Witchcraft And Wicca Essay, Research Paper
Witchcraft and Wicca
When you think of Witchcraft, and Wicca what comes to your mind. Historically people have associated Witchcraft with evil and regard people as using Witchcraft as harming others. The terms Wicca and Witchcraft can be used interchangeably, but there is a distinction. Wicca is a contemporary Neo-Pagan religion and Witchcraft is the practice of natural magic. Today I am going to tell you about both.
Witchcraft is the notion that the universe is neither good nor evil, it simply just is. There is one power, the all, which is composed of everything it ever created. It does not rule over the universe, it is the universe. The supreme power is personified into male and female aspects: the goddess and the god, two who are one. The first thing to remember is that Witchcraft is a religion and witches also believe in the law of return. So if you send out negative energy that is what you in return receive. Being a witch means that you have to be painfully honest with yourself and accept full responsibility for anything in your life that you have done wrong. If you accept this as your spiritual path, the god and goddess are going to force you to take a long, hard look at your life and yourself. Most people believe that witches worship Satan, which is not true. Witches do not believe in the concept of hell or Satan. The whole concept of evil associated with the devil is due to and error in translation. Traditional Witchcraft is a practice handed down from generation to generation. It is unique unto itself. Most Christians do not consider witchcraft a religion. The only objection witches have to Christianity is that it holds itself out as being the only true way to be. Most people associate witchcraft with evil and usually regard people as using witchcraft to harm others. In early Christian centuries, those who were proved to have engaged in Witchcraft were required only to do penance. But in the late middle ages those who were accused the punishment became more severe. Nearly all those who fell under suspicion of Witchcraft were women. The most common test to prove if you were a witch or not were pricking: all witches were supposed to have somewhere on their bodies a mark, made by the devil, that was insensitive to pain. Other proofs included, the inability to weep and the failure in the water test. A woman was thrown into a body of water, if she sank, she was considered innocent, but if she stayed a float, she was found guilty. In the Middle Ages to the 1700 s, religious leaders sentenced those found guilty to be burned at the stake.
The most famous American witch-hunt began in 1692 in Salem, mass. There was a group of village girls who became fascinated with the occult, but their games got out of hand. They began to act strangely, uttering weird sounds and screaming. Suspicions that witches were responsible for the girl s behavior led to the arrest of 3 women. More arrests followed and mass trials were held. About 150 people were imprisoned on Witchcraft charges, 19 men and women were convicted and hung as witches.
Wicca is one form of Witchcraft. It is based on a deep respect for nature and the certain knowledge that we do not have the right to exploit it for our own gain. Wicca s have a deep concern with conservation and ecology. Wicca s are historically very independent people who seek truth from within through rituals, meditation, magic, studying and communing with nature.
Today I hope I have informed you about Witchcraft and Wicca. By researching about the two I have found that neither is associated with evil. Maybe the person that is doing the Witchcraft is evil but not Witchcraft itself.