| Wicca
and Witchcraft
There are some significant differences between traditional
witchcraft and modern Wicca. Below, I have listed some comparisons
and descriptions of each...
A "witch" is a person who practises a magickal art.
Yes, a Wiccan may be a witch. However, to say that Wicca is
witchcraft and vice versa......this is not wise.
Wicca is a relatively new religion. A man named Gerald Gardner
was mainly responsible for bringing it out from the shadows.
Gardner supposedly discovered a traditional craft coven in
England and was initiated into the coven- and oaths of secrecy
prevented him from going public with his practise. Eventually,
Gardner did go public with his supposed practise, but was
forced to fill in, embellish, and write in occult practises
to make up for what he was not allowed to reveal. His "creation"
became what is known as Gardnerian Wicca- a practise that
combines goddess reverence, ideas borrowed from the Ordo Templi
Orientis of Aliester Crowley, the Golden Dawn, and some ideas
found within Eastern philosphy and Freemasonry.
Many others have contributed to the beliefs and practises
of the many traditions of Wicca, but most give Gardner credit
for being the first to bring it to public attention, and being
the "creator" of this modern religion. I will also
add the the there is much debate and skepticism concerning
the coven with which Gardner said he was a member....whether
or not it truly existed, etc. Even so, Wicca was successfully
established in the early to mid-twentieth century. Since Gardner
did not establish his Wiccan religion until the twentieth
century, it is not fair to say that Wicca is an old religion.
Most Wiccan practises originated with other religions and
magickal practises (the tools, symbols, basic beliefs, etc.)
but you will find no ancient cultures that incorporated Wicca
into their lives.
The words "wicca, "wicce," and "witch,"
all have the same basic origins. But, through the ages, these
words developed different meanings and now, signify different
paths. This became especially apparent when Gerald Gardner,
and others, borrowed the word "wicca" for their
own religious creations. Today, witchcraft and Wicca define
very different belief systems. That is why I feel it is not
wise to use the words "Wicca" and "witchcraft"
interchangeably, or saying that Wicca is witchcraft. Wicca
has branched into traditions that are very different from
the majority of witchcraft traditions- the Wiccan traditions
are often called "British Traditional Witchcraft,"
as the founders were mainly British. So this label may confuse
people even further.
There were many others who played a large part in the development
of Wicca. Gardner is not solely responsible and there are
so many different traditions in Wicca. You probably have heard
of Alexandrian and Dianic Wicca- those are just two of the
many traditions. Pick up a book and read about them, this
essay isn't intended to teach intricacies of Wiccan traditions.
Most also believe that Wicca can be a personalized religion.
Many "Wiccans" after Garnder contributed to the
idea of solitary and eclectic Wicca, where followers pick
and choose beliefs from different traditions within modern
Wicca that "suit" their personal beliefs.
About Traditional Witchcraft
For the most part, traditional witchcraft is a continuation
of the practises of native cultural beliefs of the Europeans-
after the advent of Christianity. The Christians were the
ones to label these practises "witchcraft." Most
craft traditions cannot honestly trace their beliefs and practise
before the seventeeth century. But there is history and folklore
to suggest that some traditions did exist before this time.
A "tradition" is a branch or system of witchcraft
that a person follows. Most traditions were established by
particular cultures or even specific families of the past.
Some traditions have specific names, some do not. As with
Wicca, there are many established traditions of witchcraft,
as well as solitary traditional witches.
All traditions were developed to suit the families or groups
who followed them. All traditions of witchcraft are different,
however many have basic similarities. Some are religions,
some are not, some are magickal practises, some are both religions
and magickal arts.
Traditional witchcraft can also describe the solitary witchcraft
of the past. Those pagans who practised alone- may have had
a belief in a goddess or god, or both, some may have worshipped
the earth or nature, followed the moon phases and practised
some form of magick, etc. No, we cannot be certain of all
of the beliefs of our ancestors, but we do have ideas and
know that these solitary pagans did exist. Those practises
of the past that, today, might be labelled "solitary
witchcraft," can be considered a form of traditional
witchcraft just as fairly as the family traditions of the
past. This is just my personal opinion.
Something you might find when reading about different established
traditions in witchcraft- many refuse to share the "secrets"
of their craft, the secrets of their true beliefs and lore.
