h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

When you talk about the rede, "an it harm none,etc" the threefold law etc you are discussing Wicca, not witchcraft. It is a little frustrating for those of us who practise witchcraft to continuously read articles which assume the two things to be synonymous.

Witchcraft is an occult art, whereas wicca is a religious philosophy. Witchcraft is the practise and study of ancient arts, (some considered "mysteries" others reasonably easy to research.)It is a tradition and study drawing on ancient paganism, Agrippa, religious mysteries, folklore and mythology along with quasi sciences such as alchemy, astrology, and numerology. It is practised and studied by people from all religions and backgrounds, in every culture, but such practise is traditionally private and serious.
Witches are not necessarily any particular religion, wiccans are believers in and followers of a religion, usually goddess-centric. Witches have no rede or threefold law. This does not mean we are devoid of morality however, just that witchcraft and its practise is not the arbiter of that morality.

That is just a very quick illustration of the differences between witchcraft practised for centuries and Wicca, a modern recpnstrustionist religious philosophy. Both have their own merits
and both have seperate histories. They are concerned with similar matters and use similar terms of reference, but that is not enough to justify the epynonomous usage of these two words, witchcraft and wicca, as synonomous.

Many thanks,
Liossa

Hello
Just read your reply, and thanks for
sharing your opinion with me.

I'm a bit of a learner , as
you could probably tell!

I really appreciate getting other peoples
views on this subject, as I have only been
learning/practising for a year, and am
still finding my feet!

I have never been told that Wicca
and Witchcraft were two different things,
I thought they were the same.

Gotta dash

alison

dear alison, the artircle itself was very well written though If you are interested in learning more about the differences between traditional and wicca, there are a few good sites to check out: I help edit a site that hosts articles on trad witchcraft
[URL removed by moderator- not allowed in forum posts]
which you might enjoy....
cheers,
Liossa

or alternatively,
[URL removed by moderator]

which would be in fact the correct URl!!

I'm so interested in witchcraft. I know where I can get materials like candles and insense and burning oils. This cool place in Liverpool, Quiggins.

I'm so into all mythical things like vampyres and supernatural things like ghosts. I love halloween and if you havn't guest already, I'm a gothwith a real reality problem.

Me and my friend Megan are so into it but don't know how to get started. How did you get into witchcraft?

*Deepest Sympathy*

(PS.Sorry about going totally OTT with the pictures, trying to kill it. If you know what I mean?)