What is Paganism? Short answer:  Paganism can be defined as the collection of religious faiths not including the "Big Three:"  Christianity, Islam and Judaism. Long answer:  "Pagan" originally meant "one who dwells in the meadow, or on the heath," (i.e., "heathen").  Today, a Pagan is commonly considered one who practices or follows an earth-based religion, very often involving more than one deity.  Frequently, Pagans honor an aspect of The Goddess and Her Consort, The God.  Their personal pantheons may or may not include multiple aspects of the Divines, and some pagans honor Jesus, Mary, Buddha, Krishna, or even Muhammad among their chosen deities.  The best known Pagan religions are Wicca, Druidism, Egyptian, Buddhism, Strega, Vodoun,  Caledonii, Dianism, Asatru, and the pre-Christianity faiths of the Ancient Native Peoples all over the world.  There are many, many others, and their omission here is inadvertent.

  
What is a Witch? Short answer:  One who practices Witchcraft, otherwise called The Craft, the Craft of the Wise, or The Art. Long answer:  The word, "witch" has been traced through a variety of linguistic roots, and has been translated as "Wise one," "One who keeps his/her wits," and of course has been redefined since the Burning Times in an unnecessarily sinister light.  "Witch Craft" has a similarly ominous ring to it, though it could be asserted that the term was coined by non-witches in search of a general way to reference the many tasks that Witches perform in the exercise of their faith:  Healing (often via herbs and other natural substances), Divination (foretelling or clairvoyance), Ritual (active ceremony in honor of one's deities), Spellwork (prayer, meditation, channeling of energy), Mentoring (assisting or training others to learn and grow in their faith), and serving the Earth and all of Her creatures.
 
Are Witches like what I see on movies and television? Short answer: No. Long answer:  Hollywood has seldom shown concern for accuracy as regards Witches or their religions.  Why let the truth get in the way of a blockbuster hit?  In recent years, some responsible filmmakers and television producers have taken the time to do some research into witchcraft, but often we see only a shred of authenticity in the final product.  If the details bog down the plot (as they very likely would), they are frequently omitted in favor of unrealistic special effects. It is not the mission of Hollywood to educate the public on the subject of little known faiths.  Hollywood exists for the primary motive of profit.

  
How do you know if you are a Witch? Short answer:  How does anyone know what religion they are? Long answer:  Being a Witch is not like being an alien, or a genetic mutant.  Witches are 100% biologically human, mortal, born of humans and living human lives.  There might be one, or a dozen, shopping at your grocery store next Saturday morning, and you wouldn't even know it.  Witches have jobs, families, cars, responsibilities, mortgages, bills, joy, heartbreak, friends, modern electronic gadgetry, gardens, pets, hobbies; they get married, divorced, pregnant, old, sick, well, hired, fired, born, killed, you name it.  We're people like any other people; the only difference is our religious choice. We know we are Witches because we chose to become Witches.  It isn't a matter of waking up one day and -BANGO!- your house is clean with a twitch of your nose.  It is not an accident of birth, nor an extraterrestrial event, that allows one to be a Witch.  It's matter of painstaking study, service and dedication over a number of years.  It is something any human can do, given the desire, effort and faith required. 
 
Are there Male Witches? Yes.  They are called Witches, just as female Witches are.

What is a Worlock? The incorrect definition of this term was popularized by the 1960's television show, "Bewitched," which inadvertently mis-educated Americans for all time.  Since "Witch" sounds to many to be an exclusively feminine term, the word "warlock" (also spelled "worlock"), was utilized by the show to distinguish the genders of their witchy characters.  Hollywood had no idea what an enormous misstatement this was. For centuries, Witches have been mistrusted and mis-characterized as agents of evil, which led to their being persecution and death at the hands of other  so-called religious groups and governments, including some within the United States.  In the interest of safety, the practice of witchcraft became "occult" - which means, "hidden," and very few people knew who practiced the Craft.  Among these few were the worlocks, who struck back-room deals with the courts that sought to eradicate Witches.  The worlocks agreed to infiltrate our groups (known as covens), identify and betray us to the courts, and help themselves to our homes, property, etc., as their bounty for delivering us to our deaths.  The word, "worlock," in many (but not all) Pagan traditions, means "oath-breaker" or "traitor." Additionally, to those who follow the Asatru tradition, and perhaps also in Scottish traditions, a worlock is considered a Guardian, or Protector, though not a Witch per se. 
 
