Witches Part 1

After a bit of research I realized that the topic of witches is perhaps the most touchy... Yeah, people have banned vampire books  and werewolf books. But there are extreme objectors on both sides when it comes to the nature of witches and their role in history. If fact, if you mention the word witch, it is like dropping a bomb on the world. I mean some rather nice books were banned because they had witches in them...good witches or evil witches. Books like The Wizard of Oz, Harry Potter, The Witches, and Strega Nona. It's like everyone is screaming "She's a witch! Burn her!"

So, I'm going to cover the different aspects of witches in history, literature, and the modern beliefs about witches and witchcraft. Then I'll introduce what witches are like in the Hallowedspell universe, as within every novel series there are different needs and characteristics that make up the nature of magic in that universe.

So, an intro on witches....

According to Wikipedia:

“Witchcraft (also called witchery or spellcraft) broadly means the practice of, and belief in, magical skills and abilities that are able to be exercised individually, by designated social groups, or by persons with the necessary esoteric secret knowledge. Witchcraft is a complex concept that varies culturally and societally, therefore it is difficult to define with precision and cross-cultural assumptions about the meaning or significance of the term should be applied with caution. Witchcraft often occupies a religious, divinatory, or medicinal role, and is often present within societies and groups whose cultural framework includes a magical world view. Although witchcraft can often share common ground with related concepts such as sorcery, the paranormal, magic, superstition, necromancy, possession, shamanism, healing, spiritualism, nature worship, and the occult, it is usually seen as distinct from these when examined by sociologists and anthropologists.”

Now, the objectors to witchcraft are mostly religious. Some people say it is because religious people are intolerant. Others say it is because witchcraft is evil. So, to be fair I'll give both sides on the subject.

Let's stick with the Judeo-Christian POV for a second (even though witchcraft is condemned by Islam and by those of other faiths as well). This source is Wikipedia.

“The New Testament condemns the practice as an abomination, just as the Old Testament had (Galatians 5:20, compared with Revelation 21:8; 22:15; and Acts 8:9; 13:6), though the overall topic of Biblical law in Christianity is still disputed. The word in most New Testament translations is "sorcerer"/"sorcery" rather than "witch"/"witchcraft".” “Jewish law views the practice of witchcraft as being laden with idolatry and/or necromancy; both being serious theological and practical offenses in Judaism. Although Maimonides vigorously denied the efficacy of all methods of witchcraft, and claimed that the Biblical prohibitions regarding it were precisely to wean the Israelites from practices related to idolatry, according to Traditional Judaism, it is acknowledged that while magic exists, it is forbidden to practice it on the basis that it usually involves the worship of other gods.…"magic" was seen more as divine miracles (i.e., coming from God rather than "unclean" forces) than as witchcraft.... Judaism does make it clear that Jews shall not try to learn about the ways of witches (Deuteronomy/Devarim 18: 9–10) and that witches are to be put to death. (Exodus/Shemot 22:17)”

Ok. So to sum it up witchcraft was originally condemned because it basically led people to worship a different god. And yeah, witches were to be put to death. But to be fair, so were adulterers and kids who disobeyed their parents (it's in Leviticus. Trust me).

When Christianity spread into Europe it encountered pagan religions. When it did, those in power did not deal with those pagans kindly. It was basically a supplanting of one religion for another, often through war and violence (Take the example of Yaroslav 'the wise' who forced all the people under his rule to get baptized in the Dneper River in the middle of winter. A Ukrainian woman once told me the people wore crosses not to show their faith, but to keep from getting killed by holding up the cross as proof they were baptized). In fact, many Christian holidays were set on pagan holidays to supplant their worship. Easter is celebrated with a lot of pagan symbols... the bunny, the Easter grass, the eggs...all are fertility symbols related to the goddess Ostara connected with spring Equinox. All Saints Day is held the day right after the pagan New Year, Samhain. Christmas is held the same as the pagan holiday, Yule. Since the Christians could not get the pagans to end their worship they adopted the pagan holiday dates and morphed the worship towards the Christian saints and martyrs. In a way, that made Christianity as polytheistic as the pagans as nowhere in the Bible does it say it is ok to worship anyone besides God (check the 10 Commandments. it is pretty clear).  They may not see it that way, but that does not make it any less true.

Ok, so what about people who do not think witchcraft is bad? That is to say, what about Wicca? Wicca is a modern belief and practice of witchcraft. In our modern day, it is treated as a religion--and therefore under the protection of religious freedom. The way Wiccans see themselves is the same as the way people of other religious denominations see themselves--as practitioners of a faith sacred to them.

So, maybe you are freaking out and screaming "What about Satanism!!!!??? Don't they worship Satan?!?!"

This is what Wikipedia says about that:

“Satanism is a broad term referring to diverse beliefs that share a symbolic association with, or admiration for, Satan, who is seen as a liberating figure. While it is heir to the same historical period and pre-Enlightenment beliefs that gave rise to modern witchcraft, it is generally seen as completely separate from modern witchcraft and Wicca, and has little or no connection to them. Modern witchcraft considers Satanism to be the "dark side of Christianity" rather than a branch of Wicca: - the character of Satan referenced in Satanism exists only in the theology of the three Abrahamic religions, and Satanism arose as, and occupies the role of, a rebellious counterpart to Christianity, in which all is permitted and the self is central."

So if you ask a Wiccan if they are Satan worshippers they will get really, really offended because you have bought into a stereotype. Wiccans are pagans, basically. Read up or google the Wiccans to see how they feel about themselves.

That is it for now. We'll go on later to specifics.