Witchcraft

First and foremost, all witches are people.

All people are a combination of good and bad. There are many examples of both throughout society and history.

Therefore, it can be extrapolated that all witches are good and bad. Even the very best people on the planet have a little bit of bad in them, and even the very worst people have a bit of good in them. No one is all one or the other.

The qualifier here, is that most of those people now practicing one of the earth-based spiritual paths and calling themselves witches are basically ethical people.
In most cases they believe strongly in taking responsibility for their actions, and work with the Rule of Three as a principle guiding factor.
This does not mean that they are perfect (no one is), everyone makes mistakes, but they are conscientious about how they behave, not just with those they know, but also with everyone and everything on the planet.

Ritual is a wonderful way to connect with the elements, the Gods, and all who have ever worshipped them, and all who ever will. But there is no need to wait until the Full Moon or the next Sabbat to make this connection. Opportunities abound in our everyday lives. As magickal beings, every intentional action we take is a magickal act. While there are no hard and fast rules, generally Pagan rituals consist of the following steps: creating sacred space, inviting the four elements into the sacred space, inviting the God and Goddess, a statement of purpose for the ritual, the body of the ritual, cakes and ale, thanking the elements and deities for joining, and then closing the circle. The following are suggestions, based on the outline of a Pagan ritual, for creating (or rather noticing) magick at work in your daily life. Creating Sacred Space: Every night before going to bed, tidy up your room and make sure there are pleasant things to look at as you go to sleep: a piece of art, photographs of loved ones, spiritual objects, etc. Say goodnight to the God and Goddess, thank them for what you have learned that day, and ask that solutions to problems you are working on come to you while you sleep. Center and ground as you lie in bed, releasing all tension and worry. Feel the peace spread outward filling the whole room, creating the sacred space to enjoy as you sleep. Calling the Quarters: Get out of bed and walk outside or open a window. Face east. Raise your arms and stand with your legs apart so that you form a star. Stretch and take a deep breath, following that breath as it goes deep into your lungs and hold it. Really experience the Air. Let the breath out, and as you continue to breathe, think of those things which you associate with Air (freedom, youth, beginnings, intelligence, etc). Feel the air cleanse you and become part of you. Light some incense if you like. Thank the Spirits of Air. Depending on the time of day and the weather either light a candle or feel the sun shining down on you. Feel the warmth. Draw the warmth into your body. Feel its healing power, feel it energize you and burn away negativity. As you take a shower or wash your face consciously feel the Water as it flows over you and through your fingers. Let it fill you with a deep sense of calm and security. Feel the Goddess' love and nurturance. Stand outside and feel the Earth beneath your feet, if possible feel it with your hands as well. If you can't go outdoors hold a large stone or crystal in your hands. You could also place your hands on the Earth in a large potted plant. Ground yourself, feeling your roots growing down into the Earth. Feel the solidity and silence of the Earth. Let it fill you with strength and confidence and the wisdom of the ages. Welcoming the God and Goddess: Practice a morning devotional ritual daily and you will begin to see things in a new light. There are many different forms a morning devotional ritual can take. At the least it consists of a self-blessing, a connection with the elements or the Gods. A simple self-blessing can be done by anointing each major body area with your finger. You can anoint yourself with oil or Holy water. Here is a common self-blessing, which I believe is based on the Five-fold Kiss: Top of head - Bless me Lord and Lady (God and Goddess, or specific names) for I am your child. Third eye - Bless my mind that I may know of your truth and wisdom. Throat - Bless my voice that I may speak with kindness. Heart - Bless my heart that I may feel your love and allow your light to shine forth. Genitals - Bless my womb (or phallus) that I may be creative and productive. Knees - Bless my knees that kneel at the sacred altar. Feet - Bless my feet that they lead me always on the path of right and reverence. Hands - Bless my hands that they be instruments of creation and healing. Top of head again - Bless me with your presence this day Lord and Lady for I am your child. This blessing can be modified to fit particular circumstances of your daily life. If you need to make a speech one day you could say something like "Bless my voice that I may speak with eloquence and surety". If you have a test coming up you could say, "Bless my mind that I may think clearly and remember well." Body of the Ritual: Find the magick in the "mundane". Magick is change. Take notice of changes that occur throughout the day and let them fill you with wonder. Think of the elements while going about your normal everyday business. Consciously connect with the elements wherever and whenever you encounter them. Experience the Air as you watch the trees sway and the clouds and birds move across the sky. Even as you feel Air blowing from a fan or heating or cooling duct know that the Spirits of Air are with you. As you drive your car, think about the magick of Fire keeping the engine running. When you eat a hot meal or drink a hot beverage the Spirit of Fire touches you and you are energized. Experience the element of Water as you put a load of laundry in the washing machine, drive through the rain, pour a glass of water or fix a cup of tea. Throughout the day whenever you walk on the Earth or even on pavement feel the Earth beneath your feet. Consciously connect with Her and feel that solid strength. Releasing tension and anger: Take a swim, let the soothing waters of Mother Earth's womb wash your troubles and anger away. Take a ritual bath - do some research into aromatherapy and use appropriate oils in the bath. If a ritual bath or swim are not convenient, hold your hands under running water for a minute or put a bit of water in the basin and feel the tension and negativity drain from you hands into the water. Adding a pinch of salt to the water helps. Focus your anger into a spot in the air in front of you, encase it in a bubble and envision it floating away. Take time for yourself and don't feel guilty about