Witchcraft, a term used to describe the use of supernatural powers, is a complex and multifaceted concept. It has been a subject of debate for centuries, with some believing that witches are only imaginary beings who live in a candy house and have supernatural powers. However, modern-day witchcraft is a reality, with many real witches being young, beautiful, or even men.
The history of witchcraft and the prosecution of witches is long and complicated, but with Gottesdiener’s help, seven myths about modern-day witchcraft can be debunked. Witches are not all old women living alone in a ratchety house; many real witches are young, beautiful, or even men. Some male witches take on the name “warlock”, but this is a myth.
Witchcraft is not just about the use of magic, as it also includes covens, Wiccans, and other New Age traditions. Many witches believe in their ability to influence others through their practices. In theory, most witches believe that they can do magic as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone else. However, the witches and wizards in books and films are based on real people, not fictional entities.
In conclusion, witchcraft is a complex and real phenomenon, with various myths and practices that have shaped cultural beliefs and practices. While spells are not real, there are phenomena similar to them, such as channeling or summoning daemons.
📹 15 Real Witches That Have Been Captured On Camera
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What is the gender of a witch?
The term “gender inequality” is used to describe the unequal distribution of power and resources between men and women, which often results in a male-dominated society. The phenomenon of gender inequality is shaped by a multitude of factors, including social norms, economic status, and cultural norms.
Where do witches come from?
The history of witchcraft is a lengthy one, with its roots firmly planted in both the Bible and the classical era. Witches were frequently portrayed as winged harpies and screech-owl-like creatures, known as “strixes,” which were believed to feed on human babies. In Greek mythology, such as in the stories of Circe and Medea, there are examples of witches who possessed the ability to transform enemies into swine. In the ancient world, a number of tropes were established in relation to witches. One such example is the Three Weird Sisters from Macbeth.
What is a male witch called?
The term “witch” is primarily used in colloquial English, with women being the male equivalent. Modern dictionaries distinguish four meanings of the term: a person with supernatural powers, a practitioner of neo-pagan religion, a mean or ugly old woman, or a charming or alluring girl or woman. The term “witch” was first used to refer to a bewitching young girl in the 18th century, and “witch” as a contemptuous term for an old woman is attested since the 15th century.
How many witches died in the world?
Tens of thousands of people were executed for witchcraft in Europe and the American colonies over several centuries, with modern conservative scholars estimating around 40, 000-50, 000. Carlo Ginzburg of the University of Bologna estimates the number between 3-4 million people. Common methods of execution for convicted witches were hanging, drowning, and burning, with burning being favored in Europe due to its perceived pain. Prosecutors in the American colonies generally preferred hanging in cases of witchcraft. Examples of witch trials include Ann Hibbins’ execution in 1656 and George Jacobs’ trial in 1692.
Is witchcraft a religion?
Wicca, an alternative minority religion founded in the UK in the 1940s, is part of the contemporary pagan movement, which includes druids and heathens. Since its arrival in the US in the 1960s, Wicca has been growing, with an estimated 1. 5 million witches in the US. However, not all witches consider themselves Wiccans, with approximately 800, 000 Americans being Wiccans according to recent survey data. The increasing numbers in surveys and the growth of groups on platforms like TikTok suggest that the religion is continuing to grow.
What is the oldest religion?
Hinduism is an Indian religion or dharma, a universal order by which its followers abide. It has been called the oldest religion in the world and has been described as Sanātana Dharma, meaning “the eternal dharma”, a modern usage based on the belief that its origins lie beyond human history. Hindu texts are classified into Śruti (“heard”) and Smṛti (“remembered”). The major Hindu scriptures include the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Purānas, the Mahābhārata (including the Bhagavad Gita), the Rāmāyana, and the Āgamas.
