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 FAQ June 18, 2005 1:46 PM

FAQ... may help to read March 09, 2005 9:05 PM
These are from my web site, I hope they may help... they are my personal thoughts and beleifs....

FAQ
I believe that it is of the utmost importance that the distinction between Witchcraft and Wicca be known by ANYONE that is truly interested in Witchcraft or that just wants to find honest answers to grow on their chosen path. What follows are some "Frequently Asked Questions" that I have been asked as a Witch. Also information that I feel is pertinent.


So for starters one of the biggest misconceptions that is STILL being printed over and over in books is that Witchcraft and Wicca ARE one and the same thing, this can not be proved! And in fact is just NOT TRUE! But let me share a few questions and answers to help out with clarifying this.



What is Witchcraft?

If you ask one thousand practicing Witches what is Witchcraft you will most likely receive one thousand different answers. Today Witchcraft is a practice that is, by some, thought to be a continuation of the pagan ways, beliefs and ideas of ancient Europeans. Now whether today's Witchcraft is truly a continuation is questionable. It seems that an unbroken chain or practice of Witchcraft can be traced back but a few hundred years at most. There are some family traditions that are pretty old in more Traditional Witchcraft, but whether more Traditional Witches admit it or not, there are now two different types of Witchcraft... Traditional Witchcraft, Modern Witchcraft. Modern Witchcraft is not the same as Wicca. And Modern Witchcraft is still older then the religion of Wicca.


But what is Witchcraft? It is something unique and different to each practitioner, but to narrow it down a bit... I guess it is fair to say that Witchcraft is a life path, a way of life for many that incorporates nature, magic, and self. For some it is a religion, for others it is a form of spirituality, and yet for others it is a means to an end.


So how old is Witchcraft?

Well there are many practitioners of Witchcraft that will claim that Witchcraft is as old as time, and that is fine for them, for myself I believe that yes Witchcraft is very ancient, but I do not think that what is practiced today is the same as was practiced in days gone by. I think that in many ways Real Witchcraft has been lost in the mist of time. This does not mean that Modern Witchcraft is still not very rewarding, and amazing and magical, only that things change, evolve, grow, die, and are given rebirth to in a new old way. And I do believe that there is a slow rebirth occurring of Old Witchcraft. A Teaching and telling by the very Gods themselves through a handful of Practicing Witches today.


Is being a Witch the same as being Wiccan?

In today's "New Age" movement the answer to that Question is all to often 'yes'. But if you ask a Witch that is NOT Wiccan if Witchcraft and Wicca are the same thing, you will find the true answer of 'NO'! So, the answer to that question depends on who you ask. If you ask me, the answer is that NO being a Witch is NOT the same as being a Wiccan. You can have a Wiccan Witch, but a Witch is not always Wiccan.


Can one be a Wiccan and a Witch?

Yes, there are Wiccan Witches. However there are also Witches that are NOT Wiccan.


So what is the difference between Wicca and Witchcraft?

Well, lets see, Wicca in and of itself is a fairly NEW religion, I guess you could pretty much say it was started or even created by Gerald B. Gardner. There are those that will dispute this, and that is their right. However if they can not provide actual documented proof to me that Wicca is an old religion, I stand by my statement that Wicca is a new Religion. A Religion that Gerald Gardner brought to life, or at least brought it out of the dark and into the light for the world to see.


Does Wicca have roots and its basic beliefs, in the ancient and in Witchcraft?

It does seem that Gardner or who ever taught him, did draw basic information from ancient magical practices and true 'old religions' but that does not make Wicca an old religion. There are also eastern influences within Wicca, where as this is not so in Witchcraft.


I have a friend that is a Witch and she practices Wicca she said that they ARE one and the same is this right?

I am not here to disprove or prove your friend right he/she need only do some REAL research to find the truth - it sounds like that they probably have not yet learned enough to honestly know that there is a difference between the two. And there are still many Wiccan's that have followed the Wiccan path for many, many years that do not know the difference. Education is the key!!!



What is the difference in Wicca and Witchcraft?

