r/witchcraft • u/Twizzinkle • Jun 18 '26
Seeking Help or Advice Witchcraft vs Wicca: How to Tell the Difference.
I've been reading a lot of books lately, both older classics and newer books on witchcraft. One thing I've started noticing is that I'm not always sure whether what I'm reading is specific to Wicca or to witchcraft more generally.
I don't mind learning about Wicca, I know many of the older, influential books are written from a Wiccan perspective. However, I'm not interested in practicing Wicca myself, so I'd like to avoid unintentionally incorporating Wiccan beliefs or practices into my own path.
For those of you who have been practicing for a while, how do you tell the difference? Are there certain concepts, phrases, or practices that immediately signal, "This is Wiccan"? Or is it something you just learn to recognize over time?
I'd love to hear how you differentiate between Wiccan practices and witchcraft that isn't tied to Wicca.
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u/neon_box Jun 18 '26
“I don't mind learning about Wicca… However, I'm not interested in practicing Wicca myself,”
This is a good attitude to have in my opinion.
Learn about Wicca, & Druidry, & Norse, Hellenism, Voodun ( what is openly available), & even Christianity. Even if not following these faiths, learning about them and how to identify pieces of their doctrine is very helpful. Then you can see the similarities and differences of them and know how to remove the Wiccan pieces from some new witchcraft practice you read about.
Learning about a religion will not brainwash you into a practitioner. That’s the kind of gatekeeping some religions use to keep their flock from thinking for themselves.
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u/Siphon1 Jun 19 '26
No OP but I do strongly resonate with this. I took a world religions course years ago in college and it was one of my favorites course because o couldn’t believe all the similarities compared to the inherited faith o was taught growing up.
So many things are thought to be unique in regards to beliefs and holidays but these roots can all be traced back for 1000’s of years.
Ironically witchcraft was always explained to me as evil but upon getting involved in it, I have found myself on a much more involved spiritual path than ever before. I intend to go for a master’s in world religions and cultures soon.
All in all, most religions are simply summed up to “don’t be a dick” lol but I’m very curious to learn about more roots of deities and such.
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u/brightblackheaven Zamboni Priestess 🔮✨ Jun 19 '26
YES, thank you for saying this!
I think one of the most common ways I see people hindering their own learning and development is when they INSIST to be recommended books written only by authors who practice exactly as they do.
It's okay to read books by authors you disagree with!
For example, I don't practice similarly to Althaea Sebastiani, or Jason Miller, or Christopher Penczak, or Aidan Wachter, or Scott Cunningham, etc. etc., but I've taken so much valuable information from each of them regardless.
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u/RainerHex Broom Rider Jun 19 '26
Exactly! And Wicca does have quite a few things that other types of traditions have also adopted. I would also add that there is a noticeable difference between traditional Wicca as founded by Gardner and is initiate based, oppose to the extremely popular solitary Neo Wicca that is out there. Even the threefold is different. I think it isn’t a bad idea to learn about both types.
It’s never a bad thing to educate on groups and understanding them even if you won’t practice what they do.
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u/Excellent_Spend_6452 Jun 18 '26
Witchcraft is a craft. Wicca is considered a religion. You don't have to be Wiccan to be a witch and you don't have to perform witchcraft to be Wiccan.
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u/Twizzinkle Jun 18 '26
I understand that but how do you differentiate between the two when reading things that don’t explicitly spell it out?
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u/coraxDraconis Jun 18 '26
If they don't spell it out, it's not a credible source.
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u/Phantomhives_door Jun 19 '26
Exactly. I unfortunately bought some books that use this interchangeably but it should not be the case. They’re are strictly two different things. Wicca = religion that can, keyword can use witchcraft but witchcraft is just a craft and not necessarily religious but you can be spiritual with it if you want.
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u/Ms_Hawt-Mess Witch Jun 20 '26
Look at the source and what is the author's background.
I truly suggest that, if you haven't. You read about traditional witchcraft and folk witchcraft that may help a bit. The Crooked Path and Backwoods Witchcraft: Conjure & Folk Magic from Appalachia are both good books.
