The following article comes from a websight about different types of Witchcraft (link is listed at the end of this article). the one thing it does not acknowledge is that in the Elizabethan era, Witchcraft was part of many lives, including those who practiced the Christian faith, and refused to renounce their Christianity - these people were called 'Cunning Folk' and were a 'blend' of both Christian and Witchcraft. Witchcraft can be Pagan, but it does not necessarily have to be. Traditional Witchcraft is not connected to religion at all in its philosophy, although members or adherents can certainly prescribe to the religion of their choice. It can certainly be classified as Green Witchcraft, since we often make our own tools from the wild, and enjoy connecting to the Divine by going out doors into nature. It is certainly Traditional Witchcraft, except that instead of contacting spirits in nature, we view that which we contact as 'natural energy' stored in the elements, which makes our type of Witchcraft more 'Elemental' in nature, where we define the Elements as 'raw materials' which are unconscious resources we can use in our art of magick, using metaphysical science to discern what category of energy to use in our spells. We are similar to Appalacian Folk Witchcraft because we have similar origins - the Applacian mountain region is filled with Celts who came to the Americas in the late 1600's-early 1700's. The 'hillbilly' language still spoken in many Appalacian regions is a 'frozen-in-time' example of Elizabethan English, with a very southern drawl, that developed over time, of course. Like them, we also blend Christianity with Witchcraft, from our beginnings when Bessie Dunlop first was initiated, of course, and this was passed down through the family until today (we don't expect our adherents to do such, but because of how history unfolded, this is how things progressed through history. We are certainly not Wiccan, as we are not a religion, but instead a philosophy. We also uphold our Celtic Culture, but include our Germanic aspirations as well, because of the blend of the Germanic with the Celtic through the Anglo-Saxon invasions, which brought our people close in contact. Ours is an Historical Coven that has come down to us in an unbroken chain. We are happy to share COVEN 1658 with those who are interested in learning and helping us to bring our history into today. The following article explains a bit about the 'types' of Witchcraft that are practiced...
COVEN 1658 is a combination of a few kinds of Witchcraft: it is Heredetary: not only has the tradition been passed down through the family, but the gifts of the craft have been inherited by many in the family from birth. It is also Kitchen Witchcraft - it is largely practiced at home, by the High Priestess and Hierophant, as well as the adhering Witches of our Coven.
Modern Witchcraft
Witchcraft is a pagan religion. Pagan religions worship multiple deities rather than a single god. Paganism is one of the oldest religions and includes all religions that are not Christian, Muslim or Jewish, meaning Paganism includes the Hindu, Buddhist, Taoist, Confucian and American Indian religions as well as all other nature-oriented religions. According to the 1998 Cambridge Fact Finder, Paganism accounts for 50 percent of all religions.The word "Pagan" actually stems from the Latin Pagini or Paganus, words meaning "hearth" or "home dweller" or, more simply, "country person" -- those labeled as Pagans were considered inferior to those living in cities. It didn't, however, mean those people were "bad." It wasn't until the 1450s that fear of witchcraft became more prevalent, and people began associating witchcraft and paganism with devil worship, evil hexes and spells.
Types of Witchcraft
There are many types of witchcraft, many of which overlap and all of which can be defined in different ways by different people, but here are some rough guidelines for their designations:- African witchcraft: There are many types of witchcraft in Africa. The Azande of central Africa believe that witchcraft causes all types of misfortune. The "gift" of witchcraft, known as mangu, is passed from parent to child. Those possessing mangu aren't even aware of it and perform magick unconsciously while they sleep.
- Appalachian folk magic: Those who practice witchcraft in the Appalachian mountains see good and evil as two distinct forces that are led by the Christian God and Devil, respectively. They believe there are certain conditions that their magick cannot cure. They also believe that witches are blessed with paranormal powers and can perform powerful magick that can be used for either good or evil purposes. They look to nature for omens and portents of the future.
- Green witchcraft: A Green witch is very similar to a Kitchen/Cottage witch (see below) with the exception that the Green witch practices in the fields and forest in order to be closer to the Divine spirit. The Green witch makes his or her own tools from accessible materials from outdoors.
- Hedge witchcraft: A Hedge witch is not part of a group or coven. This witch practices magick alone and works more with the green arts, herbal cures and spells. In the early days, Hedge witches were local wise men or women who cured illnesses and gave advice. They can be of any religion and are considered traditional witches (see below).
- Hereditary witchcraft: Hereditary witches believe in "gifts" of the craft that are with a witch from birth, having been passed from generations before.
- Kitchen/Cottage witchcraft: A Kitchen witch, or Cottage witch, practices magick around the hearth and home. The home is a sacred place, and the use of herbs is used often to bring protection, prosperity and healing. Kitchen witches often follow more than one path of witchcraft.
- Pennsylvania Dutch hexcraft or "Pow-wow": When the Germans first arrived in Pennsylvania, Native Americans were there, so the term "pow-wow" to describe this practice may come from observations of Indian gatherings. Pow-wowing includes charms and incantations dating back to the Middle Ages, as well as elements borrowed from the Jewish Kabbalah and Christian Bible. Pow-wowing focuses on healing illnesses, protecting livestock, finding love or casting or removing hexes. Pow-wowers consider themselves to be Christians endowed with supernatural powers.
- Traditional witchcraft: Traditional witchcraft often follows science, history and the arts as its foundation. While sharing the same respect for nature as the Wiccan witch (see below), traditional witches do not worship nature nor the god or goddess of Wicca. They contact spirits that are part of an unseen spirit world during rituals. Magick is more practical than ceremonial and focuses greatly on herbs and potions. This sect of witchcraft also has no law of harming none, but does believe in responsibility and honor. Hexes and curses, therefore, can be used in self-defense or for other types of protection.
- Wicca: Wicca is one of the modern Pagan religions that worships the Earth and nature, and it is only about 60 years old. It was created in the 1940s and '50s by Gerald Gardner. Gardner defined witchcraft as a positive and life-affirming religion that includes divination, herblore, magic and psychic abilities. Wiccans take an oath to do no harm with their magick.
No comments:
Post a Comment