While it would be ideal to be able to sit with you discuss what I believe, and allow you to ask all the questions you have, this opportunity, to tell you in this letter, is a very near second best as it allows you to consider what I have to say, and to think about what your own views are.
The craft of the wise, also known as witchcraft is older than recorded history and has common elements in all parts of the world through all time. From the legends of Atlantis and Mue, through thousands of years of the Egypt ion dynasties, through China and the far east, thorough Europe, Scandinavia, and of course Britain. We know when the Romans first visited Britain they encountered powerful Druids who were terrified of only one thing, witches. Much of the tradition and customs we have and much of our language comes back from these distant times.
In the USA today witchcraft is recognized as a religion, however in Britain, it is largely still carried on secretly and up to the beginning of the 1950's it was still illegal in Britain. More recently some newspapers have tried to increase circulation with exposes on witchcraft.
Because for much of its history witchcraft has had to survive secretly, many different branches or traditions have developed, some are recent, some are recreated, but some stretch back to ancient times, and we can find references in a wide range of books proving not only was witchcraft active throughout the years but that it was and is wide spread.
You will know a number of witches, but not know who they are, they will probably not tell you even if challenged, as many people do not understand and are frightened of anything that they do not understand, and have a tendency to act irrationally as well as telling others. Most witches also have a witch name, so it is possible that even as a witch you may corresponded with someone and not know their identity.
Written in modern English the main and principle and guiding rule is "Do what you will, but harm no one". We also believe that whatever good or bad we do is reflected on us 3 times, so most of the time we try our best to help people.
The original concept of most belief systems or religions was to promote a social and moral attitude, allowing us all to get on well together, to help those less fortunate, to respect ourselves and each other, to be tolerant and forgiving, to share knowledge and skills. This applies completely to the craft. As you will be aware many sections of some religions have become entangled in politics, government control of the population, and economic empires, and have both lost their way and created many of the conflicts and wars between peoples with very similar views and claimed beliefs.
Today Wicca, including witchcraft is by far the fastest growing religion in the world, while most others are struggling, loosing followers or fighting amongst themselves.
I believe that everyone has an absolute right to make their own informed choice of the spiritual path that they take. I do not seek to convert anyone, the craft has no missionaries, but believe that if and when the time is right you will seek to find the path. All we should do initially is to signpost that path for you, and pick you up if you stumble. Maybe later we should allow you to join with us, but that is later, not now.
I believe in a single entity, or god, equally male and female. What is more, neither she or I mind what you call her. Many find this confusing as we appear to have very many gods and goddesses collected from history, legends, and civilizations, however we see this only as different faces of the same god. Some say perhaps you should consider one of those mirror globes that hangs in a disco, reflecting light in all directions, it is a single ball, using the same light but presenting different faces to different areas of the room from floor to ceiling. The divine power has many abilities, powers, and personalities and we can each choose which we should talk to at any time. Importantly, I believe that we can communicate direct with this power, and that neither you or I need an interpreter, censor, priest. Witches by definition are priests and priestesses and high priestesses and high priests, high kings and high queens and other coven officers are teachers, and organizers, not interpreters of the way.
I believe in an intelligent god, that I can talk to, that would not be fooled by ritual or services for show sake only, and is far more interested in the way I live, than what I say. I believe that many good people have 'found the way' who do not recognize it, that take no part in religion, pageantry or ritual, but have their own inner beliefs to guide them.
We believe that we should respect nature, and not destroy more than we need, and seek to leave everything in at least as good a condition as we find it. Like many group we do not all agree on the detail, I for example am not over concerned about global warming or global cooling, as history has shown the planet and nature has self correcting mechanisms, and dealt with both many times before.
I believe that witches can be male or female and both are equal, but that when male and female witches work together you get more than the sum of the total. Some call it the 1+1=3 factor. The majority of traditions just call all witches, witches while some call male witches wizards. The Water Witches call people who are experts, sort of professors of areas of witchcraft, wizards, and this gives their people an alternative to the normal route up through high priestess or high priest.
I believe we are all responsible for our own development and will be happier and more fulfilled if we work to become the best person we are capable of being and constantly expand our skills. I do not accept societies standard valuation of people, for example a single mother who brings up happy and contented, valuable members of the next generation, I feel is far more valuable to society than a barrister who plays legal games, which have no relevance to true justice, arranged to generate huge rewards, irrelative of the suffering it creates. Both are supported by the state, one from benefits and the other many times more from legal aid funds. What do you think?
I believe I am capable of making positive changes both to my own life and to the world around me. I see ripples spreading out across a pond, and likewise hope that the positive things that I do may spread to help others.
I believe I am responsible for my own thoughts, feelings and actions, I do not feel I can or should blame any outside force, or individual for my own actions or inactivity. I believe that I should always try not to harm or hurt anyone else, and that we all get our just rewards good or otherwise and therefore it is never necessary for me to respond to negativity in others. I believe I should strive for truth and true justice for all, even where doing so puts me in personal danger as it often has.
The craft, Wicca and similar have nothing to do with devil worship, and we have no equivalent to the devil in our belief system. We have only one god force and although it can be seen from many directions, and in many disguises or presentations, all views have a good side to them, none are evil. You have to first belong and believe in a system that involves a devil before you can switch allegiance. I believe that anything that I do wrong is my own responsibility and cannot be blamed on others, or any entity. I know that forms of magic, witchcraft, voodoo and others can be used to harm people, and most things from nuclear power, and guns to politics can be used for both good or bad. I understand this side of magic but do not practice it.