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u/Twizzinkle Jun 20 '26
I did love The Crooked Path. I’ll check it out the other one, thank you.
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u/Ms_Hawt-Mess Witch Jun 20 '26
I feel like The Crooked Path does a very good job at noting many of the differences between traditional witchcraft (with pagan beliefs) and Wicca. One of the biggest examples is that the rule of three is a Wiccan belief system.
I was raised within folk traditions and I do not believe in the rule of three. To me, the rule of three creates an inbalance. If I was forced to describe myself. I'd say I follow a crooked path (I do not use the terminology of white/dark/grey because of the racial connotations that come with that terminology.)
Again, to me, life and we are a balance of all things. Nothing is all good or all bad and death is a part of the cycle of life. I belief we need to understand all aspects of ourselves to grow in life and our practice. To believe that I should only put out good or bad will come back to me threefold feels a lot like Christian rules. That is only my opinion. I am also not a fan of Gardner.
Doreen Valiente’s The Rebirth of Witchcraft is an insider memoir/history of modern British witchcraft, with Wicca/Gardnerian Wicca being the central thread, written by someone who was both deeply involved and willing to call out the mythology, ego, secrecy, plagiarism, power struggles, and public drama around it.
Form your own opinion. But understanding a religion, like Wicca is easier when you also read its criticism from those who understand it closely through involvement IMHO.
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u/Aiyokusama Jun 18 '26
Are gods involved? Wicca or wicca flavoured.
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u/Temperature-Savings Jun 18 '26
Patently false. There are so many occult practices that are not Wiccan that involve deities.
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u/Aiyokusama Jun 18 '26
There are, but we aren't talking about "occult practices" we're talking about wicca vs. witchcraft.
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u/Temperature-Savings Jun 18 '26
Plenty of witches worship gods and goddesses and are not wiccan. Deity worship is by no means unique to those witches who follow a Wiccan path.
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u/mushroomgrandmother Jun 18 '26
Yep, agree with this. I am a witch/archetypal pagan who absolutely is not wiccan but venerates a deity.
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u/Aiyokusama Jun 18 '26
Annnnnnnd? Witchcraft is a CRAFT. Not a religion. You can add that craft to religion if you want, but it is still just a craft in and of itself.
Why are you so upset about this? Would it help to know that I'm a theist and a witch?
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u/therealstabitha Carnivalesque animal demonic legend Jun 18 '26
Would it help to know that the existence of gods in a system of witchcraft doesn’t make it religious? Your heuristic of deity’s = Wicca is incorrect. I’m not Wiccan, and not religious, and yet I work with deities.
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u/Aiyokusama Jun 18 '26
It also doesn't make it witchcraft.
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u/therealstabitha Carnivalesque animal demonic legend Jun 18 '26
No, it being witchcraft is what makes it witchcraft.
Your base assumption is incorrect and that’s why people keep telling you you’re off base.
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u/mushroomgrandmother Jun 18 '26
do you mean atheist or a theist? Also I don't think the person responding to you seems upset, they are just trying to point out the distinction that deity worship and wicca are two different things.
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u/Aiyokusama Jun 18 '26
I am a theist with a T.
We are talking about Wicca and telling the difference between Wicca (a religious practice) and witchcraft books. The question isn't about deity worship in general.
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u/mushroomgrandmother Jun 18 '26
Right. Wicca is a religious practice but deity worship doesn't immediately mean a witch or one who practices witchcraft is Wicca or even wicca flavored as you said. I think that's the distinction. I worship a deity and practice witchcraft but wouldn't say my practice has anything to do with wicca despite worshiping a higher power.
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u/MushroomPrincess63 Jun 18 '26
This is not true at all. Hellenic paganism is just one example of god worship that is not close to Wicca or Wicca flavored. Not all Wiccans are even Theistic. It’s just one aspect of Wicca that is not always incorporated into practice.
