Ok, to be fair, we ought to go back to the first definition of witchcraft that I posted in the beginning of this segment. So, 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.” [Emphasis added]
Ok, this is the foundation for what I am about to discuss. If indeed the term witchcraft ought to be applied with caution, we must bear in mind here that the word will be used descriptively and not as a criticism. I will be using the word to describe a world view that practices and believes in magical skills and abilities that can be used individually or by groups. This basically means that those that practice divination or spell casting are practicing witchcraft in the strictest sense of the word.
Ok... so let's go with divination first.
Ever go to a fortune teller? That's divination. Ouija boards. That's divination. Ever play games where you tried to tell the future (no matter how silly those games were)? That's divination. Ever watch Harry Potter where Trelawney taught class? That class was called Divination. Zoltar from Big, is divination. Those gypsy stereotypes? Divination. Astrology goes under this section also. Here is a dry explanation I found on YouTube. Another POV on Astrology. And a documentary (which also talks about Moon Madness, another subject for another day). You get the idea. Some divination is taken seriously, but some of it is treated as just a game in our modern society.
Now, is it real? I am not the one to tell you. I don't dabble in that kind of stuff. But here is one YouTuber's take on it.
Now as for Wicca. There are conflicting arguments about where it came from. Some claim it was in fact Celtic in origin, but according to Wikipedia, Wicca originated in the early twentieth century. One of the early influencers of the formation of Wicca was an anthropologist by the name of Margaret Murray. She and other anthropologists who studied the 'witch-cult hypothesis' influenced a number of people who formed their own covens. Later, a British man named Gerald Gardner wrote about a coven he claimed to have joined in the 1930's. He brought Wicca to public attention in his book Witchcraft Today. "The terms "Wicca" and "Wiccen" were first used by Charles Cardell," though. Mr. Cardell claimed to be a hereditary witch and not of Mr. Gardner's tradition. Several kinds of Wiccan traditions spread through England, and consequently, did not really get along. Wicca came to the Unites States and had its first coven in Long Island. By the 1960's more Wiccans began to settle in the US, and by 1972 the first Wiccan Church was recognized by the Federal Government. Lots of covens and kinds of Wiccan groups have sprouted up since then. Feminism also put its stamp on Wicca by creating a branch known as Dianic Wicca, which mostly focuses on the female goddess rather than the polytheistic pagan view.
So, do Wiccans do magic? That really is the question. Here's one take. Another Wiccan site.
Another Wiccan site.
Ok, fine. But are there people who do magic spells?
Actually, you can find just about any sort of stuff online. Here is on site for spells. I'm not saying it is Wiccan, though, because there is no sign it is. Here is another one. And another.
So....there are those who do take magic seriously and really believe in it.
What about Voodoo? Voodoo started off as an West African religion. It was brought to the western hemisphere by the slaves. It continued strong in areas of Haiti and Louisiana. Is it real? I've never seen anything, but here is another YouTuber's presentation on his own experience with voodoo witchcraft.
Anyway, plenty of creepy stuff on the Net.
Is it real? Is it not? You decide.
Final installment will be about witchcraft in the Hallowedspell universe.
No comments:
Post a Comment