Nov 30 2008
Witchcraft 101
Welcome to the first installment of the Today.com’s Witchcraft blog. The purpose of this blog is create a greater awareness of Wicca (Witchcraft) and Paganism in general. It will be used to discuss the history of the craft, the basic principles and premises, and the belief structure and practices of witches, past and present. It will explore the underpinnings of Wiccan thought and philosophy, as well as the practical applications of magick, including spells and rituals. We will talk about nature and seasons, the wheel of the year, the hows and whys of magick, the eight sabbats, and the existence of the God and the Goddess.
The blog is intended to have appeal for those who are new to witchcraft, and those who have been practitioners for years. For those in the former category, I hope to show them that witchcraft has merit, thought, and history behind it. It is a way of life, and a way of being. It is a path to personal empowerment and inner development. It is a mystery religion- seeking to cultivate a heightened state of mind through contemplation and interaction with the great enigmas of the universe. For the experienced practitioners, I hope to stimulate new ideas and ways of thinking amongst them, to help growth in their understanding of the craft. We all come to the craft for our own reasons,and we all have our own perspective on it. Through discussion and sharing of ideas in formats such as this, we can encourage the development and sophistication of the religion of Wicca, allowing future generations of witches to build upon the groundwork we lay today.
Wicca has a long history, but it is not continuous. The Inquisition in Europe (what many of us call the Burning Times) created an atmosphere of terror and mistrust, so much that anyone evenly remotely linked to the pagan ways was burned or tortured. This included innocent women who were nothing more than knowledgeable herbalists and midwives. Ever since that time, the Christian paradigm that has dominated the western zeitgeist has included a deeply rooted fear of witchcraft (which eventually turned to denial and non-belief), as well as the sense that anyone who would want to practice such a thing must be morally tainted in some fashon. This is no more true of Witches than it is of Christians. This forum will show that the practice of witchcraft can be a life-enriching experience that deepens your connection to the world around you, as well as your inner depths.
Thank you for tuning in. Tomorrow’s topic will be a short history of witchcraft.
