Wicca and Magick

 

You cannot discuss the topic of witchcraft without diving deep into Wicca. Wicca is a modern Pagan “religion” developed in the early twentieth century. I put religion in quotation marks because it is not formally known as a religion, nor do many scholars and people a part of Wicca call it that. Many refer to it as a nature religion, a mystery religion, or a “magico-religion,” due to the practice of magic. Many practitioners prefer to call Wicca a “spirituality,” and “way of life,” as opposed to religion.

Diving into Research

          The keywords that I used in my search were simple: “witchcraft today,” “magic,” or “witches,” every single one of these coming up with a connection to Wicca. It brought me to the book, Witchcraft Today, published in 1954 by Gerald Gardner, the first author to announce Wicca to the general public and considered to be the father of Wicca. This book was used often by practitioners and is essentially the basis behind British Traditional Wicca. I also found a book titled Exploring Wicca, The Beliefs, Rites, and Rituals of the Wicca Religion by Lady Sabrina, which explains the different aspects of being a witch and being a part of Wicca. In my search, I also found a podcast called “The Witch Wave,” hosted by Pam Grossman. She is also the author of Waking the Witch, Reflections on Women, Magic, and Power. In her novel, we also explore the way of the witch and the connection to magic.

 One source I found was a blog called “Simple Mystic Miracles,” (URL:
https://www.simplemysticmiracles.com/wicca/?gclid=Cj0KCQiA0-6ABhDMARIsAFVdQv9hMClqUBfQg_GSb8-AhCtoQLF0HL1aL9jyRIYsHXhZ25dlZdA2nHwaAiNZEALw_wcB ). This blog is written by a woman who has practiced witchcraft for 27 years. She is a part of the Wicca religion and uses the blog to bring others in to become a part of it too. She practices spells and teaches others how to practice magick as well. The blog includes different kinds of spells, goddesses, the pagan calendar, and the history of witchcraft. This blog can provide me first-hand experience with someone who is a witch, something I could not get from visiting an article or reading a book by someone who studies witchcraft.

          Another source I found is a website called “The Hoodwitch,” (Url: https://www.thehoodwitch.com/ ). This website gives me access to many sources, including the podcast given by Pam Grossman. It connects witchcraft to astrology and the universe. This website can also give me insight into the experiences of witchcraft and is different from just the surface level. It dives deep into its connection to the universe and gives me access to people who practice witchcraft today.

Witches, Wicca, and Magick

          There are many different topics to discuss regarding witches and Wicca. One could obviously be Wicca and the connection to magick (which is their preferred spelling). Witches are often believed to be evil beings, green in color, and eat children as we see in stories and fairytales. This is not the case at all. Practitioners associate themselves as, “a positive force against the powers of destruction which threaten the world.” They believe magick to be “the science and art of causing change to occur in conformity with will,” (Aleister Crowley, ceremonial magician) or “the science of the control of the secret forces of nature” (MacGregor Mathers, ceremonial magician). There are many ritual practices and traditions where Wiccans cast spells in order to bring change to the world. These are often for healing, protection, fertility, and to banish negative influences.

          It is often argued among the community about what to call “good magick,” vs. “bad magick.” The original terms were black and white magick, black being bad connected to evil and satanism, and white magick being good and used for healing. Many people believe that this connotation has racist undertones and should not be referenced in that way. They prefer to think of magick as more of a tool, and every witch has their good side as well as their bad side.

          Another controversial topic among the community is how to practice Wicca. Many people believe that the right way to practice is to follow the initiatory lineage set up by Gerald Gardner and continue to practice similar traditions. This is called the British Traditional Wicca. This way of practicing is more exclusionary, and they believe that they are the only form of Wicca and any other practice is not considered to be Wicca. Then there is the practice of newer, modern, eclectic traditions. This is a broader form of the practice and much more inclusive. There is much debate within the community about which one is the correct way to practice the religion.

There is also one more important topic to talk about when it comes to witches, and it is what they represent in society. Many people don’t call themselves witches just based solely on the idea that they practice witchcraft. Many call themselves witches because they deviate from societal norms. It is a representation of female power, a movement in feminism. A witch is someone who owes nothing to the world, complex and dynamic is a world where women have a role to stay in the background and just smile.

Sources: 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wicca#Magic

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Wiccan_priestess_preaching,_USA.PNG

https://time.com/5597693/real-women-witches/

https://www.allure.com/story/real-life-witches-myths-misconceptions

 
https://www.simplemysticmiracles.com/wicca/?gclid=Cj0KCQiA0-6ABhDMARIsAFVdQv9hMClqUBfQg_GSb8-AhCtoQLF0HL1aL9jyRIYsHXhZ25dlZdA2nHwaAiNZEALw_wcB

https://www.thehoodwitch.com/

https://books.google.com/