British Traditional Wicca (BTW) is a religious belief system that originated in 1940s England and is considered specific to similar traditions, excluding newer, eclectic ones. It is often mistaken for Modern Witchcraft, which is an offshoot of Roman Catholicism. When people in Britain describe themselves as Wiccan, they generally mean they are practicing a form of religious Witchcraft. The Gardnerian Tradition, formed after the Witchcraft Laws were repealed in Britain, is still thriving today.
BTW is an all-purpose category used to describe some of the New Forest traditions of Wicca. Gardnerian and Alexandrian are forms of British Traditional Witchcraft. Traditionalist Witchcraft, or Trad Witchcraft, is often mistaken for Wicca, but it is not necessary for witches to be pagan or witch to practice witchcraft.
Gardinian Wicca, or Gardnerian witchcraft, is a tradition in the neopagan religion of Wicca, whose members can trace initiatory descent from Gerald Gardner. Traditional witches can be both Pagan and Witchcraft, but traditional witches have no “faith”.
Modern pagan witchcraft, commonly known as Wicca, emerged publicly in England in the 1950s, influenced by the Gardnerian tradition. Wicca and Alexandrian Wicca are also forms of British Traditional Witchcraft. Alexander Sanders, often called the “King of Witches”, along with Maxine Sanders, are considered the oldest and original form of Modern Witchcraft, what later became known as Wicca.
📹 Folk Witchcraft and Traditional Witchcraft: What’s the Difference?
What is British paganism?
Pre-Christian times in Britain were influenced by the natural world and the threat posed by elements. The inhabitants worshipped their ancestors, burying them in barrows and performing rituals to influence weather and harvest. However, around 3, 000 BC, Britain’s climate changed drastically, leading to the end of the ancestor cult and Britons turning to nature for fortune. William Dalrymple examines the religious systems that came and went in Britain in the centuries leading up to the Christian era, highlighting why and how these traditions still matter today.
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.
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.
Is there a school of witchcraft in the UK?
The Bothwell School of Witchcraft offers a unique experience for those interested in becoming a real-life student of magic. The school offers a four-day stay, full board, with a focus on character interaction and storytelling. Participants are sorted into a house, participate in lessons, attend a banquet, explore the grounds, and meet various creatures. The event is similar to a murder mystery, with participants playing a role and interacting with other characters. The school provides robes, wand, and good humor. The school caters to all backgrounds and allows participants to get as much or as little involved as they like, ensuring a great time.
What is a pagan British slang?
Pagan refers to a person who moves between gangs or has no affiliation. Understanding the terms “home” and “environment and safety” is crucial for maintaining community safety and crime. It’s important to note unfamiliar terms and search for them on urbandictionary. com. Brands can be expensive, and young people may question their ability to afford items worth hundreds or thousands of pounds.
How many Wiccans are there in the UK?
The UK has a significant population of 126, 980, with 93, 686 people practicing paganism, 13, 056 practicing Wicca, and 7, 904 practicing Shamanism. Stonehenge is a significant part of some modern neo-druidic practices. The Modern Pagan movement is primarily represented by Wicca and Neopagan witchcraft, Druidry, and Heathenry. In the 2011 UK Census, 74, 631 people in England, Scotland, and Wales identified as either Pagan or a member of a specific Modern Pagan group.
What is the difference between a witch and a Wiccan?
Wicca, a reconstructionist religion founded by Gerald Gardner in the 1950s, has a structure and rules, while witchcraft is a practice. Many witches don’t consider themselves Wiccans, and Wicca is becoming outdated for many people. Despite this, Wicca has influenced the landscape of witchcraft in North America, and the author shares her journey with All Things Considered. Despite being skeptical of religion and spirituality, she began her journey with Wicca to explore the world of witchcraft and its influence on modern practices.
Is witchcraft still illegal in the UK?
The Witchcraft Act 1735 in Great Britain replaced traditional penalties for witchcraft with penalties for pretence. People who claimed to have the power to call up spirits, foretell the future, cast spells, or discover stolen goods were punished as vagrants and con artists, subject to fines and imprisonment. This Act repealed the 1563 Scottish act and the 1604 English act. The Witchcraft Act 1735 remained in force until its repeal with the Fraudulent Mediums Act 1951.
The Fraudulent Mediums Act was repealed in 2008 by new Consumer Protection Regulations following an EU directive targeting unfair sales and marketing practices. The Witchcraft Suppression Act, 1957 of South Africa, is still in force and was based on the Witchcraft Act 1735. The Act, passed by the Massachusetts Bay Colony General Court in 1692, aimed to combat evil and wicked spirits.
What are the different branches of Wicca?
The Wiccan religion encompasses a multitude of traditions, including Hereditary, Gardnerian, Alexandrian, Celtic, and Traditionalist, with numerous traditions encompassing both individual practitioners and groups.
What is witchcraft in early modern England?
Witchcraft was believed to involve various practices, including alchemy, astrology, and dealing with the devil. In the early modern period, witches were believed to make pacts with the devil in exchange for powers. In Scotland, the focus was on the demonic pact. Witches were no longer seen as healers or helpers but as the cause of natural and man-made disasters, such as livestock troubles, unknown diseases, and unpredicted weather changes.
Lady Alice Kyteler, the first witch condemned in Ireland, was accused of animal sacrifice, creating potions to control others, and possessing a familiar animal companion, which was often thought to be possessed by a spirit aiding witches in their magic.
📹 WICCA VS TRADITIONAL WITCHCRAFT – Which Path Should You follow?
Which path are you more drawn towards? Share below in the comments! Videos Mentioned: All About Samhain: …
As usual, I watch my article back and realised more things I should’ve said!! Expanding more on traditional witchcraft eclectic philosophies, here I refer to the idea that many TW traditions will draw from many spirits or deities from European folklore and amalgamate them into an idea of a divine archetype. If anyone’s read The Call of the Horned Piper by Nigel Jackson – this is what I mean 😂 Also – regarding groups in this idea of folk witchcraft, definitely something to consider are hereditary folk magical paths that get passed down through families! Again, this can often be paths unique to the family and closed as a path, which may not call itself folk witchcraft but in what we call “folk witchcraft” today, can fall under that label.
