“The moon clears the treetops and shines on the circle. We huddle closer for warmth. A woman moves into the center of the circle. We began to chant her name... The chant builds, spiraling upward. Voices merge into one endlessly modulated harmony. The circle is enveloped in a cone of light. Then, in a breath--silence...One by one, we will step into the center of the circle. We will hear our names chanted, feel the cone rise around us. We will receive the gift...In the circle we will take hands and dance under the moon.” This is an excerpt from the book, The Spiral Dance by Starhawk. It describes a common ritual gathering, found in the Old Religion of Witchcraft. Witchcraft is not some spooky underground cult, but a true religion, predating most world religions, the most notable being Christianity. Where Christianity is a mainstream religion like Buddhism and Catholicism, witchcraft is a misunderstood religion. It is misunderstood because society associates witchcraft with the devil and dark forces of evil. That is not true, witchcraft is a religion that has deities, religious symbols, small communities for support and acceptance, special holidays to celebrate, and a rite of passage in order to become a practicing member, just like any other religion in the world.
         How did society arrive at the common beliefs and prejudices about witchcraft?  First the meaning of the word witch has changed drastically through the centuries. The word witch has roots in Old English, coming from the word wicce or wicca. These two word’s root is wic, which means to bend or twist. Therefore a witch bends or twists the environment that they are in (Alder 42). The definition of a witch has changed radically from its roots in the 15th century to the 21st century. In the 15th century the most comprehensive source for witchcraft and witches was the Malleus Maleficarum or “The Witch Hammer”. It was a guidebook, which outlined how to identify, try, and execute a witch. The publishing of the Malleus Maleficarum transformed the term “witch” from a superstitious yarn to a concrete reality. Afterwards the idea that someone was practicing witchcraft was no longer dismissed as idle gossip.  The 16th and the 17th century saw the height of persecution of witches and witch-hunts in both Europe and America. The definition of a witch became more solid and was defined as “a person who has made a pact with the devil to gain evil powers that usually involved the exchange of a soul for those evil powers to torment people” (Webster 758). It was during the 17th century that the famous Salem Witch Trials happened. The aftermath of the Salem Witchcraft trials resulted in 19 deaths and numerous jails filled with people who were accused of witchcraft but later released (Witchcraft).  During the 18th century the witch-hunts became less frequent as the definition of a witch took on its most religious expression. Using the Bible as a reference, witches were still identified and persecuted. Most of the accusations and executions were based on the book of Exodus that stated in Chapter 22, verse 18, “Thou shalt not suffer a sorceress to live.” The 20th century definition states that a witch is, “one that is credited with usually malignant supernatural powers; especially a woman practicing usually black witchcraft often with the aid of a devil or familiar, an ugly old woman, a charming or alluring girl or woman…” (Merriam-Webster).  That definition has not changed in the 21st century.
         The entertainment industry has played on the fact that witchcraft is not a mainstream religion like Christianity and Catholicism, and there is a lot about witchcraft that people don’t know. Society draws a majority of their conclusions from television and movies even though its is wrong to do so. Television shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Charmed depict witches as groups of sophisticated women who use their gifts in the fight against evil. The television show Sabrina The Teenage Witch paints witches in a comedic light with madcap adventures that happen when magic goes wrong. Movies such as The Craft, The Blair Witch Project, Blair Witch Project 2: Book of Shadows, and Sleepy Hollow paints witches as outcasts in normal society who use witchcraft against their tormentors or to gain an advantage. From these interpretations of witches and witchcraft most of the misconceptions are born. It is common in society to fear what one does not understand. So based on what society sees and hears is how witchcraft and witches are often face prejudices and persecution.
         Christianity has three deities, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.  Witchcraft has two deities, the Goddess, and a God to worship. The Goddess represents two very different things to men and women who practice witchcraft. To the women the Goddess is the innermost self, the female strength and authority.  The Goddess has many names, some being, Diana, Iemaja, Kore, and Ashimah. The Goddess is more then a simple belief; she is, “the full circle: earth, air, fire, water, and essence—the body, mind, spirit, emotions, change”(Starhawk 78).  As earth she gives life to all of nature, and as air she is the keeper of the stars and heavens. As spirit she encourages all human spirits to new heights, and as emotions she inspires, not only the mind, but also the human feeling of love. As body, she teaches that the human body is sacred and is not perverted by evil or by sin, as are found in the teachings of Christianity. As water she gives life to rivers and oceans and as fire she is the destroyer, to produce warmth and light for those who worship her. The Goddess and the moon are intertwined and there are three stages of the moon that the Goddess represents. As the moon rises the Goddess is the maiden, as the moon crest the sky and becomes full she is the mother, and as the moon sets she is the crone. The symbols of the Goddess are the crescent moon, triangles, ovals, and female genitals. As witches worship the Goddess in her three phases, they learn to both visualized the moon and symbols through meditation and teachings.  Nakedness in witchcraft is related to the Goddess, through the worship of her, barriers are broken down. Because of the belief that the body is sacred witches go naked in their worship to her.  Witches also worship “naked for several reasons: as a way of establishing closeness and dropping social masks…” (Starhawk 83).
