Wicca is a recent religion on the scene, being founded in 1939 by Gerald Gardner with the aid of Aleister Crowley and Doreen Valiente. Its practices are many and varied. It has a little of every religion mixed in to make it appealing to a variety of people. Wiccans have a tendancy to worship the Horned God and Goddess. They believe in the Wiccan Rede more commonly known as just the Rede. One of its major tenets is "An it harm none do as you will". They believe that whatever you do comes back to you threefold so they strive to follow the Rede as closely as possible. They have also their Book of Shadows. When practicing magic they perform a ritual called "Calling the Quarters" which in essence demands the presence of the Elements and for them to appear at their respective cardinal direction in the circle. Many Wiccan traditions also perform their rituals skyclad (which is nude) and some even practice what is called the Great Rite. This ritual is a sacred rite of sex to the God and Goddess performed in the circle.
Traditional witchcraft is more family based, but there are also many solitary practioners. No one knows exactly how far back traditional witchcraft goes back. Traditional witchcraft has changed little over the years compared to Wicca which is an ever changing religion. Casting a circle and ritual tools and dress vary widely in Traditional witchcraft. Unlike Wicca Traditional witchcraft has no set rules that everyone follows (Threefold Law, Wiccan Rede etc). Traditionals use a scared space that is called a fastness, it is designed to be permanent. Some of them do not call the Quarters although they may invite the Elements to join them as Traditionals believe the Elements are always around us. A witch has also a Book of Shadows, mostly she calls it Grimoire.WHAT MEANS
WITCHCRAFT?
Witchcraft means "Craft of the Wise Ones". Its practices can be traced
to Neolithic ("Stone Age") cave paintings.
In early times, the Witch was the local lawyer, psychiatrist, and doctor.
The field of modern medicine can trace its origins to the herbal medicines of
the Witch
ARE THERE TWO DIFFERENT TYPES OF WITCHES?
There are no "Black Witches" or "White Witches". Witches are just Witches. When you ask if someone is a "good" or a "bad" Witch it is the same as asking someone if they are a "good" or a "bad" catholic.
WHAT ABOUT THE PENTAGRAM?
The pentagram or the five pointed star is not satanic. The five points correspond to the elements Air, Earth, Fire and Water with the top point corresponding to Spirit. 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. They also turn the cross upside-down. This, in itself, does not make the cross or pentragram a Satanic symbol. The reversed pentagram is considered highly positive and has no connection to Satanism. Witches do not worship Satan. 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. We believe that every human being is completely responsible for his or her own actions.
DO WITCHES CAST SPELLS?
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. Most 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.
WHY DO WITCHES WEAR BLACK?
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.
ARE ALL WITCHES WOMENS?
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".
I call male witches magician or sorcerer, a man who is familiar in mystic and secret
wisdomīs. Many people think that a witch can be male and also female.
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