1. What is Witchcraft?
  2. Why don't Witches proselytise like, say, Jehovah witnesses?
  3. So who do they worship?
  4. Do Wiccans go to a 'Wiccan church' type place?
  5. Do they work together or alone?
  6. What do Wiccans actually do? How do they use magick, and why do they spell it in that perculiar way?
  7. Phases of the moon and time of day? Isn't the concept of magick, let alone these factors, just taking a walk on the daft side?
  8. Do all Wiccans practise magick?
  9. So the next time my neighbour pours weedkiller over my wysteria, can I hex their hyacinths?
  10. OK, a nice one then. That lovely Pete in personnel; could I cast a spell to make him adore me forever?
  11. So what about if someone casts such a spell against me. They may get it back threefold, but even once is enough for me!!
  12. Someone told me Witches worship Satan. Surely all this 'harm none' stuff is just a front until you have innocent people in your evil grasp!
  13. You don't drink blood then?
  14. Is Witchcraft recognised as a 'proper' religion?
  15. So I can't be Jewish/Moslem/Buddist and Wiccan at the same time?
  16. Are there any male Witches?
  17. How do I become a Witch?
  18. What goes on in ritual?
  19. I am not Wiccan, I came to find out more. I think you've got so-and-so wrong, but I still want to know more.



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What is Witchcraft?

Witchcraft is the practice of wiccan arts, such as magick, many of which are derived from ancient pagan festivals.

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Why don't Witches proselytise like, say, Jehovah witnesses?

Well, for one thing, Witches havn't always been well received by the 'general populus'. The persecution of the 'burning times' is still remembered by many, and popular culture is still encouraged to regard Witches as evil old hags. How many children's stories have 'evil Witches'? Today, many Witches refer to their faith as wicca (and themselves as wiccans) so as to try and overcome the prejudices held against them. Wicca is actually derived from early nineteenth century historian's view of Witchcraft, whereas 'original' Witchcraft has almost 20000 years history. I consider the two fairly interchangable, though.

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So who do they worship?

Perhaps that question should be rephrased as 'who or what do they worship'. Wicca is an all encompassing belief system, with only a few simple rules. As a result, and individuals method or subject of worship is very much up to that individual.

Generally speaking, there is a God and a Goddess. These are imagined in many different forms by Wiccans - some more traditional covens visualise them as traditional Gods, while others (e.g. materialists) consider them to be masculine and feminine energies (similar to the Chinese yin and yang).

More important (IMHO) however, is that the subject follows the tenets of the Rede. The most significant of these is . . .

"An ye harm none, do what ye will"

So Wicca is an ampowering faith; it says "Do what you please, so long as no one gets hurt".

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Do Wiccans go to a 'Wiccan church' type place?

Not particularly, although there are often large gatherings at places such as Stonehenge or Salem, Massechusettes on the major sabbats.

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Do they work together or alone?

Again, its up to the individual. Those who work alone are called Solitaries while others form groups called Covens. It is not 'better' to be one rather than the other - each individual must use their own energies to achieve their own goals.

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What do Wiccans actually do? How do they use magick, and why do they spell it in that perculiar way?

Most Wiccan practice is called 'ritual'. Rituals can be held at any time or place, though for the best results influential factors (such as the phase of the moon or the sign it occupies - in some cases even the time of day) should be investigated first. Just as there is no 'specific' set of rules (apart from the Rede) as to how Wiccans should view the deity, there is no set way in which rituals should be performed. Most rituals, as the name suggests, involve some form of practice to separate the magickal from the mundane. Usually, the concept of a magick circle is used, and an altar is often set up too. Magick is spelled magick rather than magic to distinguish Wiccan's work from that of popular entertainers (like Paul Daniels!)

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Phases of the moon and time of day? Isn't the concept of magick, let alone these factors, just taking a walk on the daft side?

