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| Author: Posted: Sep. 8, 2002 | This Page Viewed: 7,126,273 |
Question of the Week: 2 - 8/13/2000 How Do You Define Witch/WitchCraft? If you were writing the definition (in an encyclopedia) for the word "Witch/Witchcraft" (in the modern sense) what would it say? |
| Reponses: There are 42 responses posted to this question. | Reverse Sort |
| A Witch Is Definitely A Practitioner Or Witchcraft. Witchraft Is Magical Arts... | Aug 15th. at 2:41:06 am EDT |
| Shadowwit (Subang Jaya, Malaysia) | Age: 18 - Email |
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A witch is definitely a practitioner or witchcraft. Witchraft is magical arts, though not thoroughly considered by many as a science, it is still widely believed by many people due to its mystical powers. Witchcraft is neutral, it is neither white or black, a witch however can turn witchcraft for the betterment or the worse, yet, it is always reminded that the karmic laws exist. When a witch says she practice white witchcraft, means she usually does healing, love spells and lot's of goody stuff, but black witchcraft is another way round. Though, many from other faiths suggest that there is no such thing as a good witch, they are often proven wrong with great modern day wtiches such as Doreen Valiente, Charles Leland and many more. A witch can simply mean anything, even a Satanist or a demonist can become a witch, though their practical magic might be evil. Yet, a Wiccan, a Pagan or people from any other religion can too become a witch, for witchcraft is universal. Here in Malaysia, I'm coordinating a witchcraft group. We're not a Wicca group but a witchcraft group which discusses all aspect of magic. The good thing is, we're so multi-religious, that we have a pagan(me), a Muslim, a Buddhist, and even an agnostic weaving each other's great truth within this beautiful circle. We hold chats at night and though our views are different, we are very very tolerant. Such as our Muslim friend who still believes in judgement after death, we do let let such views deter our fellowship because we know the truth is always somewhere in the middle, compromising all paths. I think being a modern witch is challenging. I don't take much effort telling people what witchcraft really is about, because they'll still be striking you with suspicion. I leave them, by telling all witches have woodland orgies and sacrifice dead babies... but that was how, people doubted my words and eventually joined our circle, of love. |
| Witch-i Believe A Witch Is A Person, Male Or Female, Who Has... | Aug 15th. at 3:53:21 am EDT |
| Rae (Auburn, Washington US) | Age: 15 - Email |
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Witch-I believe a Witch is a person, male or female, who has felt the powers of Mother Earth and through a set of rituals (elaborate or not) manipulate the energies around him/her and send that energy into the universe to create/form/help a positive event, feeling, or cause. Witchcraft-the craft of doing what I just said above... there are lots of things you can get in to, circles, pantheons, tools, but the bare bones of it is focused energy and the ability to do this. |
| Witch"..variation On Wic Or Wicca, Meaning "wise". One Who Recognizes And... | Aug 15th. at 7:40:37 am EDT |
| Elizabeth Brewster (Springfield, Virginia US) | Age: 31 - Email |
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"Witch"..variation on Wic or Wicca, meaning "wise". One who recognizes and uses the energy in the universe to change their circumstances or circumstances of those around them for the benefit of all and the harming of none. |
| Witch/wiccan :male Or Female Who Is Open To The Natural Energies... | Aug 15th. at 10:04:16 am EDT |
| Jade (Neath - Port talbot, England UK) | Age: 18 - Email |
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Witch/Wiccan :Male or female who is open to the natural energies of the world around them and who may or may not use these energies for good or bad. One who believes they have some degree of control over energies and can change their own or others surcumatances by influencing them. |
| A Spiritual Person, A Person Who Works With Magick.(who Would Define... | Aug 15th. at 10:51:08 am EDT |
| Self (ST Petersburg, Florida US) | Age: 32 |
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A Spiritual Person, A Person who works with magick.(Who would define themselves as such) |
| As I Do Not Describe Myself As A Wiccan Or Witch, I... | Aug 15th. at 2:02:06 pm EDT |
| Thomas D. Van Hook - aka "Elf" (Lewisville, Texas US) | Age: 34 - Email |
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As I do not describe myself as a Wiccan or Witch, I feel that I would be highly unqualified, as a Neo-Pagan, to describe a group of individuals based on my opinion of what their beliefs and understandings are. |
