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Witchcraft
This is the category where your questions about witches and witchcraft as a spiritual path should go. Based on an ancient shamanistic way of life, witchcraft is a spiritual system known as "The Craft of the Wise" and were a valuable part of villages and communities. Practitioners were the healers and leaders of their people. Modern witches follow the cycles of the sun, the moon and the seasons of the earth for guidance and knowledge. Most, but not all witches practice some form of magic in its true meaning.
1,155 Questions
Are there any witchcraft stores in Michigan?
There are these types of shops in Michigan, but not in Saginaw. You can contact Wiccan groups for leads to supply stores.
Why was there a witch craze in the 17th century?
There certainly was but the question is Why?
It was also strong in France & other Catholic countries.
Hugh Trevor-Roper writes (in 1959) of a "General Crisis in the 17th Centuries" characterised by wars, epidemics & poor harvests as well as ideological conflicts & sees the surge in witchcraft persecutions as one aspect of this. The clash between opposing Christains was far more destructive with the Thirty Years War resulting in a 20-255 casualty rate in Germany.
There are historical and archeological evidences that there was some form of Witchcraft or a Mystic Religion practiced in Mexico.
Not only in Mexico, but all around the world there existed many Mystic Religions similar to Witchcraft.
These Mystic Religions were not originally called Witchcraft, since the word Witchcraft was introduced by the Vatican around 1600.
Well, there was a man named Blaise Pascal, who created Pascal's Wager. He says, "It is better to believe in a religion and find out you're wrong, then to not believe in religion and find out you're wrong." What he is trying to say is if you believe in a religion(I'll be using Catholicism for my examples) and you believe in all the good stuff waiting for you if you're good, you have something to strive for. When you don't believe, your life becomes pointless.
Sarah Goode was a beggar in Salem because her husband had been very irresponsible with his money. She was one the first to be accused in the Salem witch panic because if her position in society. She was convicted and subsequently executed on July 19, 1692.
What were witches in shakespeare's time?
Normal people cause witches don't ageist they are just a myth, or that people who went to church so the right a letter to accuse someone off being a witch, after being accused the church people / who ever is in charge would drop the accused into water if they floated they were a witch and if they sunk they would be human, people only said they were witch is so that they wouldn't have to drown and die
How old is Samantha on Bewitched?
The audience never really finds out how old she is. In season 1, episode 22, Darrin asks Samantha when her birthday is and how old she is. Her birthday is on June 6, but she never admits the year, and is troubled by the question of her age. In addition, Conversations between Samantha and her mother Endora suggest she has lived for a very long time because they are witches.
This question was never directly answered on the show. It was, however, hinted that Samantha was alive during the original Salem Witch Trials and was around as far back as the construction of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. So, a safe estimate would be at least several hunderd years old.
Are sorcery and witchcraft the same?
It usually depends on which culture you look at, but, in most cases, sorcery was looked apon as "white magic" which can be used as protection against witchcraft AKA "black magic."
A Pagan PerspectiveSorcery is the practice of what was once called Alchemy.Witchcraft, (aka the Craft, Wicca and in some cases Paganism) is the following of an earth base belief system which includes but is not necessarily exclusive to the use of magic (high and low), Ritual celebration of the cycles of the year and phases of the moon, as well as herbalism and scrying. Contrary to what you see in movies and read in fiction, we are basicly good people, who live, work and play the same as others.
Modern witches would give that a resounding "NO," arguing that Satan is a Judeo-Christian concept in which they simply don't believe.
One might argue, however, that IF Satan is indeed the spirit of evil, then simply refusing to recognize him doesn't mean one isn't doing his work. Some people who are naturally inclined to mischief may study witchcraft into order to gain power to amplify that mischief.
However, as far as ceremonially worshipping Satan, conjuring him, kissing his butt, having sex with him or his minions, receiving secret marks on the body, signing contracts in blood, etc., that's all made up by people who were trying to whip up hatred of witches. Unfortunately, a few wacky people will try to do that, in a sort of rebellion against conventional religion, so the anti-witch crowd gets a little ammunition to claim, "There you are!" Rockers and goths (though not all of them) are particularly problematic in this regard.
The great bulk of witches practice a sort of Earth Magic (or "magick," to distinguish it from illusionism) which is totally benign: no hexes, curses, causing plagues, miscarriages or the like.
Paganism, Witchcraft & magic are as old as mankind. Anything, beyond your understanding or comprehension can be considered magic. A cell phone to a primitive is magic.
When mankind first started being self aware, we looked beyond ourselves and needed answers to things like, where does the sun go at night? How do we insure it will come back? How do we heal wounds and illnesses? How do we find food?
Eventually members of the group who discovered things, like which plants helped an upset stomach, where to find water, what the migration patterns of the local animals were and other things, became the ones others turned to for answers. These were the Wise Ones...
The cycles of the seasons where in our blood and instincts, as they governed our survival. The wise ones were the ones who kept track of the right time to plant, and harvest, ensuring the continuance of the people.
As we became more evolved the amount of knowledge expanded, and those with the answers learned a few tricks of their own.
If someone tells you a certain herb will cure your cut, you may or may not believe them, if they are well respected and do a little spell/prayer over the cut at the same time as using the herb, you tend to believe... Particularly if it works... you then tell others of the "power" of the Wise One... Eventually a name gets made, and expectation are raised...
It is a commonly accepted fact that your mind has a strong influence on your body... If you believe in something it has a better chance of working. the Wise Ones figured this out early on, so a little "showmanship" helped their reputation...
As spell/prayers/magic/ became standardized and passed on from generation to generation, the words became of equal importance to the practical application...
Magic became accepted as something that worked...
