[BASICS] Witchcraft and Wicca - There is a difference!

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A little place for you to find some basic information on Witchcraft and Wicca. While the terms are somewhat interrelated (see the pic below), they all also have specific definitions.

 

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Practices and beliefs that have been termed "witchcraft" do not constitute a single identifiable religion, since they are found in a wide variety of cultures, both present and historical; however these beliefs do generally involve religious elements dealing with spirits or deities, the afterlife, magic and ritual. Witchcraft is generally characterised by its use of magic.

Sometimes witchcraft is used to refer, broadly, to the practice of using magic , and has a connotation similar to shamanism. Depending on the values of the community, witchcraft in this sense may be regarded with varying degrees of respect or suspicion, or with ambivalence, being neither intrinsically good nor evil. Members of some religions have applied the term witchcraft in a pejorative sense to refer to all magical or ritual practices other than those sanctioned by their own doctrines – although this has become less common, at least in the Western world. According to some religious doctrines, all forms of magic are labelled witchcraft, and are either proscribed or treated as superstitious. Such religions consider their own ritual practices to be not at all magical, but rather simply variations of prayer.

Probably the most obvious characteristic of a witch was the ability to cast a spell, a "spell" being the word used to signify the means employed to accomplish a magical action. A spell could consist of a set of words, a formula or verse, or a ritual action, or any combination of these. Spells traditionally were cast by many methods, such as by the inscription of runes or sigils on an object to give it magical powers, by the immolation or binding of a wax or clay image (poppet) of a person to affect him or her magically, by the recitation of incantations, by the performance of physical rituals, by the employment of magical herbs as amulets or potions, by gazing at mirrors, swords or other specula (scrying) for purposes of divination, and by many other means.
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THOUGHTS FROM WITCH

Our Craft is nothing that we ally with, it is us. Our craft is what we do every minute of our waking moments, and some of our not so waking ones too. Which includes trances, deep meditations, astral travel, lucid dreaming, etc.. Most of us will add a little of our local environment and cultural background and customs, making it unique to us. That is not to say that we don’t “practice” our craft too, as you will read here.

We are drawn to it because it was born in us, some and most can find signs when we were children, some are able to follow through and continue – some have family to help, others are forced to follow what their parents tell them, some following without others knowing their secret, others as soon as they are of age to seek themselves find it coming out stronger and they then pursue it. Most of us here have not had family to guide them, or have a family line, and even if there is a family line, does not mean that they will be a witch.

For most of us, Nature is very big, most people think of nature they think of trees and animals, lakes and streams, they don't think of every single natural thing on this planet, and the rest of our solar system, galaxy and universe as well. Nature encompasses all of these things. Universal energy. We generally do not worship any entities, but we recognize the existence of them, commonly referred to as spirits. We believe in the equality of all beings in the Universe, seeing them all as different and separate but still equal. We revere and respect Nature, however we do not worship it or its representatives.

Most of us here do not call on deities, (except those that accept deities,) but many may call on spirits and their ancestors. Some of us use the “deities” energies, aspects in our workings, if it is needed. Some of us may occasionally call on the elements as well; most do not have the same belief of the 4 elements, that is taught in Wicca. When performing magic we will concentrate on our own power, or and we may call on assistance from a spirit in the spirit world or and ancestors.

Magic, that’s a big mouth full. It’s an everyday thing, we work our magic into our day to day lives, in cooking, cleaning, little spells here and there, keeping ourselves our family, and our homes even work, safe, healthy. We also work spells, doing something very specific (lack of a better word). Some of us do it in ritual style, sometimes, other times not. Some of us use tools, sometimes and sometimes not. Our spells and magic depends on our backgrounds, what we are doing at the moment, all different elements come into play here, at any given moment when it comes down to it.

I do not consider doing readings, magic. I have a natural ability but that did not make it so I can just do them. I had to find what spoke to me, and from there I had to work at it, not as hard as doing something I don’t have an natural eye for, but it is work and takes time to develop. We all do things very differently, and some here don’t do readings at all, some maybe they haven’t found the system that speaks to them, or they don’t have the time now to work at it.

Love and intent, wow, that’s wiccan…lol. You didn’t go very far in love, but yes we all do things in love, like protect our loved ones, our pets, family, friends whatever. We send each other healing energies, good thoughts, etc out of love. We will protect our cars, homes, lands, bikes, boats whatever, to protect them and the ones in and on these things, to keep them safe, running good, and healthy as best we can.

Intent that’s a whole different arena. Our intent is to do what ever it takes for most of us to get the job done, usually as quickly as we can. Does it harm someone in the process, well it might, but what were the consequences to us if we didn’t? And we take full responsibility for what we do. We don’t do things without thinking about it first.