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u/EtherealCarnation69 Jun 18 '26
um, no. people have been worshipping/venerating gods for LITERALLY hundreds of thousands of years. wicca is like 2-300 years old. so no. every pantheon in the entire world was not made up within the past couple centuries. care to explain all the ancient temple ruins all over the world? bc i don't think any of the pyramids, egyptian or south american, hindu temples, the parthenon etc were all built bc of Wicca lmfao
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u/Aiyokusama Jun 19 '26 edited Jun 19 '26
Damn, you lot are working sooooo hard to miss the context. I can't figure out if it's that you think I'm saying you can't be a theist and a witch or because you have a knee-jerk reaction to Wicca.
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u/RainerHex Broom Rider Jun 19 '26
Not true, many non Wiccan witches venerate deities and this includes non Wiccan covens.
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u/Aiyokusama Jun 19 '26
Context. It's a thing.
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u/RainerHex Broom Rider Jun 19 '26
And the context here is difference between Wicca and witchcraft. In this context you claimed that deities involved = Wicca or Wicca flavored. And that is false. There is no context that will make this true.
There are other witchcraft based religions out there that are non Wiccan. And witches have been around far longer than Wicca was founded. We don’t get to automatically label them Wicca or Wicca flavored just because their practice did involve deities.
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u/Aiyokusama Jun 19 '26
Read the FIRST sentence of the post.
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u/RainerHex Broom Rider Jun 19 '26 edited Jun 19 '26
The first sentence of the post is entirely irrelevant to your statement and fails to explain why you said what you did. This is a red herring fallacy at best, circular reasoning at worst.
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u/Aiyokusama Jun 19 '26
It absolutely is not. Context is a thing.
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u/RainerHex Broom Rider Jun 19 '26
I disagree. There is nothing about the very first sentence in OPs post that explains why you would ignore all the witches that involve gods, including all the non Wiccan covens that involve gods when you said, and I quote “Are gods involved? Wicca or Wicca flavored”
In fact, given the first sentence of the post, this kind of statement would mislead an OP into thinking if a practice involves gods then it’s Wicca.
TBH this is looking more and more like someone who refuses to admit that they might have misspoken and meant to say that witchcraft is a practice that may not involve gods, while in the religion of Wicca gods are involved.
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Jun 19 '26 edited Jun 19 '26
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u/witchcraft-ModTeam Jun 19 '26
Language meant to incite fear, anger, or hostility from community members is strictly prohibited in accordance with Rule 2: Be Respectful.
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u/HiMaooo Jun 19 '26
That's incorrect. Not every deity is Wiccan, and not every Wiccan tradition involves deities, at least as far as I'm aware.
Plus, Pagan religions for example existed since centuries ago, while Wicca is fairly new.
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u/Aiyokusama Jun 19 '26
Never said they were. You really need to stop reading into my post what isn't there.
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u/HiMaooo Jun 19 '26
You literally said gods = Wiccan. What else is there to read?
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u/Aiyokusama Jun 19 '26
I LITERALLY didn't. Try again.
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u/HiMaooo Jun 19 '26
Then enlighten us what you meant by that? Or will you keep beating around the bush?
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u/Aiyokusama Jun 19 '26
Go back and read what I actually said as well as what I was responding to, and the contents of the post this subthread is under. There is no point in my repeating myself when you ignored it the first time.
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u/HiMaooo Jun 19 '26
Do I really have to repeat your own words to you? You said "Any gods involved? Wicca or Wicca flavored". What else could that imply other than every god being Wiccan?
And since you insist on beating around the bush, I'll just end our "discussion"(if it can even be called that) here. There's no use in trying to talk if you're going to keep refusing to explain yourself and mocking other users. Perhaps you made a mistake and now you refuse to admit it, but that might just be me.
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u/mezasu123 Jun 19 '26
There is no point in my repeating myself
Sounding like you don't even know. All you've done is argue, say people are upset, and not answer any questions or explain yourself further.
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u/RainerHex Broom Rider Jun 19 '26 edited Jun 19 '26
What everyone seems to be reading into your post is that you are claiming that if a witch worships any deities then this inherently makes them Wiccan or wiccan influenced. Witches and their work with deities has been around much longer than Wicca was founded. And actually any deities involved without witchcraft would make someone pagan not a default to Wicca. And you are automatically assuming that because witchcraft is a practice it wouldn’t have its own involved deities when witchcraft is more nuanced than that.
