Rose Ariadne's Chitchcraft Blog

Dear friends,

I thought I would talk a little bit about history today. Most major religions have historical texts that give followers an idea of their background and history but because Wicca is so new in terms of using a specific term and because even if we do practice in groups we’re still a fairly unorganized religion, we don’t really have one major text to read about our past in. Instead, we have to more or less gather bits and pieces here and there. So this is my “Cliff Notes” version of witchcraft…

Witchcraft is older than Christianity and every other patriarchal religion. It is also separate and independent of them. As you are probably already aware, most of the Christian festivals and holidays that are celebrated stem from Pagan and Wiccan traditions in an attempt to replace the Goddess with the Christian God. So why did this happen in the first place?

I’m not here to get on a soapbox about anything, but a lot of was done in order to take power, both political and spiritual, away from women. It’s interesting to note that in horticultural societies, women often enjoyed just as much power as men. It wasn’t until we went agricultural that men really started to gain the upper hand and a lot of that had to do with the fact that because women breastfed their children, they were tied to the home more.

In the beginning, it made sense to worship a higher being and to perform rituals and spells in order to encourage the environment to adapt to your needs. Think of it this way…if you lived a thousand years ago (or even 200 years ago) and had to depend on the climate, weather, and natural world for your well being, wouldn’t YOU try to appease it? Because women gave birth and are the creators of human life, worshipping a Goddess made even more sense. Some might refer to her as “Mother Earth” and that’s not far off from the idea of a Goddess.

Although we often trace our roots back to the British Isles, it’s important to remember that many of those beliefs stemmed from the Chaldeans and Egyptians. Traders and scholars passed information along from India, the Middle East, and Europe. As a result, traditions meshed and changed and grew over time.

Throughout the years, witchcraft has received a stigma. In the beginning, it was considered evil because that was a good way to convert people to Christianity. Later on, there was a very real fear of those that dallied with the occult. People always seem to be afraid of that which they cannot explain.

Somewhere along the way, witchcraft became synonymous with Satanism. Remember the Salem witch trials? It’s important to keep in mind that Satanism has nothing to do with real witchcraft. In fact, it can be argued that Satanism, with its “Black Mass,” is a corruption of Catholicism. Witchcraft, on the other hand, doesn’t follow Christianity-although Christianity takes a lot from witchcraft and paganism.

There is a lot of research that proves that at one time women were celebrated and worshipped. Take a look at the goddesses of Greek, Roman, and Egyptian mythologies and even the Mystery Cults of Egypt and Greece.

As I said earlier, although we all share common beliefs, not all of us practice in the same way. I know many Wiccans who are stout feminists and only worship the Goddess and do not recognize a male figure. I know some Wiccans who do not consider themselves feminists and still don’t recognize a male figure. On the other hand, I know some Wiccans who recognize a Goddess as well as a God. Some of the Wiccans I know really identity with the Persephone and Demeter legend and recognize the triple Goddess-the maiden, the mother, and the crone. Others do not.

Regardless of the different beliefs, we can all pretty much agree that Wicca is a celebration of life and that witchcraft is tied very closely to the natural world.

Witchcraft enjoyed a surge in the 1960s and 1970s as feminism rose to power and more and more women started looking at a less patriarchal and more natural way of celebrating their spirituality. There also seems to be surges here and there amongst teenagers who sometimes get witchcraft confused with the romanticism and mystical aspects of vampirism, psychic powers, and the paranormal.

While you won’t get hung in public anymore for practicing witchcraft and it is somewhat more accepted these days, there still seems to be a stigma attached to it. Unfortunately, although it’s not necessarily an evil stigma, it does seem to be a foolish one. I encounter a lot of people who simply dismiss my beliefs as a “phase” and something that I will grow out of.

In terms of worldwide religions, Wicca is still not as respected as other organized forms. However, in most countries we do have a certain amount of religious freedom, at least by law, and for that I am grateful.

I urge you to read up as much as you can about your chosen path. A knowledgeable witch is an informed witch.

Brightest Blessings,

Rose Ariadne
Your Warm and Caring “Resident Witch In Charge”