Post by Senbecc on Apr 29, 2006 15:48:10 GMT -5
Wicca And Witchcraft
Author: Dark Witch
Posted: April 9th. 2006
I’ll start off with a little bit about me. I’m a practicing Wiccan for four years now (well, more like studying for a year and three years practicing.) I try to follow the Wiccan ethics and rules (the Rede, the Threefold Law, et cetera) and I do my best to worship the God and Goddess and spirits. I celebrate the Sabbats and Esbats, meditate daily, and do ritual as often as I can. When I don’t have the time, I just light my God and Goddess candles and thank them for the blessings they’ve given me. That is my Wiccan life; how I found it is another long story!
Wicca, to me, is an earth-based, peaceful, beautiful, and spiritual religion involving a Goddess and a God. Some might think that Witchcraft and Wicca are the same. Wicca and Witchcraft are not the same, and some may think that Witchcraft is a religion while some may not; it all depends on the person’s beliefs. Witchcraft (to me) is just the magickal part of Wicca, and Wicca is the religion. As I said, though, it varies depending on personal beliefs.
True, Witchcraft is an ancient practice, and has been here since almost before most better-known religions (i.e. Islam, Christianity, et cetera.) That’s what makes Witchcraft such a powerful and mysterious practice. Wicca, on the other hand, is very new, though it is also a very powerful and mysterious religion. Ritual practices may differ between the two; for instance, Witchcraft rituals tend to be more ceremonial, and Wiccan rituals to be more sacred and special, as in the case of celebrating the Sabbats.
So what’s the difference between a person practicing Witchcraft and Wicca? People practicing Witchcraft are simply called Witches and are not required to follow any single ethic or rule; they can do as they please with the magick that they use. People practicing Witchcraft may also follow non-European practices, such as Voudun. People practicing Wicca are called Wiccans and must follow specific ethics and rules, such as the Wiccan Rede and the Threefold Law. Magick is not as important to Wiccans as it is to Witches practicing Witchcraft. A Wiccan’s magick comes from Nature and Mother Earth, from the Goddess and God; simply meditating, visualizing and asking the Goddess and God for their help, can be a type of magick to Wiccans. Wiccans also use magick that comes from natural products, such as stones, herbs, flowers, earth (salt and sand) and other naturals.
Do Witches and Wiccan worship the same deities/Gods? Not necessarily. Witches (people practicing Witchcraft) usually worship one or several Gods and/or Goddesses. Wiccans mainly worship the Goddess and God, but can worship as many or as few deities as they choose. I myself worship the God and Goddess, Anubis and Hecate. (I have worshipped Anubis since I started practicing, but I didn’t begin worshipping the God and Goddess until my second year of practice; Hecate came in by the end of my third year of practice.)
What do Witches look like? Do they wear black? Ahhh… the color black, one of my favorite colors! When people usually see a person all in black, dripping in chains and black makeup, they straightaway assume they are “devil-worshipers” or Satanists. For many Witches, the color black banishes negative energy; I guess you can say it’s a protection color. Witches come in all different shapes and sizes; some are big, small, fat and thin. Some are blonde, some are brunets, some have blue hair, and some have no hair at all! The very young can be Witches, and so can the very old. Witches are not ugly, old hags who live on a mountain top or deep in the woods. They are beautiful and sexy no matter what their age, just like any other person (I think all men and women are sexy, don’t you?) And Witches aren’t always women. Witches can be either male or female.
We can all agree that not everyone accepts that Wicca and/or Witchcraft are religions. I feel sorry for those who can’t accept that, though, the people who think THEIR religion is the one and only true one. All religions are true, and in the end they all are the same thing and end up in the same place and same meaning. But people are slowly accepting us Wiccans and accepting Wicca as a religion which is here to stay! The increased interest in spiritual and New Age topics has led many people to explore Wicca and Witchcraft, and even if these people don’t become Witches, they are incorporating many aspects of the faith into their lives. Some (and when I mean some I mean very few) people who aren’t Witches are very open-minded and accepting of Witches and Wiccans. These people are the best! They are true to their religion, whether they are Christian, Jewish, Muslim, or any other faith. If you have an accepting non-Witch friend, you are very lucky. Some people have to hide their religions, even from their closest and best friends because they wouldn’t understand.
