Wicca versus witchcraft
Wicca versus witchcraftThere is a difference between Wicca and Witchcraft. Wicca is a religion and Witchcraft is not. Witchcraft is the act of performing spells. Witchcraft is done as a part of Wicca, but it is not the entire part. Those who practice Witchcraft and are Wiccan, have the religious backing of the Wiccan values. This is what prevents them from doing bad spells, or spells that harm people or living things. This also prevents them from doing love spells. Those that do not have Wiccan or other religious backing to their Witchcraft may not have these moral backings and are more likely to practice hurtful Witchcraft.
Wicca is a religion with many traditions that date to pre-Christian (and prehistoric) Earth religions. 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. Wiccans are deeply concerned with conservation and ecology, and as in all Neo-Pagan religions, Wiccans believe that both animate and inanimate objects possess a spirit, which forms part of the Whole. Wicca is a celebration of the life forces of nature as personified by the Goddess and her consort, the God. Wicca may include the practice of magic, which is defined as the process of causing change through the focusing of our natural powers. There is nothing supernatural about it. Wiccans use certain tools such as spells, visualization, chants, candles, amulets and meditation to help them focus their power, but the power comes from within -- it is not in the tools. Wicca is not a "cult." Wiccans are historically very independent people who seek truth from within through rituals, meditation, magic, studying and communing with nature. Wiccans respect the right of everyone to worship in their own way. Wicca is not
synonymous with Satan worship. The very concept of a supreme evil spirit is alien to Wicca. In fact, most Wiccans do not even believe in Satan. The devil has nothing to do with Wicca. The notion that witches worship Satan was introduced by the Roman Catholic Church as it made its way across Europe, in an effort to suppress the native earth-based religions prevalent at the time. They succeeded to the extent that they drove the practitioners of these religions underground where much of their knowledge and traditions were lost. Wicca does not include flying on brooms. There are many rituals, which include brooms, however, and these may be the source of the flying-broomstick stories. In parts of Europe, some people run across their fields astride a broom to coax the grain to grow. They may also jump over a broom handle asking the grain to grow as high as their highest leap. It is also common for a ceremonial broom to be used to sweep away negative forces from any area one wishes to...
To view the complete essay, you be registered.