Some of us, do hexes, jinks, and we will even do curses, if the need arises. What is the intent here, well that is obvious. I kinda think of it as tough love. Sometime you just have to do it, because it will help in the long run, no matter how hard it hurts right now. And then there are the times its just the right thing to do to someone, because of what they have done to you or yours. It maybe hate, discus, or anger as part of the intent, or because they paid me to do it, ..LOL But all in all you will find that we have very strong ethics that we follow, and each one of us has our own.

Evil spirits - none, that’s fluffy wiccan to me – just saying, no offence here, please. Please take a look at another thread here on the forum; Is ignorance truly bliss? Its in here the Discussions of Main Articles and Topics. I think you will get our ideas here very well.

When we die some of us believe we travel to the plane of existence called the spirit world. Our resting place. When we continue our journey we may be born into a new life, reincarnation being commonly believed in by many. However another alternative that some believe is that we meld with nature becoming one with it, becoming a land spirit, one of the reasons we always show respect for the spirits as they are the spirits of those that have passed before us. I think the vast majority of spirits will remain as themselves within the spirit world sometimes interacting, (or trying to,) with the living. Not all spirits are nice though.

We see all life, all nature, all space as sacred. Since we believe that everything is sacred it is perfectly acceptable to do magic or rituals and spells in our living rooms or bedroom as opposed to being outdoors. We do not need to cast any circles to make it sacred, we do not call upon the watchtowers or elements to guard us, if we need assistance we may ask a spirit or an ancestor with help or the use of the universal energies. At the same time this does not mean that we may not use a circle to do a working in, it all depends on what we are doing.

Some of us generally observe the sabbats as these days correspond to solstices and equinoxes, but I do not all relate them to a specific mythology, some do, per their tradition, background, culture and customs. I honor the seasonal changes themselves, when I see them happen in my area, rather than on a calendar. But not the lives of any Gods or Goddesses. Some or most, not sure, observe Moon phases and other natural phenomena also, with the full moon being the most significant. The Esbats (full moons) being more important than the Sabbats even. Others follow even older ways when the Sabbats were the full moons and the now called sabbats were just the festivals of their culture and customs.

For most of us things kinda flow being a witch and our craft is just who we are, and we can't imagine not being. That doesn't mean that it is easy, it can be a very hard path, is a life long journey, and well rewarding. As you see there are no hard fast rules, these are more commonalities. Each one of us is different, our craft is as individual as we are, it is the commonalities that bring us together.

(I’m being general here, because I know not everyone believes this, and it is only my view point)
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While it is based on older practices and religions (such as free-masonry, ceremonial magic, witchcraft, etc...), it is generally accepted that the various branches/traditions of Wicca can be traced back to Gardnerian Witchcraft which was founded in the UK during the late 1940s.
This following is for those of you who are interested in learning more about Traditional Wicca, specifically Gardnerian and Alexandrian Wicca and more about where Wicca as a modern religion.

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Gardnerian Wicca (and all Traditional Wicca for that matter) is a tradition whose members can trace initiatory descent from Gerald Gardner. The tradition is named after the person many consider as the founder of Wicca, Gerald Gardner (1884-1964), a British civil servant and scholar of magic, among other topics.

Gardnerian Wicca, as an initiatory, magical and oral tradition of modern witchcraft, is comprised of a number of tradition-specific rituals and practices that are used by its initiates to comprehend the Craft Mysteries. In addition to their magical operations, most Gardnerians utilise their spiritual system to gain an experiential/non-conceptual understanding of the age old question of life and death. The principles of the Mysteries, which include Wiccan worldview, ontology and ethics, can be categorized
as follow:

- Initiation and Oath before the Gods
- Mystery of the Goddess and God
- Powers of the Mighty Ones of the Four Quarters
- Non-dualism*
- Reincarnation
- Magic and Witch Power
- Three-fold Law of Return
- Wiccan Rede
- Circle of power
- Wheel of the Year

Since one of the most important aspects of the craft tradition is understood through experience, Gardnerians keep their rituals and coven practices secret from non-initiates. In this way, each initiate is given the opportunity to find for him/herself what the ritual experience means by using the basic 'language' of a shared ritual tradition, to discover the nature of the Mysteries.

The tradition has a focus on its community, placing great emphasis on ethical conduct and reverence towards all sentient beings as central to spiritual maturity. The belief that 'ye may not be a witch alone' also extends the idea that personal growth, both intellectually and spiritually, is
dependent on and affects our surroundings and the people around us. For example, Gardnerian High Priestess Eleanor Bone was not only one of the most respected elders in the tradition, she was also a matron of a nursing home. Moreover, the BW coven today is well known as a coven with
many members from academic or intellectual background contributing to the preservation of Wiccan knowledge. Gerald Gardner himself actively disseminated educational resources on folklore and the occult to the general public through his Museum of Witchcraft in the Isle of Man. Therefore, Gardnerian Wicca can be said to differ slightly from many other craft practices that generally concentrate solely on solitary spiritual development.

