Witches & Witchcraft

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Witch in Popular Culture
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Witchcraft is the use of certain kinds of supernatural or magical powers. A witch refers to a practitioner of witchcraft.

Witchcraft typically refers to malevolent or harmful magic, often considered to be a cultural ideology that explains human misfortune by blaming it on a supernatural entity or a known person in the community. The term can also encompass beneficial or ambiguous magic such as that of healers and seers.

Beliefs in witchcraft and witch-hunts are found in many cultures today, mostly in Sub-Saharan Africa. In early modern Europe, witchcraft came to be seen as a vast conspiracy against Christianity, and accusations of witchcraft led to large-scale witch-hunts.

From the mid-20th century on, a growing number of people have come to identify with the term "witch", especially those in the Wicca tradition.

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Types of Witches through History

  • Social Witch
    • A witch who curses a neighbor following some conflict
  • Magical or Sorcerer Witch
    • Healer, sorcerer, seer, or midwife
    • A person who, through magic, has increased their fortune from the perceived detriment of a neighboring household
  • Supernatural or Night Witch
    • Portrayed as a demon appearing in visions and dreams
  • Cunning Folk
    • Also known as white, good, or unbinding witches, blessers, healers, wizards, sorcerers
    • Commanded respect
    • Public opinion of them was often ambivalent and fearful
    • Capable of harming and healing
  • Diviners
    • Consider themselves mediators between the mundane and spiritual worlds
    • Equivalent to Shamans
    • Describes contact with fairies, spirits, and the dead as out of body experiences containing travels through the realms of an "other-world"
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Demonology

Under the monotheistic religions of Christianity and Islam, sorcery came to be associated with heresy and apostasy. Among Christians of the Europeans during late Medieval to Early Modern periods, fears regarding witchcraft rose, leading to large-scale witch-hunts. During this time, it was believed that Christianity was engaged in an apocalyptic battle against the Devil and his secret army of witches, who had entered into diabolical pacts.

In total, tens to hundreds of thousands of people were executed during this time for witchcraft, and others were imprisoned, tortured, banished, and had possessions confiscated. Most accused were women, though in some areas, the majority were men.

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Alleged Practices

  • Practices which influence another person's mind, body, or property against his or her will
  • Practices which are believed to undermine social or religious order
  • Malicious Magic
    • Cause disease
    • Cause sickness in animals
    • Cause bad luck
    • Cause sudden death
    • Cause impotence
  • White Witchcraft
    • Strictly benevolent
    • Ethical codes prevent performing magic on a person without their consent and request
  • Spellcasting
    • Could consist of a set of words, a formula, a verse, or a ritual action
    • Cast by many methods
      • Inscription of runes or sigils on an object to give it magical powers
      • Immolation or binding of wax or clay image (a poppet) of a person to affect him or her magically
      • Recitation of incantations
      • Performance of physical rituals
      • Employment of magical herbs as amulets or potions
      • Gazing at mirrors, swords, or other specula (scrying) for purpose of divination
  • Conjuring the Dead
    • Known as necromancy
      • Practice of conjuring the spirits of the dead for divination or prophecy
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Contempory Witchcraft

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Neopaganism

Modern practices identified by their practitioners as "witchcraft" have arisen can mainly be categorized under the heading of Neopaganism.

Contempory witchcraft often involves the use of divination, magic, and working with the classical elements and unseen forces such as spirits and the forces of nature. The practice of natural medicine, spiritual healing, and folk medicine are also common, as are alternative medical and New Age healing practices.

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Wicca

Wicca is practiced as a religion of an initiatory secret society nature with positive ethical principles, organized into autonomous covens, and led by a High Priesthood. There is a large "Eclectic Wiccan" movement of individuals and groups who share key Wiccan beliefs but have no initiatory connection or affiliation with traditional Wicca.

Both men and women are equally termed "witches", and they practice a form of duotheistic universalism.

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Stregheria

Stregheria is an Italian witchcraft religion. The followers worship the Goddess Diana, and their ritual format is similar to that of Wicca. They also place an emphasis on ancestor worship.

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Feri Tradition

The Feri Tradition is a modern witchcraft practice founded by Victor Anderson, which focuses on sensual experience and awareness, including sexual mysticism. They worship three main deities: the Star goddess, and two divine twins. They also believe that there are three parts to the human soul.

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External Links


Relevant discussion threads on AboveTopSecret.com

AboveTopSecret.com's threads dedicated to this discussion:
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