This was so interesting and I really appreciate you taking the time to explain this often confusing subject! Very timely, as I want to read more on both British Folk Witchcraft and Traditional Witchcraft. As someone who lives in New England I think US witches have trouble with “regional” witchcraft, as it didn’t really exist. I am part Mohawk, and while we have our own animistic ways, our own traditions, some have died out with our people and those of us who are not full-blooded or live on reserves have little access to the practices, though I have good relationships with our council. My father is English, and since most of the original white settlers in this particular area came from England, English folk magic seems to be the most prominent survival. But with 2 Swedish aunts and a Norwegian best friend, who introduced me to the Norse pantheon when I was a wee thing, that became a big part of my practice, but I am not Asatru nor belong to any other group, and am a solitary practitioner. Categories/titles are hard! Hence the Hearthwitch. I am definitely a Folk Witch but with influences from three different backgrounds!! I also had a Lithuanian Aunt who was Catholic with a leaning toward Slavic Folk and a Pennsylvania Dutch Aunt who adorned her house with Hex signs, but was definitely more of a Bible thumper! Thank you for this article!
First: the big mug is hypnotic!!! Need!!! Edit: can confirm my experience of folk witchcraft from being raised in Italy and now researching italian folk magic is that regionality and locality really is a thing: what we did in my village is sinilar to what eastern france used to doand has something in common with say, neapolitan tradition, but the further away geographically the thinner the shared points of contact become. One examplary thing is how every region of Italy has their variations for divination card decks
Great article as always! I identify myself mostly today as a “Welsh Folk Witch”, though I will be honest and say that I identify this way mostly for ease. If I were to say to someone casually that I am a “Swynydd” or “Swynwraig” who practices “Swyngyfaredd blended with modern traditions of magic”…I think most people would just go “whaaat???”. So it’s just easier to say I practice a Welsh stream of “Folk Witchcraft”. A Witchcraft that is inspired and informed primarily by the folk traditions of the past and present, my local landscape, the teachings of my mentors, and my own personal relationship with my culture, land, and local spirits. I used to identify as a “Traditional Witch” because I believed that term to be a bit broad and expansive and a descriptor for exactly what I just described above. However, I started realising that when I said I was a “Traditional Witch” people would assume I was Cochranian, or part of a similar “tradition” as that. So I’ve moved away from that recently. “Folk Witchcraft” just sits nicely with my own practice. A Witchcraft which is of my folk, my people, my land, my community, my history, and my locale. Inspired and informed by the past, yet rooted in the here and now.
I loved this article! I completely agree. I identify as a folkloric sabbatic witch. My practice is based on witch lore and folk devil lore of my ancestry. I’ve been trying to find resources on both kinds of magic but its hard. Some sabbatic currents see the folk devil as lucifer, others see the folk devil as the horned god. In my folk tradition some see the folk devil as straight up satan. Then when it comes to authors, some like Shani Oates fail to see that the witch lord and lady are essentially the same as the wiccan old ones but pass it off as luciferian. Most people lump every path you talked about in the article as traditional witchcraft simply because its non-wiccan.
Blessings! As an Appalachian folk witch (sometimes called granny witch), I use both regional witchcraft and traditional witchcraft in my practice. I appreciate this informative article! However, because witchcraft is a practice and not a religion, I feel that each witch’s craft is unique to them, and no two witches will practice exactly the same way. This is what makes witchcraft so beautiful — you create your own path by following what resonates with you and leaving behind what doesn’t. Trying to put a label on every “type” of witch doesn’t serve me at all, and only confuses and upsets people in the craft (in my experience). Live and let live, so mote it be ❤
Let me see if I got this right, because I understand your point and actually I think I have the same idea… Or mostly a something very similar: For me “Traditional Witchcraft” and “Folk Witchcraft” have common dots that are intertwined like: the use of magic, connecting with the landscape / bioregion and traditions. And one OF THE MOST important dots between them is “traditions” but is at the same time the reason of why they are different from each other: Because, what exactly constitutes a tradition is from where this “practices” get separated. Because Folk Witchcraft, will directly drive their practices from: family heritage, local traditions, land and geographical areas to embrace this magic in a way it can be categorized as unique to the place it belongs and it’s faitful or rooted significantly to the source and it doesn’t follows any type of “universal” principles to do it because this type of witchcraft is only inspired by how it was done in that place specifically. While, “Traditional Witchcraft” it’s more eclectic practice where we can go from one place to other, looking for the “old traditions” and doing the same research, but while we are doing that and embracing the magical knowledge of this pre-christians old ways of working with magic and understanding magic, we don’t have to label us to just one place specifically or permanently, but we can make use of this “old ways” to make some magic. So in my view: In essence, Folk Witchcraft tries to honour the magical practices of a specific zone or place or family heritage not necessarily removing aspects like religious syncretisim if they have and even can go very deep on the magical lore and spiritual practices around that dimension while their remain untouched.
Hi, Ari! I have only been learning for 2 years on my own. I am animistic and appreciated fairy and fae folk, but I am in the city and most nature is experienced through a article screen. I have used the term folk, but I having trouble with it because of lack of connection with the local area even though I have lived here for a long time. I have done a lot of research, and find I am intuitively driven. I do things when I feel a need. What should I call myself?
I’m from Brazil, and I am a multiethnic person (Iberian-African-Amerindian descent). I usually define myself as a “polytheistic and animist witch.” However, after perusal your article, I realized that my practices are more aligned with Folk Witchcraft than Traditional Witchcraft. But which folklore? That’s the hardest question. What can I incorporate into my practices and beliefs without appropriating from other cultures, whose people might get upset? Indeed, I have three centered devotions: to some African (Osanha) and Afro-Brazilian (a spirit that my grandparent used to worship) entities, to Greek – Roman deities (Hekate and Diana), and to the land and local spirits, both from my bio-cultural region and from my home. I consider this to be ethical, but sometimes I wonder, how can I be sure how ethical it is? It’s a little bit more complicated at the ex-colonies…
One of the big issues with modern labels is they are just that, modern labels. 200 years ago, 100 years ago people weren’t calling themselves ‘Traditional witch’ or ‘Folkloric witch’ they were just practicing cunningcraft. I wouldn’t necessarily say ‘anything goes’ in folk witchcraft, you’re still dependant upon the traditions you decide to take on and this is the major crux of the matter. whereas traditional witchcraft is organic in a tradition sense, folk witchcraft as it is right now is stagnant because so many rely on the old folklore material to inform them of practices and customs. I know plenty of folk witches who are striving to bring it into the 21st century, and that can mean a lot of ridiculousness gets added. what folk witches lack, in my opinion, and I say this as one… is a worldview. so many folk practicioners seem to emerge from first having explored Paganism or Wicca and try to apply those worldviews when the reality is folklore and folkpractices as being practiced emerged from the Christian worldview. So it’s complicated. The other big issue is this thing of bioregionalism because again, people become reliant on what scant evidence exists for their region and in some cases (such as, Cornwall, or Hertfordshire, or the County of Durham) if a folklorist didn’t write down the practices by the 20th century a lot of those practices died out… so the only thing people have are to look more broadly.