What kinds of Witches are there?  In addition to the information listed above under What is Paganism? a variety of traditions exist.  A starter (though not inclusive) list might include:  Eclectic Witches, Kitchen Witches, Pow Wow Witches, Gardnerian Witches, Strega Witches, Hereditary Witches, Dianic Tradition Witches, Solitary Witches, Caledonii Tradition Witches, Wiccan Witches, Celtic-Wiccan Witches (and various other sub-sects), Teutonic (or Asatru) Witches, and Egyptian and Eastern Indian Tradition Witches.  By extension, Druids, Wizards, Shamans and many other Pagan traditions are frequently lumped into the "Witch" category.  Members of these extended communities may or may not see the title, "Witch," as pertaining to them. The issue of "Hereditary Witches" is complex and sensitive, and very hard to describe with the correct level of diplomacy.  A Hereditary Witch claims to have been born a witch, generally to a family with a tradition of witchcraft.  Another viable contention is that one simply cannot be born with all the training and knowledge of our antecedents.   Regardless of having had the good fortune of being born to a Pagan family, a Hereditary witch, like any other, must learn along the way. In case you suffer from doubt that Wicca, for example, is a "real" religion, allow me to point out that US Military Chaplains are given instruction in their manuals about responding to their religious needs where such is required.  

 

  
Are there "good" and "bad"  ("black" and "white") Witches? Short Answer:  All persons are both "good" and "bad" due to being human.  Are there "good" or "bad" Christians?  Muslims?  Jews?  Magick in itself is neither good nor bad, it simply exists, like Earth, Air, Fire and Water.  Magick has no color; it is the raising and direction of energy, and thus cannot be "black" or "white."   The intentions of the individual make their actions, magickal or nonmagickal, good or bad.  Like Earth, Air, Fire and Water, Magick can cause outcomes that are seen as good or bad, but in themselves they are neither. Long Answer:  The terms, "good Witch" and "bad Witch" are labels imposed upon Witches from outside our communities.  They are leftovers from the folktales created in ancient times, and perpetuated in modern fiction, which helped non-Pagan religions to vilify Witches and encourage violence against them.  It seemed important to pretend that Witches were power-drunk, self-indulgent, malevolent beings who were able to manipulate their world sufficiently to cause evil, illness and death.   If Witches were perceived instead as caring, hardworking stewards of the Earth who sought to harm none, the ancient Goddess-based religions stood to regain and maintain their position in popular culture.  This was a possibility that later, male-centered religions could not allow. 
 
Do Witches worship Satan? No, they do not.  The concept of "Satan" as an embodiment of evil, or as a fallen-angel-turned-enemy to the christian god, is at least a thousand years LATER in religious history than Paganism itself.  We had no need to adopt a Christian theological concept when we'd existed splendidly without it for so many centuries.  Most Pagan traditions do not even HAVE an entity that represents malice, evil, suffering, death, etc. The alleged connection of Witches to the concept of Satan was developed by the religions opposed to our existence, and propagated by their faithful followers.  In pre-modern times, the sharing of information was often through pictures, folk tales, legend, and mythos.  Through these (at times) highly unreliable means of communication, the anti-Witch propaganda blew wildly out of proportion and spread like wildfire.  In a sense, it was a form of entertainment, as much as it was religious instruction.  Having gone into hiding for their own safety, Witches were unable to defend themselves against such dangerous concepts.
 
Are Witches in Danger Today? Short answer: Yes. Long answer:  Witches in the year 2000 are still subject to various kinds of oppression, ranging from being verbally or physically harassed, fired, expelled or run out of town, to being gruesomely murdered  by hysterical individuals or mobs.  It may even be considered "worse" that today, just like in the days of the Salem Trials, many of those executed were not witches of any kind. , another example made the national press in the year 2000:  Brandi Blackbear, a 15 year old student in Oklahoma, was suspended from her school, in supposed connection with a teacher getting a mysterious illness.  The school's justification was that Brandi had written stories for English class about magick, and because she drew pentagrams in her notebooks at school.  All of her in-school personal effects were taken from her with no pledge to return them, as they were considered "evidence," so she was unable even to keep up with her studies while in exile. 
  