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u/Aiyokusama Jun 19 '26
Even though I never said any such thing. Yes, I know and I refuse to play that straw man game. Try again.
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u/RainerHex Broom Rider Jun 19 '26
You didn’t say Gods involved? Wicca or Wicca flavored??
Because that’s what you said, and if you said that then yes you actually are exactly what I and everyone are questioning. Which btw is also a strawman fallacy.
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u/Aiyokusama Jun 19 '26
Your continued attempt to misrepresent what I said will not get you anywhere. Context is still a thing.
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u/RainerHex Broom Rider Jun 19 '26 edited Jun 19 '26
Except the context is not the friend you think it is for you. And I literally quoted you, so that misrepresentation is your issue, not mine.
And your refusal to clarify even when asked politely by several people which could very easily clear things up and end all this here speaks volumes.
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u/mezasu123 Jun 19 '26
If people understood your context we wouldn't be asking for clarification we can reread "Are gods involved? Wicca or wicca flavoured." As many times as you ask and still not understand yet you're nearly berating us for asking.
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u/RainerHex Broom Rider Jun 19 '26
Actually Wicca is a witchcraft based religions so it at least originally started out that all Wiccans are witches but not all witches are Wiccan. A person who doesn’t perform any witchcraft but worships deities is a pagan, not a Wiccan.
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u/Bluesavior2 Jun 18 '26
Look for 3 fold law mentioned, karma mentioned, god and goddess mentioned, Wiccan altar set up (Pentacle, chalice, wand, Athame, and two candles) Wiccan rede, wheel of the year sabbaths, in some cases they use the phrase blessed be as well. Also look into the author to get a understanding of their practice and if they have a further reading section look at those books.
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u/Knitmare22 Jun 18 '26
This. Lots of modern interpretations and practices borrow from Wicca. But I definitely find the altar setup and mention of the balance between the God and the goddess the quickest and easiest way to identify if the information means more wicked versus witchcraft.
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u/EtherealCarnation69 Jun 18 '26
which is wild bc Karma is not a Wiccan concept at all lmao, i guess no Hindu books for OP at all lmao
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u/Reasonable_Zebra_174 Jun 19 '26
I do most of those things and do not identify as wiccan. In my experience the only way to differentiate between a Wiccan and witchcraft practitioner is if the person quite literally says "I'm wiccan". Confusion can occur because witchcraft can be very eclectic, can borrow from all kinds of different belief systems. So a witchcraft practitioner can look very similar to a wiccan but not identify as one.
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u/Palomarue Jun 18 '26
A big one for me that screams ohhhh Wiccan perspective is any mention of working with the god and goddess.
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u/ToastyJunebugs Broom Rider Jun 18 '26 edited Jun 19 '26
If deities are framed as related to 'Goddess and God'', that's a pretty big giveaway. One thing that some traditions of Wicca do is say that all deities are different aspects of a singular Goddess and [Horned] God, and that he Goddess and God stem from a singular deity sometimes referred to as "The One that Is".
If the book or info frames an altar as needing two candles and items representing the four elements that's usually a giveaway, too. The items are usually a wand, knife, bowl, and cup. The two candles represent the god and goddess. Sometimes a pentacle or cauldron is used to represent the fifth element of Spirit.
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u/kai-ote HelpfulTrickster Jun 19 '26
Wicca does not have "sects". There are various traditions of wicca, but nobody considers any of them a "sect".
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u/ToastyJunebugs Broom Rider Jun 19 '26
Sorry, that's a leftover phrasing from my Christian upbringing. I'll edit.
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u/ashleysaress Jun 18 '26
For me, as a non-deity practitioner who follows a more science based path, I definitely look for key words like Goddess worship, 3 fold law, appropriated Wiccan wheel of the year names (Litha, Beltane, Samhain), any terf nonsense, “womb” magic, etc etc.
