Witchcraft
WitchcraftWhat is "Witchcraft"? This question is gaining importance to people as we approach the 20th century. To catch up with a constantly changing environment, people should be more aware and open-minded to things, especially to those that are rejected by our old traditional sets of values. We should get to know why does the Old World reject some beliefs by studying the original meanings behind those myths. The more we keep ourselves open to ideas, the more chances we have to explore ourselves and to advance our lives and our society. Each of us is a different individual. Not everybody feels right about the existing "socially-accepted" sets of values. Getting to know more about other alternatives simply gives us more possibilities to choose. Due to centuries of bad press, general impression of Witchcraft is all about evils, Magick, and spells. In fact, it may just be a religion that believes in Gods and the harmonic relationship between humans and the natural environment. This research paper is to redefine, in more accurate words, the truth of one of the oldest religion in the world.
2.0 Methods
In this research paper, I have used information from the Internet such as some homepages built by some Coven and believers. I also used books that are mainly about the general structure of the Craft and its religion "Wicca". I have also had an interview with one of the Witch, Robb Boyle, on the 14th of November 1998. I asked him general ideas and some specific details about the Craft and the religion.
3.0 Results
3.1 Brief historical background of the Witchcraft in the world.
Scholars like anthropologists, archaeologists and historians believe that the practice of "Witchcraft" has been existed for the around 20,000 to 40,000 years (Johnson). In every society, practitioners' vocations vary, like midwives or herbalists (DiLorenzo). However, fine distinctions of "Witches" were not made. People who believe in nature deities, and possessed fortune-telling or supernatural powers have all been considered as "Witches". Witchcraft can be found in different kind of culture all over the world, like the Celtic, Greek, African, Egyptian and Asian (Moorey 18-20). The most well known one is the Celtic tradition of the craft. It is because during the classical time, the Witches' religion and the Celtic religion have inter-influenced each other greatly (Johnson). The ancient history of the craft mainly consists of a large part of persecution and discrimination against the pagans by the public. This was due to the fact when Christianity grew stronger and expanded its political power; it set laws to suppress its "rival". One of its opposition was Witchcraft. The old Gods now becomes the evil of the new religion (Johnson and Our History).
"In 1755 . . . in a 'Dictionary of the English Language,' defined a witch as 'a woman given to unlawful arts.' . . . The book 'Errores', written in 1450, declared, 'Witches ....
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