Well the main difference is that Witchcraft is a craft...a practice of witches...magic, herbs, midwifery, spells, healing, cursing, hexing...Witchcraft is light and dark/ or rather the practitioner of Witchcraft is, there is not law of three or Rede to deal with in Witchcraft. Whereas Wicca is a RELIGION - NOT a craft. And Wicca has rules and tenets, just as many religions have. Wicca also believes in the law of three.


Witchcraft is NOT a prescribed religion. Don't get me wrong, witches of the Craft do tend to have a very deep connection to the earth, and many Witches have a connection to the Divine, and or to ancestors of the past, but Witchcraft is not a religion per say...
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 June 18, 2005 1:47 PM

FAQ continued... March 09, 2005 9:07 PM
Witchcraft is NOT a prescribed religion. Don't get me wrong, witches of the Craft do tend to have a very deep connection to the earth, and many Witches have a connection to the Divine, and or to ancestors of the past, but Witchcraft is not a religion per say...

Continued....

In witchcraft there are no real rules,other then those that govern nature, and the fact that most Trad Witches have been taught to at least take responsibility for their actions, good or bane... so yes there is good and bad preformed. Please remember that it is not Witchcraft that is black or white, positive or negative...it is the practitioner of the craft. I mean you have good and bad in ALL religions, yes even Christianity has good and bad! Look at those in the Church that have been in the news just in the past couple of years...that have molested children...is that a good Christian? There is good and bad in ALL paths, but that does not make that path good or bad.



But in Wicca, one has to follow the Rede and thus can not or should not harm any one or thing unless it is to protect ones self or loved ones. A witch can be a Wiccan, and a Wiccan is a most often initiated to the status of witch, but to practice witchcraft you do not have to follow the religion of Wicca.



Is there initiation in Witchcraft like there is in Wicca?



If you practice in or become part of a Coven, you will find that with some covens there are initiations, and with some there are elections, where it is voted on that you are at a new level and thus given credit for it by the whole coven.



Is Witchcraft and Satanism the same thing?

NO, again Satanism is a prescribed religion or practice depending upon whether you refer to Newer LeVay Satanism or more Traditional Satanism, where as actual Witchcraft is not a religion, a way of life perhaps, but not a religion. They are not one and the same.



Can you practice Satanism and Witchcraft?

Yes you can. However most Practitioners I know do one or the other.



Can you be a Christian and a Witch?

Yes you can be a Christian and a Witch, I was for many years(I also felt very guilty). Since Witchcraft is NOT a religion, but a practice and a craft. You can be a Christian and practice Witchcraft. However if you are a good Christian, you most likely don't practice the darker side of Witchcraft. And yes there is a darker side, for Witchcraft is light and dark, good and bane... balance. And honestly, if you are a devout Christian... then it would be a contradiction to call oneself and Christian and a Witch. You can use magic and be a Christian.... and just because you utilize magic does not make one a Witch...so I guess to be a Christian and a Witch is up to the individual and their learning's.



Can you be a Wiccan and a Christian?

Probably not, I will not say you can not, but since they are both religions, with their own separate tenets, laws, rules and beliefs it would be difficult to be both Christian and Wiccan. But, I guess it could happen. Since Wicca is a Religion that incorporates other aspects of various religions, then one could modify their practice of Wicca to incorporate more Christian aspects.



All material within this site is © Copyrighted by Shewolf Silver Shadows


Please feel free to coment or ask quesitons....    [ send green star]
 
 June 18, 2005 7:31 PM

Johanna asked: In a nut shell, could you tell me the differences in Wiccan practitioners and Witches?  I've been under the mistaken impression for a long time that they were the same

I'll share my own truth and opinion on this...

You can be a Witch and a Wiccan if you are a practitioner of the Modern relilgion known as Wicca. Wicca is an amazing earth loving, affirmative religion. Those that pracitce will often take upon them the title of Witch, since Wicca draws much of its basis from the older Pagan life style of Traditional Witchcraft.

However... there are some Wiccan's that are Traditional Wiccans... and do NOT take on the title of Witch unless they have been dedicated as well as initiated into Wicca by a High Priest or High Priestess.

There are also those that practice the spirituality or craft of Witchcraft that do not call themselves witches until they too have been initiated into a coven by an elder.

Ok... storming here pretty bad... so will try to address more of this if needed later.

But the bottom line is that Wiccans are practitioners of Wicca... hope that helps?

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