Yes but there is Traditional witchcraft and traditional witch with a little “t”. Anyone who claims to follow the old ways capital T I respect but I don’t know how accurate that would be without maybe potentially access to that information . I do flow a little t traditional witchcraft using as much as we can with modern infusion . Bioregional and blend I do agree heavily .
Great article! Thank you for sharing. I consider myself a Wiccan for almost a year now. I was brought up in the Christian faith. In the beginning learning stages of Wicca I had a lot of soul searching to do. Like you mentioned, was indoctrinated by Christian upbringing. The journey has a been a great one. I consider myself a practicing witch and my new found religion is now Wicca. I do follow the Wiccan Reade, it’s what works for me. What I love about Wicca is that it’s so inclusive of your belief system. You can believe in as many gods and goddesses as you want, or none at all. Was an alien concept compared to Christianity, as I delved into this new path. I have never felt so alive and intuned with myself, as I am now. I don’t know if I will always be a Wiccan. However, that’s the beauty of all this- it’s that you get too choose what’s right for you and not the other way around. I will always respect other religions.( Christianity) because it was a part of my life for so long. But as I stand now, an earth-based religion is where I want to stay.
Just found you. Im a traditional witch, born and raised! We go back many generations. Loved your information and how you described both. One thing i wanted to tell you is that family history and traditions also are a big part of trad witchcraft. My family has rituals etc thst are completely different from other families, even in the same area..if you have family of your own, one day your own traditions, rituals will be passed on. Its like any other family stuff really. All families in whatever religion have their own ways that get carried forward with new generations.im in england, Yorkshire but origionally from further north. I grew up in south africa so a lot of their stuff got incorporated into our familys ways. So now, in yorkshire we have my northern english and African mixture of the craft spreading through my family and their families. Please excuse the very bad typing. I have trouble with my hands these days so i hope this message makes sense. Bright blessings be upon you and yours dear. Much love from an old English lady❤
Olivia, the Witch of Wonderlust recommended this article and I’m glad she did. Your article is very informative and it was refreshing to get a take on both sides. I do think that Wicca is very interesting and beautiful in itself, however, since I’m not baptized and consider myself as an atheist, I think I’m more like a traditional beginner witch. I’m just more into the magical practice than into Wiccan religion. So thank you for doing this article ^^ 💗
I am on a traditional witchcraft path. Growing up I use to still to this day respect nature and whenever something bad happens to the earth I can feel my soul crying out. Also, there is so much I have experienced that I don’t know if Wicca would be understanding of me. My heart and soul are definitely on the right path of traditional witchcraft.
I think Wicca is the easy entry point to Paganism. After a while, lets say 1-2 years, most people choose a more specific tradition like Druidry, what we call “Trad. Witchcraft”, Asatru, Shamanism or simply Eclectic Paganism. Wicca is becoming more a dogmatic religion every year, with rules and concepts that are hard to escspe. I’m not a follower or any Rede anymore and I, for my part, cannot identify myself as a duologist. I’m a hard polytheist practicing Druidry and Witchcraft in a Celtic-Irish tradition. However, I have nothing against Wicca. I still own many books on Wicca and I’ll never part away with them!
Initiatory Wicca (Traditional Wicca)and Eclectic/Solitary Wicca are really two very different paths, and other then the surface leave they have very different belifes and practices. Now Folkloreic Witchcraft (Aka Traditional Witchcraft) is still yet another spiritual path. I think all these path are lumped together, but there all very different things.
From my understanding the sabbats aren’t Wiccan the Wiccans just celebrate the sabbats. People who celebrate say Yule/Samhain etc aren’t necessarily Wiccan nor did the sabbats originate from the Wiccan religion, but rather these festivals/holidays were Pagan and later adopted by the Wiccans. Again I’m about 80-90% sure of this, but I’m not expert.
A very balanced presentation, which canvases a wide spectrum of paths. I have read, and found personally very helpful, the book’s written by Cunningham and Buckland. I would also recommend “A Witches Bible,” by Janet and Stewart Farrar, as a terrific resource, a good read! Finally, I found “The Witches’ Craft,” authored by Raven Grimassi to be exceptionally well researched and documented. Honestly, I am so grateful these people took the time to research and write such great books!
Great article, new subscriber here. I started years ago as a Wiccan as well but over the years I’ve shifted to defining myself more of a Pagan/Eclectic Witch. I don’t know why but I wasn’t really comfortable anymore with the Wiccan path. I’m from Rome (Italy) and being Pagan here is EXTREMELY difficult due to the Catholic Church but I’m still trying to find my way and study as much as I can.
Thanks for the article 😊 Witchcraft always felt like a very spiritual practice to me, not necessarily secular or religious. I started out in Wicca like most, and my love for the practice grew. I eventually expanded, studying various types of neopaganism, Kemetism, Thelema, Golden Dawn magic, and the Kabbalah. I really respect all kinds of magic and am still fond of the Wicca I started with. My local group is pretty much all lumped together anyways 😂 Funny how after all this time, I still feel like a student with so much to learn.
Hi Scarlet, really good article. I’m Stephen, I’m a magister of a traditional Goetic coven in Sydney, Australia, called the Coven of the Black Flame. We focus on practices that are Goetic in origin. For those who do not know, ‘Goetia’ is the ancient Greek word for witchcraft, And involves making contracts / pacts with gods and spirits (“Daimons”) and, after these alliances are made, We would direct the spirits to perform tasks for us via the folk magic spells we cast. We work heavily with the Grimoires, and with Renaissance Astrological magic. In addition to the above, we also work with the underworld and the spirits of the dead, as did the old-ways Goen/Goes (“witch”) did. Our practices are very “old school”, completely different to Wicca or most modern paths of witchcraft. Many of the spells we do come directly from the grimoires (European, Iclandic or Arabian, like the Keys of Solomon, the Galdrabok, or the Picatrix) or other ancient sources (like the Greek Magical Papyri; or the Leyden Papyrus); and before working with these different grimoires, we aim to contact the spirits who preside over their magics. The path of a Goen or Old-Ways traditional witch is a difficult one. “Many are called, Few are chosen, little survive”. Its a path that involves vast amounts of study, and a sharp, logical mind. Keep up the good work 🌹 May the Old Religion reign once again 🔥🐉 May the Light be with you, and may Holy Night protect you. S.
A Volva draws her inspiration from Nature and nature is not kind or fluffy my only issue with wicca is that it sanitises the craft only focusing on the harmless aspects, Curses and death are also part of the repertoire of a witch. Witchcraft and magic are tools for the journey not an end or a destination in themselves.
