Post by Alraune on Jul 30, 2018 18:27:52 GMT
Disclaimer
The views, descriptions and definitions expressed in this post may not be shared by other members of the witch community, they are simply our definitions. Facts about various terms, practices, groups and persons are, to the best of our knowledge, correct. If you spot a glaring error, polite corrections are welcome.
What is Witchcraft?
Witchcraft is an umbrella term used to encompass a number of religio-magical practices such as low magic, sorcery, ecstatic rites, spirit conjuration, necromancy, curses, apotropaic magic, healing and other similar practices. Witchcraft in some shape or form, is as old as mankind and has evolved throughout the ages, appearing in manifold cultures and periods of history. Every social group and culture has its "witches", from the Ancient Greek pharmakos to the Germanic seidr to the Caribbean paleros; while all operating different systems and appealing to different spirits, these could all be considered different styles of witchcraft. Modern European witchcraft (apart from Wicca, see below) borrows its current and lore from the witchcraft and folk magic of Europe from between the 15th and 19th centuries. This mostly includes material taken from various folk tales, folk songs, rural lore, fairy stories and Renaissance grimoires. It may also include elements of Bronze Age animism, ancestor worship, fairy faith, Northern European polytheism, Greco-Roman mystery cults, Near and Middle-Eastern demonology, cunning folk, practical sorcery and low magic.
What are the Key Elements of Witchcraft?
What the varying traditions of witchcraft have in common is spirit communication, closeness to the land, ancestor rites and veneration, the practice of low magic (spells), and trance work. The witch's familiar is the most commonly known form of spirit contact associated with witchcraft as the familiar is a spirit that has formed a special bond with the witch; it is not a living animal or pet though it may assume these forms. Land awareness is where a witch draws upon his or her power and knowledge of herbal lore, the spirits of plants being addressed and honoured as well as the physical parts utilised. Ancestors are consulted for knowledge and honoured, for they are a source of lore and power for the wise witch who makes them offerings. The practice of spells is long associated with witchcraft of course as is trance work, the witch riding out into the night on the broom being a folkloric interpretation of soul-flight and trance crossing.
Is Witchcraft the same as Wicca?
No. Wicca is a modern day fertility Mystery Tradition. Wicca is duo-theistic in nature, honouring a male and female deity, commonly called The God and The Goddess or The Horned God and the Triple Goddess, as the supreme principle forces in nature. Traditional Wiccan covens identify the Goddess and the God as Aradia and Kernunnos. Wicca celebrates a the yearly cycle of birth, death and rebirth of The God symbolising the fertilising, rising and falling aspects of nature. Wiccans do practice some form of witchcraft, certainly spells and charms. See What is Wicca for more information.
Can anyone be a Witch?
This is a matter of contention amongst witches. The are those who believe witchcraft is an inherited trait, like eye colour, and claim that one must be born a witch. Others believe that one must have certain natural traits, such as the ability to shamanise and see spirits, to be classified as a witch, and these traits can be with the witch from birth or that they can be initiated by the Otherworld (see the section on Otherworldly Initiation for more details). And there are other witches who believe anyone at all can be a witch, but that it takes more blood, sweat and tears than most would-be witches are prepared to go through.
The views, descriptions and definitions expressed in this post may not be shared by other members of the witch community, they are simply our definitions. Facts about various terms, practices, groups and persons are, to the best of our knowledge, correct. If you spot a glaring error, polite corrections are welcome.
What is Witchcraft?
Witchcraft is an umbrella term used to encompass a number of religio-magical practices such as low magic, sorcery, ecstatic rites, spirit conjuration, necromancy, curses, apotropaic magic, healing and other similar practices. Witchcraft in some shape or form, is as old as mankind and has evolved throughout the ages, appearing in manifold cultures and periods of history. Every social group and culture has its "witches", from the Ancient Greek pharmakos to the Germanic seidr to the Caribbean paleros; while all operating different systems and appealing to different spirits, these could all be considered different styles of witchcraft. Modern European witchcraft (apart from Wicca, see below) borrows its current and lore from the witchcraft and folk magic of Europe from between the 15th and 19th centuries. This mostly includes material taken from various folk tales, folk songs, rural lore, fairy stories and Renaissance grimoires. It may also include elements of Bronze Age animism, ancestor worship, fairy faith, Northern European polytheism, Greco-Roman mystery cults, Near and Middle-Eastern demonology, cunning folk, practical sorcery and low magic.
What are the Key Elements of Witchcraft?
What the varying traditions of witchcraft have in common is spirit communication, closeness to the land, ancestor rites and veneration, the practice of low magic (spells), and trance work. The witch's familiar is the most commonly known form of spirit contact associated with witchcraft as the familiar is a spirit that has formed a special bond with the witch; it is not a living animal or pet though it may assume these forms. Land awareness is where a witch draws upon his or her power and knowledge of herbal lore, the spirits of plants being addressed and honoured as well as the physical parts utilised. Ancestors are consulted for knowledge and honoured, for they are a source of lore and power for the wise witch who makes them offerings. The practice of spells is long associated with witchcraft of course as is trance work, the witch riding out into the night on the broom being a folkloric interpretation of soul-flight and trance crossing.
Is Witchcraft the same as Wicca?
No. Wicca is a modern day fertility Mystery Tradition. Wicca is duo-theistic in nature, honouring a male and female deity, commonly called The God and The Goddess or The Horned God and the Triple Goddess, as the supreme principle forces in nature. Traditional Wiccan covens identify the Goddess and the God as Aradia and Kernunnos. Wicca celebrates a the yearly cycle of birth, death and rebirth of The God symbolising the fertilising, rising and falling aspects of nature. Wiccans do practice some form of witchcraft, certainly spells and charms. See What is Wicca for more information.
Can anyone be a Witch?
This is a matter of contention amongst witches. The are those who believe witchcraft is an inherited trait, like eye colour, and claim that one must be born a witch. Others believe that one must have certain natural traits, such as the ability to shamanise and see spirits, to be classified as a witch, and these traits can be with the witch from birth or that they can be initiated by the Otherworld (see the section on Otherworldly Initiation for more details). And there are other witches who believe anyone at all can be a witch, but that it takes more blood, sweat and tears than most would-be witches are prepared to go through.