Initiation or Not?

 You don't have to be initiated to a Witch. If you ca relate to the following statements you can clearly and honestly call yourself a Witch.

1. You have a fascination with the earth all it's mysterious powers. 

2. You see the earth and all it's creatures as sacred

3. You feel at home with animals, plants and trees.

4. You feel that you are able to change things with a thought, and wave of  your hand or with a word.

5. You tend to maintain better relationships with animals and plants than you do with people.

6. Every time you see a full moon you stop and take in it's beauty - or you become awe struck by it's beauty.

7. You have respect for instea of fear of spirits or fae folk.

8. You prefer to follow the rules of nature more than man made rules.

9. You thirst for knowledge of ancient cultures.

10. Myths, legends, tales and stories from elders enthrall you. 

11. You know the earth holds undiscovered mysteries and are determined to discover them. 

12. The ultimate question of life, death and rebirth facinates you.

13. You feel drawn to , or keep finding yourself looking into different forms of paganism. 

These are not the end all be all signs that are a Witch. But if you examine each statement and take a day or two with each one you may begin to understand your feelings better and from there you can decide if the term Witch is for you. 

Witchcraft, Paganism, & Wicca

 I was just asked by a new student what the difference is between Witchcraft and Wicca.     

So, all Wiccans are Witches, but not all Witches are Wiccan. All Wiccans are Pagan, but not all Pagans are Wiccan, and some Witches are Pagans but not all - and some Pagans practice Witchcraft, while others choose a different path.

Witchcraft, Paganism & Wicca
As you learn more about magical living and modern spirituality you are going to see these terms a lot. Understand these terms are not all the same. Separating the three terms is not as easy as you might imagine. 

Confusing? It can be, so here are my thoughts on each of them. 

Wicca: is a tradition of Witchcraft that was first founded by Gerald Gardner in the 1950's. It is believed that he created the basic principles of Wicca and taught them to his initiates.  It is believed (by me at least) that Wicca is not the same form of Witchcraft that was practiced by our ancestors. Some still use the terms interchangeably though. 

Witchcraft, can be defined as traditions and rituals, magick, spellcasting, and connecting with nature while using tools such as herbs and crystals for personal growth and healing, some of which have been passed down from ancestors.

Paganism is an umbrella term that encompasses many of the earth based religions, and Wicca and Witchcraft both fall under that term, even though not all Pagan are Wiccan. 

All are earth based, spiritual paths that teach and practice basic principals of honoring nature, minding your actions, and spiritualism/magick of some form. 

There's a great website that I found that can help with your learning here.

I welcome any questions or comments on this subject. I love hearing from others their take on these things.