bigotry. i.e.. If one tries to convert another to his/her religion, s/he assumes that the other person's beliefs are not as valid as his/her own. We feel that all paths are equally valid as long as they do not infringe upon the basic civil rights or free will of another. According to our beliefs, it is up to the individual to choose his or her own path. We do not try to manipulate others into our way of thinking, we only try to educate others about our religion so that they may better understand us. We do, however try to help guide those who have already expressed an interest in the Wiccan faith.

Q: So what do Witches DO?

A: We live. We die. Some of us breed and the vast majority of us pay taxes. We practice our religion without trying to force it upon others. Many Witches are not public about their religion for fear of the persecution that they may face if they admit to their beliefs. Although there are larger Wiccan churches, most Witches practice by themselves as "Solitaries" or work within small groups usually known as covens. Covens function not only as religious groups but also as extended families. We tend to hold our ceremonies or "circles" out of doors as we feel that being with nature brings us closer to the divinity who creates it. Some of our beliefs may seem strange to most, but consider how strange and horrific the eucharist, or consumption of the blood and body of Christ may seem to one unfamiliar with Christianity, or the ritual of a Briss to one who does not know Judaism. All that we ask is that we are allowed to practice our religion without prejudice as is our right guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States of America.

The basics F.A.Q.'s of Witchcraft were composed by... Paula Murphy, Ainsley Friedberg J.Kyle Sweeney & the Lisa Sweeney to be Surf to the... Connecticut Wiccan and Pagan Network Web site - 203-838-3392 TODAY!