Do Asians Practice Witchcraft?

Witchcraft in West Asia has a complex history influenced by cultural, spiritual, and societal factors. Ancient practices were evident in societies like Egypt and Babylonia, as seen in the Code of Hammurabi. The persistence of sorcery and witchcraft beliefs and practices into modern globalizing realities is a recurrent issue in the volume. Asian witches are common throughout Asia and differ from Western Wicca and paganism.

In China, due to the fusion of witchcraft with Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism, the ancient Chinese take a relatively ambiguous attitude towards witchcraft. However, stronger and negative shamanism is still practiced, believed, and effective according to the sender and receiver.

East Asia has diverse witchcraft traditions, such as Gong Tau in Chinese culture, Japanese folklore featuring witch figures who employ foxes as familiars, and Korean history including instances of individuals being condemned for using spells. Malay magic has roots in Javanese and Arabic sorcery, so anything can’t truly be called Asian witchcraft.

In parts of the Philippines, Kulam (a Tagalog word meaning “magic spell”, “curse”, or “witchcraft”) is a popular tradition. Witches from this region perform malign magic and sorcery, and it is believed that Taoist-based magical practices and mysticism are excluded from pagan and witchcraft communities.

Witchcraft holds a perennial fascination for scholars and the public at large, and there is no Asian traditional witchcraft equivalent to Wicca. In the Western context, ancient beliefs and descriptions of magic and witchcraft in Greek and Roman literature had an impact on ideas of witchcraft in modern times.

Is witchcraft illegal in India?

India lacks a common central law criminalizing witchcraft, but state laws exist. Kerala has been urged to introduce a new law to curb superstitious practices following deaths linked to witchcraft rituals. Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Telangana have been identified as the states with the most witchcraft cases, accounting for 49 out of 68 registered cases in the country, according to the 2021 National Crime Records Bureau report.

What religion is witchcraft?

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.

Do Wiccans believe in God?

Wicca and Druidry are two religious traditions with distinct beliefs. Wicca is primarily based on a horned male god and a moon goddess, with the Dianic Wicca focusing on only the goddess. Some wiccans believe in both gods and goddesses, while others prioritize the goddess. Druidry, originating from King Arthur’s legends, is connected to Arthuriana through the Loyal Arthurian Warband, a Druidic group that uses Arthurian symbolism in its environmental movement.

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.

Was there witchcraft in Europe?

In Early Modern European tradition, witches were often women, and European pagan beliefs were associated with the goddess Diana. Between 1450 and 1750, there were an estimated 110, 000 witchcraft trials in Europe, with half of the accused being executed. Witch-hunts first appeared in southern France and Switzerland during the 14th and 15th centuries, with peak years in southwest Germany from 1561 to 1670.

It was believed that individuals with power and prestige were involved in witchcraft and cannibalism, possibly due to Europe’s involvement in the slave trade, which negatively affected the lives of many in the Atlantic World.

Christian clergy were seen as more effective in working magic than Roman paganism, and Christianity provided a methodology involving saints and relics, similar to the gods and amulets of the Pagan world. As Christianity became the dominant religion in Europe, its concern with magic lessened.

Is witchcraft illegal in China?

Chinese authorities often label religious activities outside the five officially recognized religions as “superstition” or “evil cults”. This is due to Chinese law prohibiting witchcraft and sorcery, and opposing folk religious practices with superstitious elements. Master Yang, or “Miao Sheng”, emerged on social media in 2023 and gained a significant following. Yang is a member of the Miao ethnic group, renowned for its shamans and witches who offer spiritual advice and interact with spirits. Miao folk beliefs are modernized, combining Miao folk beliefs with Buddhist and Taoist themes. Yang’s popularity has led to him becoming an internet celebrity beyond Guizhou.

What does Hinduism say about witchcraft?

Many Hindus and Muslims believe that magic, witchcraft, or sorcery can influence people’s lives. India has a diverse range of religious traditions, with some beliefs crossing religious lines. For example, Hindus and Jains believe the Ganges River has the power to purify, while Indian Christians and Muslims also share this belief. Muslims are equally likely to believe in the concept of karma, which is not inherent to Islam. A majority of Hindus, Muslims, and Christians believe in some form of heaven.

