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 Posted: Fri Aug 11, 2006 2:14 pm
There will always be a debate over what makes a person a witch or a wiccan. There are just to many different opinions out there, and I don't think there is ever going to be an agreement. So I think it's important to find what you personally hold to make some one a witch or Wiccan.
I'll start. I consider myself to be a hellenic Witch. I practice a religion that honors the earth and the moon. I work with the greek pantheon hence the hellenic touch. To me a witch in the religious sence is one who pracices a religion where communion with the powers of nature is sacred and important.
What makes some one a Wiccan is iniation either by the Lord and Lady of the Wiccan religion or by a teacher and a coven. Thus you can be a solitary wiccan. To me all Wiccan's are witches as they hold nature to be sacred in that it is an _expression of the divine.
How about you?
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Posted: Mon Aug 14, 2006 10:01 am
How I use the terms honestly depends on the context of the conversation. The terms "Wiccan" and "Witch" were used synonymously in the early history of the Craft and can still be used in this way today. The words also have a linked etymology, furthering a justification of using them as synonyms. Given the previously strong synonymity, I don't see much sense in biting people's heads off for not differentiating or having different definitions of such words.
While they can be used as synonyms, they also can hold individual and distinctive meanings. Generally I like to keep definitions of ANY sort of religious terminology a bit fuzzy around the edges to accomodate for different viewpoints, including the terms "Wiccan" and "Witch." I form the definitions based more off how OTHERS use the words; that means having several definitions for each word, not just one. Most dictionary definitions have several listed definitions anyway and I see no reason why these terms wouldn't have this as well (plus the fact that words are defined based on how they are used as much as if not moreso than how they're defined in the dictionary). If someone uses either of those words to describe themselves, I'm mostly content to let them use the words they please unless they make a blatant error (for example, I've seen Wicca refered to "Wiccanism" a number of times on Gaia and tend to correct that when I see it). Much, honestly, depends on context as to whether or not I think "correcting" them is neccesary.
If I did construct definitions though, they might go something like this (subject to major revision and in no particular order, not complete as I'm too lazy to do otherwise at the moment):
Witch
1 : a practitioner of malignant spellcasting and magic, typically associated with Satan or the devil and usually preformed by a woman (aka, the witchcraft practitioners killed during witch hunts)
2 : a sorceress; a practitioner of magic; a wise woman; a bearer of folklore and folk remedies
3 : an old woman, a HAG
4 : an alluring or charming woman
5 : a general-purpose snarl word, typically used towards women
6: a Wiccan
7: a practitioner of an Earth-based religion, a PAGAN
Wiccan/Wicca
1 : a WITCH
2 : a practitioner of an Earth-based religion, a PAGAN
3 : a duotheistic Earth-based religion centered around a God and Goddess
4 : a lineaged, initiatory, mystery religion based on the teachings of Gerald Gardner
5 : a solitary or group religious practice based off the idea of CUNNING FOLK of old Europe
6 : see website "Wicca for the Rest of Us"
(could add a ton more here, but lazy at the moment)
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Posted: Mon Aug 14, 2006 12:05 pm
To me Witch and Wicca are so close that its hard for me to think of them seperat. If you are Wicca, you are a Witch. But you can be a Witch without being Wicca. A Witch is someone who practices magic, they can be of any religon and generaly work with nature. A Wicca also practices magic but follow the God and Goddess, usualy giving them names that fit with the type of magic that they practice. Wicca are initiated into the religon by another Wicca or by the gods. Wicca is considered by many to be the religon of the Witches which is why I mostly consider them to be one in the same.
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Posted: Tue Aug 15, 2006 2:56 pm
I define a witch as one who practices the craft itself, and I define a Wiccan as one who worships the religion and practices the craft.
