Witchcraft and Wicca, one for me, one for you
- mathewrhyswalker
- Jan 5, 2024
- 3 min read
The blog highlights the main differences between the Wiccan religion and the practice of Witchcraft
Founder
Witchcraft has no single founder, Witchcraft traditions vary greatly, so there is no founder of the Craft but there are of traditions or covens. The next blog will discuss the many colours of Witchcraft. Wicca is a neo-Pagan religion founded on pre-Christian European practices by Gerald Gardner, an English civil servant who was one of the main driving forces behind magick coming into the public eye again.
Deity
There is no one singular perception of divinity in Witchcraft as some Witches worship the Earth, some worship the forces of nature as gods, others work with the old Gods of Paganism but some do not work with deity at all. They focus on magick, on nature and on their craft. Wiccans more often than not believe in dual divinity - A God and Goddess - the underlying belief is all Gods are one God, and all Goddesses are one Goddess, essentially one being with many aspects or facets. Exceptions apply to this common belief, such as Goddess worshipping Wiccans who devote solely to the divine mother, such as Dianic Wiccans.
Afterlife
Every Witch I have met have some perception of an afterlife, either to return as spirit guides, to reincarnate to live more lives and some do not believe in reincarnation at all, and believe we just go to paradise and spend eternity with the gods. Wicca traditions typically believe that when we die our soul goes to the summerlands to rest with our ancestors and the God and Goddess, and when the time is right we reincarnate to learn life lessons, and this cycle repeats until we have learned them all, and then we spend eternity in the summerlands.
Karma
We all know this word, right? The Indian term for the phrase "What goes around, comes around", well, you do now. Another difference here is Wiccans believe Karma is three-fold, not all Witches - myself included - do believe in Karma or cause and effect as three-fold, but do believe it exists. There are also Witches who do not believe in Karma at all, rather they believe in fate, so when shit hits the fan, there is still a "cause", but magick can help circumvent it.
Morality
A fun topic to debate, at least in a Religious Studies lecture, is the matter of morality among a predominantly liberal spiritual community. The highlight here is the source of this guidance, the Wiccan faith has a Rede, which is to act as a guide to faith and practice, not instruction. I love the ending of the Wiccan Rede which states: "Eight words the Rede fulfil: An it harm none, do what ye will". For instance same sex love causes no harm and is therefore moral and natural, using magick to harm another violates the Wicca Rede and is thus wrong. Some Witches align with the Wiccan Rede, some do not, morality is determined by the practitioner so use of beneficial, neautral, malignant magick or a combination thereof varies greatly among Witches.
Scripture
If you say to a Witch, "What scripture inspires you?" , you may have an odd look, or a sarcastic but humorous response, this is because nature inspires us, not the written word. I do like the Wiccan Rede and Charge of the God and Goddess but it is not my strict code. As it is for Wiccans. The Wiccan Rede inspires Wiccans, but not all Witches, despite its beauty.
Traditional or Eclectic
Wicca by default is traditional, it has customs, scripture and ritual. Witchcraft, especially solitary Witchcraft, is usually eclectic and non-traditional. There is no right or wrong path, no right or wrong tradition, discover what works best for you and your personality.
So despite the differences, it is correct to say that "All Wiccans are Witches, but not all Witches are Wiccan".
I hope this has helped guide you somewhat as to which direction on the Witches path to take. The next blog will discuss the different types of Witch, from Green Witches to Sea Witches.
Blessed! XxX
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