Wiccan vs. Witch

Frequently asked questions about witchcraft, Wicca, magick, paganism, and the occult. Subjects include love spells, Ouija boards, curses, Law of Attraction, and what to do if you don't have the needed tools, ingredients, altar, etc.
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Firebird
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Re: Wiccan vs. Witch

Post by Firebird »

Corbin wrote: Tue Aug 25, 2020 6:39 am I was trying to clear up why Wicca is often equated with witchcraft entire - at some point in history the terms became vague, mostly due to authors truth be told. Now it seems egos have entered the equation.
I'm still bummed about the fallout that happened with one of our moderators who felt I was trying to call her an Wiccan, which was not what I was saying at all. In my opinion most forms of " traditional" witchcraft practices sprung from the doorway of Gardener's/Valiente's Wicca. With the exception of maybe some more mainstream traditions that are considered pagan such as Buddhism or Hinduism. We can thank Wicca for nearly every form of practices that have been reconstructed since, whether you identify with it or not. They opened a gateway that made the exploration of of many crafts more acceptable and possible.
And yep, here we are,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pk7yqlTMvp8
“There are things known and things unknown and in between are the Doors.”
― Jim Morrison
“All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen.”
― RWEmerson
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Corbin
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Re: Wiccan vs. Witch

Post by Corbin »

I certainly think we can safely thank Wicca and Cochranes craft for setting those dogs running in in the Western world. I see nothing objectionable about that but have witnessed many arguments spring up when ideas challenge people's world views.

It would be remiss not to nod my head to centuries of ancient culture (especially Roman culture as the great pagan biographers), surviving native
witchcraft and shamanic traditions across the world, the ancient and modern mystery religions / traditions (without which Gardener wouldn't have likely founded anything) , gnosticism, mysticism, (many) comparative beliefs and systems, western occult traditions and their modern reconstructions (such as OTO, Golden Dawn, etc... Thank you AC, thank you Madam Blavatski), Eastern religions and spiritualism, Carl Jung, stories, myth, folklaw, books, tall tales, songs, poems, art, the world made manifest, modern creative genius (and dozens of other sources one can only grasp at) without which there likely wouldn't be a great deal to construct, let alone reconstruct.

But which is more important - the mannequin or the clothes with which you dress it? The cause or the effect? Theory or practice?

Oh and I won't forget to thank Christianity (?!?) while things didn't survive totally intact (things rarely do), if it wasn't for Christian scribes writing stuff down it would be impossible to untangle many oral traditions and originative stories paths to their ancient roots. Big thanks to ancient scholars and the modern scholars.

But mostly thank the bold and unique individuals brave enough to share - the Sibyl Leek's, the Michael Howard's and so many others (who would make this a really long list) and all the modern authors inspired by their ripples.

----

I guess I have the advantage of time. Until people reach that settled in part of their personal practice where they become relaxed and comfortable with it they second guess themselves (let alone each other). Do I have to do this? Do I need that? Hell, this is a forum - you know exactly what I mean. I love it - people asking questions and raising doubts are people with momentum - seekers.

The only person who picks apart your own beliefs and practices is you - everything should be food for thought - a crop waiting seperation of the wheat from the chaff.

Being a modern eclectic witch with a symbolic art un/logic: the sources of Awen or inspiration are less important to me then what vital things they create and the divine FLOW. I'm happy to steal from anything without benediction or permission provided it meets one golden and practical maxim...

'does it work'?

I guess I am still very wary of hard reconstructionists however who assume a mantle of authority (something to my displeasure, due to my creative writing style of self-discussion / self-dictation, I have distasteful - if entirely unintentional - been accused of myself). I used to have a personal saying: 'Certainty murders Possibility' and feel we should always be aware and wary of treating possibilities as certainties. Nothing grows from certainty except oppression.
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