I am a very spiritual witch. 🙂 That’s what I’ve decided to call it. I do not follow any rules, but I do learn about tools/techniques. I worship the earth/universe and their Devine energies as a whole. (Do not worship any specific deities) I use meditation/manifestion more than spells, but I do cast spells as well once in awhile. So, yeah, Spiritual witch. :).
Hi Sister! I am a French baby witch. I practice for a year and a half 🌙 I started as a solitary practitioner and so I am. I live in a very isolated mountain region when there is no chance that I meet other witches or a coven. I learned all what I know from the Web, YouTube, and books. It was very hard and confusing to begin alone and I naturally interested myself to Wicca. I found that I was pagan and I met my patron gods during a meditation. I worked early with Nordic magic, runes, green and kitchen witchcraft. Then I found that witchcraft and Wicca weren’t the same thing and that I could follow my own path. So I don’t consider myself as a Wiccan because I don’t follow all of the wiccan rules (as for my altar which is very personal and no traditionally Wiccan) I am grateful to Wicca because it allowed me to learn the basics at the start of my journey, it showed me the frame. But now that I progress in my path I feel allowed to leave Wicca and to built my own tradition. Sadly in France we don’t have a big witchcraft background -we had country witches but it was all hidden and it disappeared with Christianity and Catholicism.
I personally discovered Wicca when I was 15, through a monthly magazine associated with all sorts of the supernatural, from myths and urban legends to unexplained phenomena. Though I considered myself a Wiccan, I am not above researching and studying all aspects of magic, including traditional witchcraft. Growing up among my grandmother and her friends who would drink their coffee and then turn the cup upside down to study the symbols formed and predict the future, traditional witchcraft is something I want to explore.
My wife and I have always been eclectic practicing witches. Started in wicca many moons ago. Incorporating, wicca, druidism, shaminism. The Wiccan rede has never sat with me very well. For one, in nature, a buck will fight another buck for the doe. Animals fight and even kill. Seeing this, the rede just didnt feel right. We have became even more ecclectic and moved towards traditional witchcraft. Including some of the darker crafts. Sometimes it is neccessary to attack with your art. We never ever attack unprovoked, only in defense. We have learned to use all energies to our advantage. Positive and negative. We still incorporate some Wiccan practices, also druidism, shaminism….. And traditional craft. Great article. Llawen Corwynt
I started down the pagan path through the research of my heritage. The further I go the more my fascination with traditional witchcraft grows. I plan on researching the local folklore down here in the Ozarks, and from what I understand, there’s plenty of it. Thanks for the article, it was very encouraging.
Wicca Vs. Traditional Witch, to me they are kinda the same except a few things. I do think you should view both paths (if you think they are so different). Knowledge is power, power is knowledge. The best part about being a witch is, you are your own wand. I chose the Witchy path because, I wanna cast spells for what I feels is right. I wanna put my energy into what I see fit. I know everyone has their own view on things, but isn’t that what being a witch is all about? Being in control of what you feel, and what you put out into the world? I love that I’m a Witch and I don’t have to pinpoint, or label myself for a particular Witch. You know why you can’t find many books on traditional witches like you can Wicca? Cause Witches where a home craft and frowned upon. Now we have “Wicca” that some guys took all the knogle of traditional witches and put a spin on lol… It all kinda twines together. All I’m saying is be your own WITCH!
this is a briliant article and really helped clear a few things up for me i found your website though the witches cookery website and the witch of wonderlust i first started looking in to wicca at 15 after growing up with things such as buffy and then stopped around 24 after being in an abusive relationship where i wasnt allowed to practice my beliefs i came back to my path ways a year or so ago after escaping the issues and have found that i am more of an eclectic witch and i follow norse paganism i enjoy learning about all types of witchcraft especially divination, herbalism and hearth witchcraft i enjoy choosing what feels right to me i like the freedom to explore
i am a traditional witch/shaman, my family goes back at least 5 generations in the witchcraft, in europe much farther. my experience was and has been much different than you describe,i was born to this, no choice,no turning back, it is part of who i am . i was dedicated to the craft at 6 years old and took the oath at 14 . i have been on my path now for 50 years, some times i have come close to cursing the coven of women that got me involved in this life, but the moments of doubt pass quick, and i adhere to my oath and promise. for some people, the craft is learned from books, but in our family we grew up with it all around us …everywhere . my first three books i was asked to read were (THE GOLDEN BOUGH ) (THE MALLEUS MALEFICARUM } and ( IAMBLICHUS ) these are the three books that started my training in the craft when i was 14 . i learned about the forest and waters,stone and sky,i studied to learn all i could from Plato to the Greek myths and early Germanic tales,i learned of herbs, plants and mushrooms and the ways of the animals and insects all around us . as for what i believe, i believe i am a traditional american witch, with a back round that goes back further than i care to talk about . it has always been my thought to keep an open mind on what it means to be a witch,or be involved in the craft . there are so many paths and each of those paths, have others that branch off from those . my grand mother said to me one time when i was younger, don’t try and do the craft like me .
Nice article. Back in ye olden times (the 80s) when I got involved in Paganism I called myself Wiccan for a while but after a while it just no longer seemed to fit. I was very involved in the Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans (CUUPS) and eventually decided it wasn’t for me. I prefer a more intellectual/initiatory path and found Wicca was getting too wrapped up in trying to be accepted. Peter Gray has addressed some of these issues in Apocalyptic Witchcraft.
Great article. I’ve been trying to decide what type of witchcraft to practice. Wicca seems fine, but I don’t want to be tied down by the Wiccan rede. I had enough with strict laws and morals with the JW. I know that Christianity or Catholicism is not for me. I like the idea of witchcraft in being able to empower myself and kind of control my own events and destiny. I’m definitley not shy in delving into the darker aspects of magick. Cautious yes, but to each his/her own, you know. I’ll def be checking out trditional witchcraft to get a feel for it
Just came across this article. Well stated on both these traditions. My Granny grew up in the Appalachian mountains of North Carolina. She was raised on mountain magic. Later in life she moved down to the Piedmont region of North Carolina. I was the only one in my family that she taught her medicine to, as she called it. I have since added other things into what she taught me including Demon magic. Traditional Witchcraft is very flexible. Many of those within TW do not believe in karma, although some might. I remember asking my Granny about karma, and she said, both good and bad happenes to both good and bad people, it’s life, not karma. TW’s accept the good and bad in life, because it is life.
