What Is Witchcraft?
Witchcraft is a very general term that incorporates many practitioners of magic(k) and nature based religions, the newest and most well known of these religions being Wicca. The word Wicca comes from the older word ‘wicce’ which means either ‘the wise’ or ‘to bend’
The word ‘Witch’ actually means ‘Magic Maker’. Generally speaking Witches are Pagans. Many people believe that paganism is a religion but others call it a system of beliefs or a culture. The terms Witchcraft, Wicca and Paganism are often used interchangeably adding confusion to a great body of knowledge that is generally misunderstood by those not directly involved.
What we’re calling Traditional Witchcraft has an older history than Wicca, but a much less well-defined one. Witchcraft has been around since the beginning of mankind, long before people could write about it.
Traditional Witchcraft
Traditional Witchcraft is different to Wicca in it’s relationship to Deity or deities. Wiccans worship a Goddess regarding her as the supreme being. Traditional Witches do not worship any entity as their superior, they may recognize the existence of other entities. They believe in the equality of all beings in the Universe, seeing them as different, separate, but never superior or inferior.
A traditional witch may speak of the god and the goddess, usually referring to the female and male aspects of Nature, and while they revere and respect Nature, they do not worship it or its representatives. A Wiccan may speak in similar terms but Wiccan rituals make it clear that the Goddess and God are seen as superior beings to be worshipped. This dualism forms the basic foundation of Wiccan theology, the necessary feminine and masculine components of creative energy. Traditional Witchcraft, however incorporates a number of spirits/deities into a meaningful whole.
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