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 Posted: Mon Jul 11, 2011 6:03 pm
I was thinking a lot about Sang's threads about what witches do and what witches believe.
I know a lot of witches- and even on here, it seems like just about anything you can say about a witch can be countered with "I practice witchcraft but I don't do that"- almost to the point where outside of specific witchcraft religions, I'm starting to feel like the word has no meaning. It reminds me of how so many people use Wicca to be mean "I like this belief so it's my religion".
At what point do you think the word is useless and what can be done about it so that people can communicate what witchcraft is?
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Posted: Mon Jul 11, 2011 7:20 pm
I can see your point of how broad a spectrum witch covers it seems to be such an inclusive term. To explain it goes a lot with what happens in this and other guilds when someone proclaims to be Wiccan. only in the opposite way if that makes any sense at all sweatdrop . A Wiccan would be asked about their tradition and when they were initiated to affirm that they are in fact Wiccan rather than misinformed pagan. We can reverse this to "Your a witch, what does that mean (to you)?" However this might be side-stepping your original Idea of how when a word becomes useless. To this I would point to that even if 97% (number out of the air) of us claim in one way or another to be a witch, we are still a subculture, meaning if you go out and try to introduce yourself as a (insert faith path here) to someone they will probably not have any idea as to what in the world you just told them. Where as you tell them your a Wiccan they more likely know what that means, but you know that isn't true, so thus saying witch is the answer. I think this is why there is so many varied witches, because it is the closest fit to something that people will actually know about. (although you could go onto a side note on why people don't try to educate others using themselves as an example, but that would be another topic).
I hope I haven't completely missed what you were going for sweatdrop , and if I have I will be more than happy to try again
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Posted: Mon Jul 11, 2011 8:30 pm
When I hear the word "witch" I immediately expect that the person using the title is a practitioner, meaning they incorporate witchcraft into their daily lives, all that jazz. However, what I've noticed, is people seem to be using the word without actually practicing witchcraft and therefore, without being a witch.
Often times, when I'm speaking with someone claiming to be a witch, I get this in response: "I asked the Goddess to *insert something about protection, health, whathaveyou*." And generally this is all said person does. No actual magic, just prayer, inappropriately called magic (as I see a difference).
I don't believe this is witchcraft.
I think people of Pagan propensity tend to adopt the term "witch" a little too freely. You have people, like above, who don't actually practice save for an altar full of objects and the invocation of some spirit or other (which is more religious to me than it is magical), or those who treat it as something fluffy and fragile. I blame things such as Ravenfluff for this outlook. You know, "Black magic is bad, white magic is good." which is just silly really.
The problem is that there are so many people of influence who are communicating these romantic ideas, and this makes it more than difficult for people of old family traditions or teachings to communicate that witchcraft actually is. One, because the authors of these novels have no problem saying that anyone who says other than what they say are just being elitist and shouldn't be taken seriously, and two, because we've been led to believe that if it's been published as non-fiction than it must be true. And so on and so forth.
So, unfortunately, I don't think there's anything that can be done. We can form groups, or "covens" and slowly work at trying to reestablish a more specific definition, but even then there will be naysayers who miss-title their religions as witchcraft, or who insist that their way is the only way, even if it isn't actually magic at all.
I hope that makes sense.
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Posted: Mon Jul 11, 2011 10:13 pm
I think part of what we nailed down in the thread I started a while back is that while "witch" has a definition, it's a bit ineffable, and people had trouble nailing down what it was that made them "witch". I mean for me, as I expressed in the other thread, I was practising witchcraft for years before I really felt like a "witch". Part of it might have been, like Garrett said, integrating it into my life over time, from when it was something I was just reading about to something I did as a special thing to the point where I was just doing it without noticing.
It also has to do with definitions of "witchcraft", as I think for many of us spells are just one part of it and not something we do very often. Part of it's energy work, part of it's awareness, part of it is knowledge (including self-knowledge). It's a thing of many parts yet it is one thing. And it's hard work, and I think this is one of those things that annoys me just a little bit about insta-witches. Because witchcraft technically can be practised by anyone, but being a witch takes effort and dedication.
I can't get away from the concept that witchcraft is a spiritual practise, if not a spiritual path in its own right. One you can couple with a religion, sure, or practise separately alongside it, but still a spiritual path.
But it's one of those words you can't really get snotty about. I know for my part I'll tend to accept someone's word and then get a bit confused if, later on, they appear to be saying they don't really practise witchcraft at all.
I do like the idea of asking "you're a witch, what does that mean to you?" because you get more of an understanding of how people feel about the term and perhaps put your own finger more solidly on how you define it (general you).
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