Witch Path Forward
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Introducing Rose >
      • Articles - Rose
    • Introducing Debi >
      • Articles - Debi
    • Introducing Sarah
    • WPF Founder pictures
    • Media Kit
    • FAQ
  • Our Offerings
    • Ask a Question >
      • Ask a Witch a question >
        • Ask a Witch
      • Ask a Healer a Question >
        • Ask a healer
      • Ask a Pagan Parent a question
      • Question Archive >
        • Questions 2018-2020
        • Questions 2015 - 2017
        • Questions 2012 -2015
    • Readings >
      • Email Tarot Reading
      • Email Rune Reading
      • Email Dream Reading
      • Dowsing Reading
    • The Elemenpals
    • The Spinney Online School
    • Resources >
      • Grimoire >
        • The Witches Rune
        • Sabbats >
          • Imbolc
          • Ostara
          • Beltane
          • Litha
          • Lammas
          • Mabon
          • Samhain
          • Yule
        • The Wiccan Rede
        • The Elements
        • Moon Calendar
        • Moon Phases
        • Correspondences >
          • Herbal Correspondences
          • Oil Correspondences
          • Colour Correspondences
          • Incense Correspondences
          • Crystal Correspondences >
            • Crystals A - B
            • Crystals C - D
            • Crystals E - G
            • Crystals H - K
            • Crystals L - M
            • Crystals N - Q
            • Crystals R - S
            • Crystals T - Z
          • Food correspondences
          • Tree Correspondences
          • Day Correspondences
          • Celestial Body Correspondances
        • Different types of Witchcraft >
          • Kitchen Witchery
          • Ceremonial
          • Green Witchcraft
          • Hedge Witchcraft
          • Christian Witchcraft
          • Eclectic Witchcraft
          • Other Paths
          • Hoodoo
        • Different Craft Paths >
          • Traditional Witchcraft
          • Asatru
          • Satanism
          • Druidism
          • Shamanism
          • Wicca
          • Kemetism
          • Hellenism
          • Neo/Paganism
        • Witchcraft on a budget >
          • Items you find in nature
          • Items you already own
          • Items you can acquire cheaply
          • Items you can make or craft yourself
        • Tools of a witch
        • Consumables of a witch
      • Healing >
        • Healing Paths
        • Subtle Anatomy
        • Healing Tools
      • Divination >
        • Runes >
          • Frey and Freja ætt
          • Heimdall and Mordgud ætt
          • Tiwaz and Zisa ætt
        • Tarot Cards >
          • Major Arcana
          • Pentacles
          • Cups
          • Swords
          • Wands
        • The Crystal Tarot
      • Blogs >
        • Journal
        • Guest Blogs
        • Reviews
      • Our Favourites >
        • Witch Blogs
        • Books and Forums
      • Glossary
  • For Fun!
    • Nature Photographs
    • Memes >
      • More Memes
    • Guestbook
  • Shop
  • Contact Us

Are Traditional Witches just wannabe ex Wiccans?

2/14/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
Question – Do you think the emergence and social acceptance of Wicca has led more people to claim Trad Craft as a path and do you think a lot of these are wannabe ex Wiccans?

ANSWER - I think it is certainly the case that Witchcraft is in the spotlight now more than ever. It is unsurprising that whenever popular entertainment chooses to depict Witchcraft in a positive light there is a surge of interest. Think the film “The Craft” back in the nineties or more recently the followers of “Charmed.” The television and film industry have played a part in demystifying witchcraft and changing the perception of craft practitioners from the wizened crones of old to attractive, confident and (usually) young people. It is unsurprising that with this change in perception the view of witchcraft has changed from derisive to aspirational.

At the same time that the media has been giving witchcraft the glamour treatment there has been a renewed interest in spirituality and New Age beliefs. This has marked a turning away from the conventional religious paths (in particular Christianity) and given rise to a generation who define themselves as spiritual rather than religious but who may lack a framework to practise within. Wicca for many has filled this void by bridging the gap between the modern revival of magic and spirituality and the convention of a formal religious structure.

This new social acceptance of Wicca is perhaps one of the reasons why we are seeing more witches claim a Trad path rather than an adherence to Wicca. It has been very interesting watching the evolution of Wicca which started as an informal belief system and is now fast approaching a religion with dogmatic doctrine to rival any of the world religions. I’d argue that the more socially accepted Wicca becomes and the more mainstream, the more structured and formal the less it is going to appeal to the freethinkers, those who want to forge a path rather than follow one.

Wicca is often the first introduction to witchcraft and the first confirmation that witches do exist and that the practise of witchcraft is alive and taken seriously in the 21st century. However the individual beliefs of many witches do not fit the belief structure of Wicca. For a witch who does not believe in deity Wicca is not a good fit. Although there are many “Wiccans” claiming to be atheists they are missing the point entirely of the religion they purport to follow. You can no more be a Wiccan without belief in deity than you can be a Christian without believing Christ was the son of God. You can however quite happily be a witch without believing in deity. These witches who do not conform to the Wiccan structure often end up seeking out a traditional path.

I think it is important to point out that even though Wicca can be (and often is) a stepping stone on the path to Trad craft for many witches this doesn’t diminish Wicca as a religion in its own right. But as with any religion it is only going to appeal to people who share the core beliefs. For those who do not share the core beliefs but still practise witchcraft there is no formal structure or path to replace Wicca. The essence of the traditional path is a witch who goes it alone.

I do think that the more prescriptive modern Wicca becomes the more it is going to switch off the witches who want to use traditional methods of working and perhaps more crucially those witches who want to use the elements of magic prohibited by the harm non rules of Wicca. It may not be a popular viewpoint but it could be argued that no witch adhering to the Wiccan religion is going to be able to fully actualise herself as a witch as the limits on her power are too great. A witch on a traditional path will use all parts of who she is and not confine herself to what might be termed the “white” side of magic.

Do I think a lot of those people turning from Wicca to Trad Craft are wannabes? No I honestly don’t. I think most people who are open minded enough to look to embrace a lifestyle of magic and witchcraft are also the kind of people who don’t want their path dictated to them. The very prescriptive nature of the Wiccan witch simply doesn’t appeal to all witches. For those it does work for, that's great and they are to be respected. The world is a big enough place to cater to both Wiccan and non Wiccan witches without need for conflict or controversy.

Image http://www.deviantart.com/art/Crone-455740639

0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.


    If you would like the Ask a Witch a Question updates sent to your email please type your email address in here:


    Picture
    Join the Witch Path Forward Facebook community. (Click the icon).


    Changing your path/religion/way of life can be a time in your life when you need a bit of support. The purpose of this site is to offer a helping hand and a starting point to explore all the information available on the net.

    Sadly we are unable to answer every single question we receive as we get so many these days. If yours doesn't get answered please have a look in the archives as there are hundreds of articles and answers that may be what you are looking for.


    CURRENT MOON
    moon phases

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    February 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012