Prominent themes in Hindu beliefs include karma (action, intent, and consequences) and the four Puruṣārthas, proper goals or aims of human life: dharma (ethics/duties), artha (prosperity/work), kama (desires/passions), and moksha (liberation/freedom from the passions and the cycle of death and rebirth). Hindu religious practices include devotion (bhakti), worship (puja), sacrificial rites (yajña), meditation (dhyāna), and yoga.
The major Hindu denominations are Vaishnavism, Shaivism, Shaktism, and the Smarta tradition. The six Āstika schools of Hindu philosophy, which recognize the authority of the Vedas, are Sānkhya, Yoga, Nyāya, Vaisheshika, Mimāmsā, and Vedānta.
Scientists regard Hinduism as a fusion or synthesis of Brahmanical orthopraxy with various Indian cultures, having diverse roots and no specific founder. This Hindu synthesis emerged after the Vedic period, between c. 500 to 200 BCE, and c. 300 CE, during the second urbanisation and early classical period of Hinduism. It flourished in the medieval period, with the decline of Buddhism in India.
Since the 19th century, modern Hinduism, influenced by western culture, has gained popularity in the West, particularly in the popularization of yoga and various sects such as Transcendental Meditation and the Hare Krishna movement.
Who was the last real witch?
Anna Göldi, an 18th-century Swiss housemaid, was one of the last people to be executed for witchcraft in Europe. Born in Sennwald, she began working as a domestic servant at age 18. At 31, she was impregnated by a mercenary who left Switzerland before giving birth. Her baby died the night it was born, and she was pilloried and sentenced to six years of house arrest.
Göldi escaped and found employment with the Zwicky family in Mollis, where she had a son with Johann Melchior Zwicky, the son of her employer. In 1780, she began working as a maid for the Tschudi family, and was reported for putting needles in the bread and milk of one of his daughters. Initially escaping arrest, Göldi was arrested and tortured under torture, admitting to entering a pact with the Devil. She withdrew her confession after the torture ended but was sentenced to execution by decapitation.
The charges were officially of “poisoning” rather than witchcraft, but the law at the time did not impose the death penalty for non-lethal poisoning. Göldi was posthumously exonerated by the government of the canton of Glarus in 2008.
What does a witch look like?
In the 1500s, witch hysteria in Europe led to the creation of visual stereotypes that portrayed witches as old, poor women with the “Evil Eye”. Women with a “crone-like” appearance, snaggle-toothed, sunken cheeks, or hairy lips were assumed to possess this trait. The broomstick emerged around the same time, derived from rumors that witchy women applied psychoactive ointments on their crotches and mounted the phallic mode of transportation. This sexist bias continued to influence the depiction of witches as sexually deviant and a hag.
Witchcraft became a capital offense in Britain in 1563, and between then and 1750, around 200, 000 witches were tortured, hung, or burned at the stake in Western Europe. A book, Malleus Maleficarum, directed witch-hunters to physically examine the female body for marks, often revealing a wart or mole that justified a witch’s killing. Shakespeare’s Macbeth, featuring the Three Witches, further fuelled this stereotype, as they appeared “wither” and wild in their attire, and their facial hair was considered “forbidden to interpret that you are so”. This description of witches as hideous, cauldron-stirring, toad-loving, and cackling social pariahs continued to shape the perception of witches in modern times.
When did witchcraft become a crime?
During the 16th and 17th centuries, religious tensions in England led to the introduction of severe penalties for witchcraft. Henry VIII’s Witchcraft Act 1541 was the first to define witchcraft as a felony, punishable by death and forfeiture of goods and chattels. It prohibited the use of devise, practice, or exercise of witchcraft, to steal money, treasure, consume, destroy, or provoke people to unlawful love or intent.
The Act also removed the benefit of clergy, which exempted accused from the King’s courts from those convicted of witchcraft. This statute was repealed by Henry’s son, Edward VI, in 1547. The act was a significant step in addressing the issue of witchcraft in England.
How can you practice magic?