Being a scientist I can understand how a great many people would take that view. Of course, I cannot speak for all Wiccans, but I can explain my own justifications for considering magick to be plausible. I am among a rapidly increasing number of 'materialistic' Wiccans (rather than 'idealistic' Wiccans - neither are better, of course). That means that I consider magick as a transfer of energy at an elemental lever. I also personally envision the Goddess and God as simply manifestations of the energy of the universe. In that case, it would be quite plausible that if a significant object (like a lump of rock as big as the moon) could very well change the relative potential of other celestil bodies - from a planet right down to a teacup. Don't forget - the moon illustrates its tremendous pulling power by creating the tides. We understand them now, but hundreds of years ago they were mysterious and attributed to higher powers. There are a great many more recent theories with regards to cosmic rays/pulses/energy and human cycles. More on that can be found on my personal home page. The concept of magick could also be explained. It is believed that the brain works on minute electrical pulses - thats energy, isn't it? Perhaps by concentrating our minds (2/3 of which we cannot determine the use of) we can use our neural energy to alter other parts of the whole 'energy balance' thing. Too insignificant, you say? Well, look at water - the perfect substance! Drink it, wash with it - it's amphoteric, a solvent, just the right physical characteristics for our needs. Just add one small neutron to the hydrogen atoms and you get something called deuterium oxide instead of water; I wouldn't suggest drinking that!!! Take radiation - it causes cancer, yet it is only the emition of rays of energy from one atom or more that has lost or gained sub-atomic particles. Very small things have very big effects. Theres the butterfly causing the tornado too - chaos theory! Scientists thought they'd found the smallest particles with quarks - now they've found something smaller. One should never completely dismiss something simply because the establishment has yet to establish it. This is, of course, only my opinion. I respect anyone's views, what ever they may be, and hope you do as well. I cannot convince you that I am right, because everyone must find their own 'path' in Wicca. Perhaps if you cannot find your own justification, of just accept Wicca as a plausible belief, then maybe it is not for you.

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Do all Wiccans practise magick?

Not at all. You don't have to practise at all to be a Wiccan. Wicca is about mutual respect and consideration - thinking more deeply than just about everyday life (the mundane). It's just like Christians - not all of them go to church every Sunday. Not everyone in any given religion is orthodox.

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So the next time my neighbour pours weedkiller over my wysteria, can I hex their hyacinths?

Definitely not!! If you cast magick to harm another, or if you don't consider the consequences of your magick completely, you will receive your 'nastiness' three times back. Now, if you don't mind dead dasies, pathetic pansies and tired tulips then that may not bother you. But be warned. This is definitely not good practise - and breaks the tenets of the Rede.

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OK, a nice one then. That lovely Pete in personnel; could I cast a spell to make him adore me forever?

Sorry, but not on either! You see, by casting this spell you would be taking away the poor creature's free will. He may be married (did you check *the finger*?) or he could have a long term partner. He may be after Avril in accounts. Your spell would have a significant and detrimental effect on his life. This also brings us to another point - check the wording (or true intention) of all your spells. In this example, you have projected for this chappie to 'adore you forever' - that is not the same as love! Also, when you meet Kevin from computer support, you may no longer feel for personnel Pete. He would be left out in the cold, with most of forever still to go. He would probably become obsessed, running around your house with his nose pressed to your window pane. OK, so its a bit far fetched, but you must see my point. It would be much better to cast a spell to help you find true, mutual affection in general - don't feel you have to chose one of your current aquaintances! If you get together, you could cast a binding spell, but once again this is dodgy territory - you have to be very sure of exactly what you want to achieve first. If you really are convinced that personnel Pete is the man for you, try a little spell just to give the two of you the 'chance' of having a conversation, or to end up waiting together for the lift or something. Although this could still affect poor Pete, you will have a much reduced effect on him in the long run if things go wrong. Perhaps this is equally unadvisable. Think for yourself. Would you be happy doing the casting? If you have any doubts, they will detract from the power your spell would have if you were utterly convinced, anyway.

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So what about if someone casts such a spell against me. They may get it back threefold, but even once is enough for me!!

To prevent this, you perform a 'protection' spell, to protect against such magick. Wiccans often perform these to prevent illness, accidents, etc. They don't have to be for yourself, but if it is for someone else make sure you have their consent first. If it is for you, then you can cast spells fairly freely - you have about as free a reign as you can have. Do bare in mind the implications, though. Casting a spell to 'live for eternity' may not be such a good move - havn't you seen 'Death Becomes Her'?

