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Discussion
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What is ‘witchcraft’ to you?
updated 1 year, 7 months ago
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According to my very religious aunt, burning sage and incense is witchcraft that invites in evil and the devil.
So I guess to me witchcraft is becoming bffs with the devil and going to hell. 🤷♀️I kid. I kid.
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Witchcraft (to me) has been a path of healing, specifically through working with nature and the unseen forces beyond our own perception. This, of course, isn’t to imply that healing cant be found through other pathways. In my experience, witchcraft is the intentional focus of magic to work towards a goal. Magic itself exists outside of us; its all around us and also within all of us. Magic can be harnessed and used by anybody, even people who are unaware they are using it. Magic works in utterly mysterious ways, to be a witch is to accept that mystery and respect the powers beyond human rationality. I am young and relatively ‘new’ to the craft (3+ years), so this is just my perspective!
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I have a complicated relationship with the word witchcraft. I consider myself to practice magick, and I have for over 20 years. In that time, I’ve seen many terms for the general practice of magick become popular. Each one of them in turn has started with a definition that meant something, then broadened to be more and more inclusive of magical practice. Right now, this is what I see witchcraft doing. I don’t argue with folks that give definitions like “you don’t have to believe in a deity to do witchcraft” because language shifts. Right now that’s what that means. That wasn’t always true, even in my time practicing. I think the witchcraft label right now is about magick as a method of reclaiming power for yourself more than anything, but that’s true of any of the labels for magick that rise to the surface. I’m tenatively comfortable with the label, but interested to see where it goes.
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Freedom. Becoming one with the universe
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A way to channel energy and intent. There are many ways to do this. From prayer to spells, to tarot, etc, it’s all really the same. Focusing intention creates energy that can manifest.
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Practicing magick regardless of faith
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In my completely unprofessional and un-researched opinion, magic is kind of an umbrella term that can refer to Voodoo, Wiccan or Pagan practices, Native American practices, I know there’s also a bunch of African cultures that practice other forms of magic. I also consider Christianity to practice its own form of magic – they pray to a deity and practices rituals such as being baptized and taking communion. The Catholics even pray to mother Mary and the saints. Witchcraft can also be practiced without any religious affiliation, though it’s always best to be aware of the cultural importance of wherever you draw inspiration from, as to not be unintentionally insensitive to their practices.
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Allowing yourself to be selfish. Allowing yourself to heal and not hand your trauma to anyone else. Most organized religions ask you to rely on their supreme whatevers.
The craft for me is about something intangible and difficult to describe. It isnt therapy. Its letting yourself have power.
Sure, enlightenment is a thing. The craft isnt about knowing everything, its about always being hungry for self-care. To use the ego as power instead of destroying it for ‘inner peace.’
Your ego is your craft. It is you. It is about you first. It is personal, even when for others.
Mother, Maiden, Crone.
Recognize the lessons of each and apply them. Unlearn what the pain of trauma taught you and arm yourself with it.
Mother teaches us how to help and actualize for those we take care of or love. Emotional closeness, protection, and managing that.
Maiden is your thirst for knowledge and growth. Not unchecked, but wide-eyed and ready with wonder. A willingness to learn for ourselves, our way.
Crone teaches us the oldest trees dont bend to anyone. Assert your experience. Use it for yourself. It is yours.
Witchcraft is self chaos put to better uses, not erased, like many other practices suggest.
Doesnt matter what you worship. Thats separate. The craft is a lifestyle and a means of using your hectic energy for yourself, and who you care about, and what you care about.
Idk if that makes sense.
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I just read the thread where someone attempted to define it in terms of a very euro-centric, culture specific context. I came to the sub to say that the anthropological definitions of “witch” and “witchcraft” have no signular culture-specific attachments other than to be “believers in and practitioners of magic rituals typically rooted in the natural and supernatural world.” There are as many different way to engage in witchcraft as their are people on the planet. It’s as old as human consciousness and possessed by all.
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Aleister Crowley defined magic as, “The science and art of causing change in conformity with Will.” I would agree with that, but I omit the word science; I think of magic as an art, but not a science, as it isn’t quantifiable at present and can be done in many different ways.
Basically, it’s harnessing the energy that exists in all things and manipulating it to cause something to happen (or not happen).
Witchcraft is basically folk magic, especially European in origin, and it typically mostly makes use of natural materials rather than synthetic. It’s different from ceremonial magic in that it’s less complicated, less rigid, and less concerned with spirits and higher powers.
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Magic is energy we direct through meditation and ritual. Witchcraft is a specific set of rituals or system in which to do so. Different traditions have different set ups and different countries have different systems of magic but it all falls under the craft umbrella
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To me, it’s more of just a ritual thing. A lot of the practices I’ve learned align a lot with what I’ve been taught in therapy, so I combine the two. It’s a comforting religion in a way, and it’s grounded enough in reality that I can actually believe its doing something. (unlike deity centric and worship centric religions, I’m not a big fan of depending on something completely out of my control and I cant imagine thanking a deity for work that I’ve done all on my own. This is just my personal belief, ik witchcraft can include deity work, mine just does not)
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A power that only yours, a craft that’s specifically green in you. No two witches can be the same since we all have our own uniqueness. The power to choose any path and help other chooses theirs. Or to take a slither of destiny in your hands and make do with it. Magick is me and I am magick.
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Witchcraft is any Craft done or made by a witch or warlock
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When you believe you have power over your life and manifest it, in any capacity. i know not all will agree but hey if it works for them, id say that is power, intent, manifestation.
