Pagan Topic

here's the thing. can you paint if you're not an artist? to be a Witch is to be skilled in the field of Witchcraft. it's a title earned through reaching a higher level of skill in this field. before you reach that standard, before you can be called a Witch, you are still practicing Witchcraf like when I did Willow Weaving I was not a willow Weaver. just someone having a go at it. Witchcraft can be practiced by anyone of any religion. rather like carpentry or dentistry. you don't need to follow a particular religion to follow it. it's a craft, not a religion. ANYONE can practice Witchcraft, and anyone who becomes skilled in Witchcraft can be considered a Witch.

I don't think the label you use for yourself matters overly much. However if you are concerned that being labelled a witch would imply you hold religious beliefs that are not actually a part of your life then you can stop worrying. Many people who hold the title of witch do not necessarily believe in higher deities, god, godesses etc. Many of them believe that spellwork involves the direct manpulation of the universe by their own power without the inteference of a higher power. generally people who follow the religious side of things label themselves by their religion first and witch after, many don't consider themselves witches at all. for example you can be wiccan, pagan, a pagan witch, a wiccan witch or simply a witch. it is entrely up to you what you believe but the title you use can be useful for gathering relevant information from new sources. for example if you claimed to be wiccan and asked a question relating to magick you may get answers relating to invoking the godess etc, whereas if you claim to be a witch and ask the same question the answer may be more aimed at the pracical as opposed to spiritual parts of the solution. Amy *

well, i think, you are considering the word WITCH to be with a bad intention? .. please don't .... so.. you can practice witchcraft without any trouble. you could read all the books available in print, as also online. i have a strong belief that there are some websites, online, which help one acquire skills in this ancient art of EXTRA SENSORY PERCEPTION. goodluck./

Ok. In a nonbeliever, scholar sense... knowledge for knowledge sake. I will say yes. We go to school and study and work math, english and science tasks. Some tasks are more precise than others. We study psychology and philosophy. Theory. Sometimes we have a "try it, you might like it" mentality. After a period of exploration a couple of things may happen. One, we decide if we do or do not like it. Two, we decide if this is something for further exploration. In a believer sense, we humans don't always start out believers... we THINK we may or may not believe...then...move on after education and experiences. Lots of people pray without being a christian. There's nothing that makes you pray more than waiting for that pregnancy test, for example; depending on which way you want your choice to be. Belief in something comes about after exploration and experience. We THINK we believe in something...initially... and after study and exploration... then we decide if we want to study it further...either confirming or denying our thoughts on that belief. Life changing experiences CAN further enhance or negate a belief... we can read about them, but the most compelling experiences are our own.

To practice witchcraft, but you aren't claim to be a witch. That is your personal thought on you are a witch; to others, you are still a witch in their opinion, simply you knew about the practice, and you knew about the spell. This a thin line to distinguish between a witch or not. You make it a good use of it.

This can be a tricky subject, but you have some great responses here. As a Pagan myself I don't mind being called a Witch- but I can understand not wanting to be. For the most part, people use the term because it is easier to explain than Pagan is- and even then, people are more likely to understand what you are doing that way. It's jsut a term that has been around for a long time- with a lot of misconceptions, but those are being rewritten for the most part- and it is something not many people really think about. Unlike other religions Wicca and Paganism aren't 'organized', meaning that there is no 'right' or 'wrong' way for you to connect with whatever it is you are trying to connect with. For most, spellcraft and divination go hand in hand with the spiritual aspect of it, for others it doesn't. You can learn how to fix a car without being a mechanic right? Same basic concept.

If it floats your boat than go for it.

Witchcraft is generally thought of in two ways: either as a religion or as a type of magical or metaphysical practice. The former does involve connecting with deities of one's choice, but these are not always the ones most people associate with Witchcraft. There are Jewish Witches and Christian Witches, for example, just as there are Witches whose deities come from a Greek or German or Welsh background, and who choose to worship the gods and goddesses of their ancestors. So if you were already connecting with a specific deity or deities, you could incorporate them into your practice of Witchcraft as a religion, provided that works for you. Or you could approach the Craft more as a philosophical and magical practice, without the need for deities. Great question!