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Someone told me Witches worship Satan. Surely all this 'harm none' stuff is just a front until you have innocent people in your evil grasp!

Well, first things first. Satan, the Devil etc. are Christian constructs. The confusion arises over the 'Horned God' - one of the ways the God is portrayed. This has nothing to do with any Satanic figure. And as for the 'deceiving front' - I certainly am not here for that purpose, and even if some so-called Witches break the rules there are a great many people who believe solely in the 'harm none' principle. Even if all the original Witches were evil (which I'm sure wasn't the case) the community has evolved to a stage where this is no longer acceptable. At least, that's what I've experienced. There must be more like me!! Look at it this way; a man arrives as your door with a black robe and a dog-collar (the vicar kind, not the hell's angel kind!). He is wearing the clothes of a clergiman, yet you only have his word that he is one. OK, so you do the decent thing and allow him in for a cup of warming cocoa - its a cold night and its starting to snow - but you wouldn't prance around in front of him in your baby-doll, relying on hime exercising self control as a member of the church. Perhaps you would, I don't know, but I wouldn't. You must see my point. You must treat everyone as an individual, immaterial of whether they claim to be a sinner or a saint. If they wore a T-Shirt with Kill The Virgins' on it, you may be justified in standing a fair distance away, but on the other hand this person may be perfectly kind and caring with a penchant for extreme cuture. The same goes for a man dressed like the Pope. Or even the woman who works in Inland Revenue. Or perhaps the door-to-door salesman.

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You don't drink blood then?

Not generally! The vast majority of Wiccan's use conventional methods of symbolizing whatever they want to symbolize (e.g. wine for blood, if they really *wanted* blood that is). As in the rest of the population, there may be a small minority who think blood is a very tasty beverage.

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Is Witchcraft recognised as a 'proper' religion?

In 1985, Dettmer v. Landon, the District Court of Virginia pursuant to rule 32 (a) of the U.S. Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, ruled that Witch craft falls within a recognizalbe religious category and therefore is protected by the U.S. Constitution. I'm not sure about here in the U.K. If someone knows about that please mail to let me know.

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So I can't be Jewish/Moslem/Buddist and Wiccan at the same time?

Nope. Wicca is a religion in its own right. You wouldn't be Buddhist and Hindu, now would you?

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Are there any male Witches?

Yeah - sure! I havn't encountered any on the internet - if you are one please mail me and I'll put your page in my links section. They are called Witches or Wiccan's just like women - don't call them warlocks (its Scottish for oathbreaker, so its a bit insulting).

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How do I become a Witch?

That is a very big question, but I will put a small answer for the time being (sorry, will change this when I get the time). To be a Witch, you have to *be* a Witch. If you feel like this is your path, then you will probably know anyway. In fact, that may be why you found this page. I certainly started out on the internet, and learned most of what I know from cyber-covens. There are a great many ways of recognizing that you are this 'Witch' thing; feeling magickal, wanting to do the right thing by all concerned, wanting to be more spiritual yet without being bound to something excessively traditional or 'new-age'. I don't think Wicca is 'new age' in a hippy sort of way. I'm not sure any religion is if you take it on its own merits. Hippies deserve a classification of their own, although they are all of course individuals in their own right!

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What goes on in ritual?

That is another very big question. Most rituals involve some form of physical and or emotional cleansing, followed by an invocation to the goddess and god. After this, the intention of those in the circle is stated, then the magick is performed. Finally the deity is thanked, the circle is closed, and the individuals involved take some form of sustenance. This is only a very vague impression indeed. If you want to perform rituals, be sure to look on other wiccan pages first. I will add pages specifically on ritual in the near future.

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I am not Wiccan, I came to find out more. I think you've got so-and-so wrong, but I still want to know more.

Well then, why not complete the response form and let me know what you think. If you want to know more, then feel free to browse; its an open shop! Look at other pages too - don't just judge on my views as they go hardly anywhere towards representing Wicca as the cosmopolitan faith it really is. One thing - don't write and say 'I don't like your beliefs - I think you should give it up and be a ********** (add your own religion here!)'. I have not tried to convert you so don't try to convert me. Lets keep any dialogue constructive. Respond with any more questions, too. I will add them to this list.