Witches share their stories embracing Wicca while fighting stigmas

THE MAGICK OF MODERN DAY WICCA

Practitioners of Witchcraft challenge the negative stereotypes and reclaim the word “Witch.”

BY CAROLINE GILLEN | DESIGN BY JOSIE RILEY

Crystals, tarot cards and zodiac sign readings have made their way into mainstream culture; however, a lot of people might not realize how Witchcraft is involved in the many things they interact with on a day-to-day basis.

Witchcraft has been a consistent part of human history and is believed to be thousands of years old, older than most well-known religions, according to The Complete Book of Witchcraft, written by Raymond Buckland, the founder of Sax Wicca, in 1973. Buckland founded Buckland Museum of Witchcraft and Magick in 1966.

Sax Wicca is only one of several branches of Wicca. The first branch that was created is Gardnerian Wicca, which was formed by Gerald Gardnerin 1954. Gardner is also known for coining the term “Wicca,” which comes from a Germanic root meaning “wise-people,” according to History.com. So, although Witchcraft has roots that go far back, Wicca is considered to be a relatively new religion.

“Wicca is a modern tradition of Witchcraft, but the beliefs and practices are inspired by older concepts,” Cara, the assistant to the director of the Buckland Museum of Witchcraft and Magick, says.

Cara has been practicing Witchcraft since the age of 12 and is a part of “reclaiming the tradition of Witchcraft.” This concept is all about reclaiming the word “Witch” and what it means to each individual practitioner.

“Being a Witch is a combination of things and the definition really depends on the individual. You’re a Witch if you practice Witchcraft, but what constitutes ‘Witchcraft’ depends on who you ask,” Cara says. “Wicca is just one subset of Witchcraft, so the idea as whole is much more complex.”

Although the Buckland Museum has plenty of information about other types of Witchcraft and Magick, the institution mainly focuses on educating about Wicca, according to Cara and the museum’s website.

“One of the defining characteristics of Wicca, as far as religious beliefs and theology, is recognizing a balance between a polarity of deities, so instead of just worshiping a Goddess or a God, we recognize the existence and balance of multiple,” Cara says.

The level of intensity at which people use Wicca completely depends on the individual. Sara Molina, a sophomore at Ohio University studying applied linguistics, first started reading about Wicca in 2016, but didn’t start practicing until she was in quarantine at the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

“I’m not as extreme in a sense where I have something I do every day. What I do is practice glamour, so like when I’m taking a shower, I’m thinking about ways to make me feel more confident in myself,” Molina says. “I use Wicca as a kind of selfmotivation. I guess it’s like finding ways to love and appreciate myself differently.”

Dr. Dereck Daschke, a professor of philosophy and religion at Truman State University, explains in his book, New Religious Movement, about how Wiccans have existed for the majority of human history. He also mentions in his book the period during which Witchcraft was an underground and hidden practice at times, like during the Salem Witch Trials which made practicing Wicca dangerous.

“The practices remained underground for centuries for fear of prosecution during the ‘Burning Times’ 15th to 17th centuries,” Daschke writes.

The 'Burning Times' are defined as a period of time where charges of Witchcraft and Paganism were punishable by death, usually by being burned at the stake.

OU Associate Professor Brian Collins created a course in 2017 called the Global Occult, which touches on various supernatural phenomena and spiritual practices in religions, including Wicca. Collins once learned of an experience that represents how the stigma surrounding Witchcraft can negatively affect a Witch’s life.

“There was someone who practiced Wicca in Athens in the 1980s,” Collins says. “A kindergarten teacher I believe, I remember hearing from a former resident, who lived there at the time, about how she lost her job when her Witchcraft affiliation was made public.”

Cara has had their fair share of interactions with people who have a strong stigma against them being a practitioner of Witchcraft. They have had hateful comments left on their YouTube videos and have even been followed around the grocery store by a religious woman trying to “save them” by encouraging them to the read the Bible, according to Cara.

“I was in Bible study as a kid, so I’ve made my choice very consciously, not because I’ve never heard of Jesus Christ,” Cara says. “When people have tried to ‘save me’ by telling me to read the Bible, I tell them I have read it, but I always wondered if they have ever read a book about Wicca? It’s interesting to see how many people refuse to even try and understand other’s practices yet expect others to learn theirs.”

The stigmas around Witchcraft can sometimes make being Wiccan difficult.

“One thing I’ve enjoyed about being a college student is having my own dorm and space. It’s a lot easier for me to practice Wicca without worrying about my parents knocking on my door or someone seeing me and being disappointed,” Molina says.

Molina points out that there is a difference in meaning behind the words “magic” and “Magick.” Witchcraft Magick is spelled with a “k” at the end to differentiate from the other type of “magic,” such as a magician pulling a rabbit out of a hat. Magick is any act that brings someone closer to their purpose in life; the act can be both metaphysical and mundane.

“The practice of Magick is a part of Witchcraft, but that is not all there is to Witchcraft, in fact there are a lot of other religions and cultures that have magical practices. So Magick is not necessarily only for Witchcraft, but it is something that ties into it,” Cara says.

Like other religions, Wicca has its own holidays and celebrations.

“Wicca is a celebration of the power of nature and especially the rhythmic cycles of the moon and the seasons,” Daschke writes in his book.

Buckland’s Complete Book of Witchcraft shares about how Wiccans measure their holidays with the “Wheel of the Year.” There are eight yearly celebrations that occur on the solstices, equinoxes and the midpoints in between the two. The next holiday is the Imbolc, which will occur from Feb.1 to 2 this year.

“Most of the time on holidays I self-reflect. But if you are in a small space, the simplest thing you can do is set up an alter and your intentions for whatever you are celebrating or hoping to improve at,” Molina says.

Although Magick and holidays are seen in the core of most religions, one thing that makes Wicca stand out is the individuality involved in it. Unlike most religions where gatherings of the members are common and expected, Wicca is something its followers can practice on their own.

Anyone can start practicing Wicca if they want, and it is easier than some might think.

“I would encourage people to come to the museum if they want to learn more,” Cara says. “If you want to find likeminded people, there are various places I tend to meet Pagans and Witches, such as Pagan Pride events, metaphysical shops,

renaissance fairs and even Unitarian Universalist churches.” UUA is the acronym for Unitarian Universalist Association, under which Unitarian Universalist (UU) churches exist. A UU church is where someone can go to learn about various world religions, traditional and non-traditional, according to uua.org.

“A lot of families with kids who want their kids to be raised learning a bunch of religions so that they can make their own decisions involving their faith will take them to UU churches,” Cara says.

UU churches often have speakers at gatherings from different religions and practices. Therefore, they can act as a common space for anyone who is interested in or currently practicing a non-traditional religion like Wicca.

With the help from social media, Wiccan ideas and ideals have been spreading faster than ever. The Wiccan community has grown from 8,000 people in 1990 to about 1.5 million today, according to Newsweek.com. Wicca is ever-growing and practitioners to this day are still deepening their spiritualism.

“I’ve been doing this for 20 years and I’m still learning things, so really it is a lifelong journey,” Cara says.

The Buckland Museum of Witchcraft and Magick is located at 2155 Broadview Rd. in Cleveland. Visit bucklandmuseum.org to learn more about the museum and the history of Witchcraft and Magick.

The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Athens is located at 184 Longview Heights Rd. for those interested in visiting a UU church. b