Is there only one kind of Witch? Of course not. Just as there are many different denominations of Christians, there are various kinds of Witches. Some Witches practice rituals in covens; some follow a prescribed set of traditions, while others work alone and make up their own rituals. Some Witches draw elements of their practice from a number of different traditions, and some Witches find their traditions within their own families.
Simply put, a coven is a working group of Witches. Covens usually have one or two leaders, known as High Priestess or High Priest. The number of Witches in a coven runs between 3 and 20; some covens keep their membership to 13 or fewer because 13 is the largest number that can be comfortably accommodated in a 9-foot circle – a size considered traditional by some Witches. Covens perform magick together and engage in religious rituals, according to the tradition that they follow. A solitary Witch or Wiccan can practice any of a variety or traditions or no particular tradition at all. He or she can use none of the traditions or parts of many. As a solitary, such a Witch can design a system of worship that works best for him or her.
An eclectic Witch is just what it sounds like: someone who pulls from many different traditions, sometimes including non-European traditions such as Native American, Hawaiian, or even Buddhist. There are eclectic covens and many eclectic solitaries (like myself.) Some eclectic Witches lean more heavily on one tradition than on another without following any single sect or denomination. Basically, eclectic Witches use whatever rituals or traditions they are drawn to – and whatever works!
So, do Wicca and Witchcraft seem evil? No. Because they never were and never will be. Witches love nature, peace, harmony, animals and all humans, despite color, race, sex, age or sexual preference. We love all, and we are all one!
Copyright: Dark Witch
www.witchvox.com/va/dt_va.html?a=ustx&c=words&id=10555
Author: Dark Witch
Posted: April 9th. 2006
I’ll start off with a little bit about me. I’m a practicing Wiccan for four years now (well, more like studying for a year and three years practicing.) I try to follow the Wiccan ethics and rules (the Rede, the Threefold Law, et cetera) and I do my best to worship the God and Goddess and spirits. I celebrate the Sabbats and Esbats, meditate daily, and do ritual as often as I can. When I don’t have the time, I just light my God and Goddess candles and thank them for the blessings they’ve given me. That is my Wiccan life; how I found it is another long story!
Wicca, to me, is an earth-based, peaceful, beautiful, and spiritual religion involving a Goddess and a God. Some might think that Witchcraft and Wicca are the same. Wicca and Witchcraft are not the same, and some may think that Witchcraft is a religion while some may not; it all depends on the person’s beliefs. Witchcraft (to me) is just the magickal part of Wicca, and Wicca is the religion. As I said, though, it varies depending on personal beliefs.
True, Witchcraft is an ancient practice, and has been here since almost before most better-known religions (i.e. Islam, Christianity, et cetera.) That’s what makes Witchcraft such a powerful and mysterious practice. Wicca, on the other hand, is very new, though it is also a very powerful and mysterious religion. Ritual practices may differ between the two; for instance, Witchcraft rituals tend to be more ceremonial, and Wiccan rituals to be more sacred and special, as in the case of celebrating the Sabbats.
So what’s the difference between a person practicing Witchcraft and Wicca? People practicing Witchcraft are simply called Witches and are not required to follow any single ethic or rule; they can do as they please with the magick that they use. People practicing Witchcraft may also follow non-European practices, such as Voudun. People practicing Wicca are called Wiccans and must follow specific ethics and rules, such as the Wiccan Rede and the Threefold Law. Magick is not as important to Wiccans as it is to Witches practicing Witchcraft. A Wiccan’s magick comes from Nature and Mother Earth, from the Goddess and God; simply meditating, visualizing and asking the Goddess and God for their help, can be a type of magick to Wiccans. Wiccans also use magick that comes from natural products, such as stones, herbs, flowers, earth (salt and sand) and other naturals.