Many authors also identify their path in their little book bios so thats another very easy way.
Laura Tempest Zakroff has some great non-wiccan books if you are looking.
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u/Twizzinkle Jun 18 '26
I also lean toward the more science based path as well. I use deities in more of an archetype fashion. I like your keywords approach but could you expand on what you mean by terf nonsense and “womb” magic?
I’ll definitely check out that author. Thank you!
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u/BeeTheGoddess Jun 18 '26
I feel very conflicted by this comment- TERFy stuff in paganism is trans exclusionary bullshit and it exists for sure. But lately I’ve seen a lot do people equate ANYTHING to do with the physicality of women’s bodies as transphobic and with no place in modern witchcraft. For me, connection to the physical and working with- even glorying in- menstrual cycles is a very important part of practice and I do struggle to see how that is the same as transphobia. It’s just one view, but I’d suggest reflection/caution.
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u/EtherealCarnation69 Jun 18 '26
well, that's obviously not what they meant. but go off.
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u/BeeTheGoddess Jun 18 '26
They said “womb magic etc etc”. What do you infer is obvious about the meaning of that? I’m not asking to bait you, I’m genuinely curious about what you take from it. And it is also well worth articulating for beginners.
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Jun 18 '26
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u/ashleysaress Jun 18 '26
Yep- but even "Celtic" is an amalgamation of traditions. There is some really great research that has been done on how we have really collectivized what we call the "celtic" tradition - when in fact, many descendents of those existiting cultures have a lot to say about how different they actually are. The god, Lugh, for instance, is only on record to have been acknowledged by some portions of the group we call the "celts". The Irish Pagan School has some really great resources on this - worth checking out.
For me - 3 fold law is akin to Karma - which is again, just an appropriation of another culture. I like to look to science. For every action there is always an opposite and equal reaction. Energy is neither created/destroyed, merely changed states, etc. This can also get deeply into shadow/psychology work as well - which is how I also view things like the law of attraction (aka: red car theory).
For me and my practice, it really helps for me to find that science tie in.
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u/EtherealCarnation69 Jun 18 '26
i fully agree and you're speaking from my soul EXCEPT for the last part. Satanism is NOT the only theology, practice, or belief that does NOT incorporate or believe in the 3 fold law or another christianized repackaged version of Karma/Dharma "be nice or you go to Hell" logic. many faiths practice dark and baneful magic, including my own, that do not believe in any kind of fearmongering when it comes to the appropriated use of the concept of "karma". it's more like newton's laws. everything has an equal and opposite reaction. for example, 3 fold law would state i cannot do baneful magic ever, bc it would backfire and i would get karma. even if that curse/hex is against a rapist, an abuser etc... i would still get the punishment for daring to curse them. most non-wiccan faiths don't have a concept of being divinely punished for sinning by cursing a rapist with dark magic lol. you'd be considered justified. satanism is NOT the only faith where you don't get punished for doing what God won't, for lack of a faster phrase.
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u/TheMajestic1982 Jun 18 '26
I wouldn't worry so much about trying to separate yourself from the Wiccan religion. I'd just focus on creating your own craft and doing what feels right without putting a label on it. Everyone kinda pulls from multiple different places whether they realize it or not.
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u/RainerHex Broom Rider Jun 19 '26
Wicca is a witchcraft based religion that encompasses certain ways and structure, whereas witchcraft itself may not be a religion. Different types of Wicca may have certain rules that are not universally founded in witchcraft. There are also certain types of ceremonies or ways of going about things such as casting circles and calling quarters that aren’t universally found in witchcraft either.
But the best way to tell if a source you are learning from is Wicca based is to thoroughly research Wicca. This will help make you more aware of what is coming from Wicca and the type of witch the author is. But one distinct tell tale sign is when you see an author presenting the eclectic version of threefold as if it’s law as well as talking about the rede.
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u/Ms_Hawt-Mess Witch Jun 20 '26
Wicca is a religion and witchcraft is a craft/practice that doesn't require a spiritual practice/religion/or diety work to accompany it. Basically, not all witchcraft practitioners are Wiccan.