        The God is interrelated to the Goddess, and they are pair. The God has many names but mainly he is identified as Eros or Logos.  The God is born of a virgin yet he has no father because he is his own father. This resembles the Christian belief that Christ was born of a virgin mother and was a reincarnation of the Father. It is the God that Christians perverted and painted as the devil that witches worship. The religion witchcraft does not believe in the devil, the idea of a devil is purely a Christian idea. The God that witches worship along with the Goddess is “gentle, tender, and comforting, but he is also the Hunter. He is the Dying God—but his death is always in the service of the life source” (Starhawk 94). The God receives his power from the Goddess and he represents desire and union with the Goddess.  While women who practice witchcraft identify with the Goddess, they also identify with the God. Women connect with the God to achieve the masculine qualities that they lack.  Men who practice witchcraft identify with the God as a way of achieving a union with the Goddess. They connect with the Goddess as the hidden feminine side of them. Society assumes that witchcraft is associated with frenzied and violent sexual practices. In truth, witchcraft involves love in a sexual tone but never love with physical violence. Although the God and Goddess engage in a sexual relationship where the God abandons himself to the Goddess, he does not greet her with sexual violence. Although women dominate the religion of witchcraft there are a substantial number of men who practice witchcraft. One of the main reasons that men are not dominant in witchcraft is because they must interact with powerful, confident, and strong women, where in Christianity the male figure is dominant then the female.
        Witchcraft has symbols and tools that are used for that purpose of practicing magic and casting spells, much like Christianity has symbols, and the most recognized one being the cross.  Candles, crystals, moon symbols, and smooth stones are just some objects that are associated with witchcraft. Casting a spell is not what most people think, in simple terms, “A spell is a symbolic act done in an altered state of consciousness, in order to cause a desired change…project energy through a symbol” (Starhawk 110).  Learning to cast spells is an important part of witchcraft. Spells work two ways; one is through the power of suggestion that influences the internal self and the other way is influencing the external world. An example of the first way is a student casts a spell to get a high grade on an oral presentation. After she cast the spell she walks into the professor’s office with new confidence and self-assurance. As a result of her oral presentation she gets an “A+”. An example of the second way is a person who has a terminal disease that goes into remission without knowing that a healing spell has been cast (Starhawk 112).  It is this part of casting spells that society has a problem accepting as fact. To explain it, those who practice witchcraft offer this explanation. That objects in everyday life are made up of curls of energy and the physical world is made up of the energy. By casting a spell, the energy curls are changed and hence, the physical world changes. The symbols that witches use are the channels by which they cast spells. Witches, when casting spells, know that whatever they cast affect them as well as the environment around them. This is not a well-known fact about witchcraft, society believes that a person who practices witchcraft must have some kind of power that could hex someone. Hexing is the practice of cursing something or someone.  The Witch’s Voice responds to this by stating, “…The Goddess charges us to exercise great care in all that we, as Witches, do and say and even think. The Threefold Law takes the notion that "what we reap, we will sow", a few steps further...in fact, THREE steps further. For what we do "for good or for ill, shall be returned to us threefold." In light of this fact, Witches are loath to cause any harm, lest it be returned to them in spades!!” (Witches’ Voice).  To keep up with spells that are cast or created most witches keep a diary called “Book of Shadows.” This book can contain spells, rituals, dream interpretations, chants, incantations, anything that might be important in witchcraft and to the witch that the book belongs to.
