Why Witchcraft? Why Wicca?

Many people think of Wicca as just another word for Witchcraft. Some
say that Wicca is merely the 20th Century version of the Craft.
Others call Wicca the "Old Religion." And some say that Wicca is
totally a 20th Century invention! Many proudly proclaim that
Wicca/Witchcraft is the fastest growing religion in America, while
others fear that it is.

Llewellyn publishes many books that have either of those words in
the title, and authors use them pretty much interchangeably. I do
like to define them differently, although I agree that the interest
in both is growing fast, and that there are good reasons for this
phenomenon. And I do mean "good" reasons.

Wicca - the Religion

It is easy to justify the claim that Wicca was "invented" by Gerald
Gardner in the early 20th Century. Gardner himself claimed something
different - that he had been initiated into a coven of Witches
tracing lineage to a far past.

Others have written about the "old religion" of worshiping a
Goddess, and a God, and traced practices of celebrations and rituals
tied to the cycles of the Sun and Moon.

Many people today find Wicca to be a religion that fits their needs,
provides a vehicle for their spiritual fervor, and functions as a
guide to everyday living within the Natural World - even when that
world feels and looks quite unnatural. And this religion works for
them, whether participating in a coven or practicing as a solitary.

Witchcraft - the Craft of Magic

I'm not talking about magic with a k, but the magic inherent in life
itself. Much of this magic involves the practice of herbalism and
the use of other natural substances, mostly in folk remedies, for
divination, and for spell-working. While this magic works best in
concordance with the natural cycles governed by Moon and Sun, its
practice is not necessarily tied to the rituals and celebration of
Wicca. These relate more to the inner world of spirit and psyche,
while magical crafting relates more to the outer world of the body
and of relationships.

Ancient and Modern

Both the religion and the Craft are as old as humanity, and derive
from the origins of life itself. Their practices grew from instinct,
flourished through tradition, and later grew through true natural
science (or "philosophy," as it was once called). The "Craft" is
natural magic, or the science of nature, the goal of which is such
knowledge and understanding that we achieve a better life through
harmony with all the forces, cycles, rhythms and "purposes" of life
and cosmos, which are themselves one.

All science is natural. We cannot separate into worlds that are
natural and those that are unnatural. All technology is natural too.
Only human attitudes can be said to be unnatural - when people think
of the natural world as merely a place of resource and disposal.
When we abuse nature we hurt ourselves, our children and our
children's children.

The Renewal of Enchantment

We love our technology and all the material benefits of modern
civilization. We should, because there is nothing unnatural in such
materialism. And we are once again gaining respect for nature and
accepting responsibility for living harmoniously with all evolving
life and consciousness.

It is this renewal of humanity's love affair with the world that we
live in that is reflected in the growth of both Wicca and
Witchcraft. They are two sides of the same coin - humanity's
conscious participation in the Great Plan that we also perceive as
purpose: the continuing evolution of our planetary being, our solar
being, and our cosmic being.

We are truly enchanted beings living in a world of enchantment. We
are divine beings living in a divine universe. We love and are
loved, for all is One and it is only blind egoism that separates any
person from the real world.

People of all ages and all traditions are awakening to a realization
that religion need not be an institution managed by persons
proclaiming themselves as designated intermediaries between heaven
and earth. Religion is realization of the holiness that is part of
every being. Magic, and science, are ways to understand that
holiness so that we become closer to the powers that be and fulfill
that for which we are born. It can all be summed up with three
simple words:

Life - Love – Law

Law is only that which we have learned to be the fundamentals for
life and love within the purpose of existence. Does this make sense?
If it does, then you understand why it is that Wicca and Witchcraft
are indeed so attractive to more and more people. And, if you want,
you can interchange these names with other words and movements. We
live in very exciting times, and very challenging times. In fact, we
live in very precarious times, but in finding our way back to these
ancient ways we are also finding our way forward to revolving the
most critical crisis of our times: the conflict between civilization
and terrorism.

I wrote that there was good reason for the growth of Wicca and
Witchcraft, for this is symptomatic of humanity's renewal of our
ancient pledge to live in harmony and with purpose. God/Goddess is
alive and is everywhere, magic is afoot, and we can all live
magically and harmoniously with love, respect for life, and the
acceptance of law.

by Carl Llewellyn Weschcke


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