There are a lot of misperceptions regarding witchcraft, most of which stem from fear and a desire to control the masses using constructs like organised religion. In order words, the church has used fear of witches as a method to control their followers.
What Whichcraft is Not
- Witchcraft is not devil worship.
- It is not evil.
- Witchcraft is not like the movies (I love The Craft as much as anyone but it’s not exactly an accurate portrayal!).
- You do not need expensive tools or a dedicated space to practice witchcraft.
- Not all witches are Wiccan.
What is a Witch and What are Spells?
The witch comes from the Latin word wicce, which means to shape and bend energy. Witchcraft is using rituals or spells to bend and shape energy to suit your will. Some people call this a supernatural ability, but I do not. We all possess the power to influence our lives and the world we live in by harnessing the energy around us but as a species we have lost our way. The techniques used to harness this energy are called spells or rituals.
Energy flows through all living things. As witches we recognise the importance and beauty of all living things and that everything in life is connected. Although it generally gets a few strange looks the closest mainstream analogy I have found is ‘the force’ in star wars. The life force of every living thing is connected. Witches respect that and call upon those forces to cast spells.
It Witchcraft a Religion?
When Christianity was introduced, the church used fear to stamp out traditional spiritual practices, herbal medicines and traditional healing techniques. As a result, humans have lost a great deal of their natural abilities to harness energy and heal ourselves and those around us.
Wicca itself is not a religion, it is a spiritual path. There are different traditions or sects within Wicca that have their own unique ways of gathering as a coven and undertaking ritual but there are no hard and fast rules that wiccans need to follow. There is no carrot and stick approach with Wicca. The only central tenant is the Wiccan Rede, which stresses the importance of not doing harm to others. The Rede itself is not a ‘rule’ it’s a guideline. Not all witches follow the rede.
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Blessed be.
