Witchcraft is a metaphysical energy produced by Witches. It is an earth element centered system that also draws on the other four elements of spirit, water, fire and air.They harness it from the spiritual power emanating from nature, the moon and deities. The manner in which it is harvested is through a ceremony. A group of Witches form a linked in a circle fashion and are lead by the leader of the Coven. This magic is of a positive nature and is used for purposes of spiritual elevation and illuminations. It provides its members and their families with fertility blessings, economic stability and health. The camaraderie of the Coven is essential to the inner growth of each individual and to the larger community of believers.
Each Coven can be anywhere from four to twenty and even larger. These Covens gather together on special occasions to perform elaborate ceremonies during the yearly seasonal holidays and the different stages of the moon. They do this to honor the deity of the Great Lady or Goddess. In return the deity or deities bestow theistic power upon the community. They base their philosophy on an ancient religious belief system that promotes cultural cohesion and family values.
The various Covens around the world follow different traditions and styles of worship. Each has their own unique system and set of rules that the devotees of the Craft must adhere to. They follow a matriarchal form of governance with males in a supportive role. The Coven is lead by a High Priestess who acts as protector, teacher and healer. Her followers are woven into a group dynamic that is likened to a beehive. And the spiritual energy it produces is likened to the medicinal and culinary benefit of honey.
The tools of Witchcraft are the chalice (cup, bowl), wand (staff, feather), hat (crown), wardrobe (different colors for different occasions), knife (boline, athame), cauldron (hearth, kettle), candles (torch), broom (brush, bundle of twigs) and various herbs (flowers, plants,trees), salts, oils, and minerals (crystals, gems). They burn sage to sanctify an area and use salt or chalk to create circles for rituals. There is an immense resource of information that can be found in other publications on this subject matter. The easiest way to acquire more knowledge is to get in touch with a local Coven. They have seminars for beginners and are happy to help others understand the Craft. An open door can build bridges of optimism and enlightenment.
The Deity worship of a Witch's Coven is polytheistic and can be centered on any ethno pantheon. Some may worship a Female deity in a monotheistic form with lower deities as subservient. Wicca is one such religious system of Witchcraft that follows either a Celtic or British tradition. There are other groups that also practice the Craft but they are aligned with a Greco-Roman flavor.
The Druids of Gallic history were male and female priests who had a wide influence over large swaths of Europe and the Anatolia of the Middle East. They were the forerunners of modern Witchcraft and its philosophical branches that continue to grow today. Their ceremonies centered around trees or groves from whence we get the term Druid.
The term "Witch"came about through the name of the branches of a Willow tree. These branches were dried into a material called "wicker." Wicker was a resourceful item of the Druid community because they fashioned everyday useful items from them. They created baskets, boxes and various articles of furniture. They also designed various items for their ritual ceremonies from wicker.
This is also where we get the Christian term "wicked" as Witchcraft was vilified by early church tyrants. They persecuted and burned at the stake the Witch and her wicker crafts together in a bonfire to purge their dominion of everything not in their control. They did this in order to mentally enslave the populations of Europe and to render the inhabitants spiritually powerless.
Today the Vatican is one of the inheritors of this religious genocide and its mind control religious system that is called the "Roman Catholic Church." This organization stole the Druid holidays and ceremonies and turned them into the fabricated holidays called Halloween, Easter, All saints Day and Christmas. In the centuries that followed the "Pagan Purge" Witchcraft went underground. It maintained its presence in Protestant churches in cloak fashion or as wandering bands spread out in recluse. The Craft survived because one seed can produce a forest.
A "Solitaire Witch" is a lone wolf type who may find it easier or convenient to practice in private. They have the same abilities to achieve success as is a group in a coven. The devotion is in tune with the larger community but the energy produced may not be as powerful as a Coven's. Some may join in celebrating holidays with a larger Coven who have an open door policy and later on develop as a "Satellite Witch."
In some circumstances 'Solitaires" may become more powerful than a group. In these cases the "Witch" has acquired special status with powerful entities. Some of these are looked at in a suspicious fashion by established Covens. They become outcasts in the community and are not welcomed during ritual ceremonies. This is out of fear they will harness or steal all the energy of the gathering for themselves. Or if they do not adhere to the rule of "do no harm." They go by many different names but the more common is Warlock, Wicked/Black Witch or Old/Night Hagg.
"Warlocks" are male practitioners who have refined their craft above the normalcy of a group. They tend to be patriarchal and sometimes out right rebels in the Witch's community. The word Warlock means "one who engages in continuous warfare" but it can also be defined as a "progressive warrior." The Warlock can form a group, Coven or brotherhood but it will always be one that evolves constantly. The "Warlock" is basically a wandering wolf whether he is a "Solitaire" or in a pack. He is beneficial and will always serve a purpose.
"Dark Witches" are male or female practitioners who do hex and curse work to right societal wrongs. They make use of the Dark Moon phase which can last one to three days to perform their ritual magic. Superstition has no hold on them and the traditional deity bias against dark entities has no influence over them. They are free to make judgemental decisions that normal 'Witches" shy away from. The 'Dark Covens" do exist but are not advertised.
The 'Old Hagg" or "Night Hagg" is a woman with an extensive history in Witchcraft. She is a veteran of the Craft who may not desire the attention of being a high priestess. She is one who chooses to be a freelancer and spiritual guide. It is of legend that some "Haggs" can astral project at night and cause sleep paralysis on an enemy. The word "Hagg" comes from the word "hate," an emotion she can harness to fulfill a task. Always show her respect or little things may go wrong all around you.
These secretive "Wanderers of Witchcraft" are alpha types who have a genuine interest in promoting the craft. They can not be totally dismissed as irrelevant in the larger Witch's community because power must be respected whether it be testosterone driven or just egotistical. Unity is something achieved in the test of time with patience. Witchcraft is an evolving magic that lays hidden to the ignorant and a hallowed blessing to those illuminated by its presence.
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