Witchcraft And Superstitious Record In The South Western District Of Scotland

Book review: Witchcraft And Superstitious Record In The South Western District Of Scotland by John Maxwell Wood

Witchcraft persecutions really began in England in 1563 with the statute of Elizabeth I, much later than elsewhere in Europe, but did not really become fully developed until the reign of James I. Various estimates have been given of the number of persons hanged as witches in England during the period of laws against witchcraft ( 1542-1736) but the probable number is around 1,000. The first person definitely known to be hanged for witchcraft in modern times was Agnes Waterhouse at Chelmsford in 1566, the last was Alice Molland at Exeter in 1684. The last person to be found guilty of the crime of witchcraft was in 1712 when Jane Wenham, the Wise Woman of Walkern. She was reprieved.

English witchcraft trials took a different direction from those of Europe. In England there were generally no elements of extreme torture, such as those used by the Inquisition, nor were witches burned at the stake as was the universal practice elsewhere. Under English law burning was the penalty for treason and those witches who were burned in England suffered this fate because they were convicted of the crime of “Petty Treason”, usually for murdering their husbands.

Nor were there mass executions in England such as those in France and Germany. The largest groups in England were nineteen witches hanged at Chelmsford in 1645, and the nine Lancashire witches sent to the gallows in 1612.

Peculiarly English features of witchcraft trials were the concepts of “pricking” to locate the devils mark and the use of “possessed”children as accusers, a feature that was to recur in the Salem trials in America. The relative simplicity of English trials and the absence of many of the satanic features of their continental counterparts was probably due to the absence of a centralised persecuting body such as the Inquisition. In England too there was open debate about, and opposition to, the concept of witchcraft which acted as a restraining influence.

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Witchcraft In North Carolina

Book: Witchcraft In North Carolina by Tom Peete Cross

The study of popular delusions has far more than an antiquarian or academic interest. Its results constitute one of the most fascinating and instructive chapters in the story of human progress. Written history is not so much the record of battles, conquests, and legislative acts as of social and intellectual development, and no true chronicle of any people can be written until account is taken of its popular beliefs and superstitions, as well as of the more obvious forces that ordinarily engage the attention of the historian. Witch stories are human documents and as such they must be reckoned with in any account of the mental temper of a people who believe in witches and whose actions are, even to a limited extent, ordered in accord with such belief.

With these facts in mind, the branch of the American Folk-Lore Society recently organized in North Carolina has undertaken the task of collecting and recording the popular tradition of that state. The following sketch, prepared at the request of the society, was designed originally to deal with only one of the many phases of folk superstition—Witchcraft ; but owing to the heterogeneous character of the collectanea submitted, it has in process of time become a sort of omnium-gatherum of North Carolina tradition regarding magic and supernaturalism. Its purpose is twofold: first, to enumerate such items of witch lore as have already been collected in North Carolina and to point out their traditional character; second, by means of illustrations from the folk-lore of neighboring territory, to indicate what other Articles of the diabolical creed future collectors may hope to discover.

Download Tom Peete Cross's eBook: Witchcraft In North Carolina

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

Hesketh Bell - Obeah Witchcraft In The West Indies
Walter Gibson - Witchcraft A History Of The Black Art
Louise Huebner - Witchcraft For All
Tom Peete Cross - Witchcraft In North Carolina

Czechoslovak Fairy Tales

Book: Czechoslovak Fairy Tales by Parker Fillmore

This popular classic work by Forrest J. Ackerman is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of Forrest J. Ackerman then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection.

Download Parker Fillmore's eBook: Czechoslovak Fairy Tales

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Ea Wallis Budge - The Book Of Am Tuat
Peter Henry Emerson - Welsh Fairy Tales And Other Stories
Parker Fillmore - Czechoslovak Fairy Tales

A Short History Of The Salem Village Witchcraft Trials

Book: A Short History Of The Salem Village Witchcraft Trials by Martin Van Buren Perley

This short history meets that earnest desire; it gives the origin, growth, and death of the hideous monster; it gives dates, courts, and names of places, jurors, witnesses, and those hanged; it names and explains certain "men and things" that are concomitant to the trials, with which the reader nuiy not be conversant and which are necessary to the proper setting of the trials in one's mind; it compasses the salient features of witchcraft history, so that the story of the 1692 "delusion" may be garnered and entertainingly rehearsed.

The careful reader may discover, between the lines, in questions, in answers, and in the strange exhibitions, the real state of mind pervading all, which has been mildly characterized as a "delusion"; also he may be able to compare the Mosaic, the 1692, and the modern spirit manifestations, and advantageously determine for himself what is worth while in modern spiritualism, mindreading, clairvoyance, mesmerism, and the rest.