   
What do Witches DO? Witches generally do pretty much what everyone else in their society does.  They hold down jobs, raise families, pay taxes, drive cars, dink around on their computers, go to school, and in short, live generally as their neighbors do.  In light of their great interest in the Earth, however, many are involved in ecological, wildlife, or other Earth-interested concerns and organizations. In terms of their faith and religious ritual, however, this can vary greatly by tradition.  A great number of modern-day Witches celebrate the ancient Sabbats and Esbats, which are almost all the bases for modern Christian holidays such as Easter, Christmas and May Day.  Each of the stages of the Moon and the Equinoxes are occasions for holidays.  Our rituals often involve candles, altars, incense, a chalice, and flowers, which are also used in ceremonies performed by Christian, Jewish and other religious faiths.  Witches, however, include many other tools of worship into their high ritual.  Witches do not harm or sacrifice animals for the purpose of ritual.  In some smaller sects, such as Santeria (which combines ancient practices with Christian beliefs and mysticism) there is some variance to this, but by and large, modern Witches love animals and would never harm them for the sake of a spell or ritual.  Native American spirituality still reverently includes artifacts of the Animal World in their ritual as well.

 

 

What are Spells? Spells are comparable to prayers in most respects.  (There are differing views on this matter, and no offense is herein intended.)  If a prayer is focused, thoughtful communication with one's deity, and is generally directed toward an intention or goal, large or small, then a prayer is most of what a spell is. We do spellwork to ease suffering, to aid the sick, to protect the weak or downtrodden, to contemplate the future, to grow in faith and connection to the Divine, to ease our own minds about troubling situations, and to visualize our goals and direct energies toward them.  As previously mentioned, we use a variety of implements to help us raise and direct this energy, which comes from beyond us (it is NOT power from within us) and all around us, toward our intentions.   Casting spells "upon" others without their knowledge and consent is generally not encouraged, and it is widely held that to manipulate the free will of others by means of magick is to do harm.  In many traditions, it is forbidden to harm others unless in self-defense. 
 
Can you teach me a Spell? Most people already know lots of spells... sprinkling spilled salt over one's left shoulder was originally a spell.  A verbal response to someone's sneeze was originally a spell.  Lighting birthday candles and making a wish and blowing them out was originally a spell.  Kissing your nearest and dearest at Midnight on New Years' was originally a spell.  Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue ....you guessed it.  A great number of little "superstitions" and things we have always done but don't know why, were originally spells.  So if all you want is to "learn a spell," relax -- you're already there.  Can I teach you a spell that will cause great flashes of light and puffs of smoke and move your couch onto your front lawn?  Nope.  For that, you need David Copperfield. What would make one interested in learning a spell?  Most Witches are rather unlikely to fervently desire to learn the prayers of religions they do not follow.  Perhaps it's just curiosity about whether or not we Witches have "power" over the world that non-witches don't have?  Save your energy - we do not.  What we do is related to the energies beyond ourselves, not inside ourselves. Power is not the attraction here.  To quote one of this site's collaborators, "If you want power, go french kiss a light socket!" <snickers, ty Tre> Spells are an act of practice of our religious beliefs, our dedication to our Goddess and God.  Why would one wish to pray to a deity one does not honor personally? One last word on this topic:  Love Spells.  Short answer: No.  Nuh-uh, never. It falls beyond our ethics to assist anyone who wished to manipulate the free will of another person.  Some Witches see an exception for situations in which the person consents for this to be done. 

Can you tell my fortune? Are all Witches psychic? I can see things that are going to happen.  Am I a Witch? Witchcraft is occasionally confused with psychic ability, and occasionally a person with uncanny psychic skills is called a witch, often in jest, or because the skills are so startlingly strong.  This is vastly different from a deliberate religious choice. Many individuals, Witches and non-witches alike, possess some type of "gift" for prescience, prediction, clairvoyance, telekinesis, ESP, or any of several others.  Perhaps ALL individuals possess some type of gift, to a greater or lesser degree.  There may be many of us who've never had an supernormal "hunch" about something, but that may only mean that their gifts are not manifesting in ways that can be casually noticed. Witches, as a religious community, are not universally psychic.  At best, we may be more vigorous in our interest in developing whatever gifts we may have.  The gift of divination does not confer itself upon us when we choose to become Witches.  In short, psychics are psychics and Witches are Witches, and some folks are both, but not all of us.

 

  
What is the Wiccan Rede? What is Karma? What is the Rule of Three? In the most diplomatic of terms (and at the risk of attracting a great deal of email from Wiccan scholars), the Wiccan Rede is essentially an ancient (and perhaps somewhat reconstituted) writing which outlines a basic code of ethics for followers of the Wiccan religion.  It is also widely borrowed by other traditions of Witches, as well. One version is reproduced here.

The Law of Three (alternately known as the Threefold Rule and the Law of Return) is essentially a short lesson on the concept of Karma.  If you've ever heard the saying, "What goes around, comes around," you are already familiar with Karma.  Essentially, the teaching of the Rule of Three is that whatever you send out, good or bad, magick or mundane, is returned to you threefold or three times.  In some traditions, the number 10 is involved, rather than three.  Regardless of the exact number, the Rule is a tremendous incentive to do good.  The more good we send out from us, the more good we attract toward ourselves.  If you look closely at the loving, giving, serving times you've experienced in your own life, you may see that it is not only true for us Witches!