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Gardnerian BOS

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* MOD NOTE...in this case non-dualism does not refer to the God/ess but is in reference to the following:

Which brings us to the idea of non-dualism. This is a way of looking at the world which realizes that, though separation is necessary, it is an illusion made necessary by the fact that we are working in the field of Time. We both are and are not separate from everything else in the universe. This is another importance concept in Gardnerianism.
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Alexandrian Wicca is a Wiccan tradition founded in the 1960's by Alex Sanders, with his wife Maxine. Alexandrian Wicca is similar in many ways to Gardnerian Wicca, and receives regular mention in books on Wicca as one of the religion's most widely-recognized traditions. The Alexandrian tradition is based largely upon Gardnerian Wicca, in which Sanders was trained to the first degree of initiation, and also contains elements of ceremonial magic and Kabbalah, which Sanders had studied independently.
Alexandrian Wicca, in similarity with other traditional Wiccan practices, emphasizes gender polarity. This emphasis can be seen in the Sabbat rituals, which focus on the relationship between the Wiccan Goddess and God.

As compared to Gardnerian Wicca, Alexandrian Wicca is "somewhat more eclectic", according to The Encyclopedia of Modern Witchcraft and Neo-Paganism. Maxine Sanders notes that Alexandrians take the attitude "If it works use it". Tool use and deity and elemental names also differ from the Gardnerian tradition. Sky clad practice, or ritual nudity, is optional within the tradition, training is emphasized, and ceremonial magic practices, such as those derived from Hermetic Kabbalah and Enochian magic may be part of ritual. The core beliefs are still adhered to as well.
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Alexandrian BOS

Eclectic and/or "Neo-Wicca" is somewhat different in that the core beliefs/practices associated with Trad Wicca are either missing, or often deviated from (like coven initiations vs. self-dedication). There is a tendency towards "do whatever works for you" and it is all still Wicca. This of course is not true. While an Eclectic "Wiccan" path is valid, there should still be some resemblance to the beliefs and practices of the Traditional Religion from which it is based. If you have deviated from those (which considering that the core material is oath-bound and only available to initiates, then all Eclectic "Wiccans" are missing the most important parts), then there comes a point when what you are doing really is no longer Wicca. Does that invalidate your path...not in the least. It just means that it is time to either call yourself simply a Pagan, or a Witch depending on your practice. If you really feel the need, then you can always give your path a unique name of your own choosing. Just don't call it Wicca if it isn't. At the very least, realize that there is a profound difference between Trad Wicca and Eclectic "Wicca", and don't be too surprised if someone asks for your lineage. biggrin

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BASIC INFO ON WICCA

(Recognizing that Wicca is about correct practice (orthopraxy), not correct beliefs (orthodoxy), beliefs can/do vary from coven to coven. What is mentioned here is meant to be a reference point only, as any particular coven that you work with may have different beliefs. )

BELIEFS

Most Wiccans believe in the Rede (at least in some form): "an' it harm none...do what you will"
Does this mean that Wiccans are all light and love...no. Wicca is based on polarity - light and dark. You need both for life to continue and grow. What it means is that you should aways think first before you act, and try not to cause harm to yourself/others as you go. Does it mean that you can't do harmful things...again no. It is a matter of your ability to deal with the consequences of your actions. When the Threefold Law kicks in, are you prepared for what it might bring to you. The best thing you can do is always think through a situation completely before acting...ask yourself "what are all the possible ways of dealing with this". If you have covered all the angles and still feel that your course of action is the only way then more you should do it.

The Threefold Law simply states that what you send out comes back times three.
There are some Wiccans who take this literally. That Good or Bad the magic/energy you send to others will come back to you 3 times as Good or 3 times as bad. In such a case it certainly ties into the Rede, because who would want to cause harm if it is going to come back on you that much worse. There are some who just see it as basic Karma, yes there are consequences, they aren't threefold. There are some who have defined threefold as body, mind and spirit - so any consequences Good/Bad will effect you three different ways.