Those new to the art of magic should engage in regular practice, recall that the essence of magic is the art of acting, and perform for an audience as often as possible. It is essential to cultivate confidence, infuse one’s performances with a distinctive personal style, and engage in consistent practice.
Where do witches live?
A witch’s deity may manifest a preference for wooded or forested areas. If such a deity is nature-based, it may also be situated in proximity to water bodies, including lakes, oceans, ponds, and rivers. If they are air-oriented, they may reside on hills or in tall buildings.
📹 I spent a day with REAL WITCHES
Crew ▸ Director, Creator, Writer, etc. – Anthony Padilla ▸ Assistant Producer, Co-writing & Research – Elise Felber ▸ Director …
my aunt is a witch, she says she sees spirits and does witchcraft and readings. once when i was visiting her, we ended up talking about witches and how she was a witch, I thought that was cool, so she did me and my sisters readings. she told my sister something i couldent hear, and then she told me “your just like me” And at first i was confused until i saw a spirit and got intrested in withcraft. now im a witch (in training kinda lol)
The “Rule of Three” doesn’t apply to witchcraft. Witchcraft is a practice not a religion. Like doing yoga is a practice but you don’t have to be Hindu to practice it. The “Rule of Three” is part of Wicca. Not every witch is Wiccan. Like not every person who prays is Christian. Anyone can do witchcraft. Anyways, I’ll get off my soapbox.
Well, I’m an absolute believer by now. I did a spell for an apartment, very specific features. I didn’t get the one I wanted originally, but a week later i got an even better one. I immediately felt at home in that apartment, even though at the time of the viewing it was still being renovated. I’m currently sitting in said apartment and I’ve never felt more peace in a place than I do here. Which is exactly what I asked for in my spell. It’s insane tbh.
To give another side of witches and witchcraft: We’re not all super eclectic. I dress in tee shirts and jeans most days and only bring out the super goth makeup if I wanna feel cute when I go out with my girls. I do have some crystal and bat tattoos that are covered most of the time, but for the most part my practice consists of meditating outside, gardening, and cooking. I collect pretty rocks and make soaps and bath bombs for different things like stress and love and only do spell work occasionally if it’s for something really important. And it’s not even that I believe I’m magical or that magic exists in the sense that people expect like Harry Potter, it’s that I believe in energy. The absolute truth is, I don’t know if what I do works. But if my friend is grieving a loss of a loved one, I’m gonna give them a pretty stone and meditate on them with the intention of allowing my energy to surround them so they don’t feel so alone. I’m going to use my words to connect with them and make them food using herbs and spices that are specifically tied to help with grief. So like, can you say definitively that it’s the stone or the food that helps them? No, but it’s the thought and the intention behind doing something to show them that they are loved. So even if it doesn’t, the acts of kindness themselves DO make them feel better. There is magic in everything we do and how we influence our lives and others. There is magic in the earth that allows us to grow food. There is magic in love and kindness and our actions because they do matter and they do change the world, if only for some.
Witchcraft, that you do everyday: – Blow out candles and make a wish on your birthday – Cross your fingers for good luck – covering your mouth when you yawn – having strong negative emotion towards somebody (accidental hexes and jinxs) – knocking on wood – wishing on dandelions Add more if you know them
As a witch (12 years practicing) who is currently and almost always wearing a cottage core outfit w/ mushrooms, subtle makeup, nails painted, strawberry embroidered scarf tie, a ton of jewelry (including satanic cross (no im not a devil worshiper I just think having natural human desires and loving ur self isn’t a sin)), and has a frog sitting on my head (name’s sage), I wish to say…. Thank you so much. Not all witches look the same. There isn’t one set witch aesthetic. Thank you so much.