Actually I pondered this a little bit and actually I think it is not just two things; ie: Wicca vs Traditional Witchcraft. Actually think it is three things; ie: Wicca, Traditional Witchcraft, and Witchcraft (that is not traditional witchcraft but also not Wicca). Right now the trend is to have the witch debate to be between Wicca and Traditional Witchcraft, but if you go back to the 90s the big debate was between Wicca and Witches (that are not Traditional Witches). For example a lot of Silver RavenWolf’s earlier books, before she jumped on the Wiccan bandwagon, were more from the perspective of Witchcraft. Also the well known witch of the Boston area, Laurie Cabot, has been a famous practitioner and advocate of Witchcraft (but not Wicca and not Traditional Witchcraft) for decades. Even now too there seems to be yet a 4th form of Witchcraft developing. This forth form does not seem to yet have it’s own label, but I would call it New Age Witchcraft. An example of someone that is a practitioner and advocate for this new 4th form is Mia Magick. Also from perusal some of your other articles where you talked some about both Wicca and Traditional Witchcraft, and how they compare, it seems a lot of the current ideas about Traditional Witchcraft are mostly coming from a strongly European-centric perspective. I argue that most the concepts about forms of enities, etc, are gonna differ greatly if you look at an American based form of Traditional Witchcraft. Actually there is 2 main forms of American based Traditional Witchcraft: ie: Hoodoo, and German Powwow.
Thank you for this. I have been practicing for over ten years with big gaps on between and no real direction. Started wiccan but I dont enjoy the religious aspect. I definitely have a more aninism/avatar movie way of thinking. I also have huge believe in folklore, old practices, the fae. My ancestry is irish, I’m northumbrian myself but now live somewhere else so not sure what to incorporate
I knew about Wicca before any other magic practice but honestly Trad Craft has always been so much more interesting and fulfilling to me. I first started practicing the occult as a Satanist, learned a bit about demonology and then learned about Trad Craft through similar practices. I consider myself a Traditional Luciferian Witch now but I am also an eclectic and modern Trad Witch. The main reasons I chose Trad Craft over Wicca is because it’s more practical and the ethics Wicca espouses I find to be frustratingly vague (I made my own Warrior’s Code as I call it based on philosophies that resonate with me).
I am just starting out on my journey so I don’t have a declared path yet. I do tend to honor/ celebrate the sabbets as well as the esbats. I celebrate the sabbets usually on my own. For the esbats I celebrate them with others. I’ve joined a group in Denver called 13 Moons and we meet once a month for a total of 13 moons. We discuss aspects and work with energies of each months moon sign. The facilitator has a strong background in Irish based traditions which she weaves into the meeting. I also have Irish ancestors so I feel connected to this method for now. I look forward to learning more about traditions from the Irish region. Btw- Thanks for making this article Scarlet!
This was one of the most informative and helpful articles I’ve watched in a while. While I have been reading up on Wicca and falling in love with some of the ideologies behind it I just felt like it wasn’t really wasn’t for me until this article. Because of this I think I just might start my witchcraft journey. Thank you, your articles are amazing 🖤.
Good article, and thank you for the book references. I have added them to my shopping list. 😊 When it comes to my practices, I’m more of a traditional witchcraft and home hearth practice person. My family is Scandinavian so we have a lot of Scandinavian influences with our particular practices, but you definitely spot on on the local focus regarding those things. The stuff we practice in our area is definitely different than the stuff is practiced over in Norway and Sweden.
Traditional Crafter here. Nice article and good to see that you are sharing the differences between Old Craft and Wicca. Gemma Gary is wonderful, I’m friendly with her folk both in Canada and Cornwall. Robert Cochrane, Nigel Jackson, Nigel Pearson, Nigel Pennick, Andrew Chumbley and so forth. Shani Oats is good stuff to, she being the Maid of Clan of Tubal Cain. Good people. Happy hunting on the other side. 😉
I have found even no it is a little harder to find books on traditional witchcraft and traditional practices it has far more links to historical references probably by its nature and is far less open to being polluted for better or worse by personal opinions and those that are just trying to profit of gullible masses but it does require a lot of research needed to understand sufficiently some of the subjects which I’m not sure if that’s a downside just means you can read the books many times and interpreted meaning ways
As a ‘black magician’ I prefer traditional witchcraft. To me Wicca does not seem to be witchcraft at all. Most people who identify as wiccans seem to have an apologetic attitude towards the dark side of their own psyche. As far as I know the thousands of witches that where burned at the stake, weren’t killed because they where ‘priestesses of the goddess’ NO, they where simply killed because they where, rather primitive yet highly individualistic people, mostly women, who had a strong connection to nature or had greater insight in the human psyche, and Christian society, because of their own fears, could never understand or appreciate them…. Although I’m a man, I do consider myself a witch, since the word witch in Dutch means heks which refers to hex (or the number 6) which corresponds to the planet Saturn (Binah) that symbolises (and reflexes) the most ancient Luciferian (both male and female) energy known to man…
I’ve seen Jewish traditional angelic and demonic magic and it can be something hard to control. But once you’ve found your rituals and find peace you are in harmony. I find Works of Israel Regardie to have had an impact in my knowledge of the Golden Dawn. But recently I’ve been reading books from Joy Cuningham .
Traditional witch craft for me, how ever i was born into Wiccan lifestyle so i bring a little of Wicca in with my practice. Im 53yr my heritage is Celtic/Scotts & born in the UK .. my parents decided to immigrate to New Zealand when i was nearly 8yr so my pull is still with my Ancestors .. Learning about the herbs & plants here in New Zealand is very rewarding, but some times a little sad as i cant use what my Grandparents used in their day to day living. Thanku you for your knowledge & article🙏🏼 Blessed Be ✨✨✨
I personally consider Wicca to be the Scientology of the Magic/Pagan community. Meaning a young, intentionally-constructed religion, designed to offer people something that other religions generally don’t, but at the same time is familiar. After all, Wicca has only been around since 1955 or so, was intended by it’s creator to be its own religion from the start, and… ahem… ‘borrows’ heavily from other magic/pagan/earth-based belief systems that are many times older than it is. ( Sounds a lot like Christianity in that regard, huh? I wonder if Ēostre has gotten over the theft and butchery of her name yet? ) Anyway, I’ll stick to doing my own thing, with my own observations and beliefs dictating the doctrine I follow, instead of somebody else being in control of me, or deciding what I can or can’t do. )
All you say about morality in traditional witchcraft is still true in wicca! Solitary wiccans tends to climb on things like the rede or the threefold law just because they have nothing else to climb on! They have no guide, no shared experiences – wicca is all about sharing, that’s something people forget. Also, theese “rules” are all about evaluating for yourself and taking responsability. Wicca accepts both good and evil in nature as part of the polarity of the Goddess and the God. Eventually the wiccan morality changes from wiccan to wiccan and is based on the guide you receive direclty from the divine.