Though men of education, religion, titled dignity, and official station, of the professions and the 61ite, were responsible for the horrible cataatrophy, and in one instance or more forced the yeoman jurors to convict (who at the end signed recantations and expressed their grief), — religion and education must not be undervalued; a religious education will yield the highest type of manhood.

Download Martin Van Buren Perley's eBook: A Short History Of The Salem Village Witchcraft Trials

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

Charles Kirkpatrick Sharpe - A Historical Account Of The Belief In Witchcraft In Scotland
John Campbell Colquhoun - An History Of Magic Witchcraft And Animal Magnetism
Martin Van Buren Perley - A Short History Of The Salem Village Witchcraft Trials Ocr Version
Martin Van Buren Perley - A Short History Of The Salem Village Witchcraft Trials

The Book Of The Witch Moon

Book: The Book Of The Witch Moon by Michael Ford

Presenting the forbidden works of Chaos, Vampiric and Luciferian Sorcery. A grimoire which explores the dark feminine current of HECATE, Witch Moon explores ritual and dream Lycanthropy, Chaos Sorcery and Luciferian Ritual practice as well as the darksome practice of Vampirism and Predatory Spirituality. The Nine Angles and the Trapezoid workings, inspired by Anton LaVey and presented around the cult of Daeva-Yasna, the persian demon-sorcery of Yatuk Dinoih. Contains the rituals of Dream, ritual and astral vampirism as an initiatory tool, other Cabalistic workings presenting the Qlippoth. Contains the Grimoire based on Ancient Egyptian Vampirism, LIBER AAPEP, Luciferian Magick practice, The Chaos Cult Workings of Choronzon as Vampire, The Rites of Hecate, the Infernal and Luciferian Sabbat, and the foundations of Satanic practice in Magick.

Download Michael Ford's eBook: The Book Of The Witch Moon

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

Benjamin Rowe - The Book Of The Seniors
Aleister Crowley - The Book Of Thoth
Margaret Alice Murray - The God Of The Witches
Albert Pike - The Book Of The Words
Michael Ford - The Book Of The Witch Moon

A Rebel And Witch The Historical Context

Book: A Rebel And Witch The Historical Context by Marylynn Saul

Morgan le Fay, alternatively known as Morgane, Morgaine, Morgana and other variants, is a powerful sorceress in the Arthurian legend. Early works featuring Morgan do not elaborate her character beyond her role as a fay or magician. She became much more prominent in the later cyclical prose works such as the Lancelot-Grail and the Post-Vulgate Cycle, in which she becomes an antagonist to King Arthur and Queen Guinevere: she is said to be the daughter of Arthur's mother, the Lady Igraine, and her first husband, Gorlois, Duke of Cornwall, so that Arthur is her half brother (by Igraine and Uther Pendragon).

The early accounts of Geoffrey of Monmouth and Gerald of Wales refer to Morgan in conjunction with the Isle of Apples (later Avalon) to which the fatally-wounded Arthur was carried. To the former she was an enchantress, one of nine sisters, while to the latter she was the ruler and patroness of an area near Glastonbury and a close blood-relation of King Arthur. In the early romances of Chretien de Troyes, also, she figures as a healer.

Though in later stories she becomes an adversary of the Round Table when Guinevere discovers her adultery with one of her husband's knights, she eventually reconciles with her brother, and even retains her original role, serving as one of the four enchantresses who carry the king to Avalon after his final battle at Camlann. She has at least two older sisters, Elaine and Morgause, the latter of whom is the mother of Gawain and the traitor Mordred. In Sir Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur and elsewhere, she is married, unhappily, to King Urien of Gore and Ywain is her son.

Download Marylynn Saul's eBook: A Rebel And Witch The Historical Context

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

Aleister Crowley - Liber 051 Atlantis The Lost Continent
George Lincoln Burr - New England Place In The History Of Witchcraft
Marylynn Saul - A Rebel And Witch The Historical Context

How To Create Your Clean Wicca Witchcraft Altar

The first step is to thoroughly clean the room that will contain your altar. It is best to mix sea salt into water. If you can't find any sea salt to use (any new age shop should have some), just use cleaning supplies you would normally use.

Scrub down the walls, ceiling and floor (if you don't have a rug). Make sure to pick up the clutter, and organize the room as best you can. The less clutter and mess, the easier it will be to control the energy that collects.

