magick or faith

[kelticsorcerer]

what do you think?

[watershield]

I think a practise.
You can energy weave without being a witch, just as you can be a witch but not energy weave.

A religion however has defined tenents. Like the traditional wicca structures. Set formate, set ritual, set Gods, everything within a set structure. (tends to inhibit freedom of thought from my perspective)

[magikhappens]

agrees with WS.

[starhawk]

I think magic and practice it can be steeped in faith but doesn't have to be

[pixiedust]

I think both.

[Goth]

Witchcraft is essentially a 'practice'. There are some who would class it as their religion, however.

[Desladon]

I don't think you could say its a religion, thats like saying is prayer is a religion, no, prayer is a practice used in many religions, the same is true of witchcraft, it in and of itself is not a religion but it is a practice exercised in many religions.

[Jen]

Witchcraft is a practice, it doesn't have the dogma associated with religion. Like goth said though - there are many people that will argue the case and insist it's a religion but I don't class it as a religion at all. You can be a specigfic religion and still practice witchcraft, as we have seen of late a rise in Christian witches, there are also wiccan witches, Jewish witches blah blah blah.

[sobek]

true enough, that said there are also (to my knowledge) religions based around witchcraft, i believe this could rise to the confuse of witch-craft being a religion.

[createholly]

it depends on the situation it has in your life i think. For me it's a practice. It's part of who I am, what I think about, how I shape my day. I don't know if I'd like it to become my religion, but I'd have to say I'd kneed to know and understand a heck of a lot more before I'd make witchcraft my religion.

[kelticsorcerer]

Wise words! I would never make anything my religion simply because there is no place for religion in my life. the only time I would say that witchcraft is my religion would be to defend myself in court! lol

[createholly]

haha same here, or if I were to go into the military. It's just part of who you are, like your third toe, or that tooth you chipped playing baseball with your dad. Always there and familiar.

[caine]

Witchcraft is a practice not a religion. Many Wiccans call their religion witchcraft but this I believe is incorrect because well witchcraft is not a religion. Also to often Wiccans call themselves witches which is true but then go on to say things like witches don't believe in Satan. This is not true there are witches that are traditional satanists, basically I think some Wiccans to often forget they are not the only witches in the world.

[sobek]

"basically I think some Wiccans to often forget they are not the only witches in the world."

maybe thats somesort of superiority complex, where almost everyone thinks they are right.

[pixiedust]

sobek said:

"basically I think some Wiccans to often forget they are not the only witches in the world."

maybe thats somesort of superiority complex, where almost everyone thinks they are right.

That's the trouble with most of the worlds religons though isn't it?

"My path leads to rightiousness!"
" No My path is the holy path!"
"No mine!"
"MINE!"
*BOOM!*
And so it goes.

Sadly with Paganism in general, you're always gonna' have some total 'tards who have some need to be the "Messiah" and basicaly trash anyone who practices difrently to them. If one of these people offer you Koolaid just say no.