i am a baby witch, tried doing things the Wiccan way but it seems like i was missing something. i feel more connected to the deities those would stray away from because of either their reputation or their more intimidating demeanor. i’ve always been known to be an intense person so i find the idea of working with these deities more connecting than others i feel i don’t relate much to. i’m still learning to see where i fit within this grey moral spectrum and what my role within it will be but i’m ready for the life style ahead of me 🥰
One quick note on the Wiccan Rede. It does align with tradictional occultic magick in the sense of karma. Karma (an East Indian name assigned to a universal concept) isn’t itself mystical. It literally means you reap what you sow; cause and consequense. To avoid the negative consequences of causing bad/evil/disharmony, instead of simply casting a curse, you should cast a spell where the negative consequense is in response to the antagonist doing something wrong, especially if that trespass or infraction and negative consequense are both in the potential future. The difference is analogous to self defense vs simply attacking someone you don’t like. The former is justice, (and justice is ultimate harmony), whereas simply attacking someone is to be in the wrong. Nature seeks balance. So don’t be on the wrong side of the scale. Choosing to do evil to others makes you “ugly”, mind, body and soul. I think this is the “threefold” referred to, not an actual three times bad or three times worse in response.
Agnostic traditional witch! While I don’t work with any deities, I do acknowledge that there are different energies and spirits that reside in and around the earth/cosmos. I’m well aware of other planes of existence, that they can parallel and occasionally cross our own plane. This kind of talk always brings to mind the question, “What defines a God, and what makes a God worthy of one’s devotion?”, but that’s a whole other conversation lol
I was a solitary Wiccan from 1988 to 1996, a coven leader from 1996 to 2005, then trad craft from 2005 to 2020, and now I’ve actually returned to a more Wiccan/neo-pagan practice. I’ve found it to offer the most flexibility, and ability to practice with others, but the biggest reason I’ve returned to it is because over the decades of research that I’ve done, I’ve found that Wicca is basically Neoplatonism and Greco-Roman or Romano-Greco-Egyptian in practice and belief. It’s basically a “Neoplatonism lite”. None of the Wiccan beliefs and practices are beyond the pale for Neoplatonism, and if you study Neoplatonism more in depth later, those things stack onto Wiccan practice with no problem. Again, because they come from those southern European/Mediterranean beliefs. The word Wicca does indeed come from Anglo-Saxon (the ancestor language of modern English, in the same way that Latin is the ancestor of Spanish, Italian, etc). It is supposed to be pronounced “witch-ah” because the c sounds like ch after an i or e. Also, the word actually designates a male witch, with wicce (ending in an -e) being a female witch. Regarding the age of Wicca; Gardner put a Celto-Germanic paintjob on it, but the beliefs and ritual/magical structures of Wicca are all ancient practices. It’s just that they aren’t northern European (Celtic or Germanic, etc), but rather southern European and Mediterranean in origin. They were NOT the practices of the average citizen by any means. Most people were not sorcerers or magicians, but still these were indeed magical practices stemming from those cultures.
2 years late, but I appreciate this article 4 months after starting my path. I am not into organized religion at all, and would consider myself a secular folk practitioner, so Wicca is probably not the path for me, but I can see the benefit in Cunningham’s book. I have shied away from Wiccan books, but will probably read this one. Thank you for your clear definitions. ✌️❤️🃏🕯🔮
I’m an eclectic Wiccan myself. I was born and raised Roman Catholic, but quickly found Christianity wasn’t for me. I’ve self-identified as a Wiccan for several years now, but have yet to have my self-dedication ceremony. Still learning, even after three years, and figuring out how I want to practice. I hope to finally get myself together by the time I’m 18, since I know I want my self-dedication ceremony to be around then. Love your articles!
Good job researching and putting this out there. I might add that Witchcraft really dint have to be bound by a region as I can be a collective of ones past. For instance Im from the Midwest, Ive lived and practiced in Europe for some time and now I live in the south of the US….. so it can be a collective of ones experience. AT the same time I agree with all of your points on what differentiates it from Wicca.
Just a note, Traditional Witchcraft doesn’t have to be strictly your region. Especially when you consider hereditary witches. While using herbs and plants from your region can be more convenient, you can use herbs and plants from all over the world depending on the specific needs of the spell you’re using.
I live in Massachusetts, so there isn’t much traditional witchcraft folklore outside of witch hunting and the Salem Witch Trials. There are certainly modern witches in Salem, but other than that not much to go off of. I’m currently doing a little Wicca exploration by reading the Cunningham book. I may have questions and principles I disagree with, but I’m glad that the solitary practitioner can go by beliefs that speak to them within the Wiccan realm.
Traditional Witchcraft appeals more to me. I’ve always been a jack of all trades, all are one, I need to figure this out on my own, type. I used to meditate in the forest as a teen and I began having dreams of Curnunos and the Moon for a few years and still occasionally do although these days being a busy father of 3 autistic kids I don’t get to the woods nearly as much as I’d like.
I was very into Wicca about 20-25 years ago. I have since grown to very much dislike what Wicca teaches. I follow more of a traditional path now. I won’t go into a rant about what I dislike about Wicca, I’m sure it’s all been said before. However, like you, I’m in the midwest (born and raised in Chicago). This article has at least told me what I need to know. I’m going to have to make it up as I go along. It’s going to be a wild ride.
As far as the wiccan reed is that I think it goes beyond curses. In it harm none do what ye will, I think this also includes not harming yourself. So you have to think about what you do not only to others but to yourself. So that you take responsibility for taking care of yourself. Self care, breaking bad habits that cause long term harm.
Find your own way. It’s a CRAFT . No need to be made complicated and hard to approach as some other religions full of too many rules and making you feel always not good enough. Choose what to believe in and how to practice .Combine ! NOONE OWNS MAGIC, it’s inside of us. EVERY path is true if it’s true to yourself. 💓
I had someone tell me I couldn’t be a witch or practice witchcraft unless I was initiated into a coven or born into it, I simply said but if I have to be initiated in order to even practice “Who initiated the very first witch hmmmmm” and they thought about it and couldn’t answer so they left me alone. In my honest opinion I believe that if it is meant to be your path the universe lets you know. Just like I don’t believe in “The Devil” but I do believe there are spirits out there that can manipulate our thoughts and energy and get us in a negative mindset. It happened to me several months ago, and I just felt so dark and hateful which isn’t like me so I grabbed my selenite and asked it to cleanse the energy that I am feeling. Now the weirdest experience I had when I said that was a swirling vortex of white energy around me spinning counter-clockwise and next thing I know it felt like a huge weight was lifted off of me and I went to bed.