I’m 100% not with witchcraft as a Christian, but when the article ended I got teary eyed. They seemed like nice people especially the guy. Wishing them health and safety for sure. We knew a girl that was a witch in high school and we’d (my sister &I) would come over to help her through some very hard things she was going through. 💔😢 It was my sister’s friend and I would always worry for her. She ended up doing well in life but I think about those times. She was in such a dark place and I get teary eyed thinking about how she was. I’m hoping every person in her situation can hang on and stay strong in any dark times. 🌹
thanks for the article. i did some rituals and made some wishes came true. after going out from church, got interested in rituals and fascinated with full moon. everytime i see full moon. i wanted to go home early that no one sees me staring at the moon. and seeing this article, makes me feel that im not alone. not sharing by the way about my spiritual status to anyone (fear of rejection) . but yes. misconceptions of being a witch. we’re not daughters of satan . hehehe nice to meet you !
You’ve also got magic like Thaumaturgy, Alchemy, Sympathetic Magic, Hermetic Arts which incorporate science, study, and learning into magic and belief, Necromancy (Which can be traced as far back to Ancient Greece in records and was respected to commune with the deceased via signs for example when you visit someone’s grave someone you care about and ask them to give you a sign for advice to help you in whatever you needed to invoke Necromancy for.(
as a witch, i’d like to say: not all witches follow The Wiccan Rede (rule of three/witches code/etc). Witches can be any religion, Wicca and paganism aren’t exclusive to witchcraft their just associated with it. Wicca and Paganism are different, if its only a small difference. There is heredity witchcraft, you can be born into a ‘witch family’, but its not exclusive to if your born into a ‘witch family’. theres 3 different kinds of paths, Right, Middle, and Left. the Left Hand Path (LHP) is all about self-care, shadow work (looking into yourself to be a better person, getting over trauma, etc) but is generally stereotyped for demons n crap because left = bad, even in the witchcraft community LHP is sometimes called ‘black magic’, which i disagree with. Right Hand Path (RHP) is no-hexes/negativity, all about reflecting whatever comes to you and doing the ‘positive’ thing. RHP is sometimes called ‘white magic’, which i disagree with. the Middle Hand Path (MHP) is doing a blend of both in whatever way you want as long as its a mix, most witches are MHP. edit: thank you, Alice Joe, for carrying the team and responding to all the newbie witches in the replies when i forgot to
The word wizard comes from the Middle English word ‘wys’ meaning ‘wise’. In this sense, it first appeared in English in the early 15th century. As a word used to describe a man with magical powers, wizard did not start to be used until around 1550. The modern spelling witch with the medial ‘t’ first appears in the 16th century. In current colloquial English witch is almost exclusively applied to women, and the OED has “now only dialectal” for the masculine noun.
Well, as a person who is a witch and also runs an educational website on this, it is refreshing to see a more popular website talk about this so openly and having Anthony just being really respectful about it. The amount of comments I get telling me I am going to hell and that I don’t deserve anything good in life because I am a witch, don’t know anything about me or what I practice. I never hurt anybody with my intention or my craft and my goal has always just been to educate people on my website about it. So thank you, Anthony.
5:49 My grandmother has a box wjth the full set of those cards, every day when she feels down or she needs guidence on whats her past,present,future and whats still coming in the future, she does this to know what might happen, but she told me that some times its like a warning or it might happen in the future, but like after a specific person came into my family (his gone for very private reasons) I’ve noticed my grandmother or if my aunt does it,sometimes me, its always the same card for the past or present;the moon card,but yea my grandmother is religious but shes supportive and she only does this to know what might happen So to everyone else stay safe, you are beautiful people Also I would like to say that this article made me understand or learn a bit more about witches so like, i rlly enjoyed this article😁👌
whats interesting is how spells and things can’t work in a religious eye, but a prayer can. They can be seen in a very similar light. Like Shana said, she got money after doing a spell, and while growing up religious, I’ve heard stories about people who needed money and said a prayer and got the money they needed.