 

 
Should I be afraid of Witches? There would never be a reason to fear a Witch, any more than you might fear a Jew, Christian or Muslim.  Any user of Magick who desires your fear is not automatically welcome to the title of Witch.  Magick can certainly be misused, as can fire, or water, or electricity, or even technology.  However, any individual who would indulge in such things is setting himself or herself on the express train to some very undesirable Karma. Witches are human beings, and as prone to an error of judgment as the owner of a firearm.  We are not , as a rule, magickally protected from any harm you may do to us, nor are we magickally spared the emotions of anger and rage, nor the desire for revenge.  The critical element is not the feelings we have, but what we DO with them, which is true for all human beings, not just Witches. A Witch may get angry with someone for harming him/her, but must choose whether or not to retaliate.  In the Asatru tradition, one is expected to produce some type of response to an offense, but in other traditions, a Witch would  trust to Karma to determine whether or not that person deserves payback, whether harmful or not.  The Asatru tradition aside, in a perfect world, a Witch would take a moment to consider the Karmic payback of doing harm to another, and would likely seek some other response to the problem.
Selena Fox of the Circle Sanctuary authored a Pledge Of Pagan Spirituality in 1980.  I find it an excellent "snapshot" of what Pagans are ideally all about. 

 

 
What does a Witch think happens after death? This is another issue that varies somewhat, according to the various traditions that exist, but the majority appear to hold to various theories of reincarnation. The overall cosmology of how it's all set up, and "where" one's spirit goes after the body dies, does depend a great deal on the individual tradition. 
 
Can you be a Christian and a Witch at the same time? This is another one of those "depends on whom you ask" sorts of questions.  There is a small subsect of Catholics known as Mystics, who have interests quite similar to those of many Pagans, such as fortunetelling and talismans.  There are the practitioners of Santeria, which blends culturally original pagan polytheism with the pantheon of Catholic Saints imposed upon them in later centuries. There are Earth Magick and other long-revered practices that invoke Jesus and Mary in spells.  Part of what most Pagans love about their religious choice is the absolute freedom to honor the aspects of Divinity that most precisely resonate with our own spirits.  We honor everyone's traditions with the same respect we wish for our own.  So, would a Pagan mind if you wanted to be a Christian and a Witch at the same time?  I'd assert that most would not. However, this coin has two sides.  Would your Christian community mind if you took to worshipping multiple deities and lighting candles under the full moon?  You can answer that better than I.  I understand that Christians are commanded by their god to "have no other gods before me," and that "whatever is not for (god) is against (god)."  I apologize for not knowing the biblical reference coordinates for those passages.  There are specific Christian communities of which I have personal knowledge that would throw absolute fits at the very idea.  But there are Christian-oriented Unitarians who would scarcely blink an eye, and Christians of great faith who might not resist the idea. So, perhaps one's Christian clergyman might be a better person to ask about this matter. 
 
What about Ouija Boards, Tarot Cards, Crystal Balls, Scrying? There is no "one official Witch opinion" about any of the above tools of divination.  Scrying, or using mirrors or glass or crystal balls or other surfaces, appears to take a tremendous amount of effort and concentration and probably isn't a gift offered to many. Tarot cards have evolved a great deal over the past thirty or so years, for good or ill, and there are many different types of decks available now.  It's extremely likely that anyone who can study the cards can learn to read them, but there are some whose personal gifts add depth of interpretation to their readings; the cards and the person's gift seem to work in excellent tandem. Ouija Boards may be equally valid tools of divination, however, the most common element heard in stories beginning, "We got out the Ouija board the other night...." is fear.  Practically everyone who's ever used one a few times recounts "getting" a terrifying message.  The ethics of choosing this tool to assist a querent are questionable, even if the board itself is a reliable tool.  The potential to deceive a querent is limitless, which casts unnecessary shadows upon the legitimacy of authentically gifted readers.   Finally, Ouija boards are most commonly made and sold by Parker Brothers (or some similar corporation) as a parlor game.  More reliable oracles than that must certainly exist.  Any Parker Brothers executives visiting this site are hereby requested to hold me harmless of all suspicion or intimation of slandering their fine company

 

Walk in wisdom all who read this and remember  this is just one opinion among many held by the comm, We encourage you to THINK and look for yourself in  all matters.. Darque