Wicca for the rest of us, is a good site that discusses the Rede. It’s not a law, its advice….And not meant to define not ever harming, we are allowed to defend ourselves. And we do harm if we eat anything. 😊 Also not all Wiccans use the same directions or elements. The Unicorn Tradition alternates male/female in their practices.
thanks for bringing up regional differences. I’ve struggled with the idea that some ritual or potion calls for a ingredient that doesn’t grow naturally anywhere near where I live. Not that there is some magic distance but using something that only grows in Asia and I live the US, that seems a little too far and not authentic to my location in time and space.
I am a Wiccan, I believe in the Wiccan rede “an it harm none do what ye will” or just don’t hurt people, but I only believe in that to a certain extent, like lets say someone did something awful to you like TW:…….sexual assault, sexual harassment (or anything of the sort that would send someone to jail), I believe you can do whatever to that person because that person already did something negative to you. However I don’t believe in forced love spells on a specific person, I don’t believe in curses//hexes on lets say someone stole your boyfriend from you so your gonna hex them, you know? However that is just in my practice, I won’t tell anyone that doing what I said above is wrong because that is their own practice that deserves to be respected like everyone else’s.
I am an eclectic witch who lives in Australia is part native Australian (aboriginal) and yet was called by Aphrodite and Aries… I don’t see how it should always be area focused I though do look into my culture and ancestors mainly for grounding. But I still want to learn new things. Not to mention Americans unless they are full native have ancestors from Europe.
I’m a Christian (not a ✝️Christian™️💞 though, to be fair) who practices witchcraft, or is getting into it at least, a baby witch at the moment. I was raised where magic was so taboo, and now that I’m learning about it I’m so confused, many components of it are so wonderful, and I’ve found help strengthen my spiritual connections.
Newbie traditional witch here from North Texas. Been beefing up on my local plant/wildlife knowledge as well as local folklore. I’m not sure if I could be a traditional witch anywhere else, tho, and feel the same connection. My family has lived in this part of the southwest since the 17th century. Ancestor worship is part of my practice.
Wicca can be beautiful however I felt weighed down in a way, not as bad as I felt making my communion and going to CCD as a catholic; while reading witchcraft books in the corner. However, wicca was too restricting, I broke from it and am now just a traditional witch. Let me tell you something, once I broke away and started practicing witchcraft how I wanted to, and started practicing necromancy I must say all of my natural abilities such as my clairvoyance and clairaudience have dramatically increased, and with doing necromancy, I have gained telepathic abilities that shock people. If you want real power dump Wicca and the rules and regulations
I have to move around a lot during the year is it still viable for me to practice traditional since i would have to learn all the local folklore over and over, dont get me wrong, this sounds AMAZING and I would love to learn about everyone’s traditions as I know I would honor them no matter what, thems be their tradistions my tradition is learning and honoring….but would it be accepted? Id like to know what you and the community think.
To who it may concern, Have you ever heard of Man of all traits, Master of none! Well, this should be considered as one enters the study and practice of any form of Witchcraft or Wiccan rituals. Improving your results to a more satisfying level according to what your seeking. Focus on one form that your spirit is guiding you to.
Part of what you’ve presented reminds me of the old garbage that came out in 1970 from Paul Huson’s book MASTERING WITCHCRAFT. It pertained to the idea of the horned one or similar being part of traditional witchcraft and how we needed to say the Lords Prayer in reverse. That was part of the idea running at the time of Satanism influencing the revival of witchcraft. Though one can not rule out the idea of Satanic Witchcraft as was created by I think it was Anton Levay’s daughter’s group. Definitely different forces influencing the idea of witchcraft and its revival at the time. All in all though I enjoyed your article. It was well done and a good introduction.
Been a WITCH for 40 years. Never called myself Wiccan, although I was taught and initiated in a tradition with similarities to Alexandrian and Gardnerian, but there differences in how we honoured Diety through the seasons. I will say that while your article is interesting, well put together and really nicely presented, I think there is a lot you said that made me say…ummm… where did she get that bit of information?
Michael Howard has also written a nice book on TW called Liber Nox.I started out with wicca many years ago but found it too puritanical in many ways,then moved onto to ceremonial magick which I still practice,but now find myself drawn to TW and practice that now,I guess I am something of an eclectic.Gemma Garys book was mentioned in the vid,nowadays her books are getting very expensive as you will see if you check them out on Amazon.Peace.
Wicca is a word found in the old” Bosworth ; Toller Anglo Saxon dictionary” from about 1200’s which meant to bend ( like to bend reality). Wicca I believe was male, Wicce (said with soft cc’s like an sss. wishey) was the female version Anyway nice article. I just refer to myself as a Pagan Mystic to lesson debates lol
I believe to learn all forms of witchcraft from my own perspective it’s all the same it’s just knowing how to combine similar chants together to it’s all about making it work for you and working with it, just have to listen to the auras and vibes of what you have, it’s silly to try and keep it separate like it’s some government with different names,* it’s all the same * and if you don’t understand that you don’t understand witchery or just call your self a witch to look mysterious and cool,
Interesting. I’ve never really considered these as different. I learned from Drawing Down the Moon and learned what I could from Gardnerianism but now I’m a pretty solitary eclectic who tends more toward Dianic Wicca. I’ve also been strongly influenced by Otter Zell’s Church of All Worlds and by my wife. I met her on the Pagan boards on GEnie, back when ‘online’ meant services like CompuServe and Prodigy (before Al Gore opened the Internet to Everyone). Although we talked regularly on the phone (back when long-distance was Expensive) I didn’t see her picture for six months and even then it was a very old picture. I didn’t actually meet her in person for another year. It’s seriously The Only Way To Go. I might not have given her a second look if we had originally met in person, but she was the love of my life. She told me she first learned from her grandmother who came over from Ireland so I always considered her as seriously traditional. But her path was actually quite similar to mine. Of course, the serious practitioner should be very familiar with the local and regional herbs, places, energies, legends and traditions but I’ve always considered this as ‘advanced Wicca.’ I remember a wonderful book called West County Wicca that purported to be a recitation of traditional teachings, though many criticized it as basically Gardnerian Wicca. It all looks alike to me. You’ve got the Gardnerian ‘dogma’ and then what everyone in your area does. It’s what we mean by ‘Eclectic.’ It’s ALL good!