| My Definition Of The Word "witch"? It Would Be Something Like This... | Aug 15th. at 2:20:23 pm EDT |
| Richard Gant (Highland Heights, Kentucky US) | Age: 27 - Email |
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My definition of the word "witch"? It would be something like this: 1. (Traditional) An individual who utilizes magic in order to harm others; a practitioner of the black arts. 2. (Modern) A member of a nature-worshipping pagan faith; a practitioner of Wicca (see Wicca). |
| How I Would Write A Defination-something That Leaves U Intune With Everything... | Aug 16th. at 3:10:41 am EDT |
| Aradia (San Diego, California US) | Age: 17 - Email |
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How I would write a defination-something that leaves u intune with everything around you, a religon full of peace and love, one that gives your independence and does not have someone always looking over your shoulder, telling you that that is the wrong way and that you are going to hell for it. Blessed Be |
| My Definition Would Read: "witchcraft - Indigenous Religious Practices Of Pre-christian European Cultures... | Aug 16th. at 3:15:28 am EDT |
| Wytchling (Taipei) | Age: 21 - Email |
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My definition would read: "Witchcraft - indigenous religious practices of pre-Christian European cultures. Witch - a practitioner, female or male, of Witchcraft." |
| Witchcraft Is A Pagan Belief System Which Is Self-empowering And Nature Based... | Aug 16th. at 3:10:30 pm EDT |
| Silver MayKitten (Springfield, Missouri US) | Age: 0 - Email |
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Witchcraft is a pagan belief system which is self-empowering and nature based, while all Wiccans are witches, not all witches are pagans. The basic tennets of witchcraft are the Wiccan Reade: An ye harm none, do what you will; and the law of tripple return: "What you do will come back to you, " (threefold.) At first look the Wiccan Reade appears to be a seybritic liscence to do any thing you want, but on closer reading and a little thought, this is a stricter controll than the "Golden Rule." Likewise the rule of threes is an accurate descripter of "what goes around comes around." The word witch is one of the most beautiful words in the human vocabulary, in fact most witches look after themselves well and are for the most part beautiful people. But never call a witch a warlock! Would you run into the middle of a NAACP convention and yell "NIGGERS!"? No this would not be a good idea, warlock is a word of Scott's origen meaning truth changer or oath breaker, and the word for many witches carries baggage that may cause you social harm within the witch community. While witchcraft is called the "Olde Religion, " and many of it's practices and beliefs seem to belong with the antiquities, many witches are the early adopters of new technologies. In 1994 when the World Wide Wait was being born, one of the first sights to go on line was dedicated to The Goddes Path, Soon to fe followed by a fundamentalist religion site and a neo-nutzi hate site.) Witch rituals appear to be rather strange at first but with a little study and understanding the reasons for each part becomes clear. (Explanations can be found in many books but the clearest book for beginners is Silver RavenWolf's To Ride a Silver Broomstick.) |
| The Tech. Definition I Give To My Family Is: An Earth Based... | Aug 16th. at 4:46:27 pm EDT |
| Patricia L Combahee (Summerville, South Carolina US) | Age: 26 - Email |
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The tech. definition I give to my family is: An earth based religion usualy involving two or more "Gods/Goddesses".Most often relating to duality and balance with the feminine being the more prominent deity. |
| Reading Over Other's Comments, I Notice That Few Mention What I Perceive... | Aug 16th. at 5:44:36 pm EDT |
| Lillith 3Feathers (Kent, Ohio US) | Age: 49 - Email |
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Reading over other's comments, I notice that few mention what I perceive to be the common denominators among witches/wiccans. Since I do not consider myself a witch (although I have been called that by others), perhaps I am not qualified to give a defination, but I feel called to write a comment. The witches I have known, and the books about witchcraft I've read, seem to have a few things in common irregardless of tradition or background. Yes, there is a belief in the witch's rede and the threefold law. But there is also the belief in a cycle of the God and Goddess. Thus, there is the belief in the Goddess creating and giving birth, and the God growing and dying and being reborn. What do others think: is a belief in the cycle of the God necessary to wicca or witchcraft? |
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