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Posted: Sun Aug 20, 2006 5:40 pm
Witch
1 : a practitioner of malignant spellcasting and magic, typically associated with Satan or the devil and usually preformed by a woman (aka, the witchcraft practitioners killed during witch hunts)
2 : a sorceress; a practitioner of magic; a wise woman; a bearer of folklore and folk remedies
3 : an old woman, a HAG
4 : an alluring or charming woman
5 : a general-purpose snarl word, typically used towards women
6: a Wiccan
7: a practitioner of an Earth-based religion, a PAGAN
Wiccan/Wicca
1 : a WITCH
2 : a practitioner of an Earth-based religion, a PAGAN
3 : a duotheistic Earth-based religion centered around a God and Goddess
4 : a lineaged, initiatory, mystery religion based on the teachings of Gerald Gardner
5 : a solitary or group religious practice based off the idea of CUNNING FOLK of old Europe
6 : see website "Wicca for the Rest of Us"
(could add a ton more here, but lazy at the moment)
i see your list here is really good but if you ask the same question to a coven you will find a different answer.....
but over all you hit the question dead on
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Posted: Thu Nov 30, 2006 4:01 pm
Witch- someone who practices witchcraft. Witchcraft is a practice. Also, someone who practices divination.
Wiccan- Someone who believes in Wicca. Wicca is a religion.
Those are MY personal definitions. smile
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Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2006 2:04 pm
demon_of_paranoia I define a witch as one who practices the craft itself, and I define a Wiccan as one who worships the religion and practices the craft. I define it that way too. 3nodding
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Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2007 9:40 pm
YoursTruly_SissyBoi Witch- someone who practices witchcraft. Witchcraft is a practice. Also, someone who practices divination. Wiccan- Someone who believes in Wicca. Wicca is a religion. Those are MY personal definitions. smile Those sound pretty darn accurate. Not all Wiccans will consider themselves a witch. In fact, not ALL Wiccans chose to practice magic. Not all witches have a set religion. Especially not necessarily the religion created by Gerald Gardner in the 1950s. Not all witches are even necessarily a pagan. Not all witches believe in a god/goddess. Witches practice magic. So while they can overlap, they are different things.
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Luck-In-Spades Vice Captain
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Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2007 10:20 pm
YoursTruly_SissyBoi Witch- someone who practices witchcraft. Witchcraft is a practice. Also, someone who practices divination. Wiccan- Someone who believes in Wicca. Wicca is a religion. Those are MY personal definitions. smile Heheh, I was going to write this whole long speel, and then I see you've defined it so succinctly! biggrin I agree!
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Posted: Fri Jun 22, 2007 1:12 pm
I agree with YoursTruly on some things...here are my little tweaks on those defenitions.
Witch-Someone who practices any/all types witchcraft. Witchcraft is an art.
Wiccan-Someone who practices Wicca. Wicca is a religion.
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Posted: Sat Jun 23, 2007 9:15 pm
my personal feelins on the subject, I am what I am. I stoped carring about lables in the 8th grade mrgreen
but as far as deffenitions, she ^ pretty much has that down
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Posted: Mon Jun 25, 2007 9:18 am
yeah, same here. Generally, people freak out if I say I'm a witch, so if they ask, I just tell them I practice magic.
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Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2007 11:23 am
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Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2007 6:10 pm
I read the article, and there are some things I'd like to debate.
"But is there really a difference? In point of fact, "wicca" and "witch" are the same word. This cannot be overstated because few people today believe it. Nonetheless, it is true. Wicca is simply the earlier form of the word witch."
Words evolve with time, so there is a difference between Wicca and witch. Nowadays, Wicca is the religion, Wiccan is the practitioner of the religion, and witch is the practitioner of magic.
"When you consider that the Saxon "cc" was pronounced "tch", it becomes easier to understand how the modern word "witch" is derived from the Old English "wicca", and how, ultimately, they are the same word."
Witch and Wicca were there same word. As stated above, the English language changes.
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Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2007 6:11 am
AstralMagick Witch and Wicca were there same word. As stated above, the English language changes. Exactly. An example I tend to use is "beard" and "barbarian". They have the same root word ("barbarians" were called so because they were bearded). But would we consider "beard" and "barbarian" to be the same word? No. Not a perfect example, I admit, but nevertheless.
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