Now, you need to determine where North, South, East, and west are. You can use a compass, or ask someone who knows (if you don't). Once you figure them out, make sure to mark them using any small objects so that you won't forget. The reason you are doing this is because your altar will be setup-facing North because it is the direction of "Earth" and the primary energy you will connect to.

Next, you need to mark your circle. You can use white cord, or any small objects that are sacred to you. (such as candles or figurines) If you have enough room, try to mark the circle between 5 to 9 feet in diameter. (If you don't have enough space your circle can be smaller, but it may be a little more difficult to stay inside of the circle when doing your spell work.

When you mark the circle start in the East and move clockwise around the circle, finishing again in the East. Think of this is a "permanent" circles that you will "redraw" each time you do ritual or spell work. (You'll see how to redraw it later)

Now it is time to decorate your temple (the area around your circle). You can hang meaningful posters, fabric, and pictures. You can set up candles all around the room in any way that feels right for you. Try to set up a mystical feel, one that builds strong emotions for Magick work. The decorating can be simple or elaborate, whatever evokes strong feelings inside of you.

Next, you need to do an initial cleansing and purification of your space. So you must first prepare the cleansing water for this ritual. You will "charge" the water with positive and pure energy from your heart. Then you will use this water to cleanse your space.

This purification is very important to perform correctly or your space will be tainted - and it will never "feel" right. Your Magick will probably suffer as a result.

I can't stress how important the preparation of your cleansing water, and the actually cleansing and purifying of your space is. It so critical for you to actually see the rituals being done that I have included a DVD section on them in the full witchcraft Academy. Not only is there a detailed step-by-step guide for you to follow (with pictures and images), but you will actually see a demonstration of this powerful (and important) ritual.

Once you have fully cleansed and purified your space, it is time to set up your altar. Throughout this process, keep in mind that you can use any materials to set up an altar - but it is best to avoid using synthetic or metal materials. You can use a small wooden table that is between knee and chest high (you may even consider a circular table - which are popular for altars) The idea here is to maintain the natural energies of the Earth by using materials coming directly from the earth (if possible).

Set up your feminine diety elements to the left, and your mail diety elements to the right. (For Wiccans, Goddess elements to the left, and your God elements to the right)

If you want to see a full layout of elements and how to arrange them on your altar to heighten your connection to Magick - see the Home Academy to follow the exact steps. It also includes pictures of different altar setups and a video demonstration of setup and "consecration" of tools and other items on your altar. (This is a must to harmonize the energy within the tools with the energy of the altar and your sacred space)

Replace the markers you used to define the directions (North, South, East, and West) with white candles. In the DVDs you will also see how you can use colored candles that represent each of the elemental colors of the four directions. I like to place more candles around the border of the circle because I like to work my magic by candlelight.

Finally, repeat the purification ritual in the Home Academy for your altar and the circle. Then take a broom, or use your arm to clear out the space of the circle and push any negative or dark energy away.

Your first Witchcraft alter is born, congratulations! Now you can gradually increase it's power to attract the Magick energies you will need in your spell work by adding meaningful objects to it. There are many specific examples of altar setups, and examples of objects that you can add. Above all, these objects must be a reflection of you. The more of "you" that goes into your altar, the more power you will be able to draw from it - and the more protection it will offer as you do your Magick.

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

Herbert William Magoun - The Asuri Kalpa A Witchcraft Practice Of The Atharva Veda
George Lyman Kittredge - Notes On Witchcraft
Gordon Ireland - Faq On Wicca And Witchcraft And More
William Frederick Poole - Cotton Mather And Salem Witchcraft
Alexander Roberts - A Treatise Of Witchcraft

Do All Witches Practice Magick

Magick is a tool. As a tool, it can be used within any religion. Some people who follow the religion of Witchcraft do not practice magick. It would be inaccurate to say that magick has nothing to do With Witchcraft. Still, there are those who choose not to practice magick. Foremost, witchcraft is a religion.

Books in PDF format to read:

Anonymous - Rep Insight The Witches Resource Pack
Lincoln Order Of Neuromancers - Apikorsus An Essay On The Diverse Practices Of Chaos Magick
Lisa Mcsherry - The Alchemy Of Abundance Practical Money Magic
Anonymous - Witchcraft A Guide To Magic
Ophiel - The Art Practice Of Caballa Magic

Using The Seven Pins In Candle Magick

In Hoodoo and Voodoo, use of the seven-day candle, or "7 day vigil candle" is commonplace. The seven day candles are used in difficult cases and cases where concentrated energy is needed. The candle is burned over a period of seven days whereby the practitioner pays attention to revealing and divinatory signs from the candle.

