Witchcraft, what does it bring to mind, ugly old ladies with warts on their nose riding a broomstick? Evil, malevolent magic performed by ugly old ladies? This, of course, is the general “Halloween Image” we have of witches and witchcraft.
It is one taken straight from the pages of legend and myth. Although many people, perhaps most people realize that witchcraft is just another religion, there are many more misconceptions and untruths associated with witchcraft than are associated with other religions even though virtually all religions are equally as steeped in legend, myth and magic.For fear of upsetting and even infuriating the average Christian, it would not be wise to point out the myths of Christianity, but there are many, including most of those associated with the central idea of Christ’s death on a cross. That death is essentially a cruel symbol of an innocent man who was murdered by authorities for a crime he hadn’t committed so that an essentially useless prophecy could be fulfilled for what was at the time “future ‘Christians'” (realize, of course, that there was no such thing as a ‘Christian’ at that time).Yet, today Christians worldwide still place the myth of this innocent man’s death on a cross as somehow being a means to save souls that God (whatever It is) never required in the first place. No religion, including Christianity, is devoid of its sometimes interesting but always empty myths that appeal to adherents and pull them further along in their faith. Witchcraft is no different. It is merely a different religion and appeals to different people.
(For those readers who are upset or insulted for comparing witchcraft to Christianity, my apologies.Nothing is taken back, but the apology is offered anyway. ) Witchcraft is a pagan religion that involves magic, casting spells, using potions and more. Perhaps sometimes some of the practices of witchcraft or the Wicca religion may even seem comical to those uninitiated in the practices and ways of the religion, but to be honest that would be true for the outsiders of any religion, and like the adherents of any religion, those who follow the ways of the Wicca religion feel just as strongly about their religion as any good Christian feels about his/hers.Contrary to popular belief, the Wicca do not worship the devil.
I’m not even certain that many Wicca even believe in the devil. I have had times when that concept seemed strange to me, and I have come to believe that a belief in the existence of a devil that exists or even has to exist as an opposite of God is a rather primitive and foolish belief that demonstrates a poor understanding as to the Nature of God, but that is my belief and since we are discussing religions, I won’t ruffle feathers since I realize that any discussion of religion can easily lead to heightened emotions.Wicca revere Nature and everything in it as aspects of Deity. As is true of many mystical and religious groups, the Sun, Moon and Stars hold a special place in the Wicca religion.
(TheMagicSprite, 1974) The sun, moon and constellations are revered as Gods in the Wicca effort to form a closer bond to Nature. The Wicca worship Nature and seek a special closeness to it. They believe that they should seek out those things in Nature that contribute to human health and well-being.
Perhaps Christians, more than adherents of most other religions, have special reason to take issue with witchcraft.Christians celebrate the birth, life and death of Jesus Christ, the central figure of Christianity, but not knowing of the actual day of his birth, the day they have chosen to celebrate as representing the birth of Christ is actually taken from a Wicca festive date. The Winter Solstice, the longest day of the year, always falls sometime between December 20th and December 23rd and varies according to when the Solstice actually occurs astronomically. It is a time when one season gives birth to another, one cycle of Nature expiring and retiring as a new cycle arises from birth.