Science is today what magic once was, a practical, evolving set of standard results from repeated experimentation...
Even modern medicine can't tell us everything the mind is capable of, so some of us still believe in and practice Magic...
Gerald Gardner originally started Wicca, but it is unknown who actually started magic. Some say that it was created by the Gods, and was descended upon the mortals for being faithful to the Gods. It is also said that on the seventh day that God was resting, that Satan created a witch and put him on Earth to wreak havoc.
But in other words, it is really unknown who originally started it.
How are the accused supposed to defend themselves against charges of witchcraft?
There wasn't a way because there was a test. They threw you in a river and if you floated you were a witch and if you drowned you werent a witch. so either way you died xx
Yes, both females and males can be, and are witches.
The word "witch" is NOT gender specific. Many people erroneously call a male witch "warlock," however, the word is an extremely rude term meaning "Oath Breaker" or "One who has broken with god."
Why were woman vulnerable to accusations to witchcraft?
Women's position in society made them vunerable and the picture of the stereotypical witch was built around that.
Nineteen people were hanged where for accusations of witchcraft?
I'm going to assume you mean Salem, Massachusetts 1692.
How did Matthew Hopkins prove that the people he caught were witches?
Physical torture was illegal in England. However their definition of torture was rather loose. Suspects could be forced to stay awake for as many as 5 days. They were forced to run around the room until they collapsed from exhaustion. The swimming test was not torture, it tested if they were a witch or not and was NOT designed to make them confess.
Why was witchcraft punishable by death in Massachusetts?
Probably based on English Common Law of the time which took references to the King James version of the Bible: Exodus (22:18) says, Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. And Leviticus (20:27) says, A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death: they shall stone them with stones: their blood (shall be) upon them.
What were the beliefs of witchcraft in the Renaissance?
Some commonly held beliefs regarding Witchcraft are:
* Everything has a spirit. A rock, the grass, you or me, the animals.
* There is duality nature. Neither is more important than the other and both are needed for survival.
*There are both Gods and Goddesses
*The changing of the seasons and their symbolic meanings are celebrated throughout the year. The most common being Samhain, Yule, Imbolc, Ostara, Beltane, Midsummer, Lughnassadh, Mabon.
* "Like attracts like". What you put out in the world will return to you.
There are many different paths/relgions in the world and each has value and should be respected.
What are the types of behavior linked to witchcraft?
Not to positive, you might just want to ask them flat out, don't try to invistigate... ************* If you mean REAL witch behavior and not the green skinned movie witches, then this would be the typical witch's sabbat/ceremony: 1. Gather your candles, your athame (that is a sacred knife used to draw/focus energy), your incense, your alter cloth of choice, salt, water, oil, cup cakes and "ale" (my coven uses fruit juices and not actual ale).
2. Place them all on the alter and around the circle like this:
Green Candle (North)
Blue Candle Cakes & Ale i (alter candle) Incense Yellow Candle
(West) Oil Salt Water Athame (East)
Red Candle (South)
3. Cast Circle
4. Ring bell if needed
5. Call those who wish to join the circle (this just announcing that the ceremonies are about to begin).
6. Read the ceremony. Which does NOT include orgies, nudity, sacrificing of anyone or anything, or anything else you think witches do. [To hear an actually ceremony this eBay seller (http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZmoygo) has one. She allows clients access to it on youtube.com just ask her about it and she'll arrange for you to have access].
7. Perform cakes and ale (this is simply a blessing of the food).
8. Close the circle and party (games and food).
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Other then that we do the same things day in and day out that other people do. We work, we go to school and so on. Hope this answers your question. ******* The same as you do. We worship our gods, go to work, sigh over abundant bills and gas prices, do laundry, watch tv, plant gardens and try to make the world a better place. :o)
If you mean the city and state, then it is "Washington".
What are the solutions to witchcraft?
As with any of the thousands of other spiritual paths in the world the answer is TOLERANCE & ACCEPTANCE.
Do witchcraft accusations and beliefs mirror a society's ideological and material concerns?
Witchcraft is based on superstitious beliefs,ussually societies with certain characteristics are associated with such beliefs. witchcraft is associated with ancient beliefs whose basis is contestable.most simple uneducated societies are proponents of witchcraft and other related beliefs and practises.
the ideological foundations of witchcraft is universally similar showing the link with spiritualism,and religion epitomises the rival,evil force which exist in competition with that of good.
however there are exceptions s there is substantial evidence pointing to the acknowledgement of witchcraft in first world societies.whilst there is agreement on the materialistic belief and supernatural capabilities of those in its practise ,there is a gaping difference as to the ideology to be attached to the practise most third world societies witchcraft is almost always negatively potrayed;witched,wizards and their apparel are merchants of harm to mankind.This is in sharp contrast to western ideology in witch majic can be associated with good fortune.
witchcraft beliefs point to a society's material beliefs but there is varied ideological interpretations to the beliefs based on level of society's civilisation,education and religion
How do you become a spell casting wizard?
To be honest, the term "wizard" doesn't really exist. Both male and female spell casters are usually called witches. One can become a witch by practicing the religion Wicca for a year and a day. However, one does not have to be a Wiccan to cast a spell. All you need is the spell and the materials required. Just follow the directions, and you've cast the spell!
A Pagan Perspective
Just for the record, not all people who call or consider themselves Witches are Wiccan. Nor do all people who cast spells call or consider themselves Witches.
Casting a spell is simply the manipulation of naturally occurring powers (magic) by the hand and will of a practitioner.
Anyone willing to do the research, and practice is capable of casting spells. Part of that research is learning to use the "power" in an ethical and honest manner.
