Tree of Knowledge Coven

What is a Witch? 

The short answer is that being a Witch is different for everyone. Some Witches practice Wicca, a nature-based religion with a reverence for all life that views deity as male and female and celebrates the cycle of the seasons.

Witchcraft is personal and experiential, meaning one must experience it to understand. My flavor of practice may be very different from your flavor of practice, yet we can agree that we are Witches.

There are many paths to spiritual growth. Witchcraft is a participatory revelation, a celebratory action leading to greater understanding of oneself and the universe. Witches believe there is much to learn by looking to our future, studying our past through myth, through ritual drama, through poetry and music, through love and through living in harmony with the Earth.

I think of my practice as the modern manifestation of an ancient longing for connection to the divine, whatever one may think of as divine.

In my case, I think of deity (the Goddess and the God) as divine, the earth as divine, the elements of life as divine, and the life force itself as divine. Being a Witch is my way of connecting to the life force that surrounds me, fills me, sees me, and colors my world.

What does your practice look like?

It might help you to know the definitions to some commonly used terms to know whether you are a Witch or not!

Pagan, Wiccan, Witch – Differences and definitions

Pagan is a term often used to describe anyone who is not a member of one of the big three, Christianity, Judaism, or Islam. A Christian might call anyone not Christian a pagan. A Jew might call anyone not Jewish, pagan.  And likewise, a Muslim might call anyone not Islamic, pagan.

The common use of Pagan is a very broad term that includes Hinduism, Buddhism, and polytheistic religions such as Wicca, Druidry, Asatru, etc… But a Hindu or a Buddhist might be offended to have their religion referred to as Pagan.

Wiccan refers to someone practicing some form of the Wiccan faith. Wicca is a federally recognized religion with the same rights and responsibilities as any other religion. The term Wicca was coined in the 1950’s by Gerald Gardner.

A Witch is someone who practices magic. (Not the stage illusion variety.) Witch is a gender-neutral term and refers to both women and men. I have seen Warlock used by folks who are Witches but the word is an old Scottish term meaning traitor…

A Witch who practices witchcraft is not necessarily Wiccan; because witchcraft is not a religion. You could be a Christian, Buddhist, Wiccan, Druid, or a Muslim and practice witchcraft.

To recap, a Wiccan is a Pagan and is usually a Witch because most Wiccans practice witchcraft, but not all Pagans are Witches and not all Witches are Wiccans.

Are you confused yet? 

*Think of Pagan as the overall umbrella, Wicca as a religion under that umbrella, and Witch as the person who did the rain-making spell so you needed the umbrella in the first place. 

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*Special thanks to a sweet sister of mine for the great quote!

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A Word to the Wise – Seeker’s Bill of Rights

Spiritual seekers are in an extremely vulnerable position. In their quest for fellowship and teaching, they risk encountering those who use faith to prey on others. To empower the Seekers of our community, a Seeker’s Bill of Rights has been drafted.  It will serve to remind Seekers that they are human beings with dignity and rights and should expect to be treated as such.

(Written by Charles Mars, Texas Local Council Member and 1999-2002 National CoG Board Member.)

Please read it here, Seekers Bill of Rights.

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