one of my friends is a pagan witch it is so hard to play mafia with them. At a Halloween party recently we played mafia and i was the killer. If i didnt get voted out in the last round i wouldve won. I lost because they felt “Bad vibes” from me. I say its cheating because they used witchcraft Also im really intrigued about it so im going to end up a witch eventually
In parts of South Africa (where I live) you’re set on fire if there’s a rumour that you’re a witch…. I brought my deck of Tarot cards to school a few times, to practice on friends, and so many kids thought I was satanic and said their parents warned them against cards and “reading the future” but when I did their cards they were so excited and interested in how accurate the cards told their past and present so shrugs
As a witch myself, I’m really glad to see that someone actually cares about our real lifes. We do not eat children, we do not live in dark caves, we do not necessarily worship Satan. We are just normal people who are paying more attention to our surroundings, have our own beliefs and practice witchcraft to get a deeper connection to earth, the elements and ourselves (+ we use energies to reach our goals and do the fun stuff). Witchcraft is everywhere, everyone can discover it for themselves. It is not even a religion, there are a few based on witchcraft (f.e. wicca) but overall it’s without any rules and it is the most open-minded and tolerating “life style” I know.
I am also someone that was accidentally practicing witchcraft lol. Up until recently I thought that only wiccans/pagans could be witches. I’ve been playing around with tarot cards, pendulums, scrying, and doing little rituals every once in awhile, since I was a young kid. My grandmother, who practices witchcraft, explained to me that I could technically call myself a witch despite the fact that I don’t actually follow any specific religion.
I have a friend who’s a witch. They’ve been teaching me about some things because I’m kind of getting into it. At first I was a little scared because the first thing they did was give me a ton of warnings after describing their complicated relationship with the ghost upstairs… But after thinking about it, I’m actually really interested!
3:20 the rule of three only applies to Wiccans or those who believe in the Rede. I am a witch, but I am not wiccan, I don’t follow the law of three; I believe in karma but that I am her instrument and not a pawn. Also, I don’t believe in turning the other cheek, which is what the Rede essentially says to do. As someone who’s been through trauma, and been abused, there are some cases where giving Karma a clear target is important at times. I do still respect wiccans, it’s simply their beliefs 🙂 in the end we’re all striving for the same goals. Witches are healers. We’re stuarts and guardians of nature, and a voice for those who can’t speak, and defender of those who can’t fight.
My mother is pagan and I’ve been to a pagan festival before and honestly dude, they’re so fucking supportive of like almost anything that doesn’t hurt others. They accepted me for being gay a furry and an atheist, hell I even saw my teacher there as it was a local event. There were prostrates screaming about Jesus but we still had fun. Everyone should be more like pagans.
My mom had given me a vast array of books and supplies to practice with and every spell that I’d performed even from a young age had some fantastic result because I have always believed. In time, I found that my anti-bullying, healing, and weather dictation spells were the most effective. By the time I was 13, I found out that there were repercussions for doing a love spell on someone, it would temporarily work and then I’d realize it wasn’t for the best. Spells to draw love to me would always be the way, and spells to do something to help build yourself and let other people be would always manifest a happier outcome.
To be honest I never took witchcraft seriously until I met my great aunt, who could do some seriously unexplainable stuff. I never really got how she did it, but it nearly always worked. She was from Germany and kind of an outcast in our family. Most of our family members don’t like to talk about her, but I absolutely adore her especially in retrospective since she has told me so much about nature, the human soul and and the energy holding this whole world together. She even told me an old Germanic chant which I still perform during times where I feel sad, down or lost. It has always has helped me a lot. Like many of the rituals she showed me I have no idea what it actually means, but it never mattered and only adds to the magic in my opinion. For anyone curious and in need of help here it is: Hier fliegen gleich die Löcher aus dem Käse Denn nun geht sie los unsere Polonäse Von Blankenese bis hinter Wuppertal Wir ziehen los mit ganz großen Schritten Und Erwin fasst der Heidi von hinten an die Schulter Rest in Peace great aunt, thank you so much I’ll never forget you 😔❤️
About 6 years ago in New Mexico my cousin was killed by a “witch” He was literally sacraficed in the middle of a desert while on a hike. Stabbed 16 times. The woman who did it said that it was “necessary” for her lifestyle. Just throwing this out there as the topic of witches always gets me thinking
3 years ago my father and I got into an argument and I wished death upon him. He died of organ failure 3 weeks later. so every year since then ive lit a candle infront of a window and whipered to it(talking to him and saya im sorry and I miss him) and then I blow it out. he also comes in my dreams asking how im doing and if I got a job yet lol.
