What is Witchcraft? What is a Witch?
The term “witchcraft” is extremely broad and complicated to explain. In the simplest of terms, witchcraft describes a practice in which practitioners, who usually refer to themselves as witches, work with nature (physically or supernaturally) and perform magic rituals and spells. They will often perform divination, be knowledgeable about subjects such as herbology and astrology, and follow the natural cycles of the year.
Witches are usually outside of the main world religions, but not always; there are Christian witches, Jewish witches, and so on. What applies to one witch may not apply to the next; it is an extremely diverse and varied practice.
Witchcraft is a Highly Individual Path
Every witch is different and there are many beliefs, paths, pantheons, types of magic, rituals, and other aspects which fall under witchcraft. To go into all of these would make this page unnecessarily lengthy.
Some examples of types of witchcraft include; solitary witchcraft, coven witchcraft, elemental witchcraft, green witchcraft, Satanic witchcraft, eclectic witchcraft, and chaos witchcraft.
However, many witches do not like to confine their practice to labels and it can become difficult to define witchcraft by categories such as these.
Witchcraft is not a Religion
When most people think of modern witchcraft, they are most likely thinking of Wicca. Wicca is a neopagan religion that came to be in the 1950s by Gerald Gardner and in modern times is very widespread. Not all witches are Wiccans though, and not all Wiccans describe themselves as witches. The two are both distinctive paths, though, for some, the boundaries between them are more blurred.
Many witches, including myself, begin their practice within Wicca. This is partially because of the wealth of information on the religion in the form of books and videos, and the established structure within it. It probably seems less daunting, especially for beginners, to have guidelines on what to study and how to practice.
Over time, many witches diverge from Wicca and create their own path, based on what they believe, their experiences with magic and deities, and their philosophy. This is encouraged even within Wicca, and so some witches identify as Wiccan, even if their beliefs do not align with the original texts written by Gardner.
Witch as an Umbrella Term
The term witch is also often used as an umbrella term for practitioners of many Pagan religions and is sometimes used interchangeably with the term Pagan. However, not everyone who is Pagan will identify as a witch, and some believe that only those who actively practice witchcraft should be labeled as such.
When I refer to witches on my blog, I am usually referring to those who actively practice the craft, and not devotional Pagans, for example. In many occult spaces, the term witch usually means someone who works with magic.
What do Witches believe?
The range of different beliefs among witches is incredibly vast. Some witches are theistic, some are atheistic, and some are a mix of both. Some witches worship deities, ancestors, and land spirits, some witches focus entirely on demonolatry, and some witches who specialize in herbal remedies. The term witch encompasses all who work the craft whether they work with angels, demons, deities, or directly with nature itself.
In Wicca, there is the concept of the Goddess and the God, who are intertwined with the cycles of the year. The Goddess/God model is often found outside of Wicca too because of the focus on balance and duality that is an impoirtant part of witchcraft. Many witches will have a patron or matron deity, a deity they worship at the top of their personal hierarchy.
Witches tend to continuously adapt and challenge their beliefs as they move along their path. An important goal of witchcraft is self-development, and this often involves really examining ourselves through shadow work to find out who we are at our very cores, working through our fears and preconceptions and figuring out what we believe Self-development is even more emphasized in what is know as the Left-Hand Path, though it remains important for all witches.
Magic is neither Black Nor White
Many books and resources on modern witchcraft tend to emphasize only the light and good side of witchcraft, sometimes referring to it as “white” witchcraft. This is likely to be less offensive to beginners, but also helps people such as ex-Christians ease into the idea of witchcraft, challenging their preconceptions. But witchcraft and magic aren’t white or black, they are instead shades of grey.
Some witches bless, just as there are witches who curse. Some witches will worship deities of light and fortune, others may worship demons or Satan. No one witch is good nor evil; witchcraft is the harnessing of natural energies, and there is no good nor evil in nature. It’s what we do with our witchcraft, our ethics and morals, and how we choose to direct that energy that makes us a certain way.
What we perceive as good or evil is entirely down to our personal morals, religious, social and cultural backgrounds. Just because a witch worships a deity you find problematic does not automatically make them a bad person, and the same goes for anyone who worships deities that are stereotypically good.
Examples of Typical Witchcraft Practices
Witches may incorporate a great many things into their practice including magic, ritual, prayer, alchemy, herbalism, divination, meditation, astral projection, lucid dreaming, psychic development, psychology, and shadow work.
As well as the metaphysical, witches are often environmentally conscious and strive to help their local community. They may volunteer for environmental charities, eat vegetarian or vegan diets, aim to reduce waste and donate to charities.
Again, this does not describe all witches as some are much more focused on inner work and ceremonial magic than living an eco-conscious lifestyle.
Some commonalities among Witches
Although witches and their practices are hugely diverse, some things seem to be almost Universal.
- Seeking knowledge. Witchcraft is a personal path in which we aim to gain knowledge to improve ourselves and our craft. There are a great many occult and occult-adjacent books out there, and there are more coming out every year. Constantly reading and learning more about your particular path is crucial to witchcraft.
- Keeping a Grimoire/Book of Shadows. Most witches keep at least one journal related to their craft. These journals are used for writing down rituals, spells, correspondences, results of divination, dream records, and whatever else the witch feels is important. These books are traditionally intended to be understood only by the practicing witch, though there are also those made to be handed down to the next generation.
- Working with Nature. All witches work with nature in one form or another, especially considering that the Universe and everything in it is a part of nature. Whether they are attempting to summon spirits using sigils or using old folk remedies from ancient grimoires, they are working with nature in some capacity.
- Self-Improvement: Most witches will have a strong emphasis on self-improvement and personal development. There are many cleansing, banishing, binding, and protection spells, rituals done to lift oneself spiritually, herbal remedies, and many other methods to reach a higher level of the self.
- Sabbats, Esbats, and other Holidays: The Wheel of the Year, also known as the twelve sabbats, are seasonal festivals that follow the Solar year. Many Pagans and witches follow this cycle along with the Lunar phases. Witches may also celebrate dates that are sacred to their particular deity.
So What Do Witches Look Like?
Witches look like everyone else. Some of us like to dress “witchy”, while others are much more discreet. There isn’t a dress code for being a witch! Witches come from a variety of diverse backgrounds including POC, the LGBTQIA+ community. And witches are not all women, there are witches of all genders!
I hope this has helped explain a little of what witchcraft is. This is truly only skimming the surface of the immense amount of information I could write about the craft.
If you’re interested in learning more about witchcraft, I welcome you to read more of my blog. And if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask, no matter what.
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