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Contemporary Witchcraft (also known as Wicca) is a Pagan mystery religion rooted in European shamanic practices and traditional healing arts. It is a nature-centered religion which honors a Goddess and often a God, using magic as a tool of personal and global transformation. It is characterized by a deep respect for all living things, acceptance of personal and social responsibility, attunement to natural rhythms, healing, achieving balance between all aspects of the self and society, a sense of play and wonder, and the celebration of sensuality. It is a positive, life-affirming spirituality.
History Do my essay on Pagan CHEAP!
Modern Wicca emerged in the 150s after the last British laws against Witchcraft were repealed, when Gerald Gardner published several books describing the Craft traditions into which hed been initiated. Gardner, with the help of Doreen Valiente, developed the tradition which bears his name, combining elements from his own covens work with Rosicrucianism, mythology, Masonry, folklore, and many other sources. Variations on Gardnerian Wicca developed almost immediately, especially in the U.S., as practitioners created systems which met their particular needs. There are now roughly ten major traditions in the U.S., with thousands of variations.
It is believed that the word witch comes from the Germanic root wic, meaning to turn or to bend. The use of the terms Witch and Witchcraft are controversial among Wiccans, as some practitioners feel these words carry so many negative historical connotations that they cause more trouble than theyre worth. These Wiccans prefer the terms priest or priestess. Others feel these words should be reclaimed as terms for people (particularly women) with spiritual power. Many Witches consider the healers, midwives, and village wisewomen or cunning men of the past to be their predecessors. These peoples practices and beliefs were labeled Satanic by Inquisitors eager to end the practice of nature religions. This false stereotype persists to this day.
A Witchs worldview
Generalizations are difficult to make when describing Witchcraft or other Pagan religions, since there is no doctrine and individuals are encouraged to find their own path. However, most Witches adhere to similar general principles, some of which are described here.
The single most important element that Witches share in common is their adherence to the Wiccan Rede If it harms none, do what you will. This maxim encourages personal freedom within the context of community. Many Witches also believe in the Law of Threes or the Law of Return, which states that every energy the Witch sends forth returns to her/him threefold. Therefore, treat others with love, generosity, and respect, and receive these things back threefold. Witches generally view the world holistically, seeing all parts of existence, whether spiritual, intellectual, or sensual, as interconnected. One of the most common teachings in the Craft is to love and respect life in all its forms.
This sense of interconnection is seen in the honoring of the Goddess. Most visions of the Goddess are based on the ancient view that she encompassed all life, good and bad. Within the Goddess, there is no split between body and mind, or matter and spirit. Nature is viewed as sacred. Since we are part of nature, we are sacred as well. Witches find joy in the material as well as the spiritual worlds. Sexuality is not something dirty. Created by the Gods, it is sacred. While some Witches honor a single aspect of the Goddess, others honor the divine partnership of the Goddess and the God. Still others worship many Gods and Goddesses, whether from one culture (such as a Celtic pantheon) or from several. The Goddess is often seen in triple form, as Maiden, Mother, and Crone, while the God may be seen as both the Horned God of the Forests and the Lord of Death and Resurrection. Since many Witches believe in reincarnation, death is envisioned not as an end but merely a natural transition.
Practices and beliefs
Most Witches perform rituals to mark natural transitions, such the lunar phases, equinoxes, solstices, and traditional agrarian festivals. Witches use ritual to attune to natural rhythms, honor life transitions, and give thanks for the bounty of the Earth.
Rituals usually involve the consecration of space (usually a circle or sphere), honoring of the four Elements, invocation of deities, and a meal. While it was once considered essential to be initiated by and practice with a coven (a group of -1 members), there is now widespread acceptance of self-initiated solitaries in the Craft. Within the Circle, power is raised through meditation, chants, drumming, dance, or song. This power is used for healing or other forms of magic. Additional activities in the Circle include divination, praying, the reading of poetry, or enacting dramas (often retellings of ancient myths). Witches are initiated as priests or priestesses of Wicca; Witches participate in religious ritual without a middleman. Most Witches, to one degree or another, believe divinity resides within and can be accessed through the self, and respect one another accordingly.
