Magick and Witchcraft
The word "Magick" was coined to differentiate serious magic from the staged, sleight of hand kind, such as is done by David Copperfield and others. In layman's terms, Magick entails manipulating energy and focusing the will, often utilizing rituals and items containing certain properties, to accomplish a goal. This is admittedly a rather simple explanation, and the study and successful use of magick and magickal powers is a lifelong proposition. The annals of magickal history go back to the beginnings of mankind, and indeed, more information on magick has probably been lost in history than exists in all our resources today.
Magick is a powerful resource, and though it cannot be measured or proved by science, it cannot be disproved by science either. In and of itself, Magick is neither good or bad. The INTENT of the practitioner is what separates White Magick from Black Magick.
In modern America, the word Magick has become somehow intertwined with the Wiccan religion, but this is not a very accurate correlation. Not every Wiccan practices Magick, and not everyone who practices Magick adheres to the Wiccan religion.
Magick and Witchcraft are both essentially based on the fact that we, as spiritual beings, have innate powers to manipulate the world around us. The premise is that with practice, we can hone these innate powers to reach our aspirations and goals. Whether we use these powers for good or bad is up to us, and both scenarios will be covered on these pages. This page will strive to define the elements used in Magick and what they mean, pinpoint specific known properties of common magickal items and herbs, and provide tutorials aimed at tapping into the powers needed to successfully perform simple magick spells and rituals.
Source: Mystical Blaze
There are many paths associated with paganism for example, Wicca, Druidry, Heathen, Asatru, Traditional Witchcraft. Below are a few brief explainations of what each path involves.
Wicca
"We are not evil. We don't harm or seduce people. We are not dangerous. We are ordinary people like you. We have families, jobs, hopes, and dreams. We are not a cult. This religion is not a joke. We are not what you think we are from looking at T.V. We are real. We laugh, we cry. We are serious. We have a sense of humor. You don't have to be afraid of us. We don't want to convert you. And please don't try to convert us. Just give us the same right we give you--to live in peace. We are much more similar to you than you think."
Margot Adler
Wicca is a fairly modern religious path made popular in the late 20th Century by Gerald Gardner. Allthough fairly contemporary it claims to be based partly on northern European pre Christian beliefs. Most Wiccan's believe in and worship a fertility goddess and her consort the horned god however there are many other aspects to the Goddess and God figures which at certain times of the year feature in celebration and worship.
Wicca celebrates the moon phases inparticular the full moon kown as esbbats and 8 Sabbats or festivals per year, which are associated with the earth's seasons and harvesting. The New Year being celebrated at Samhain (Halloween)
Traditional Witchcraft
Going back into history, in a time when people lived in small communities, before the dawn of Christianity, the witch was the nurse, doctor, midwife, vet and counsellor for the community. Witches were the ones who had the knowledge to heal and prepared the medicines of that time which was usually based on herbal remedies. Witches observed nature and were able to advise when was the best time to plant and harvest and knew how to treat animals to ensure that the population were fed well.
Witches were the keepers of the knowledge of this tradition and were responsible for selecting the next generation of healers and teachers. Today unfortunately witches dont have a good reputation due to the prejudices and superstitions of the olden days and the continuing medias misrepresentation.
Witches today have a great respect for nature and the Earth and everything that lives or grows upon her. They believe that what they say or do is their own responsibility and that everyone is entitled to their own spiritual beliefs whatever the path they choose. Witches are not here to preach about the craft and do not seek converts.
Todays modern traditional witch tends to focus on healing and herbalism in his/her magical practices.
Heathenism
Heathenism or Asatru is based on Nordic and Northern European beliefs.
Asatru is generally considered the major Heathen religion althouth, as with any belief system, there are exceptions.
Heatherism can be considered unique in as much that many of its follows are able to study actual available texts and manuscripts such as the Icelandic sagas and 'The Eddas' which outline a rich and complex belief system based on honor, truth and integrity; virtues which are considered very highly in Heathern religion.
Gods associated with Heathenism are:
Thor - The Thunder God whos chariot is said to race across the heavens creating thunder. The symbol of Thor is the hammer (Mjolnir). The day of the week Thursday is said to originate from this God
Odin - The God with one eye. The mythology says that he gave up an eye so that he could drink from the Fount of Wisdom. This God is associated with runes.
Frey - This God is associated with the Winter Solstice who brings peace and prosperity.
Goddesses associated with Heathenism are:
Freya - The Goddess of love,beauty and sexuality. This Goddess takes the souls of those departed to Valhalla
Frigg - This Goddess is the wife of Odin
Skadi - Scandinavia was named after this Goddess. She is the deity of independance, death, skiing and hunting
Ostara - This Goddess is celebrated around the time of the spring equinox and is associated with fertility. Her symbols are the hare and the egg.
Druidry
Druidry is an ancient religion that predates Christianity and is still alive today.
TO walk the path of the druid one will be taken on an inner journey of discovery. Druidry is a peaceful spiritual path that promotes love and respect for the earth, nature, the land, the heavens and the sky and encourages love for ones self and each other.
The path has a love for mythology and this brings forth the creative storytellers, the bards who have the key to the ancient wisdom.
A large part of druidry involves the plantation of trees and the creation of sacred groves. In ancient times these groves were places of worship and sanctuary. Tree lore is a huge part of this path.
The druid wheel of the year is the same as that of wicca, which also uses the same Gods and Goddesses. There are those that would argue that druidry and wicca inter link.
Eclectic
Eclectic is taking elements from each of the spiritual paths and using them to suit their own individual spiritual needs. Today there are many individuals who prefer to call themselves eclectic as they can relate to several elements of each path.