However, some mainstream beliefs are not held by most members of a certain group. For example, reincarnation is not a majority belief in any religious community in India, with only 40 of Hindus, 23 of Jains, and 18 of Buddhists and Sikhs in India saying they believe in it. Similarly, miracles are central to the story of Jesus in Christian scripture, but only about half of India’s Christians believe in them.

Were there witches in Asia?

East Asia has a rich history of witchcraft, with various traditions and beliefs. Chinese culture, for instance, uses black magic for revenge and personal gain. Japanese folklore features witch figures using foxes as familiars. Korean history includes instances of individuals being condemned for using spells. The Philippines has its own tradition of witches, often countered by indigenous shamans. West Asia’s witchcraft has a complex history influenced by cultural, spiritual, and societal factors.

Ancient practices were evident in societies like Egypt and Babylonia, as seen in the Code of Hammurabi. Abrahamic religions, such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, had varying attitudes towards magic. This evolving landscape reflects the interplay between cultural beliefs and societal norms, shaping the enduring presence of witchcraft in the region’s history.

Are there witches in Chinese folklore?

Shumu, also known as Shuimu Niangniang, is a water demon, spirit, or witch of Buddhist and Taoist origin in Chinese mythology. She is associated with the youngest sister of the transcendent White Elephant, Buddha’s gate-warder. According to Chinese folklore, Shuimu submerged Sizhou, an ancient Chinese city, under the waters of Hongze Lake in 1574 A. D. She is currently sealed at the foot of a mountain in Xuyi District.

Shuimu is also referred to as The Old Mother of Waters, Fountain Goddess, and Sea Goddess. She has been described in some sources as a woman who can turn into a snake or dragon. According to Henri Dorés “Researches into Chinese Superstitions”, in her “human” form, she carries a sword, two buckets, and black hair with a youthful appearance.

According to Chinese folklore, Shuimu inundated Sizhou yearly, and Yu Huang, or the Jade Emperor, raised an army to capture her and deprive her of her powers. However, Shuimu tricked the army and escaped, continuing to wreak havoc upon the city. One day, Li Laojun, a famous philosopher from Dao, suspected Shuimu was going to attack Sizhou and led a donkey to drink the water from the buckets. However, the donkey couldn’t finish all the water, as the buckets contained the sources of the five great lakes. Shuimu saw through Li Lao’s scheme and overturned one of the buckets with her foot, creating a massive flood that submerged the city.

Where did witchcraft originate?

Witchcraft in Europe dates back to classical antiquity, with accused witches often women who were believed to have used black magic or maleficium against their community. These accusations were often made by neighbors and social tensions, and were believed to be thwarted by protective magic or counter-magic. Suspected witches were often intimidated, banished, attacked, or killed, and were often formally prosecuted and punished. European witch-hunts and witch trials led to tens of thousands of executions.

Although magical healers and midwives were sometimes accused of witchcraft themselves, they made up a minority of those accused. European belief in witchcraft gradually dwindled during and after the Age of Enlightenment.

Indigenous belief systems also define witches as malevolent and seek healers and medicine people for protection against witchcraft. Some African and Melanesian peoples believe witches are driven by an evil spirit or substance. Modern witch-hunting takes place in parts of Africa and Asia. Today, followers of certain types of modern paganism self-identify as witches and use the term witchcraft for their beliefs and practices.

Are Wicca and witchcraft the same thing?

Wicca, also known as Witchcraft or “the Craft”, is a religion that encompasses various theological views, including theists, atheists, and agnostics. Some view the religion’s deities as literal entities, while others view them as Jungian archetypes or symbols. Even among theistic Wiccans, there are divergent beliefs, including pantheists, monotheists, duotheists, and polytheists.

Theological views within Wicca are diverse, with some viewing the deities as forms of ancient, pre-Christian divinities. Early Wiccan groups adhered to the duotheistic worship of a Horned God and a Mother Goddess, believed to have been ancient deities worshipped by hunter-gatherers of the Old Stone Age. This theology was derived from Egyptologist Margaret Murray’s claims about the witch-cult in her book The Witch-Cult in Western Europe.

The name of these deities was kept secret within the tradition, but in 1964, they were publicly revealed to be Cernunnos and Aradia. The term “Witches” has been used as a synonym for witchcraft more generally in popular culture, such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Charmed.

In popular culture, the term “Wicca” has been used as a synonym for witchcraft more generally, including in non-religious and non-Pagan forms. Theological views within Wicca are influenced by various perspectives, including pantheists, monotheists, duotheists, and polytheists.