hiya infectious, im into witchcraft as well & willing 2 learn more mayb ill message u if i have a question alright

Sounds muy muy bueno.

Hey. I've been into witchcraft for a while myself. I've been wiccan for about two years now but am still learning a lot.

I don't know how many debates I've had with Pagans and Wiccans alike about whether Witchcraft is a religion or not. I've always known in my heart that it's not a religion but rather the practice of Magick. One doesn't need to have a faith in a Higher Power at all to practice Magick. As Aleister Crowley said Magick is the Science and Art of causing Change to occur in conformity with Will. So I'm wondering since you say you are not religious do you not believe you need a Higher Power to practice Witchcraft (Magick)?

Ok I'm confused... you believe that Witchcraft is a religion... you practice Witchcraft... yet you are not a religious person and you do not follow any religion. Please elaborate.

I don't believe I need a higher power to practice magic.
It doesn't hurt to call on them, though!

Exactly. I believe Witchcraft is a religion, and also a practice.
I practice witchcraft. I am not one who studies the religion.

In my opinion Ravenwolf is too "fluff bunny" with her writing to gain the interest of teenagers who wish to become "teenage witches." It's a load of BS that rides the coat tails of the shows like "Charmed" and movies like "The Craft" which also made teenyboppers think that such shows and movies were "how to" guides to Wicca.

Thank you so much for saying that.
finally, someone agrees.

It's the religion part that I wish for you to explain to me. What religion part do you not practice? What is it exactly about witchcraft that makes you believe it's a religion. It's almost like you are eluding to Witchcraft and Paganism are interchangeable terms, which in my opinion, they are not, because Paganism is a term used to decribe a wide array of different religions. It's like you are saying you are practicing Witchcraft but not practicing Paganism. Am I correct?

pa·gan /ˈpeɪgən/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[pey-guhn] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun 1. one of a people or community observing a polytheistic religion, as the ancient Romans and Greeks.
2. a person who is not a Christian, Jew, or Muslim.
3. an irreligious or hedonistic person.
–adjective 4. pertaining to the worship or worshipers of any religion that is neither Christian, Jewish, nor Muslim.
5. of, pertaining to, or characteristic of pagans.
6. irreligious or hedonistic


Read number two.
I am Pagan in that sense.
My ideas are Pagan. My lifestyle is Pagan.

As for Witchcraft being a religion, even I can say that I am not 100% sure that it actually is.
For the most part, I do not follow by dogma or ritual or worship.
I simply use magic.

infectious, please explain how you "use magic"....to do what exactly? just curious.

lady v, nice pic, very pretty.

for two years, it was for healing purposes. Myself and another person did a lot of healing magic for people who needed it.
After that, I do the occasional magic for inspiration or just for overall health.

ok. so, you use magic for health whereas i pray for health purposes???? looking for same results from different sources. right?

All magic really is.. is fancy prayer, to put it bluntly.

So, yeah, I guess you could say that.

By definition number 2's standards an atheist would then be considered a Pagan. Somehow in the way that the word Pagan is used nowadays, I don't think any atheist would be too keen on the idea of being called a Pagan.

I added my own definition of "pagan" in another thread "Are There Pagans Out There?" Here's what I posted... "The word "pagan" comes from the Latin word "paganus" which meant "civilian" or "country dweller." "Paganus" is also related to the Latin word "pagus" which means "the country district." Early in the Christian church's history the churches were mainly found in the larger cities, which meant that the majority of city dwellers were Christians. However, the further outside of the city you went you would find less and less Christians. In fact you would find those who still practiced the land's native religion/spiritual practices. City dwelling Christians referred to such people in a derrogatory was as "pagans." The same can be said of the word "heathen" which originally meant "one who lives on the heath." In modern times Paganism refers to any religion that is not of Christian, Judaic, or Islamic origins.

As for Witchcraft/Magick... it would be interesting to hear from you as you go along your Witch's journey how your opinions of the matter, (Is the practice of Witchcraft/Magick itself a religion or not?) come along.

I agree with your defintion, and yes.. an Atheist would sure laugh if I were to call them Pagan.

I've not used magic in a while. This is probably due to my recent move and new life. I am not comfortable doing magic when I am not that comfortable with myself.

thanks again for answering my dumb questions. lol have a great nite!

When one prays one is petioning a Higher Power(s) that one believes in. As I stated earlier, Aleister Crowley said "Magick is the Science and Art of causing Change to occur in conformity with Will." Performing Magick can be done without petioning (praying) to any Higher Power(s). At least that is my opinion.

Was it like Reiki?