We are are not anti anything and definitely not anti Christian. I see no conflict between the raw teachings of the new testament, and the craft. Many witches are both witches and Christians, as I am, but few could or would wish to belong to any church group. The same is common with other beliefs, the majority of those who practice voodoo around the world also being Catholics. I do not however see the old testament as any more relevant to us today than any other ancient tribal text, and would question much of its accuracy, and translation. To us our belief forms the code that we live to, and not a one hour a week activity. We feel we have to be honest and true to ourselves, and no man has the power to act as an agent of god. I do not believe that any man or group have the power to create any entity that is or is near a god as with saints, or that these could separately exist as a form of secondary gods.
I believe that after death our spirit, or the essence of us goes to the Summerland's, a little like the Christian heaven, where we stay for a period, and most have at least part of our essence reborn into new babies, who remember some things as instincts, but most quickly bury their past life deep in a part of their mind. I know that through Hypnotic re-regression, past lives can be re-discovered. I know that most times these re-regressions can be traced back to a direct ancestor, or a branch coming from an ancestor, and that the instincts are specific to a species, a cat knows how to hunt, a bird to fly, and you as a baby knew how to recognize your mother and to smile. We know, and can both demonstrate and prove a great deal more about this process. We believe we grow our spirit from experiences from each new term as a person. It starts getting complicated from their. Ultimately some will combine with god, and may even become another face of god to some.
As witches, we use our minds, our will, focus, to make things happen. We use old skills forgotten by most, we practice and each specialize in areas, which when we work together as a coven allows what some would call miracles or magic to occur. We reinforce this with spells, talisman, amulets, symbols, numbers, ritual, and in other ways. The ability to do this, I believe, is in every person in the same way as everyone has the ability to learn to walk. I believe that these skills can be developed, and some will develop them to Olympic proportions while others will develop them only as necessary for everyday life.
I have no problem with witches using their powers for their own benefit. Most of us have pleasant well rewarded lives, live in nice homes, some of us even have spectacular gardens, have all the material things in life, and enjoy a varied and fulfilling lifestyle, often with no obvious way that it could have been obtained. Many of us are not interested in money as such.
I do not use or support the use of drugs, while historically some, including the druids and Egyptians we know had hypnotic drugs, we are able to use our minds through hypnosis and meditation to achieve superior results. Nudity and Sex are used in some, but not all, witchcraft traditions and specialist occasions, but I agree with them that no person should ever do anything that they are uncomfortable with, or need to attend these calibrations if they do not wish to. I believe that both you and I have the right to our own personal views and choice in such matters, and that only those who have sufficient knowledge and understanding should be introduced to these aspects of the craft. Most covens will not in any case admit people under 18 to the inner or main coven.
I believe that in ancient times, the witches skills where handed down, with skills learnt over many years, from mixing herbal medicines, and undertaking medical treatments, delivery children and helping animals in trouble, to providing a vision or light at the end of the tunnel in difficult times. I find much of modern medicine using these skills and knowledge, and some skills that still need to be rediscovered. For example the Egyptians not only had a pregnancy test, but could tell it it was a boy or girl, all from putting urine on specific plants and comparing the growth. Most doctors will tell you that the strongest healing force of all is one they call the placebo effect, which is that people will get better if they really believe that they will, and they site this in cases where people who could not walk have got out of their wheelchairs and the like and for most witch and witchdoctor cures, but have difficulty in explaining why it also works with animals. I am not concerned about what you call it, if it works celebrate, learn and repeat. The drug companies are keenly researching many of the older mixtures and searching out witchdoctors around the world today, with some major re-discoveries. I accept that most if not all that we do has a rational scientific explanation, it may just take a few more hundred years to get to understand what it is, and I don't see why we cant go on getting the benefits while we wait. I personally believe that there is a yet unlabeled form of energy, that we have not discovered, and cannot identify as it in everything and everywhere.
I believe that the craft needs to grow, not by missionary, or preaching but within our own traditions, to constantly update, add new skills, redefine the application of ancient skills, while still keeping ancient skills alive, making the craft as relevant to you in your life today as it was to our ancestors before even the Stonehenge or Avebury stone monuments were built. I feel the Internet is as relevant as a book of shadows as a tool of the craft.
I celebrate the vast diversity of traditions within what is loosely called witchcraft, ranging from those who enjoy formal ritual with historic texts, through those who do what comes naturally, and seems right for the occasion, to those for who nature, trees or life forms the center of their belief; the variety of covens, traditions and groups, from those who's beliefs have been handed down to those who have discovered them in some way. I seek to share with those that wish, and to convert none.
Witchcraft is often referred to as a pick and mix religion, you decide what parts suit you, what you want to do on your own and what you want to join in with others. We definitely have no problem with diversity, and I don't expect you to believe all that I do. I really enjoy talking to those who have an open mind, and a desire to talk over the evidence, and have differing views. Perhaps if you agree with most, then this could be your path. If you feel that this may be the path for you, then please accept my personal invitation to use this site to both confirm if it is and expand on the skills you need.
Now it is time for me to shut up and let you start thinking, perhaps you will think I should be carted off to an asylum, perhaps you will feel I could be dangerous and should be stopped, or perhaps on reflection you will feel that perhaps I have got it about right. The course and reference material on this site, has of course been influenced by my views, but I have done my best to cover all traditions and views and always welcome articles and comments from others that can be added.
My witch name is AQUA (as in water), you can email me at aqua @ witchesmail.com and it will be automatically forwarded to me. Leave out the spaces before and after the @.
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