        Christianity believes in gatherings where a few people or masses of people can worship in a community setting.  Witchcraft also believes in gatherings, witches gather in covens, a group of thirteen to eight individuals who train together and individually develop each of his or her own powers. Witchcraft has always attracted people, who by society’s standards, are isolated and often referred to as loners. Because of the coven numbers are small, these loners can still be distinctively independent and still have community roots (Starhawk 35). Each coven is very different, having its own focus, one example being healing. Every coven has its own territory and other covens must ask permission before passing through that territory. The only time several covens will come together in one place is during a ritual holiday. Finding a coven is very difficult; it is not a simple matter of picking up the yellow pages and looking for a listing. Some places where covens can be found are through witchcraft classes taught through local universities, bookstores, or even occult shops. To become a member of a coven, that person must first show a high level of interest and then begin a long period of training. Each coven has its own way of attracting new members; some have study groups or have open classes (Starhawk 52). Each potential new member has a teacher or sponsor, who will instruct the new member on the ways of the coven. In this way the new member can build a special relationship with the teacher and the teacher will build his or her own powers through instruction.  Witchcraft cannot be called a leaderless religion. Unlike Christianity, which has a clear hierarchical structure, witchcraft has a power structure that is somewhat different but has clear leaders just like Christianity.  In covens, “Power…is never power over another. It is the power that comes from within” (Starhawk 37). It is a difficult concept to explain, but there is a leader for every coven, he or she is a powerful person who draws energy into the group. She or he does not have authority over everyone else; rather the power from within this person is unlimited and therefore benefits the group. Covens existed in early times and served as teachers, healers, and a council of elders for villages and towns. With the coming of other religions, most notably Christianity, those who practiced witchcraft were persecuted and the covens became isolated and the teachings were lost. In today’s society, covens that have survived are attempting to pick up the pieces and reestablish contact with other covens. This process is hindered however by the horrible public opinion on witchcraft and witches. The coven is many things, but its most important role is, “the coven is the heart of the Craft. Within the circle, each Witch is trained to develop her inner power, her integrity of mind, body, and spirit” (Starhawk 54).
        Just as Christians celebrate special holidays that commemorate certain times in Christ’s life, witchcraft also has special holidays that are celebrated.  The special holidays in witchcraft are more numerous but are equally important. They cover a full year and some of the more important ones are Yule, Brigid, Beltane, Litha, Mabon, and Samhain. The holiday Yule is much like the Christian Christmas holiday that celebrates a divine birth. Brigid, which is celebrated in February, focuses on the healing and inspiration. Beltane, is a celebration on May Eve that rejoices in the coming spring.  Litha is the celebration of the decline of summer and the coming of winter. Mabon is the holiday that celebrates the harvest and the changing seasons. The most famous holiday that is associated with witchcraft is that of Halloween or as witches call it, Samhain. While society sees Samhain as a reason to get dressed up and go trick-or-treating, witches celebrate Samhain as the beginning of the new year. Witches believe that the barriers that separates the physical world from the spectral is very weak. It is one of the more powerful holidays in witchcraft. It is not a holiday where witches gather around a bubbling cauldron and cast evil spells and incantations. Witches gather to celebrate the new year and the old year's death with rituals and dancing (Starhawk 169).
         Becoming a witch and a member of the coven is not like joining a local club or gym. Christianity usually deals with conversion and then baptism, but those who are baptized must have a deep conviction and love for the Lord. This is same as in witchcraft; membership requires a deep commitment from the individual, who is called an apprentice. The apprentice will go through an initiation, much like a Christian conversion.  Initiations all have a general theme, being death and rebirth. The death part of the initiation is the deepest fears of the apprentice where he or she must drop all masks and stand naked before the coven both physically and emotionally.  The rebirth part of the initiation is the realization of the power within the apprentice. The initiation begins with the death cycle, a period of testing, following by a purification ritual washing, that can take place in the ocean, a river, or a ordinary bathtub. This ritual washing resembles the baptism of Christianity. The sponsor, or the teacher, will then lead the apprentice into the circle of coven members. They will face a coven member who has been picked to be a challenger holding either a dagger or sword. After the apprentice has passed the challenger, he or she is brought into the circle and led to an altar. There at the altar the apprentice will swear an oath to protect the coven and all that practice witchcraft. They are then blessed by the coven and given a set of tools that are created or collected by the other coven members to help the new member practice witchcraft. The initiation is then complete and the coven welcome the new member with a celebration of food and wine.
         The thought that witchcraft is a religion just like Christianity and other religions is a difficult thought for society to grasp, as well as the fact that witchcraft predated Christianity and other world religions. The truth of the matter is simply this; witchcraft is a religion, predating Christianity. Witchcraft has all the ingredients to be a religion, but still even today in an society that is much more accepting then twenty years ago, those who practice the witchcraft are still met with fear in hostility. Even in the twenty-first century, people are still being executed for the crime of witchcraft in the world. According to The Killing of Witches, The Names By Century website, on November 9, A 70-year-old man was battered to death and three members of his family were brutally assaulted by 20 persons including several women in Kothapalli village of Kotgir mandal” (Burning Times). They were beaten repeatedly and then had their teeth forcible removed by a mob accusing the man of practicing witchcraft. So even today those who practice witchcraft are no better off then their ancestors centuries ago, but hopefully by learning more about witchcraft, society will learn to accept it as another world religion, not a mysterious occult for misfits.
 
 
 

Works Cited and Additional Sources