Setting the record straight
Witchcraft has no relationship with Satanism; all Pagans, including Witches, emphatically disavow Satan or any other personification of evil. Satanism is a Christian heresy, while Witchcraft is a religion independent of Christianity. Witches are essentially healers, whether they heal broken bones or broken spirits. Witches are not anti-Christian or against any other positive faith. Pagans of all paths respect the individual¹s right to freedom of worship. Pagans do not prosyletize or recruit. Instead, they trust individuals to discover the spiritual path most appropriate for them.
Wiccan ethical principles temper personal freedom with personal responsibility. Federal and state courts recognize Witchcraft and other forms of Paganism as religions entitled to First Amendment protections. Wicca has been included in the U.S. Army chaplains manual since the 170s.
Two items often misunderstood by the public are the Book of Shadows and the pentagram. The former is a compendium of a covens or a Witchs ethics, rituals, spells, training techniques, and experiences. The pentagram, or five-pointed star, has been known since Babylonian times and represents, among other things, protection, the human body, the hand, the element of Earth, and perfect balance. The inverted (point down) pentagram is used as a symbol in Gardnerian Witchcraft, but in general the pentagram is shown in the upright position. Some Pagans feel the inversion of the pentagram by Satanists is as much a corruption of the Craft as is Satanists inversion of the cross a corruption of Christianity.
Lastly, while terms such as white Witch or black magic may seem like good clarifiers to separate Witches from Satanists, the terms are actually inherently racist and most Witches do not use them. Male Witches are not called warlocks, as this term derives from the Anglo-Saxon term for oathbreaker.
Witchcraft is a dynamic, demanding spiritual path, based in personal growth, natural rhythms, and an intense relationship with Divinity. Healing the self, the community, and the Earth, Witches are making positive contributions to create a healthier world.
Recommended reading
Drawing Down the Moon, Margot Adler
Encyclopedia of Witches and Witchcraft, Rosemary Ellen Guiley
To Ride a Silver Broomstick, Silver RavenWolf
The Spiral Dance, Starhawk
Wicca, Vivianne Crowley
Witchcraft Today The Modern Craft Movement, Chas S. Clifton, ed.
This information is available from PEN as a professionally-produced brochure, suitable for a broad range of educational purposes. Information was compiled from a variety of sources, including The Encyclopedia of Witches and Witchcraft by Rosemary Ellen Guiley, various books from our recommended reading list, and PENs ongoing surveys of Pagan practices. Click here to order. This information 001 PEN
PDF of this brochure
Further information on Pagan paths
Contemporary Paganism
Recommended reading list
The story of one womans journey to Witchcraft
Contemporary Witchcraft (also known as Wicca) is a Pagan mystery religion rooted in European shamanic practices and traditional healing arts. It is a nature-centered religion which honors a Goddess and often a God, using magic as a tool of personal and global transformation. It is characterized by a deep respect for all living things, acceptance of personal and social responsibility, attunement to natural rhythms, healing, achieving balance between all aspects of the self and society, a sense of play and wonder, and the celebration of sensuality. It is a positive, life-affirming spirituality.
History
Modern Wicca emerged in the 150s after the last British laws against Witchcraft were repealed, when Gerald Gardner published several books describing the Craft traditions into which hed been initiated. Gardner, with the help of Doreen Valiente, developed the tradition which bears his name, combining elements from his own covens work with Rosicrucianism, mythology, Masonry, folklore, and many other sources. Variations on Gardnerian Wicca developed almost immediately, especially in the U.S., as practitioners created systems which met their particular needs. There are now roughly ten major traditions in the U.S., with thousands of variations.
It is believed that the word witch comes from the Germanic root wic, meaning to turn or to bend. The use of the terms Witch and Witchcraft are controversial among Wiccans, as some practitioners feel these words carry so many negative historical connotations that they cause more trouble than theyre worth. These Wiccans prefer the terms priest or priestess. Others feel these words should be reclaimed as terms for people (particularly women) with spiritual power. Many Witches consider the healers, midwives, and village wisewomen or cunning men of the past to be their predecessors. These peoples practices and beliefs were labeled Satanic by Inquisitors eager to end the practice of nature religions. This false stereotype persists to this day.
