Do I Need to Be in a Coven?

[Firebird]

Phoenix...just out of curiosity, what is the source of your Wicca/Witch statement? There has been so much talk about I am a witch but not a wiccan and visa-verse, it makes me want to rip my hair out.
BB, FF

[loona wynd]

Phoenix...just out of curiosity, what is the source of your Wicca/Witch statement? There has been so much talk about I am a witch but not a wiccan and visa-verse, it makes me want to rip my hair out.
BB, FF

Wicce and Wiccan are Anglo-Saxon terms for witch. Its known etymology. The terms however hadn't been used for years. Gardner came into town with his new witchcraft religion which he called Wica. It was through media which added a second c because of mispronunciations of the word that Wicca became the name for a specific religion.

So yes if you practice Anglo-Saxon witchcraft and work with that deity set and ritual workings you are also a Wicca or Wiccae (depending on if you are male or female). Other than that it does refer to a specific religion and religious set of beliefs. Gardner brought the term Wicca back into use though for him it was for his specific witchcraft religion.

That I think is where a lot of it comes from. Historically it was simply the word for witch spelt differently for males and females. Now we have books saying all witches are Wiccan. We also have books mentioning that witchcraft is a craft and not always a religion so we have people calling themselves witches but not Wiccan.

Does that help?

[PhoenixFlight]

In short, the English language dropped the masculine/feminine distinction, as Loona said, but there's alot more to the story.. Let me see if I can find you the link to the article.


EDIT: Alright, so I found the article I was referencing, though for the moment, I can't find the original site that I copied it from. The article explains ALOT about it, and it should help you understand where I'm coming from: http://phoenixmajick.createaforum.com/g ... at-debate/


EDIT 2: Okay, found one of the places I got it form: http://www.americanwiccan.com/wiccavswitchcraft.html

[loona wynd]

My point is more that the term Wicca to mean witches wasn't really in public use. The word Wicca came into public use once again by the media and Gardner's work to mean a witchcraft religion that he created. He called them the Wica. The media changed the spelling for mispronunciations. The word Wicca was basically unknown to those who didn't study etymology.

The article mentions Tolkein having the word Wicca in his margin lines while he was writing the series we all know and love. While this may be true (and Tolkein used a lot of Anglo-Saxon mythology and lore in the creation of middle earth) the word was not in public use. People used the term witch to talk about witchcraft both religious and practical.

Now Wicca because of Gardner has a modern meaning as well as its roots. Wicca now refers to a very specific type of religious witchcraft. This is the type of witchcraft that worships a two fold God and a trifold Goddess, had 8 sabbats, and follow the basic outline of what most people understand to be Wicca.

Wicca is a religion that is intricately tied in with the use of witchcraft in the rituals. The worship of the Gods in Wicca can not be done with out the use of witchcraft. There are simple spells and magical practices involved in the practice of this religion. In this way all Wiccans are witches.

Witchcraft does not have to be religious. Spiritual maybe but not religious. That is one thing I disagree with the linked article on. I do not believe that witchcraft is a religion. I do believe it is a practice and a craft that can connect us to the world around us and the universe we live in but that doesn't need to be through the concept of a religion or through working with deities.

This is why there are Christian witches. This is why there are witches in many different faiths. Witchcraft can be a part of religions and religious practices. However on its own witchcraft is not a religion. There is no central set of beliefs that all witches follow, no central set of myths, no central set of rituals, or anything. There is really nothing in witchcraft that can be said that all witches do or believe. This is why witchcraft is not a religion.

At one time Wicca and witch may have been the same. Today that is not the case. Many people are finding other ways to practice witchcraft with out focusing on a religion. Many focus on their own power and connections to the universe. Others work with spirit allies. Others still work with deities and spirits of a non Wiccan religion like an Egyptian witch or something.

I see no reason why they have to mean the same thing. Not all witches follow the rede, worship a God and a Goddess, and follow the 8 sabbats. Not all witches need to have their practice tied into a religion. I personally find it more liberating to say I am a witch but not Wiccan as I can follow my real heart, desires, and I can work with the spirits and any Gods I want with out being limited by the specifics of Wiccan ritual and literature.