This is just an ethic many traditions have adopted. Some believe
that only the followers of their tradition have the need for
this information, and some simply will not offer their secrets
because they feel each individual should seek out his or her
own knowledge on his or her own- not just be handed the information
so easily (so to speak). This is not true of all traditions,
of course, but some do feel this way.
Below are a few general differences between beliefs of modern
Wicca and beliefs within some traditions of witchcraft that
incorporate both magick and religion:
The Higher Power
Many Wiccans believe in a higher, supreme universal power
(usually). Some traditional witches do not believe in a supreme
power. Instead, some witches simply believe in an equality
of all spirit and that all spirit is a part of the universal
energies, or gods and goddesses.
Wiccans also buy into the notion that "all gods are one
god," which is a modern concept and has no origins with
any witchcraft traditions. Many witches of the past believed
in and revered the pantheons of their ancestors and believed
each god and goddess was a separate entity, not that all were
"aspects" of one great universal god. "The
One" is a modern, new-agey concept of monotheism.
Some witches of today do accept the "all gods are one
god" concept, but this belief did not originate with
witchcraft traditions of the past. All views are different,
but generally, the "One" concept and concept of
supreme beings separates Wicca from witchcraft.
Regarding Magick:
Wiccans generally cast a circle before performing any rituals
or magickal rites. This circle casting is simply creating
a sphere of energy surrounding yourself and all things that
will be involved in the ritual or spell- or a rite of protection.
This is a concept based on Hermetic circles found within grimoires
such as the Key of Solomon and used by the Golden Dawn, among
others.
The traditional term for casting a circle is "compass
round" and some traditions of witchcraft do incorporate
this idea and do have ceremonies for this, but they are not
similar to most Wiccan circle casting. Generally, to a witch,
all space is sacred and no circle is necessary for most magickal
rites.
Also, Wiccans generally have a heavy emphasis on words, 'sometimes'
rhyming, and also memorization of rituals. This is not always
the case in traditional witchcraft. Witches are, often, known
more for using what they have whenever they feel it is right-
for emphasizing "why" a ritual is performed rather
than "how" it is performed. Ceremonial practise
is more a part of modern Wicca.
Harm None
Most Wiccans follow the law of "harm no one" that
is written in the "Rede of the Wiccae," or the Wiccan
Rede (more about the Rede and it's origins at The Harm None
Scare.) Most agree that this rule was adapted from Aliester
Crowley's Great Law, however, the Great Law does not have
a siimilar concept.
In most traditions of witchcraft, a person's intent rules
whether an action is "ethical" or necessary- not
a "harm none" law. Also, most Wiccans believe strongly
in the threefold law, which states that any energy you send
out will return to you three times as strong. Most witches
do not agree with this law and feel it is completely illogical.
Rather, most witches agree with the basic law of cause and
effect. "For every action there is an equal and opposite
reaction." Some also call this type of concept the "Ripple
Effect." Witchcraft also can encompass dark arts- not
all witches are practitioners of "white" magick.
The Rede
Wiccans generally honor the "Wiccan Rede," which
is a poem developed in the twentieth century (most agree it
was created about 1975). Witches do not have a written law
to follow, unless established by their tradition. Witches
do not rely on a "Rede" to define what is ethical
and what is not, what is proper at what time, and what is
not. As stated above, some witches practise dark arts and
do not follow an ethic that involves performing magick only
when it's for "the good of all."
Reincarnation
Wiccans usually hang on to the eastern Hindu/Buddhist concepts
of reincarnation. The idea is that each human spirit is reincarnated
time after time into new physical bodies until a type of "spiritual
enlightenment" is reached- each life being a new lesson
and making the spirit "wiser." This is not a belief
associated with witchcraft traditions. Traditionally, witches
believe the afterlife is a mystery and that such an exact
idea of what we encounter after death is not possible. Witches
usually believe the spirit, or soul, will pass on and become
a part of the spirit of the land or universe, become a spirit
guardian or dwell with the guardians, and may possibly one
day be reborn into the extended family in some form. This
rebirth may not necessarily be physical, but spiritual, and
in the form of a protector or guide. There are many variations
of beliefs, but reincarnation is not a part of traditional
witchcraft beliefs- it is a concept of Eastern philosopy and
religion that was adopted by Gardner and others within modern
Wiccan tradition.
| Authors
Details: Melissa Crowe |
More
information on Witchcraft / Wicca
(Wicca
& Witchcraft Article)
(What
is witchcraft/Wicca?)
(Traditional
Witchcraft & Wicca) |