A Witchs worldview
Generalizations are difficult to make when describing Witchcraft or other Pagan religions, since there is no doctrine and individuals are encouraged to find their own path. However, most Witches adhere to similar general principles, some of which are described here.
The single most important element that Witches share in common is their adherence to the Wiccan Rede If it harms none, do what you will. This maxim encourages personal freedom within the context of community. Many Witches also believe in the Law of Threes or the Law of Return, which states that every energy the Witch sends forth returns to her/him threefold. Therefore, treat others with love, generosity, and respect, and receive these things back threefold. Witches generally view the world holistically, seeing all parts of existence, whether spiritual, intellectual, or sensual, as interconnected. One of the most common teachings in the Craft is to love and respect life in all its forms.
This sense of interconnection is seen in the honoring of the Goddess. Most visions of the Goddess are based on the ancient view that she encompassed all life, good and bad. Within the Goddess, there is no split between body and mind, or matter and spirit. Nature is viewed as sacred. Since we are part of nature, we are sacred as well. Witches find joy in the material as well as the spiritual worlds. Sexuality is not something dirty. Created by the Gods, it is sacred. While some Witches honor a single aspect of the Goddess, others honor the divine partnership of the Goddess and the God. Still others worship many Gods and Goddesses, whether from one culture (such as a Celtic pantheon) or from several. The Goddess is often seen in triple form, as Maiden, Mother, and Crone, while the God may be seen as both the Horned God of the Forests and the Lord of Death and Resurrection. Since many Witches believe in reincarnation, death is envisioned not as an end but merely a natural transition.
Practices and beliefs
Most Witches perform rituals to mark natural transitions, such the lunar phases, equinoxes, solstices, and traditional agrarian festivals. Witches use ritual to attune to natural rhythms, honor life transitions, and give thanks for the bounty of the Earth.
Rituals usually involve the consecration of space (usually a circle or sphere), honoring of the four Elements, invocation of deities, and a meal. While it was once considered essential to be initiated by and practice with a coven (a group of -1 members), there is now widespread acceptance of self-initiated solitaries in the Craft. Within the Circle, power is raised through meditation, chants, drumming, dance, or song. This power is used for healing or other forms of magic. Additional activities in the Circle include divination, praying, the reading of poetry, or enacting dramas (often retellings of ancient myths). Witches are initiated as priests or priestesses of Wicca; Witches participate in religious ritual without a middleman. Most Witches, to one degree or another, believe divinity resides within and can be accessed through the self, and respect one another accordingly.
Setting the record straight
Witchcraft has no relationship with Satanism; all Pagans, including Witches, emphatically disavow Satan or any other personification of evil. Satanism is a Christian heresy, while Witchcraft is a religion independent of Christianity. Witches are essentially healers, whether they heal broken bones or broken spirits. Witches are not anti-Christian or against any other positive faith. Pagans of all paths respect the individual¹s right to freedom of worship. Pagans do not prosyletize or recruit. Instead, they trust individuals to discover the spiritual path most appropriate for them.
Wiccan ethical principles temper personal freedom with personal responsibility. Federal and state courts recognize Witchcraft and other forms of Paganism as religions entitled to First Amendment protections. Wicca has been included in the U.S. Army chaplains manual since the 170s.
Two items often misunderstood by the public are the Book of Shadows and the pentagram. The former is a compendium of a covens or a Witchs ethics, rituals, spells, training techniques, and experiences. The pentagram, or five-pointed star, has been known since Babylonian times and represents, among other things, protection, the human body, the hand, the element of Earth, and perfect balance. The inverted (point down) pentagram is used as a symbol in Gardnerian Witchcraft, but in general the pentagram is shown in the upright position. Some Pagans feel the inversion of the pentagram by Satanists is as much a corruption of the Craft as is Satanists inversion of the cross a corruption of Christianity.
Lastly, while terms such as white Witch or black magic may seem like good clarifiers to separate Witches from Satanists, the terms are actually inherently racist and most Witches do not use them. Male Witches are not called warlocks, as this term derives from the Anglo-Saxon term for oathbreaker.
Witchcraft is a dynamic, demanding spiritual path, based in personal growth, natural rhythms, and an intense relationship with Divinity. Healing the self, the community, and the Earth, Witches are making positive contributions to create a healthier world.
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