it. Do a grounding exercise. Touch, sit, or lie on the Earth and send your anger down into the fiery core of the Earth where it will be burned away. Healing energies are all around us - in the Earth, the Moon, the Sun, plants and trees, rocks - everywhere. When you are feeling weak, draw these energies into yourself. Cakes and Ale: Every meal is an opportunity to reconnect with the Gods and the elements. Before you eat, pause a moment and either think or say the following: For the seeds that grew them, For the cows that gave the milk, for the chickens, that laid the eggs, For the lives of the animals whose bodies will nourish ours, For those who planted and tended, For the Wind, the Sun, the Rain, and the Earth that nourished them, For those who harvested, milked, gathered and slaughtered, For those who carried, prepared and delivered, I thank you Lord and Lady (or God and Goddess, or specific names) The food blessing should be modified according to the type of food you will eat. The idea is to acknowledge all the hard work and sacrifice that went into your meal. It is thanking the seeds, animals, plants, etc. themselves as well as the Gods for all that we have. As you say the blessing aloud or in your head, envision someone sowing seeds, milking the cow, kneading the bread. You may chose to make a libation to the Gods occasionally or even for each meal. When choosing your offering remember you are making a libation to the Gods to thank them for providing your meal and to show them you trust them to provide you with food in the future. Therefore, a libation should include the nicest pieces of each type of food. These should be carefully placed on a plate, not just heaped into a bowl. The entire plate can be set outside under a tree or in some bushes, or carefully slide the food from the plate onto the Earth. Liquid libations are poured directly onto the ground. Some people reserve a special place in their yards for leaving libations, or you could leave them in various places till you find one that feels right. Closing the Circle: A ritual bath can be a way to prepare for ritual, a ritual by itself, or a wonderful way to unwind at the end of the day. Here is one way to prepare a ritual bath. Feel free to modify it and/or add oils of your choice. You will need incense, a dish of salt, a white candle, and a pitcher of water (if possible, rain, ocean, stream or spring water is best). Fill the tub. Light the candle. Turn out the lights. Wave the incense in a deosil motion above the bath while saying, "Spirits of Air, bless this Water. Help me breathe away any thoughts that cloud my mind. Blessed be." Move the candle deosil above the bath while saying, "Spirits of Fire, bless this Water. Your inspiration is felt in all acts of creativity. Let me feel my creative energies renewed. Blessed be." Again, moving deosil, pour the pitcher of water into the bath and say, "Spirits of Water, bless this bath. As you are the tears of the sorrow and the joy of the Mother, flowing from Her as the tides and the rain, let me feel the love of the Mother in these Waters. Blessed be." Sprinkle the salt into the bath with a deosil motion (three pinches is good), "Spirits of Earth, bless this Water. Cleanse away fears and stress as I enter. Let me feel the warm embrace of the Mother Earth. Blessed be." Stay as long as you like and feel the stress drain away. The ritual bath can also be a good place to meditate. Meditation: Meditation should be part of a daily magickal practice. Set aside minimum 15 minutes a day for meditation. It is a major component to magickal and spiritual growth. As with all magickal practices, the key is consistency, doing it on a regular basis. The more you meditate, the deeper you will become acquainted with yourself, the Gods, and the powers of the Universe which are available to you. Journaling: Just before bed is a good time to write in your journal. Include any messages or revelations which came as a result of meditation. Also include any changes in your perception of the world. Try to write in your journal every day so that it becomes a habit, even if it is only a line or two. Dreams: If you want to remember your dreams better, say so aloud before you go to sleep: "I will dream tonight and I will remember my dreams in detail." To increase your chance for meaningful dreams that you can remember, get enough sleep, and avoid alcohol, caffeine, and sleeping aids. Write your dreams down in a separate dream journal as soon as you wake up. Keep a pen and light handy so you can record dreams when you wake up in the middle of the night without waking yourself or anyone else up too much. Honesty: In 'The Spiral Dance', Starhawk wrote, "Those who would practice magic must be scrupulously honest in their personal lives. In one sense, magic works on the principle that 'it is so because I say it is so.' A bag of herbs acquires the power to heal because I say it does. For words to take on such force, I must be deeply and completely convinced that it is identified with truth as I know it. If I habitually lie to my lovers, steal from my boss, pilfer from supermarkets, or simply renege on my promises, I cannot have that conviction...To a person who practices honesty and keeps commitments, 'As I will, so mote it be' is not just a pretty phrase; it is a statement of fact." Magickal Vows: All of us could use some improvement. Whether it is developing a good habit (meditating, exercising, eating better, smiling more, reading) or getting rid of a bad one (smoking, passing rumors, complaining), we do not always need an elaborate ritual to accomplish our goals. As part of your regular Esbat ritual, start a new habit of making "Lunar Vows". A Lunar Vow is something you promise the Gods you will do for a month. Such as, "I vow, before the Gods this lunar cycle, to finish reading Drawing Down the Moon" or "I vow, before the Gods this lunar cycle, to say something nice to someone at least once a day". Write the vow in your journal and keep track of your progress. Rites of Passage: Each life-changing event can be cause for acknowledgement or celebration. Rites of passage can be celebrated alone, with a close friend, or with a large group. The ritual can be simple with few props, or as elaborate as you choose. You can even celebrate rites of passage with non-Pagan friends (they don't have to know the event holds magickal significance for you). The following are some events which can be considered rites of passage: Pregnancy - Birth - Dedication to the Gods - Initiation - Menopause - Becoming grandparents - Death - Retirement - Miscarriage - Wiccaning - First house or apartment - First day of school (or college) - Puberty - Receiving driver's license - Handfasting (marriage) - Graduation - First Job - Engagement - Eldering or Croning