Do Witches and Wiccan worship the same deities/Gods? Not necessarily. Witches (people practicing Witchcraft) usually worship one or several Gods and/or Goddesses. Wiccans mainly worship the Goddess and God, but can worship as many or as few deities as they choose. I myself worship the God and Goddess, Anubis and Hecate. (I have worshipped Anubis since I started practicing, but I didn’t begin worshipping the God and Goddess until my second year of practice; Hecate came in by the end of my third year of practice.)
What do Witches look like? Do they wear black? Ahhh… the color black, one of my favorite colors! When people usually see a person all in black, dripping in chains and black makeup, they straightaway assume they are “devil-worshipers” or Satanists. For many Witches, the color black banishes negative energy; I guess you can say it’s a protection color. Witches come in all different shapes and sizes; some are big, small, fat and thin. Some are blonde, some are brunets, some have blue hair, and some have no hair at all! The very young can be Witches, and so can the very old. Witches are not ugly, old hags who live on a mountain top or deep in the woods. They are beautiful and sexy no matter what their age, just like any other person (I think all men and women are sexy, don’t you?) And Witches aren’t always women. Witches can be either male or female.
We can all agree that not everyone accepts that Wicca and/or Witchcraft are religions. I feel sorry for those who can’t accept that, though, the people who think THEIR religion is the one and only true one. All religions are true, and in the end they all are the same thing and end up in the same place and same meaning. But people are slowly accepting us Wiccans and accepting Wicca as a religion which is here to stay! The increased interest in spiritual and New Age topics has led many people to explore Wicca and Witchcraft, and even if these people don’t become Witches, they are incorporating many aspects of the faith into their lives. Some (and when I mean some I mean very few) people who aren’t Witches are very open-minded and accepting of Witches and Wiccans. These people are the best! They are true to their religion, whether they are Christian, Jewish, Muslim, or any other faith. If you have an accepting non-Witch friend, you are very lucky. Some people have to hide their religions, even from their closest and best friends because they wouldn’t understand.
Is there only one kind of Witch? Of course not. Just as there are many different denominations of Christians, there are various kinds of Witches. Some Witches practice rituals in covens; some follow a prescribed set of traditions, while others work alone and make up their own rituals. Some Witches draw elements of their practice from a number of different traditions, and some Witches find their traditions within their own families.
Simply put, a coven is a working group of Witches. Covens usually have one or two leaders, known as High Priestess or High Priest. The number of Witches in a coven runs between 3 and 20; some covens keep their membership to 13 or fewer because 13 is the largest number that can be comfortably accommodated in a 9-foot circle – a size considered traditional by some Witches. Covens perform magick together and engage in religious rituals, according to the tradition that they follow. A solitary Witch or Wiccan can practice any of a variety or traditions or no particular tradition at all. He or she can use none of the traditions or parts of many. As a solitary, such a Witch can design a system of worship that works best for him or her.
An eclectic Witch is just what it sounds like: someone who pulls from many different traditions, sometimes including non-European traditions such as Native American, Hawaiian, or even Buddhist. There are eclectic covens and many eclectic solitaries (like myself.) Some eclectic Witches lean more heavily on one tradition than on another without following any single sect or denomination. Basically, eclectic Witches use whatever rituals or traditions they are drawn to – and whatever works!
So, do Wicca and Witchcraft seem evil? No. Because they never were and never will be. Witches love nature, peace, harmony, animals and all humans, despite color, race, sex, age or sexual preference. We love all, and we are all one!
Copyright: Dark Witch
www.witchvox.com/va/dt_va.html?a=ustx&c=words&id=10555