Finally! Someone who agrees that you can have any Gender, Sexuality, or Religious beliefs and still be a witch.😂 I am a Bisexual Trans man who is a Christian (yes I love Jesus) Traditional Witch. But I prefer to work with herbs, elements, and divination. Although I don’t care if I work alone or with someone else or if I decide to work with other things. 👌 But Wicca sounds lighter for people who judge as soon as they hear Witch. That’s why I say I’m Wiccan but I really do everything honestly.
93 I’m open to learn from any mystical or magick-ALL path that has something of value to impart. Personally I tend to find more in common between my own ways or thought and practice in traditional witchcraft. Ultimately, for me anyhow, anything that helps one to discover and attain their true WILL is a great thing. 93/93
Since this is the first time I’ve heard that traditional witchcraft is restricted to the folklore of one’s geographic location I have a question for you: how is it even possible for a non-native person to practice traditional witchcraft in America? If practice is dependent on the folklore of one’s region, (which would be native folklore) it would cultural appropriation for a non-native person to borrow from those traditions.
I struggle with my want to pursue traditional witchcraft. As I’m white girl from Texas. The roots of my area are native American. I do not wish do steal more from them. But the hill country. This land. It’s what I’m connected to. It makes me feel selfish and guilty and I don’t know how to learn more about this land in a manner that honors those whose stolen land I’m living on.
Im more for traditional witchcraft because i prefer having the freedom to not just protect myself but defend myself as well. I don’t believe that karma is something we necessarily have to wait on. If someone breaks into a house with a dog and that dog attacks them for it, do we punish the dog? No we commend it for being brave and protecting the home. The guilt associated around self defense in the form of retaliation establishes an aura of negativity that attracts negative events. We basically punish ourselves…..that is karma as well. We shouldn’t need to feel such stigma about the ways we keep ourself safe. Otherwise it’d be like we have a house alarm that goes off when someone breaks in, but no actual way to protect ourselves against an attack. Having the freedom to retaliate in magical defense (curses and hexes) is like having the freedom to own firearms to defend against attackers, and I refuse to feel guilty about how I keep myself, my home, and my family safe.
I am more traditional… but I was born and raised in the Midwest, transplanted to Texas 8 years ago, have a family history of traditional witchcraft from not only the Salem times but also before that in England and Europe. So being traditional in my region doesn’t really fit for me, since I am not from this region and do not feel a call to it like I do other places. Talk about making things difficult for myself.
So I’ll be upfront about this, I am a Christian and while that is not my full identity, it is an important part of my life and I assume that those feelings are at the very least, somewhat shared by witches and wiccans. But I’m just trying to branch out and expand my knowledge on other beliefs and practices. I’m not here to start anything, but I arrived at this article out of curiosity. I’m curious though, how does someone find a witch coven without asking around and sounding like a nut job, because I would like to give benefit of the doubt despite what I’ve been warned against in the past.
Just because you asked at the end of your article I’m not sure which path it is I suppose traditional but at the moment I’m looking at a translation of the galdrabók an Icelandic Book of Magic by Stephen E.Flowers Ph.D it is a translation of an old book and contains Rune staves like vegvisir and many other ones I highly recommend it
i’m a baby witch and after perusal this i’m still confused with which i want to identify with! i have been calling myself a wiccan witch but i’m just recently hearing about traditional witches which has caught my eye although i’m still not sure which one i’m more comfortable with. i’ll get there, though!
9:13 I am from Azerbaijan but I moved to Italy study. Azerbaijan is a modern muslim country, though I am an atheist (in love with nature) and before the arab invasion, the main region was Zoroastrism, which is element (main element is fire) based, so it’s kind of like an eastern brother of paganism. Our land is still called the land of fire and we still celebrate the main Zoroaster holiday, but I have never heard of witchcraft in our history/culture. What do you do in those cases?
As far as I know Wicca was formed in 1939 when Gardener joined the New Forest Coven and he added the writings of Aleister Crowley and as a friend Crowley wrote the rituals for Gardener who at the time was naturist (nudist) in an attempt to get back to nature. I don’t understand why anyone would practice Wicca when Thelima is Crowley’s very complete system of high magick. This system teaches with such detail how to develop the higher consciousness with the combination of western and eastern knowledge and practice, guided by the framework of Kabbalah. One problem I have with Wicca is the Christian dualistic concept of white and black morality added to magick (Crowley says there is only one magick and it is called the Black Arts, this does not mean evil or negative). This dualism is a medieval addition that came from Christian belief. In pre-Christian belief whether used for weal or woe magick was just magick. The idea was added by the Church to discredit witchcraft and eventually all witchcraft according to the Church became black magick. This was all done to gain control over the people the land and their money. The image of the evil ugly witch in black on a broom with black cats was actually the beautiful goddess Freya and her cats changed to this offensive image to turn people away from their belief. Yet so many Wiccans have small versions of these and call them Kitchen Witches. WTF. I hear “I am a white witch” on YouTube so much it makes me sick. I also hear the Term “Christian witch” which makes me rally sick after all of the witches and Jews accused witchcraft, touched and killed in the name of Christ and god.
I am not bashing on Wiccans. I am a witch but what I got from this article was that Wiccans proclaim to be witches but don’t do certain witchcraft like hexes and curses that makes them a watered down witch which is a lukewarm witch I am just curious because I do see even a lot of witches that say they are but are more like a main street witch which is a lukewarm witch am I correct I am just trying to make sense of Wiccans because I used to be a holy Christian like I woke up and talked to God and prayed to him all through out the day I practice my verses and my notes everything I did was about God I quit porn smoking weed playing article games quit cigarettes like I truly gave my self to God but over 7 years I turned from that and am now a witch I know what the bi of says about witches it is not good I read the whole Bible 4 times in 7 years that’s more than 90 percent of Christians who proclaim that they are saved so i know what a lukewarm Christian is I’m I am not really trying to start a bad thing here but I do accept all and there beliefs
This subject often causes a lot of debate & argument in occult circles, and is a bit of mind field. Wicca is an initiatory mystery tradition, so it’s Gardnerian or Alexandrian. The traditional craft your talking about came from a pre Gardnerian British trad witchcraft founded by Roy Bowers aka Robert Cochrane ( popularized by Evan Jones, & Doreen Valente to a certain extent). (These were initiatory too) As opposed to the, witchcraft, folkloric, traditions & practices of a particular land close to you in general anywhere in the world – as it’s sounds like you’ve got them mixed up & lumped them all together, as one tradition. Gardnerian & Alexandrian Wicca, was just called Wicca in the UK, but confusingly, in the US, G & A Wicca, is also called British Trad Witchcraft, to differentiate, from non initiated solitary eclectic Wiccans. So it’s confusing!