To use your pins with a candle, you start with
a regular offeratory or large candle and seven pins of the seven colors. The candle is divided into seven equal parts by sticking the pins into the candle at seven equal intervals. The seventh pin goes into the top or bottom of the candle. Make sure the pins go all the way in the candle. Take a piece of parchament paper (best to start with a rather large piece of paper) and write down seven wishes. Fold the paper at a 90 degree angle and write your full name over your wish, then fold again and write your name again, proceeding with this process seven times. Dress your candle with the appropriate oil and place the folded paper under the candle. The candle is burned for seven nights, with the flame pinched out each time a pin falls. Save all of the pins and when the last needle falls, stick the pins into the paper so that it looks like the one in the picture. According to the law of attraction, bury the paper, pins and leftoverwax under your doorstep to attract your wishes to you. If your wishes are of the repelling type, throw the ritual remains in a crossroads, graveyard, or in a moving stream or river.

Books You Might Enjoy:

Tuesday Lobsang Rampa - The Thirteenth Candle
Julian Wilde - Grimoire Of Chaos Magick
Thomas Moore - Candle Magick For Love
Ophiel - The Art Practice Of Caballa Magic

Your Magical Name

Why a Magical Name?:
Ah, the magical name. So many people find wicca and decide right off the bat that they’re going to name themselves Lady Such-and-Such or Lord Whatsis. Go to a pagan event and you’ll meet more fifteen-year-old Lady Morganas than you can shake a stick at. And it’s virtually guaranteed that within about three months, Lady Morgana will decide her magical name, sometimes called a craft name, is really supposed to be Starfluffle or Moongypsy, and she’ll change it.

In fact, she’ll probably change it two to three times a year.

The Name-of-the-Month Club:
This odd phenomenon, known as the Name-of-the-Month Syndrome, happens most often because the person in question hasn’t taken the time to research and learn, which is crucial to finding the right magical name.

A magical name is unique to the practitioner, and there are several ways to find yours. When you find the right name, you’ll keep it for a long time. In some traditions, it‘s customary to wait until you‘ve studied a year and a day before claiming your magical name. Some Pagans have two magical names -- one which they use in public and one which is known only to the gods and members of the person’s coven.

Think Long-Range:
One method by which people sometimes find their magical name is to simply choose something they like. A problem with this method is that what we like on one day, we may find silly a year down the road. If you’re going to choose a name based on whether it sounds cool or not, stop and think about it. What is it about the name that appeals to you? Ten years from now, are still going to feel comfortable saying, “Hi, I‘m Fairypuddle,” when you meet a new person?

Names with Meaning:
Choose a name not only for its sound, but its attributes as well. For example, someone wishing to convey strength in their name might include “oak“ or “iron“ as part of their moniker. A person who is highly creative might select a name that reflects their art or craft. You may want to choose a name based rooted in folklore or mythology. Many people include the name of an animal that resonates with them. A cautionary note here: in the Pagan community, certain animals pop up all the time. You’ll meet two dozen Ravens and just as many Cats, but it’s unlikely you’ll encounter anyone calling himself Wombat or Penguin.

Names to Avoid:
Another bit of advice -- generally, the titles Lord and Lady are reserved for people who are elders or have a significant amount of leadership experience under their belt. To name oneself Lady So-and-So without any credentials is considered presumptuous by many Pagans. Likewise, in many traditions it’s seen as hubris to give oneself the name of a deity. You may want to choose a name that indicates your dedication to a god or goddess, but don’t co-opt their names. It’s just rude. If you're a dedicant to Apollo, don't call yourself Master Apollo, call yourself something like Apollonius instead.

Using Your Birth Number:
Another popular method of finding a magical name is to choose one that corresponds with your birth number. To find your birth number, begin by adding the digits of your birth date.

If your birthday was September 1, 1966, you would start with the numbers 911966 = 9 + 1 + 1 + 9 + 6 + 6 = 32.

Now take those two numbers (3 and 2), and bring it down to a single digit: 3 + 2 = 5. That number -- in this case, 5 -- is your birth number.

Use the grid below to find a name that corresponds to the number 5, by calculating the sum of the corresponding letters.

1 = A, J, S

2 = B, K, T

3 = C, L, U

4 = D, M, V

5 = E, N, W

6 = F, O, X

7 = G, P, Y

8 = H, Q, Z

9 = I, R

Let’s say you’ve decide you like the name Willow. Using the letters in “Willow” you would take the numbers 5 + 9 + 3 + 3 + 6 + 5 = 32. From there, 3 + 2 = 5. If the name you like doesn’t match your birth numbers, try some creative or alternate spellings to see what happens.