I'm not too sure but...

Basically before Henry VIII broke away from the Church, witchcraft was considered an act against the Church only. However, when Henry VIII did actually break away from the Catholic Church, it was deemed an act against the state & King. As it's against the king, it is treasonous therefore a capital offence.

Hope that helped but I'm not 100% sure on that...about 90% though lol :)

Witchcraft never ended. It's practiced everyday, all over the world! There are millions of Witches and Pagans and Shamans and Magicians and more to name. Nothing will and can stop the beautiful, natural religion.

The meaning of casting a spell, is that someone puts a spell on someone else. This might mean that they curse them, or they may bless them with their spell.

The male form of wizard is wizard. A bad wizard tends to be called a 'warlock'. A good wizard tends to be called 'sorceror'. The feminine equivalent of wizard is 'witch'. A good, powerful witch is called a sorceress.

Several people do say that magic is real but i don't think so. I am sorry to hurt you if you do believe in magic but what is the use even if it is real? if magic is real,you may use it to bring rain, fetch things, powerfully guard your house etc and you may have what you want in an interesting way but (if magic is true; but of course it's not!) you will have to work hard to get it. So it would be same as getting the same thing by working hard without magic. If you are interested in magic obviously you should be interested in magic stories(or movies). Magic stories (or movies) can sometimes take you to that world itself and later after you read it(or watch it), you would start feeling sad that magic is not true or you can't do it; these stories and movies are only for entertainment but not something to be taken seriously.good luck and don't worry that magic is not real(if you believe my answer) because there are more wonderful things in this world to do for which humans don't have enough time for doing.

address of the answerer: India,Tamil Nadu,Chennai

From Walmart?

No really, some people do believe that it is possible to do black magic. If you are interested in these kind of things then you might like to start by reading The Satanic Bible by Anton Sander LaVey- founder of the Church of Satan!

Personally however, as a member of Pendragon's School of Real Magic, I do not believe magic is ever evil. It is a neutral, passive force until a wizard or witch is able to mold it and use it to create powerful spells. The focus and attitude necessary for magic is possible only from a balanced and healthy state of mind- not from one clouded by hatred or indeed by any other emotion.

Furthermore, the very act of calling up "the devil" or other evil spirits is counterproductive, as the only truly evil spirits exist in the frailty of our own human minds. We can do a lot of evil if we wish- but this has nothing to do with real magic- and everything to do with the desires of our hearts which we have enacted physically with our own hands...

If you'd like to find out more about the awesome, but neutral force that is real magic, look up Pendragon School of Real Magic online.

because a disease broke out

It depends on the type of witchcraft. Curses and such could hurt you, also, you should be watchful of what you try since some occult stuff can really backfire upon you First let me address your question... No Witchcraft can't hurt you.

Next let me explain... Witchcraft (one of a number of practices and pathways under the Paganism umbrella) is an earth based belief system. I can not speak for every practitioner out their, anymore than one Christian or one Muslim can speak for every other follower of their faith. However, all of the practitioners of my acquaintance, myself included, are good, caring, ethical, generous people who work with love and respect for themselves, their families and friends, as well as the planet itself.