Wiccans believe in a balanced polarity, especially that of the feminine and masculine energy of the Divine universe. These two aspects of nature are embodied in two deities, known as the Goddess and God. Traditionally most Pagan gods are considered to represent the different aspects of the God/Goddess. Most traditions honor the God/Goddess as equals where one deserves more or less importance over the other. This translates into a balance between the feminine and masculine forces within the divine. Which God/Goddess a tradition honors depends on their cultural heritage. Celts honor Celtic Gods, Egyptian traditions honor Egyptian Gods and so on. Traditional Wicca honors the Lord and Lady and their actual names are oath bound secrets only given to properly initiated members of the coven. A few branches, such as Dianic (which no longer claim to be Wiccan), view the feminine aspect with more importance. There are Eclectics/Neo-Wiccans who are monotheists (there is only 1 god), polytheists (there are many gods) or duotheists (1 female and 1 male god). Many regard the gods as real, not simply as aspects of a male or female deity. Where other Traditions see them as pantheons, just aspects of the Divine force in the universe. The Goddess is the existing force of all creation as in the Earth, nature and life itself. The Goddess has three faces: the Maiden, the Mother and the Crone. These faces correspond to the many different cycles in nature: the waxing, full and waning phases of the moon; the menstrual cycle and the cycle of life in birth, life and death. The God is less commonly defined across Traditions. He can be a single view, such as Odin in Norse practices, The Horned God Cernunnos in Celtic traditions, Ra in Egyptian traditions. In many sects, the God comes in two forms, the young God who starts the year and works through the Sun till Yule when he has aged and grown old. At this time he faces the young God who will begin the new year cycle.

Wiccans believe in Reincarnation. Since we believe (through the Threefold Law) that all "karmic justice" occurs in our present lives we do not believe in the Christian version of heaven or hell, since there is no need for it. Death is but another step in our journey, a time for a brief rest in the Summerlands, before reincarnating. Some practitioners believe that a soul is continually reborn whereas others believe that once a soul learns all the life lessons, it is granted eternal rest in the Summerlands. It is interesting to note, that the Christian Hell is acknowledged in Traditional Wicca (see the Ardanes #35), in that if you break your oaths, you are cursed by the Goddess to the Hell of the Christians.

PRACTICES

(note: Wicca is about correct practice, if you deviate too far from the core practices of Wicca, then what you are doing ceases to be Wicca)

Practitioners gather in groups called Covens (traditional) or Circles (neo-"wicca"). Each group may have it's own unique practices or rituals (while still maintaining the core structure). Covens range in number of members, but traditionally have a maximum of thirteen. When the number of members in a coven exceeds thirteen, the common belief is that the coven should split (hive off), to continue the self-perpetuation process. Practitioners do not have specific structures of worship, though some find the means and finances for constructing indoor altars, some call them temples, while others practice their rituals at outdoor altars. In reality, any place in contact with the Earth will suffice.

Rituals are practiced in Circles representing the cycle of birth-life-death, and the ever ending cycle of divine energy. The area is purified by the four elements and then the Circle is cast , usually by the Priest or Priestess walking clockwise along its perimeter and drawing an actual circle. Sometimes with an athame or a wand which are two common tools, a rope made of natural fibers, a vine or drawing in the dirt. After this, many Covens call forth the four cardinal directions/elements to be greeted and invoked, according to the tradition and preference of the practitioners. Practitioners conduct sacred rites within the Circle, invoking the names of the Goddess and God. Once the Circle has been cast, the space within represents an altered consciousness that is "between worlds." The Circle also serves to contain energy that is built up during the rites until it is ready to be released in what is known as the Cone of Power. When the Cone of Power is released, the energy goes into the purposes that the practitioners have set forth in their ritual.

Rituals often also include an honoring of the God/Goddess with wine and cakes. A goblet of wine is raised and an Athame is dipped into it to represent the union between the Goddess (the goblet) and the God (the athame). (This is "in token" representation of the Great Rite, which can also be enacted "actually" by the HP and HPS or other chosen members of the coven.) The cup is then passed around the Circle to be drunk by the practitioners. The ceremonial cakes are then passed around as well, to complete the socializing and fellowship that is present in the circle.

GATHERINGS

There are three types of gatherings: Sabbats, Esbats and special purposes. In a special purpose gatherings, a coven meets to deal with a common goal or issue that needs immediate attention, such as casting a health spell to aid a sickly friend. Most magical rites are performed at Esbats, which are small gatherings that correspond to the phases of the moon. Sabbats (or Holiday) festivals also take place during the year. These holidays are divided into the sections of the seasonal year, spring, summer, fall and winter.

SPRING
Imbolc
Ostara
Beltane

SUMMER
Litha

FALL
Lughnasadh
Mabon
Samhain

WINTER
Yule

INITIATIONS

Traditional Wicca requires initiation into a properly lineaged coven. There is no exception to this rule. Eclectic/Neo-"Wiccan" paths tend to deviate from this core requirement (which is what makes their claim to the Wiccan title more or less invalid in the eyes of most Trad Wiccans) Initiates are considered to be priests/priestess after a full cycle of learning is acquired, that is what being Wicca is all about...you have dedicated yourself and have been accepted into the service of the Lord and Lady. It is a very serious responsibility and is not to be taken lightly. There are (depending on the tradition) at least 3 levels of initiation.

 

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Check out this site: Proteus Library

Lots of great info for seekers!!!