When it comes to Witchcraft and Religion

A DISCUSSION ON PAGAN PRACTICES ASSOCIATED WITH WITCHCRAFT Written by Elizabeth Karnowski, Culture Staff Writer Graphic by Emma Gray, Arts Curator

Witchcraft has recently climbed in popularity on places like TikTok, Twitter and Instagram, but the craft existed centuries before videos of spells and crystals were popping up on FYPs (For You Pages, for our non-TikTok users). Wicca, a neopagan spirituality that embraces witchcraft and Nature worship, initially spread throughout England and the United States in the 1950s.1

It’s important to note that while Wicca and witchcraft share similarities, they are not the same. Wicca is recognized as a religion and is best described as a modern spirituality based on ancient witchcraft traditions.2

The origins of modern Wiccans can be traced back to a retired British servant by the name of Gerald Brousseau Gardner, who founded the religion on ancient occult knowledge. Wiccans typically adopt polytheistic views, expanding their worship to multiple spirits or gods, and follow pantheism. This is the belief that the universe as a whole is god—there is no god but the combined substance, forces and laws that are manifested in the existing universe.3 Wicca stands out from other pre-Christian spiritual movements in its prayer to a female deity and its prioritization of women in its culture. The most prominent example of this is a particular branch of the religion who call themselves the “Dianic Wiccans” and view their faith as a women’s religion. There are many branches of Wicca that dabble with craft magic, but one of the main differences between Gardnerian Wiccans and Dianic Wiccans is the practice of hexing or cursing.

¹ J. Gordon Melton, “Wicca”, Britannica. 2 Kardia, “Wicca and Witchcraft”, Wicca, May 12, 2016. 3 William L. Reese, “Pantheism”, Britannica. Generally, Wiccans don’t believe in performing negative magic, but Dianic Wiccans have argued that hexing or binding those who do harm to women is acceptable—particularly, they believe in the hexing and binding of men who have committed violences against women and children.4

While aspects like deity work and the praise of nature may appear out of line with pop culture’s version of wicked witches, in reality, Wiccans focus on creating change through spells and intentions to improve lives. This type of magic is more often associated with the witches and witchcraft depicted in films and television shows like “The Blair Witch Project,” “Hocus Pocus” and the “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.”

Another religion with reported ties to witchcraft is the Gaulish religion— more specifically, the Celtic Druids. This relation stems from stories such as Shakespeare’s “Macbeth,” in which the witches serve as a source of temptation for evil.5 These negative outlooks also come from a point in time when Christianity was the height of religion, thus leading society to condemn and look down on any seemingly harmful religious acts within other groups. The Druids kept no records of their own, which makes it difficult to fully understand their religious beliefs and practices. Julius Caesar claims the Druids took charge of public and private sacrifices and many young men went to them for advice and instruction.6

4 Patti Wigington, “Dianic Wicca”, Learn Religions, October 3, 2019. 5 Ibid. ⁶ The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, “DruThe group was also said to believe that the soul was immortal and passed from one person to another upon death.7 Overall, a lot of the Druids’ beliefs are actually quite positive, with many of their practices revolving around the natural world and its powers. Today, the broader practice of Wicca has been said to be a religion “made for the 21st century.”8 Research from 2017 shows that more Americans claim to be spiritual but not religious, which coincides with participation in practices that enhance self-development.9 This aligns with the spiritual practices of Wiccans, whereby formal religious structures and dogma are rejected in place of allowing members to focus on the religion for themselves. While Catholicism, Judaism and Islam are the most commonly practiced religions today, other religions like Wicca and Druidry are rising in action. A major trend with these beliefs—and one way Wiccans and Druids differ from more popular religions—is the high praise of women within the culture. Although both Wicca and Druidry are often conflated with negative stereotypes and witchcraft, it’s important to recognize these various beliefs and practices as their own entities. “Harm none and do as you will” is the simple, overarching rule in Wiccan faith.10 This principle holds true across many pagan spiritualities, and serves as a great moral to keep in mind when interacting with practices that may not be your own! ■

id”, Britannica. ⁷ Ibid. 8 Helen A. Berger, “What is Wicca? An expert on modern witchcraft explains”, Waco Tribune, September 6, 2021. ⁹ Michael Lipka and Claire Gecewicz, “More Americans now say they’re spiritual but not religious”, Pew Research Center, September 6, 2017. 10 The Wiccan Rede, “The Wiccan Rede”, MIT.