- "WITCHES" - fact or fiction

Wednesday's Word... uh, Friday edition.

We all know what witches are, right? ... green skin, black hat, big nose with warts, ugly and EVIL... the first thing that comes to mind is the wicked witch of the west from The Wizard of Oz.... I mean Halloween just passed, did you not see MANY of these depictions?

But what about "Bewitched"? Certainly Samantha (RIP, Elizabeth Montgomery) was none of the above.... although Endora (Sam's mom) on the other hand....

Then there's "Charmed". Certainly these 3 ladies don't fall into the typical stereotype of what a witch is...

So, then what exactly is a witch?
(more in a bit)

Do they really exist?
Simply put... YES

Do they cast spells?
Simply put... YES

Are they ugly?
Is Stevie Nicks ugly?

Are they EVIL?
Simply put... NO

SOOOOOOO... what is a witch? A REAL witch is a member (male AND female - warlocks are traitors) of one of the denominations of the Church of Wicca (which means, wise). It is a spiritual and nature-based, religion... and probably most similar to beliefs of Native Americans (think about it). Although relatively new as a recognized religion in the USA, the theology of The Craft dates back centuries.

Wiccans do worship their own "gods"... actually, the Triple (moon) Goddess - maiden (birth), mother (fertility) and crone (death) - perhaps why witches are usually depicted as women... and is symbolized by the triple moon symbol - waxing, full and waning moons


They also worship a Horned (sun) God that is male, symbolizing nature and sexuality...

This polytheism is said to signify that the universe and ourselves are made up of and controlled by both female and male energies.

Wiccans do not worship the devil.. THAT would be devil worshippers... actually, they don't even believe in an entity such as that. The misnomer is perhaps rooted in the fact that the Wiccan Symbol is a pentagram...


as is a Satanist's....

The points of the Wiccan pentagram stand for the elements - Air, Earth, Fire and Water... with the top point standing for Spirituality... enclosed in a circle to denote unity.

Note how Satanists invert the pentagram (note the goat) to put Spirituality on the bottom and the 2 points, Fire (passion) and Earth (earthly goods) on the top...

Wiccans do practice magic (magick) and cast spells as they believe that everyone has the spiritual strength and ability to bring about change. BUT the tenet of The Law of Attraction (basically, what goes around comes around - and some believe 3-fold) certainly makes these spells positive and are supposed to be cast to bring good to oneself or one's family.

The other tenets of the religion are Deity, Reincarnation (continual progression), Power Through Knowledge (wisdom) and Harmony.

Common tools used during the magic ritual include a pentacle, a sword, a wand, and a chalice. BUT, the rituals may also include a knife, a broomstick, a cauldron, candles and incense (GO FIGURE !!!)

Although there is no formal book of teaching, Wiccans do, as in Charmed, have a Book of Shadows. This is a personal journal consisting of spells, potions, beliefs etc. And as in Charmed, many times it is passed down from generation to generation to teach the others of the family and also to be continued to be added to.

Another symbol of the Craft is the Triquetra, as is depicted on Charmed....

The Triquetra is an old Celtic symbol that stands for the power or unity three"... hmm, 3 Charmed Sisters". In Wicca, it is also said to sometimes denote Triple Goddess.

There is no centralized set of rules as they believe people are individuals and are free to practice the Craft in the way that suits them best. But there is one central "commandment", the "Rede"... "An ye harm none, do what ye will".... obviously denouncing intentionally hurting others - everyone is responsible for their own actions.

Anyway, without going into the various sects of the Wiccan religion (that could be a series of posts), or pushing any more religion on you.... YES, witches are real !!!! They are ordinary people that happen to practice a different religion... you probably all know one. And the fact that they practice magic as a part of their beliefs, makes them much more active in their religion than myself.

And for the record, Stevie Nicks IS a Wiccan.... and she's far from ugly !!!!

A little help from my friends (major contributers):
- www.wicca.org - Website of the Church and School of Wicca

- Wikipedia - articles - "Wicca", "Triple Goddess", "Pentagram", "Book of Shadows", "Triquetra"

- witchvox.com

Happy H(A)UNTING !!!