What is the difference between Wicca and Witchcraft?
Not all Wiccans are Witches and not all Witches are Wiccan.
Many people also mix-up being Wiccan with being Pagan. Here is where it may get a bit tricky as all Wiccans are Pagan but not all Pagan are Wiccan. Confused?
Paganism is an earth-based religion, or nature worship, and Wicca is a subset of that belief much like being Baptist is a subset of being Christian.
So Wicca is a religion, while Witchcraft is a practice. This may make you wonder then what is the difference between a religion and a practice.
A religion is a particular system of faith and worship and the pursuit or interest to which someone ascribes supreme importance. Whereas a practice is the actual application or use of an idea, belief or method as opposed to theories about such application or use. The customary, habitual or expected procedure of something.
The belief in Wicca can be traced back to a retired British civil servant named Gerald Brousseau Gardner around the year 1951. Wicca is generally seen as how one relates to the Divine or their Supreme Being be it the Goddess or a varied god or lesser goddess.
It is rare to find one who practices both Wicca and Christianity but it is becoming increasingly popular for one to be both a practicing Witch and have faith in God, as was expressed in a recent story I wrote for 7th Sense (Is there Such a Thing as a Christian Witch?).
Story continues below…
The history of Witchcraft precedes the witch trials of the 1600’s and no one really knows the time line for which it can be attributed as beginning.
For many practitioners, Witchcraft stands strongly on symbolism and ritual. I am much more relaxed as a practicing Witch as I believe the power lay in the intent where many other practitioners are all about doing things exactly “right”. Some practicing Witches I know believe that using the proper athame or a particular incense or specifically colored candle holds the power.
Personally, I rely more on the desire of myself and those I do workings for. To me, it is what is in your heart and just how badly you desire the end result. Yes, there is certainly power in the chosen words and how those words are expressed. There is power in your tools and other supplies such as salt, resins, etc. But the true power lay in just how badly you want what you’re asking for or seeking.
An example of the power being in your desire would be when driving through a crowded parking lot, speak these words aloud: “Goddess Mother please lift up your face and find for me a parking space.” For me, more often than not a parking spot materializes seemingly immediately and usually quite near the door of the business I’m planning to enter.
Tamara’s Verdict
While I do use tools when practicing my chosen craft, I rely more on the spoken words and what lay within my very core being. Those who choose to be only Wiccan also rely heavily on their inner most desires when seeking to create or manifest a desired result in their daily lives.
Having attained Master Level at Mediumship, Tarot, Energy Work and general Psychic Readings, Tamara (Tami) has a great many years’ experience as a Spiritual Counselor, Psychic, Tarot Reader and Medium also. She is highly skilled at Numerology, Auras, Past Lives and Chakras and can help you determine your own psychic abilities; she is remarkably adept at simple questions as well as those most in-depth. As an award-winning writer with more than 45 years’ experience, Tamara (Tami) has provided original works to 7thsense on various subjects and writes the Daily Tarot Draw.
Thanks Tamara. I’ve been trying to explain these things to people who have asked but not been able to be very clear. This is perfect. I, too, believe it’s intention and manifestation of that heart desire! I would love to have more insight from you. Are you available to speak more personally?
Chenoa, I would welcome the opportunity to speak with you and you may request a notification when I log in by going through my profile.
Blessings.