As a witch I found this article a bit hard to get through. Not because I don’t like learning about other witches but there was something uncomfortable about it. Openly talking about your path as a witch can be scary if you’re afraid of ridicule and ridicule is inevitable with what we do. I wish there was more open acceptance for witches so that we could have more public spaces to learn from each other. Especially physical spaces, not just online (after this pandemic is over of course). I’m not talking Hogwarts-esque schools but open courses and an easier way to find like minded witches for a coven.
Think about this. Witchcraft means “wise art”. Witch means wise, craft means art. Wise art. So no, witches, satanists, pagans, occultists, or anyone else that practices witchcraft at all does NOT do blood sacrifices because 1: they’re cruel and disgusting, and 2: there’s nothing wise or artistic about them. Occult doesn’t mean devil worshipping. It means “hidden”. The occult is the study of hidden knowledge. You don’t even need to practice witchcraft to be an occultist. Just thought I’d throw that occult part in there too because why not?
something that i find funny is that my mother is a certified reiki healer and used to do reiki healing. i recently tried to research witchcraft more in depth and wanted to practice it more professionally. i kind of brought it up to my mom, and she was all against it. I just have to laugh cause she has a literal ROOM dedicated to Crystals, she regularly sages out house, does tarot readings and what not but she is super against the idea of witchcraft. sorry for the story lmao, this article just reminded me of this.
You know I’m starting to realize I do some pretty witchy stuff, like I do tarot readings (FOR LIKE REFLECTING ON MYSELF NOT PREDICTING FUTURES AND STUFF LIKE THAT-), I collect plants, I’m pretty into dressing up as a witch now for Halloween, I have floating candles, I like Kiki’s delivery service, etc…. But we are human, all different and complex with different Interests, so im just going to stay me
Notes from a practicing witch: -Not all witches believe in the three fold law magic is mostly off of intuition, there’s not really a “witches bible” most of it is just creating relationships with different plants or energies or crystals and what have you and manipulating those to concoct what I think of as a sentence. -Witchcraft and wicca are not synonymous (any witch can be wiccan, not every wiccan is a witch) -so true on the acceptance thing, I haven’t told most of my family bc we had a burning of the witch ceremony that low-key traumatized me on the level of spirituality Also notice how many views this has? Ok, bout to go do some knot magic, peace ✌️
I swear that male witch got the whole “shutting someone up with a cow tongue” from The Devils Advocate movie. Imo the only one that comes off as a real witch in this interview is the older lady simply because looking at her you wouldn’t know she was a witch, the other two come off as more of a look and less of a lifestyle.
i think what happens a lot with different beliefs similar, that have predictive or influencing (of a persons actions) qualities, is that even if you dont believe in any of it, seeing it written down, being told what something is, or performing an action to get to a goal (like a ritual) is reassuring. its soothing to the mind, that something is answering, even if its not accurate. being alone is scary for humans, and sometimes its difficult to reach out, but these beliefs gives you something entirely private and personal to reach out to
Children and witches actually tend to get along great 🤷♀️ children are inherently magical. They haven’t been taught to become blind to natural magic or abandon their natural ability to sense energies yet. This is why you’ll hear so many stories of children talking about the ghosts they have talked to or seen, or about their past lives, or how they find so much wonder in leaves and sticks and rocks.