Wicca 101: Witchcraft and Magic

Not only is Wicca commonly mistaken for a cult, many assume that Wicca is evil simply because the name sounds so close to the word 'wicked.' Wicca's association with witchcraft certainly doesn't help, given that people are so misinformed about magic. Many believe that witches are evil and have sold their souls, that witchcraft is a sin, and that Wiccans are Satanic. Wicca is believed by some to be only the casting of spells and hexes, but the truth is that magic is only part of this Pagan religion. Moreover, what most people think they knew about witchcraft is nonsense and has little to do with real magic.

That's right: everything you know is wrong. Witches have not sold their souls, and they do not worship any entity known as Satan or the devil. Most Wiccan witches do not even believe in his existence, because giving a name to evil only empowers it and inhibits personal responsibility. Witchcraft does not come from any demon in Hell, but from nature and from within our souls. You need no contract with the devil to cast spells, for every living person has the ability to harness energy within and around them. We are all witches, whether we embrace magic or not.

There are many forms of energy all around and within us, for energy cannot be destroyed--only converted from one form to another. Magic is only a form of energy, and witchcraft is the art of harnessing that energy to create change. Most of that change is not tangible, for we have our hands for creating physical change. The effects of magic are abstract and cannot yet be measured. Magic isn't about shooting fireballs or flying on broomsticks. Simply put, it's about increasing the odds that something will happen by applying energy to a goal. This energy is drawn from within oneself, from nature, from deity, and from objects on the alter (such as stones).

I often compare magic to prayer. Just as the wishes made in prayers are not always granted, magic is no guarantee a goal will be achieved. So many factors can intervene, including nature itself. The results will depend partly on how well the spell is cast, but also on his actions. Just as God helps those who help themselves, so does magic. How reasonable the goal is will be another factor. Anything you wouldn't get through prayer, you won't get through magic--like a million dollars. The free will of others may also interfere with a spell, for the actions of others are out of even God's control.

Magic is like assisted, ritualistic prayer. It can be as simple as lighting a candle for someone, just as the Catholics do, in hopes they will fare better soon. There is only one simple difference between spells and prayers. In a prayer, God is asked for help. In a spell, God and nature are asked for help, and the witch tries to help herself by pouring her own energy and energy from her possessions into the goal. She comes with faith, love, and hope, but without expectations, and once the spell is cast, she continues trying to achieve her goal with the way she lives her life.

Wiccans are known for lighting candles for people, and I've heard them ridiculed as people who simply tap their heels together, wish hard, and hope for the best. Witchcraft is not about wishing. It's about using every resource you have at your disposal, from magic to your own everyday actions. You wouldn't cast a spell to lose weight, then sit around eating bon-bons. You'd diet and exercise instead. If you needed a friend to fare better, you wouldn't just light a candle. You would charge the candle with positive energy, say a little prayer for them as you light it, and then think good thoughts for them whenever you see the flickering flame. Moreover, you would try to help your friend in practical ways by lending a hand, caring for him when he's sick, or giving her the tools she needs to help herself.

Magic can be simple, like lighting a candle or wishing on a star. It can also be complex. Typically more serious goals require more complicated spells whose timing is planned. These would be conducted during a certain lunar phase, perhaps on a specific Sabbat. A rhyming incantation would be carefully composed. The witch would cleanse herself, her mind, her working space, and her objects of negative eergy, consecrating them. She would cast a circle, invoke deity and the elements, and charge her tools with positive energy. She might use ritual tools such as a sword, rather than a simple wooden wand she uses for everyday magic. She would make sure she was using colors, herbs, stones, tools, incense, etc. whose magical properties coordinate with her purpose, too.

Because Wicca is a religion, there are guidelines as to how magic is used by Wiccan witches. Wiccans follow the Three-fold Law, which states that anything you send out will return to you times three, be it bad or good. The Wiccan Law states that Wiccans should "Harm none," which I interpret to mean to do as little harm as possible. The Wiccan Rede not only gives us tips about how and when to best conduct magic, it also gives us advice about how to use magic. It advises us to "Live and let live," which means not interfering with freewill. We're told to work in love, to be fair and to have perfect trust (realistic expectations).

Before casting a spell, a Wiccan witch should ensure that she is operating within these guidelines. Should she not, she may not achieve her goal and only succeed in making matters worse, and karma may punish her in the end. A Wiccan witch will ask himself questions like, "Will this harm someone? Is there a less harmful course of action? Am I taking care to protect myself, others, and the world? Do the benefits outweigh the risks? Will this interfere with someone's freewill? Is love my motivation? Is this fair? Can I live with the consequences? Have I been careful in the spell's design?"

Wiccans aren't the only type of witches, and many witches will hex people. Wiccan witches absolutely do not hex people. Wiccans do not conduct "black magic." Wiccans believe that magic is neither black nor white; it is neutral. The witch's intent determines whether the magic does good or evil in the world. A Wiccan witch does her best to ensure that only good comes from her witchcraft, or at the very least that as little evil as possible is done. Wiccans do not cast love spells on people to force them to love. They do not summon rain, because they know this may take rain away from a place where it is needed more. Wiccans also do not harm animals when practicing witchcraft, nor do they commune with demons or attempt to raise the dead.

Wicca is not a cult, nor is it the practice of magic. It is a religion and way of life that involves magic. Magic is energy that comes from within and around us in nature, not from Satan. Witchcraft is the art of using this energy to help create change. Wiccans do not believe in using magic to do harm or to control. Magic is neutral, but if you must affix a label, it would be best to consider Wiccans to be white witches. Not all witches are Wiccan, but you have nothing to fear from Wiccan witches. They are not evil, though each has her own morals, interpretation of the Rede and Law, and beliefs about what is harmful. Wiccans are using every resource they can find, magical and mundane, to do as much good in the world and their lives as possible.