My spell book

what is witchcraft

In medieval times witchcraft was often called ‘The Craft of the Wise’ since the people who practiced it were in perfect harmony with the natural world all around them. They had a vast knowledge of medicines and herbs, gave advice and support and were respected in their communities as Shamanic leaders and healers. The Witches knew clearly that humans were not above nature, but instead were closely linked to the entire system that covers both the visible and the invisible. The council of the wise therefore clearly believed that it is skillful to return in kind everything we use or take from nature in order to maintain a perfect balance. Witchcraft is first and foremost a spiritual belief system that encourages the free will and thought of the practitioner, encouraging the learning process and the understanding of nature and the Earth and the perfect power existing in all living things. Because Witchcraft is so powerful it is very wise to follow Wiccan morals: the creed and the threefold law. The threefold law encourages responsibility; it highlights clearly that any misuse of powers from the practice of witchcraft will reverberate to the perpetrator with triple force. It is wise to follow the law and to accept responsibility for all our deeds and actions as a result of every positive or negative choice we make and bear the ramifications that follow. No one else except us stands to blame for our weaknesses. We must, therefore, steer clear from the possibility of causing harm to others. We acknowledge the seasons, the lunar phases and the cycles of nature as a reason to celebrate our divine spirituality and to worship in supplication to the deities we follow, a sure way to live in harmony and achieve balance in all things. The spells we cast invoke love, wisdom, and healing.   The potions we use and stir might be a natural herbal flea bath for our pets, a cold tonic or a useful headache remedy.    In your endeavors to follow the Wiccan path, it would be worthwhile to strive to gain as much knowledge as you can of natural remedies and their uses. They have been placed on the Earth perfectly for us to use and placed there for our benefits. We, therefore, resort to synthetic drugs only when circumstances force us to.  We cherish the belief and view that the one spirit of the god and the goddess exists in every single thing in nature. The spirit dwells in flowers, in the rain, in the wild or calm sea, in the trees and in each of nature’s creatures.  This means that all components of the Earth possess an aspect of the divine and therefore deserve handling with love and honor. Wiccans strive to respect and honor life in all its forms and manifestations. As someone new to Wicca you are called to learn and revere all the generous beauty we have received from the divine through nature, celebrating the cycles of the seasons, moon and the sun. Seek within yourself the cycles you observe to correspond to the natural forces of the world and strive to live in harmony with them, gradually becoming closer to the universal energy. We can learn so much from being in nature, mountains, rivers, lakes, animals, and trees. This openness and respect for nature allow us to cherish all things on the Earth. Growing as a Wiccan can also help us to rejoice in the spirits of the four elements of Earth, water, fire and air which combine to constitute our own body and the entire creation. From these four elements, we gain a deeper insight into nature’s rhythms and get to learn that they are also the rhythms that lead our own life.Another misunderstanding people have is that anyone who practices witchcraft is involved in some kind of cult. We do not try to convert anyone to be our followers or seek to tell people what to do. Wiccans also do not worship Satan. Satan is a later Christian idea laced with fear so Wiccans have nothing at all to do with him.  Wicca doesn’t resort to a creating fear in people or the creation of powerful evil forces or eternal damnation and burning hells to scare followers into following rules and being controlled. We choose through our own wisdom and understanding the path of love to our brothers and sisters since it the most skillful and honorable way to live a life. It comes out of conscience and maturity, not fear. The ritual of the killing of animals is not in our practices as this would totally go against our belief and creed of ‘Harm None’. Anyone who participates in these actions can never claim to be a Witch or a Wiccan. We have no right to take away the life of another living being to attain supernatural or mystical powers. Our power comes from positive thoughts and our connection with the energies of nature. Wiccans don’t try to use the energy and forces of nature to cast spells on others for evil gains. Again to repeat we follow the law in its purity ‘Harm None’.