DISCUSSION: Definitions of Pagan, Wicca, & Witchcraft

[Tarah of the earth]

I have been doing quite a bit of research and i have found many postings about how wicca and witchcraft are very different in fact wicca was created in either the 1950s or recreated at that time and it's origin was a rebillion towards christanity my point is this true ?

[Xiao Rong]

I don't think it's fair to call Wicca and witchcraft a "rebellion" against Christianity. Witchcraft, in its many forms across the world, definitely existed before Christianity, or existed independently from it. Wicca as we know it is certainly an alternative to Christianity, but just because it's an alternative to a dominant religion doesn't necessarily means it's a rebellion - it simply fulfills different spiritual needs to Christianity. Although it is generally accepted that Wicca (by which I mean Wicca as we know it, as opposed to witchcraft as a whole) was founded in the 1950s by a man named Gerald Gardner.

[TheGirlOfSecrets]

Wicca is a fairly new religion created by Gerald B Gardner. You can practice Wicca without the spells and devote yourself more to the Gods and Goddesses. Here is a good website for any info really http://www.wicca-spirituality.com/why-wicca.html

[MagickalMist]

I do not agree that wicca is a new religion nor is it to "rebel" Christianity. I am a neophyte still, so, correct me if I am wrong; however, wicca/pagan spirituality has been around for a lot longer than Christianity. That does not mean it is better or worse though it is what we here believe in. Wicca or being wiccan originally means the wise one, the old religion, the wise craft of some form of this. It is the natural spirituality. Just as most religions, Christianity for example, there are a lot of different types or versions. Just as there is catholic Presbyterian Methodist and so on, wicca falls under pagan, as does Buddhism. True wicca in the light is not focused on evil or negativity, the whole point being to live in the light "if harm none do what ye will". This also means no harm on yourself. It is not all about spells and hocus pocus, it is about living and believing, truly believing, in the natural way and Mother Nature. xx

[Vervain]

Witchcraft has been around a lot longer than Christianity, and there are MANY different types and traditions of witchcraft.
Wicca, while the name comes from an old word for witches, is NOT older than Christianity. It is indeed a new religion invented by Gerald Gardner.
Many but not all Wiccans practice Witchcraft. Some but certainly not all Witches are Wiccan Witches. Some people use the word Witch to describe Wiccans. This is not incorrect if you recognize that being called a Witch, as in "Wiccan," does not mean one practices Witchcraft. The whole nomenclature business is rather confusing, but suffice it to say that Wicca and Witchcraft are not the same thing, though often entwined.

[Tarah of the earth]

I was just very confused being that what I found out... I found this website that teaches witchcraft and it says that you need to be accepted in to a fold who have is established themselves with their and ancestors. This all seems very odd to me and i was wondering if any of this was true and what is the difference between wicca and witchcraft. I just want to know what path is the one for me .

[Xiao Rong]

There is a TON of information on the web, and a lot of it conflicts with each other. Witchcraft is a very broad practice - it's the use of magic for things like healing, achieving practical ends, divination, etc. Witchcraft has been around since the earliest human civilization, and pretty much throughout the globe, although it varies considerably from place to place and from time to time. Yes, there are some people who are lucky to be practicing the same magic as their ancestors, but not everyone has family members who can teach them. Most witches today have to learn on their own. So I would not worry about needing to be accepted into a fold.

In contrast, like Vervain said, Wicca is a religion, and yes, it's fairly recent (although some disagree - Magickal Mist, it's true that paganism and witchcraft in various forms predate Christianity, but not Wicca in particular). Wicca's particular set of beliefs and magical systems (e.g. Goddess and the God, the Rede, the Wiccan version of circle casting, Wheel of the Year, etc.) was brought together in the 1950s by a man named Gerald Gardner. Vervain is right when she says that not all witches are Wiccans, nor are all Wiccans witches - you can celebrate the Goddess and the God and the Wheel of the Year and follow the Wiccan Rede without casting spells, and you can cast spells and not follow any Wiccan beliefs.

[DPhoenix]

Xiao is right about conflicting views about the origins of Witchcraft & Wicca (especially Wicca).

From what I've read & been taught I've come to my own conclusions of each.

The most ancient form of magick began with the hunter/gatherers in the form of Shamanism which exists today in many tribal cultures.

From there, magick diverged into what we now call Witchcraft.

Wicca itself is devised from the word Wicce which means 'witch'. Witchcraft itself was a very secret craft passed down through generations, secret covens & secret societies.

Gerald Gardner is the one who brought the 'old ways' to the general populous. He made witchcraft & magick easily accessible to a wide audience. He basically created a Witch revival that focused on a God & Goddess.

So the origins of Wicca depend on your definition of it. If you define it as the modern adaptation that Gardner created, then it's a rather new movement established in the 1950s. If you define it as magick based on God/Goddess deities then it is quite old.

As far as it being a rebellion, I disagree. Believing and practicing a religion different then the general populous isn't an act of rebellion. It's practicing the right of free will.

[Vervain]

I was just very confused being that what I found out... I found this website that teaches witchcraft and it says that you need to be accepted in to a fold who have is established themselves with their and ancestors.

Many traditions will not recognize you as a witch of their tradition without initiation, but unless you want to belong to that particular tradition that's irrelevant. Many of us on this board are Solitary, and do not belong to covens, folds, or ancestral traditions. There is no need to belong to a group to practice Witchcraft or Wicca, unless you have found a group that you would like to be a part of.

[Tarah of the earth]

Thank you for the help it answered my question. I did nit know that wicca was witchcraft just i guess a more accessible version of it. I do however have one more question is it wise to practice different parts of lets say pagan or druid along with wicca can it cause problems or is it up to the person?

[DPhoenix]

Thank you for the help it answered my question. I did nit know that wicca was witchcraft just i guess a more accessible version of it. I do however have one more question is it wise to practice different parts of lets say pagan or druid along with wicca can it cause problems or is it up to the person?

Everyone has their own path to follow. Some will stick to a particular Tradition, some may switch Traditions and keep some of the ways of their old tradition and some may be eclectic using a patchwork of different Magick Traditions that resonate with them.

[Vervain]

Totally up to you, as long as you're solitary.

[Sakura Blossom]

Seriously, I've been researching and studying into Wicca/Witchcraft since I was around 12/13 years old. That's about 8 years ago, at least, and to this day... I STILL can't find a clear enough answer for me to tell me what is what. So PLEASE, someone tell me and help me understand? Haha.

What is the big difference between Wicca and Witchcraft? Is it just the aspect of Wicca being a religion and Witchcraft not? Is Wicca ONLY for those who worship a God and a Goddess together? Or can you be Wiccan with just worshiping one deity?

I would love clarification on this, please. It would be amazing if you could help me out. I did read through the post on here talking about Wicca, but I'm still confused. I don't know why it's just not settling in my brain.

[BabyBear]

girl this is so funny i felt the need to post this all day and did it on my blog and then later on here
http://everythingunderthemoon.net/forum ... 27321.html
hope it helps and again this is just my look on it so if im wrong well thats me for yah

[Sakura Blossom]

Hm.... I still haven't a clue where I fit under. I'm going to say... Wicca. Because I do believe in all the Gods and Goddesses being real, and I do try to follow that Rede. It did make some sense, thanks!