Witchcraft is a word that frightens many of us - when I say to people that I am a witch, they laugh at me because they picture the popular image of witches as ugly, old hags riding broomsticks, or evil Satanists performing obscene rites. The stereotype of the modern witch is thought to be a member of a cult that is primarily concerned with cursing enemies, jabbing wax dolls with pins, dancing around naked on hill tops and casting namby pamby spells ..... This is not the case at all. Witchcraft today may be seen as the sum total of all a Witch's practices, including but not limited to: spellcasting, divination ("fortune telling"), meditation, herbalism, ritual and ritual drama, singing and dancing to raise energy, healing, clairvoyance and other psychism, creative mythology, and more.

Witchcraft is a religion, and possibly the oldest religion in existance in the West. It's origins go back way before Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Islam and Hinduism. The Old Religion as it is often referred to, is unlike any of these religions, and is closer in spirit to shamanism. It is not based on a rigid set of beliefs, scriptures or sacred books. There are no set rules that one is expected to live their life by, and no great "being" that is prayed to. Witchcraft is the practice of the native religions of Europe, well after the advent of Christianty. Witchcraft is the name that was given to these practices by the Christian Church. Before that, the people who followed a religion were just believers.

Some people who follow these native religions of Europe do not refer to themselves as Witches. The term "Witch" is something that was placed upon these beliefs. However, using the term "Witchcraft" is an easy way to collectively identify these religious beliefs and those who follow them.

When people speak of male Witches, they are often referred to as Warlocks. Many people use this as a term for a male Witch in contemporary society, but any Witch referred to as such will be greatly insulted by this. Those who use the term "warlock" should not be trusted for information because they are either ignorant of the term and are most likely not knowledgeable about the Craft anyways, or they are most likely teenagers involved with pseudo-satanism who think that name sounds cool. The word "warlock" translates as the Scottish Gaelic term for a liar, oathbreaker, back-stabber, or someone generally not to be trusted. It was in fact the Christian Church that catagorized male Witches as Warlocks in an attempt to ostracize those who followed the old religion.

Witches are not born Witches. To become a Witch, one must become a practicioner of the religion. Different traditions have different methodology for becoming a part of their tradition. For most, this involves some form of self-dedication to the Gods. Even for those born into a family tradition, a conscious decision to follow the Old Ways must be made.

Witchcraft teaches responsibility for one's actions. There is no good or evil. There is only the intent that one has when commiting an action. For example, a tornado, which causes a lot of destruction, is not good or evil..... It just is.Emphasis is thus placed on the intent of the action. This is such that the whole of the action is the sum of its consequences. That use is directed, first and foremost, by The Witches' Rede: "If it harm none, do what you will." It is also directed in part by The Law of Threefold Return: "What you give out returns to you threefold. If you work ill, threefold ill comes back to you. If you work good, threefold good comes back to you."

Witches have known all along what science is only beginning to acknowledge: that all systems on the planet are interconnected, all life is one. When imbalance is caused in one area, the whole system is thrown out of balance. Acts of evil cause imbalance. The works of Witchcraft are toward balance and harmony. We are healers, protectors; we will act swiftly and forcefully in defense against aggression, but we do not ourselves attack.

There is a popular myth that Witches use animals in sacrifice. This is not true; our own internal life-force is sufficient to whatever task we may require; we have no need of stealing the life-force of another. As offerings to our deities, Witches may burn incense or candles, pour out libations, place sacred herbs or food in some outdoor spot, bury talismans or money. Some female Witches use their own menstrual blood in spells, other Witches may prick themselves (in these enlightened days, usually with sterile lancets) and offer a drop or two of their own blood. But the only blood a Witch has a right to offer is her/his own. The sacrifice of another's is against the Rede.

Witches don't believe in life after death, we believe in life after birth. We do not believe in a hell, sin, or redemption. As mentioned above, evil is imbalance. Witches have quite a few opinions about what does happen after death. Most believe in reincarnation of some sort or other, some say that between death and rebirth the soul undergoes some sort of transformation to prepare it for rebirth. Others believe that the dead join the Blessed Ancestors, who watch over, protect and advise their descendants. Still others have it that the souls of those who chose pain or evil when they were alive may be trapped after death in a state of suffering because that is all they can understand. Most Witches, including myself are honest enough to say, "We don't really know, and there isn't any way to know."

There are a number of sayings about Magick. It is "the act of changing consciousness by Will." It is "the science of coincidence." As the root word of "Witch" indicates, we are shapers and changers; what we shape and change is our own life force, our own consciousness, our health and that of the planet. We believe that we can change our lives by spiritual as well as physical means. Very little is preordained, except that we will die, some day. In the meantime, many Witches do divination by tarot to find out the possible directions their lives might take, and then act on the information accordingly. It works. We can't turn people into frogs or levitate tables by mind-power; but we can work healing, change our lives for the better, and discover the workings and balance of the whole system. Our Wills are our tools, but we back up our actions with magical intent. It is a potent combination.

Witches DO cast spells, that's part of being a Witch, but there are those who wish merely to worship the Goddess (and God), observe the turning of the seasons with ritual, and honor the Earth. Spells and rituals are a matter of arranging elements to encourage a frame of mind conducive to working Magick. This may involve burning candles and/or incense, making talismans of stone or wood or paper, chanting rhymed formulae, using herbs or essential oils, turning down the lights and playing some atmospheric music, or whatever the imagination of the Witch can devise. If someone wishes to curse someone else, the curser must first build up the curse within her/himself - guess who gets to feel it first! Acts of healing, on the other hand, are acts of profound love, and the healer often finds her/himself healthier after healing someone else. It is always easier to cast a spell on oneself than on another. Never, under any circumstances should a spell be cast on another without that person's knowledge and consent.


May our dreams and visions guide us, and may we have the strength to make them real.