Welcome to Gaia! ::

(Baha, here's where we see if I have retained anything I have learned about myself and the world through this guild. I hope I was paying attention, and didn't waste all your time xp )

Witchcraft in general: This conjures many images. There's the flully images of fat bald men in velvet capes with giant pentacles around fires in the middle of the woods. Then there is the image of legit witchcraft, which is far deeper. You're working with what you've got. Natural objects and power, your own power, stuff that has been there at your finger tips, that you just didn't know you had use for.

For me: Basically like the latter half of the above. Working with what I have an all that. It's like there's all these things that are right there, right in front of me that are of some use, or signifigance, including myself. Discovering things. There's an importance on nature, especially. I feel like there's also a humbleness to it, too. At least for me. As in being humble in a sense to accept all that there is for me to learn.

Everything I want to say about witchcraft is probably going to be extremely influences soley by what it is to me. It's not because I don't care what it is to anyone else, but more because I haven't even fully explored what it is to me. Gah, I thought I had a whole elaborate idea to put here, and then I realized I've barely scratched the surface. Hell, I've barely removed the wrapping paper. The most I've ever done thus far is cooked a meal for my family and friends each general/important holiday/date.

Ah, sometimes this place makes me feel like I haven't a single clue in this sense; "Oh look, the puzzle is almost....MOTHER FXCK THERE'S A GIANT HOLE! Damn. It."

xd

For me, it's sort of hard to define exactly what a Witch is, because I think there are a lot of things that fall into the category of witchcraft, and one doesn't have to do them all to be considered a witch. Not only that but many of the practices aren't necessarily witchcraft in and of themselves, but when grouped with the other things would be seen as such.

To me a witch is someone who in one way or another practices some sort of magic, meaning that they (through spells, prayer, incantations, etc...) try to influence outside events (either for themselves or others). They make charms, talisman, amulets, potions, do divination (of some sort), they may or may not have a spiritual side to their practices (either by having a deep connection to the elements, spirits, or deities...or a combination of them).

Personally, I think having a spiritual component is essential - I think there needs to be some feeling of connectedness to the energies that make up the universe, in order to work magic effectively (though "force of will" also plays a very large part as well).

Exactly! It's there, you know it, you can see it in your mind, and it seems simple enough, then when you go to say something, it suddenly becomes rather ellusive.


I like your ideas on this, and I wonder if it also has to do with their working closer to nature with medicinal herbs, plants, etc. They would had to have been well versed in what plant did what, which ones were dangerous, and plants that may have resembled the medicinal one but had no worth medicinally, or was extremely dangerous.


I guess the answer to this sort of correlates to how you feel about the trickiness of explaining witchcraft in general. The dates probably are imortant to most witches, but I don't see why they should have to be important to every witch's path. The dates are just what I consider the basics (correct me if I am wrong on any because I find there are a million names for each); Yule, Imbolc, Ostara, Beltane, Litha, Lammas, Mabon, and Samhain. Pretty general, I think. I see signifigance in them because by observing these dates, even by simply preparing and sharing a meal with those close to me, I've found I'm much more aware of the changing of seasons. And though I figure since they are so generalized, most witches probably have at one time or still do celebrate them, there are some whe probably don't. But I don't think that they should be important if the individual witch doesn't see them as important. My philisophy is; if it doesn't feel like you should be doing something, then don't. There's nothing worse for me than feeling completely wrong about something.

In that case, what distinguishes witchcraft from other forms of magic?

Which other forms of magic? wink .

I tend to foil witchcraft against more ceremonial forms of magic, so I see witchcraft as more down-to-earth and...personal (I think that's the word I want). Of course I may be wrong in holding witchcraft and Ceremonial sorts of magic as opposites.

Ah ok we were on the same sort of page there at least, with the witchcraft/Ceremonial magic thing xd

Yea, it is hard to answer and divide and define there xp .

Witchcraft is an awareness of the energies that exist around us; it is the knowledge that we can create an effect upon these energies with a thought, a word, or gesture; it is also the conscious decision to act upon that knowledge in accordance with ones need, will or desire.

I think witchcraft differs from other magical systems in that it is more of a craft. In witchcraft you are creating or crafting an outcome out of elements that may or may not be tangible objects. The actions are about the witch creating the result as opposed the witch's actions being about appeasing a deity, spirit or entity in order to have them create the change. Witchcraft also differs in that it doesn't require a religious or cultural association. It can be a secular practice.