We may not and do not cast for or on anyone with out their knowledge and express permission.

Not that we need it, but most of us work within the karmic form of checks and balances known as the Rule of Three - That which you send out WILL return to you threefold. If the rest of the world understood and worked within this edict we would see a lot less, prejudice, hatred, cheating, purposefully harmful or unethical behaviour.

The fact we are misunderstood and portrayed in fiction as malicious, uncaring, spiteful and harmful people says more to the lack of knowledge of others than it does to our own behaviour. There are centuries of this sort of treatment of others in human history, if you doubt it, research the treatment of "heretics" during the inquisition, the Jews, in the middle east , Japanese in North America during the second world war or Muslims in the US today. Most people are just people, no one group should be painted with the same brush as the worse person who has ever "claimed" to be one of them.

Wands are unknown tool. You can find them online.By the way Wands are just tools there not magic sticks but you can still use them so its just a tool!

Witchcraft is in and of itself a spiritual path. The ethical practice of any spiritual path is designed to make you a better person. Unfortunately these days, most people following one spiritual path tend to claim all others are on the wrong path and thus "going to hell"

Most witches don't believe in hell as it is a construct of the Abrahamic religions. Or as in some pagan paths, hell is just seen as the afterlife (not a place of punishment), in which case they believe everyone goes to hell.

My personal favourite quote concerning this is:

If in the following of your God or gods you become a better human being, then it matters not by what name or names you call them.

attributed to -S. L. Darrow

Back in 1645-1646 there was a man named Matthew Hopkins. He believed that you could identify a witch by marks, or boils on the body. He called it a third nipple. He also had a way of identifying from tying the woman's toe to her thumb, then dunking her in water repeatedly. If she floated, it was said that her master, the Devil, was saving her, and she was then announced a witch. If they sank, they were proven innocent, and went to heaven without any marks on who they were.

It's pretty difficult to identify modern witches, or even historical witches for that matter. They come in all shapes and sizes, they work in all kinds of professions, they live in suburbs and cities, small towns and the country. They look just like everyone else, they could even be your neighbor, your boss, your co-worker or your friend.

Of course, you could try the simple method.... ask them.

There is no specific number of Wiccans known at this time because many are still in the "broom closet" or live in areas where the faith is frowned upon. Last estimates ranged in the 40 to 50 thousands

They aren't. There are male witches.

Sometimes male witches are called 'warlocks'

In LaVey Satanism, the male of Witch is Warlock. Other than that, the word Warlock is derogatory and offensive when used for a male pagan Witch.

My opinion is that, in medieval times, more women were persecuted as Witches than men, because of the social attitude of that time towards woman in general. But there were several men also persecuted as Witches in medieval times.

Warlock is considered a derogatory term by most Pagans. Please see the links section for clarification and information.

The word "witch" does come from the Old English word "wicce" which meant basically the same as "witch" does nowadays: a female magician or sorcerer. The idea is older than our knowledge of the history of the word.

That is the correct spelling of the word "pity" (to have sympathy for the unfortunate).

This is a left-over symbol from midevial superstitious propaganda. Halloween happens to fall on a very important Pagan Holiday, Samhain (pronounced Sow, as in Cow, -en.) Some theorize that the secular holiday of Haloween derived from the Pagan customs.

You can tell if your in the presence of a witch, that has no distinctive symbols, by the feeling you get from there presence and there eyes,if you can do this that means you have a little Witch in you. A witch can tell when she/he is in the presence of a Witch. Some people are born with a powerfull Witch like ability and just dont know it. Cute 4' 11", brown eyes, long sexy hair, curvy figure, could stand to lose a few pounds... Oh wait - that's me! :o) Thats not funny darling! Witches come in all shapes, sizes, ethnicities and genders. Yes, a male witch is still a witch. The movie loved term warlock actually means "oathbreaker" and will get you nasty look if you called a male witch one. Think to yourself - what does a Catholic look like? What does a Baptist look like? The important thing is to remember that what you see in the movies isn't what you get in real life. Some people assume that witches have a gothic look and dress all black; others equate "witch" with the weird old lady down the street with very long white hair and twelve cats in her yard. Though that lady may indeed be a witch, most of us are not easy to identify and look just like normal, mundane citizens. If you are looking for a distinctive sign, some of us wear a pentacle (a five pointed star enclosed in a circle) as a sign of belonging to Wicca or other Pagan paths... But there are non-witches who wear that symbol as well, sometimes without knowing what it stands for. It's also true that the word "warlock" should be avoided. I am a male witch and I definitely wouldn't like to be called an oathbreaker. It basically means "harmful witch who hurts people on purpose".

The correct spelling is acquaintance (someone you know casually).