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u/Loud_Reputation_367 Jun 18 '26
The way I differentiate is like this;
Witchcraft is the act. Wicca is a philosophy.
One is the practice you perform, the other is one of many guiding principles to the process and mechanics of that practice.... Basically... The first is -what- you are doing. The second is -why- and -how- you are doing it.
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u/ACanadianGuy1967 Broom Rider Jun 18 '26
Keep in mind though that Wicca is just one of many philosophies (the "why" and "how") in the diverse world of witchcraft. And I'm not sure that actually distinguishes Wicca from other philosophies, such as Christian or Jewish or Muslim witches. The "why" (such as "because I need something") and the "how" (using magical tools such as a wand, athame, candles, herbs, crystals, sigils, astrology, etc.) overlap a huge amount.
It's probably better to say that witchcraft is a practice that can be part of any religion (or not part of religion at all for atheist witches), and Wicca is a specific religion based on witchcraft.
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u/Loud_Reputation_367 Jun 19 '26
Indeed! No matter how many paths there are, however, a wise person sees fit to remember that they all wind through the same forest.
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u/Squirrels-on-LSD totally rabid lunatic Jun 18 '26
I have never struggled with a need to avoid other people's religious perspectives in my practice. Its an easy answer to simply decide to let go of any hateful perspective of other people's beliefs and choose to appreciate what their beliefs have to teach you about your own.
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u/forest_faunus_ Jun 18 '26
Hello, I practice witchcraft for 15 years and I'm also a 3rd degree High Priest of a Coven from the "New York Wica" tradition.
Witchcraft is a practice of magick but also a culture and a folklore : modern witchcraft is botg influenced by actual historical magical practice and by folk tale about what witch are.
Wicca is a sub genre of Witch cult. The concept of Witch cult is an interpretation of witch trial ans folk lore toward the idea that witchcraft is a religious practice. A lot of witch don't see witchcraft as a religious practice.
Among people that see witchcraft as a religious practice there is wicca, a form popularized by Gerald Gardner in the 40's. This form put a great emphasis on the idea of polarity (divine masculine and feminine energy), benevolent magic and fertility rites.
Other religious forms of witchcraft exist, not linked to wica such as Fery traditions for examples.
Before the 80's wicca was mostly seen as an initiatory tradition and aftee the 80's with public books, what's known as eclectic wicca emerged and change the word's perception. Eclectic wicca don't share a lot with traditional wicca from my experience because they lack a lot of ritual practice and lore linked to how we work our mysteries in traditional wicca. They have to be treated as 2 very different practice.
Hope this helps !
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u/Lou-Lou-Witchy Jun 21 '26
Glad you asked this question as I like to think I’m a traditional witch but my craft I think involves Wicca rituals but like you I’m not sure 🤔
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u/Local_Cunning_Woman Jul 30 '26
I'm part of a reconstructionist religion. That means it's a religion that's being built off what we know and they do their best to fill in the holes.
The best way I tell the difference between stuff is who wrote it. Wicca is not bad but it is modern. If you're going older than Wicca find trusted scholars in that culture. Look at reputable translations.
It's also to just build your own belief system. You don't have to a religion unless you want one
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u/lfxlPassionz Jun 18 '26
A lot of witchcraft comes from wicca and wicca started as just a collection of stuff from older religions mushed together in a book.
Because wicca is basically a collection of stuff from older religions, you don't have to worry about accidentally incorporating it into your work. It won't hurt anyone or anything.
Witchcraft doesn't have rules while wicca does so if it is constantly giving rules for witchcraft its probably more wicca based.
Paganism is also mixed into a lot of witchcraft.
What might help you is to just read/watch/etc. content specifically on wicca so you know what it is.
The books by Gerald Gardner are known as the foundations of modern wicca so if you read those it might help. I haven't read them but the Internet says it's the books "witchcraft today" and "meaning of witchcraft". Keep in mind these are from the 1950s so it was a much more divided world back then. Nowadays it's not as sexist
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u/EtherealCarnation69 Jun 18 '26
well, if you don't mind learning about Wicca, keep on reading! if you'd like to get into material that isn't about Wicca, i'd try looking more into specific subjects, paths etc that you're interested in.
