Hi I’m here to learn about paganism, Wiccan and witchcraft. I’m still needing more understanding as I am unsure where I really fall within these 3 categories and who know I could fall under multiple. I’m just looking to find myself and based on my beliefs and feelings I was led here. I’m hoping to find answers.
Some quick answer to the difference between being a pagan, a witch, and a Wiccan, here goes:
Witchcraft is craft -- a sort of art -- a practice of shaping one's desires through force of will. Many different cultures include some form of witchcraft, although not all forms of magic(k) will use the word, and not all forms follow a similar design. That, however, starts getting into details. Witchcraft is not associated with any specific religion in order to be witchcraft. Some religions to include witchcraft, and some witches choose to incorporate religious beliefs into their own practice. But some choose not to incorporate any spiritual beliefs at all.
Paganism is a blanket term. It stems from the Latin concept of house religions, those besides the najor faith of the day. The term has gone through many changes, including meaning religions of other cultures besides whichever culture is doing the conquering. Much more recently, the term 'pagan' more often denotes a person who does not follow an Abrahamic faith (Judaism, Christianity, or Islam).
Wicca is a specific pagan religion, created in the 20th Century. It has been the most common pagan religion, and does incorporate witchcraft, so many resources available will default to Wicca itself, or be heavily influenced by the Wiccan religion. This board has a very good section on Wicca, with some quite in-depth posts explaining it in much finer detail.
Hi Madaac, A good place to start learning a bit more about Wicca is on this site in the Wicca Forum, particularly in the pinned posts there. I'd suggest the following posts as a starter.
I have been a practicing Wiccan for nearly 40 years now, and I founded my own real-life coven in 1996. I'm always happy to answer specific questions about Wicca that people might have. You can ask me in the Ask a High Priestess thread or send me an e-mail with your specific Wiccan-related questions.
