Witchcraft Explained: The Facts*

Witchcraft is often referred to as "the Old Religion" and "Craft of the
Wise." Witchcraft has been present since the beginning of humanity, in many forms, by many names. It was never a defined, organized religion,
particularly not a universal one, but it was everywhere, as it is now. Those
who practice Witchcraft are called Witches, no matter their sex. A very
common misconception is that a warlock is a male Witch. This could not be
further from the truth. Warlock means "oath breaker," and can be applied to
either sex. Basically it is someone who betrays the trust of a coven.

Witches are not evildoers, rather, they are the most moral, most aware and
sensitive people you will ever come across. They realize that every action
has a reaction in every reality and work maintain balance, bringing about
change, being sure not intentionally harm any innocent. Most Traditional
Witches are also familiar with the old saying a Witch who can't curse, can't
heal. What does this mean? To most Witches, it means if someone is harming you, your family or friends, by all means do something about it. Turn the other cheek is not necessarily the best motto when dealing with people whose intent is to harm.

Witches tend to be pantheists---that is they recognize the divine in all
things. Many Witches in some fashion worship the Goddess and the Horned God--depending upon their practices and Tradition, a Witch will have different concepts of deity: general divine energy, ancestral spirits, specific deities, etc. The Horned God is a deity of fertility and festivity, often represented by a man with deer antlers, or a satyr-like being, as artifacts of Pan and Cernunnos depict. One can easily see now where the Christian concept of the devil originated. It is always wise to remember that the gods of the old religions become the devils of the new in many western cultures.

So never have Witches worshipped "the devil" as Christianity portrays. We actually find the idea of personifying evil rather stupid, for if you give something a name, you give it power. Witches, likewise, don't believe in Hell. We cannot believe in an "all-loving" god that would send its own children to damnation, simply because they did not worship him in a certain form. Instead, Witches believe in a transient-like afterlife, sometimes called the Summerlands, as well as reincarnation.

Some Witches utilize magick as a tool and/or some form of spellcraft, following along the lines of "harm none." Magick cannot be defined as "black" or "white,"because of the complexity of the results.

*A note to other Witches who read this quick analysis and explanation and get their besoms lodged in an unhappy place over some parcel located within....get over it. To all others, this is meant to be a general explanation and isn't intended to cover every nuance. Not all Witches hold the same beliefs, so no one can make a statement that covers all Witches completely. I write mainly from my beliefs and experiences, and encourage the reader to do further research in regards to history and anthropology.