Sunday, June 16, 2013

Wiccan, Witch, Pagan. Which are you?

So whats the difference? Is there one? Yes.
     If you are Wiccan you are a Witch, but if you are a Witch that dose not necessarily mean you are Wiccan. Wicca follows a rede, and the path is most often associated with the teachings of Gerald Gardner and/or Alex Sanders.
    Witches do not follow this rede and the path is not associated with the Gardnerian or Alexandrian teachings. It follows a hereditary path and its teachings are not shared among the public.
     Being Pagan could be associated with both or neither.
   
     Witch, in Old English was Wicca, (masculine), Wicce ,(feminine), and in Middle English was Wicche.
In ancient times, to be the Witch, or the wise one in the village, was someone that was prized by their community. People went to the Witch for many many reasons including divination, rituals and medicines for healing, fertility, protection. They were the midwives and healers of the land, applying their knowledge of roots, herbs, barks and minerals and evoking the great cyclic energies of the universe, and/or calling to the spirits of their ancestors to the benefit of those around them.
To be a witch and employ the use of witchcraft is now known as the practices of the Pagans.
     Pagan in ancient times was used to describe a person that lived in a rural area or village then called paganus, coming from the Latin pagus which meant village district.
     Over time it came to be a term used to describe a civilian in the community as opposed to a soldier.
Further through time it was used to refer to a person that worshiped the old gods, as opposed to worshiping the Christian or Jewish monotheistic god.
Still, these terms are used synonymously with someone that dose not follow the Abramatic beliefs and follows the polytheistic system. It has further come to be used to refer to a person with no religion or no belief of god/gods such as an Atheist.
   
     In my opinion, being one, two, all or none of the above doesn't make a person stronger or better than the other. The path you choose does not determine your worth.


No comments:

Post a Comment