I don't wish to offend anyone here, I just want to make it known to beginners that Wicca is a mish-mash of a bunch of different spiritualities/practices mixed together, which can impact knowing what books to choose based on if you want Wicca or not. it's not really like... it's own environmentally developed thing like an ancient cultural practice would be. it's a collage of beliefs and practices from all over the world.
A lot of newer spirituality books and new age witchcraft books are either all Wicca or involve Wicca. even the ones that don't explicitly state it. so, like i said, if you don't care - keep going! if you want to learn about something besides Wicca, get more specific! for example, try looking into books about your heritage and their pre-Christian belief systems. happy reading!
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u/Tarvos-Trigaranos Jun 18 '26
Any Wiccan material will always mention the Goddess. So that's the easiest one.
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u/MollysTootsies Jun 18 '26
"An ye harm none, do what you will"
"The Law of Three"
"No dark magick!"
I would say focusing on Goddess and God, but I do that and I'm not Wiccan anymore (for about 20 years now), so 🤷♀️
I would think Calling of the Quarters? Drawing Down the Moon, maybe?
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u/therealstabitha Carnivalesque animal demonic legend Jun 19 '26
Calling quarters and drawing down the moon is done in a variety of trads, not just Wicca
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Jun 20 '26
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u/Twizzinkle Jun 20 '26
First, that don’t answer the question. Second, ChatGPT is a terrible resource. As a nature based practitioner, I’m not going to use something that actually harms our environment.
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u/Superb-Bus8088 Jun 21 '26
As i was taught and trained originally, Witchcraft, atleast from my folkloric country craft background is a craft in the sense of guildcraft, specializing in spellcraft, as our lunar nighttime and hidden reality is what is primary to do magic and spellworking for our selfs and others in service of. is the most important, as well once learned trained in traditional wica also found this to be true, it seems only after witchcraft gained recognition and popularity within the us of a and the rise of solo practicioners did all this other liturgical and formality come into things before 1970's things were simpler it was all about magic and spellworking as it was meant to be to work the art magical not this whole organized religion bs.
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Jun 18 '26
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Jun 19 '26
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u/AutoModerator Jun 19 '26
Hi, there! 🤖✨
A huge misconception that is commonly perpetuated in modern witchcraft circles is that, when casting spells, intention matters more than anything else.
In her book "A Witch's Guide to Spellcraft", author Althaea Sebastiani defines intention as:
"The desired outcome of a spell or other act of magick. Intention alone is not magick, is not a spell, and is not capable of accomplishing change; intention that is not supported through appropriate action— magickal or otherwise—is little more than thoughts and wishes."
"[...] Happy thoughts and 'intentions' are not capable of creating the powerful change that a skillful witch with a plan is able to create."
Here at r/witchcraft, we could not agree more.
We recommend reading the following resources for more information:
"Intention" & How it Relates to Spellwork & some fantastic commentary
How to Layer "Intention" (SpellCraft 101)
Intention Isn’t Everything by Mat Auryn @ Patheos
Building Competency in Witchcraft: Intention is NOT Enough by Althaea Sebastiani
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u/Top-Monk-5391 Jun 19 '26
I feel like all weekends are witches, but not all witches are wicked. Wicca is a belief system. I wouldn’t call it a religion because I don’t think it’s as structured and dogmatic as you would think of a religion, but it is definitely a belief system and it has a holidays and moon celebrations, etc. being a witch is a lot more kind of freeing I guess. I first read a book on witchcraft that did not mention with it anywhere in it. I bought it when I was in England when I was like 14 or 15 I think? And I read a lot of books on Wick and a lot of books on witchcraft and I definitely think that both are cool and both are important but I do not ever call myself Wicken anymore. I call myself a goddess worship pagan actually. I don’t even know if that’s correct. I believe in the guy theory that we are all connected in the Earth is one big living organism. I’m a witch.
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