'Imagine, if you will, the world of 1611 Europe ( King James )'. The political fervor of the time, among other concerns, was a Europe embroiled in the infamous witch trials, AKA 'The Burning Times'. although, as this article maintains, witches may not have been the primary targets of these 'Dark' times. In today's understanding, witches & witchcraft bear the marks most notably. The purpose of this writing is to show how the modern ( religious? ) understanding, or 'misunderstanding', rather, of these two terms is based largely in the context of the times in which they were introduced in a negative light to society as a whole. 'Are witches necessarily wicked?' 'Is witchcraft necessarily evil?' The answer must be a resounding 'NO', although, admittedly, 'witches' CAN be what is often termed 'evil' & 'witchcraft' itself CAN be directed to selfish, or 'wicked' purposes!
What constitutes a 'witch' & what IS 'witchcraft'? Wiccans, though not every Wiccan is a witch & not every witch is a Wiccan, refer to witchcraft as 'The Craft of the Wise'. In this sense, then, Wiccans, in particular, those who actively practice witchcraft, could almost be described as Gnostics, as their 'Craft' is based in a sort of secret knowledge, or 'gnosis'. Interestingly, Strong's definition of a 'witch' is 'to whisper a spell, i.e. to inchant or practise magic:—sorcerer, (use) witch(-craft).' However, Gesenius' Hebrew Lexicon, about the same word, says it means 'to pray, to offer prayers or worship'. For this reason, if this reason alone, it should be duly noted that it depends on the individual practitioner, the one casting spells/praying, as to whether the resulting deeds should be classified as 'good' or 'evil'!
'Witchcraft', then, can be most simply described as what a 'witch' practices. Simple as it might sound; it's really not a simple proposition! Like any religious study, the study of witchcraft, in particular, Wicca, involves much study. This is where the word 'gnosis' comes in. One must know ( understand/retain ) much of what has been forgotten, in order to truly practice the Craft. 'Forgotten' is a convenient way of putting it, really; this knowledge, as well as the Ancient Religion from which it came, was forbidden, as Christianity made its inroads into Pagan Europe in the mid- & late years of the 1st & 2nd centuries, through the latter part of the 1st millennium.
For far too long, the words 'witch' & 'witchcraft' have unwillingly borne ( suffered ) the stigma of 'evil'. 'As Above, so below', of course, it depends upon the individual practitioner, as to whether she or he can rightly be said to be 'evil' or 'wicked'. Witches, contrary to popular opinion, are not inherently either 'wicked' or 'evil'. Witchcraft, though not so much a religion, as a way of life, is simply a way to live in conjunction with Nature, employing the aid of our Mother Earth & Her creatures in doing so. Although it has been & still is misused by some for their own gain, not for the betterment of humanity & the preservation of our Mother Earth, witchcraft is an ancient practice, one that has stood the test of Time.
A Witch, again, contrary to popular opinion, should not be epitomized by the Hollywood version that most of us are familiar with ( although the T.V. series, 'The Good Witch' comes closer than most ). Being One that has learned to work with the Forces of Nature, rather than against them, there are actually many more Witches out there than one realizes, most of whom would not acknowledge this fact & would likely vehemently deny it!
Part of the stigma afforded Witches & Witchcraft is the notion that because they are Pagan, i.e, do not worship ( again, 'ascribe worth to' ) the Christian God, they somehow are in league with & in fact, worship the Devil, or 'Satan'. This could not be further from the truth, as, to my knowledge, no Pagan believes in 'Satan'! I acknowledge that there are 'Satanist' churches out there, but for the most part, that is neither here nor there, because, while they might practice rituals which would scare the hell out of most people, just like anyone else in this wide world, it is their actions which prove them either 'good', or 'evil'!
Much of our 'problem' here in the West, in particular the Christian West, is our misinterpretation, our misunderstanding of the Ancient Near Eastern text on which the Bible, in its many & varied versions, is based! Not to completely rehash what I have previously written, but when the text of the Greek & Hebrew Scriptures was written, the intended audience, the original audience would have been more familiar with the use of, among other things, the hyperbole & metaphor which is prevalent throughout. This is not to say, of course, that it is NOT true, just that our Western understanding is slightly different, in this respect at least, than what they would have understood in the Time & Culture to which it was originally delivered.
Witches should not be feared, though they should be respected! There are those who may call themselves witches, but practice their craft for merely selfish ends; even these command respect, for whether we agree or not, like it or not, there IS a kind of power in them, just as there is in all creatures. Knowledge is a funny thing; it can be used for 'good' or 'evil': again, it depends upon the practitioner. Again too, knowledge may be acquired for selfish reasons, merely for one's own benefit, or the scholar might intend for the whole of humanity to benefit from his or her knowledge. Knowledge is Power, if in that sense alone & therefore is inextricably linked to the Power which is inherent in us all. Knowing ourselves is simply the first step in the Craft of learning to work with the Forces of Nature rather than against them!
Most infamous, probably, in the American mindset, are the witch trials that took place in Salem, Massachusetts. While there might have been some witches who received the punishment they were due, others were guilty of nothing more than using what Mother Nature provides for our several ailments; that & maybe spurning a certain brand of 'Christianity' that was being foisted upon them. Some poor women might have even made the mistake of taking upon themselves what had been accepted as a man's role, 'God forbid'!
In benediction, as I close this short, but hopefully enlightening & thought-provoking post; I do not intend to sway my readers towards or away from any certain religion ( or lack thereof ); I simply intend to apprise you of the fact that Witches are not all that they have been made out to be. Just because one practices a different religion than you does not mean they are wrong; they are just different. Just because one knows how to work with the Forces of Nature does not mean they or 'evil' or wicked'; they are simply doing what should come naturally to all of us! They should not be feared as if they were doing something 'unnatural' or even 'supernatural!
Unfortunately, in this day & age, we have been taught to fear what we do not understand: I & others like me write that people may learn, through understanding, to respect those things we were taught to fear. May we learn this lesson well, not only for our own sakes, but for the good health of our long-suffering Mother Earth, who has been languishing at our hand for far too long!
Namaste' & Blessed Be
Sage Charles
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