A Gift from the Gods:
In some cases, you may be fortunate enough to have your new name bestowed upon you by a god or goddess. In these instances, you may encounter someone in a dream or a vision who tells you, “Your name is Such-and-such.” While you may choose to add to it or come up with a variation on it later, if this happens to you, accept the name as the gift that it is.

Whatever method you end up using, think carefully before you finalize your new name. While it’s okay to change your name later on as you evolve spiritually, changing your name every few weeks or every time you see a new episode of “Charmed” is probably not the best course of action. Find the name that is right for you -- and when it IS the right one, you will know.


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Anonymous - The Mystical Qabbalah
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Witchcraft And Sorcery

Witchcraft and sorcery are almost identical terms as both use the magic spells, mystical or paranormal means to harness occult forces to produce desired results. Ideally speaking, persons pursuing witchcraft do not aim at producing evil results. Somehow the term sorcery is used pejoratively to denote the use of supernatural powers to produce unnatural and negative course of events.

Another factor that differentiates witchcraft from sorcery is that while sorcery can be learnt and practiced by anyone, witchcraft is considered to result from inherent mystical powers and is practiced by invisible means. Modern witches, however, claim that witchcraft can be acquired through learning as well.

Both Witchcraft And Sorcery have existed since times immemorial in all the societies and cultures around the world. In ancient Greece, witchcraft existed as early as the time when Homer lived. The legendary Medea was considered as the best known sorceress in classical times. The Roman Horace describes two witches in his famous Satires. There are several references to witches in Bible. Saul (1 Samuel 28) consulted Witch of Endor.

Though witches were hounded and persecuted as being aligned with evil spirits in the past ages, Witchcraft has acquired respectability with the passage of time. It has washed away the stigma attached to it and cleared many popular misconceptions about it.

In twentieth century, witchcraft movement termed as wicca the Craft, the Wisecraft is professed and practiced as religion.
The term wicca comes from an old English word wicca which has its origin from the Germanic root ‘wic’ and means ‘to bend or turn’. A witch is supposed to bend or turn the course of events for a good cause. Earlier the female practitioners of witchcraft were called witches, while their male counterparts were called wizards. But now the term witch is used both for male and female practitioners of witchcraft.

Witchcraft as a religion was developed in the United Kingdom by Gerald B Gardner, a British civil servant. Gardner had a life long interest in occult and supernatural forces. Witchcraft is now openly and proudly practiced in almost all the English speaking countries including the United States of America besides many traditional societies and cultures around the world. In Africa people seek medical aid for external physical problems and consult witch doctors for internal illnesses.

It is now widely believed that witches cast their spells for good objectives like love, health and wealth. Genuine believers in witchcraft do not cause harm to others. They worship God or deity or Mother Nature which is believed to possess both male and female aspects. They, however, emphasize on the female aspect or the Goddess side of the deity. Wicca is a religion of fertility. It celebrates the seasonal cycles of the nature that are central to the farming communities. The religious rites are tied to the cycles of moon which is the symbol of the power of the Goddess and also the seasons of the year.

Religious witches use their craft for the benefit of the people. They religiously follow their golden rule called The wiccan Rede which says: "An' it harm none, do what ye will.” They believe in the theory of karma that any act of witchcraft will return to its practitioner magnified three folds, whether it is good or evil.

Wicca is the most democratic and free religion in the world. There is no central authority. The witches work in loosely organized groups called covens. Some covens are made up exclusively of women, some of men while others have mixed membership. There are witches who do not join any coven at all and practice their faith alone as solitaries.

Modern witchcraft is a recreation of pagan, folk and magical rites selected from the major cultures and societies across the world such as Babylonian, Celtic, Egyptian, ancient Greek, Roman, and Sumerian Buddhism, Hinduism, and the rites of American Indians.

Books You Might Enjoy:

Aj Drew - Wicca Spellcraft For Men
Gabor Klaniczay - Witchcraft Mythologies And Persecutions
Louise Huebner - Witchcraft For All
Gerald Gardner - Witchcraft Today
Jaroslav Nemec - Witchcraft And Medicine

Witchcraft History

Infused with mystery, fear, unbelievable and grim facts and records, Witchcraft History can be traced back to centuries.

The word ‘Witchcraft’ has been derived from the word ‘Wicca’ which means ‘the wise one’. witchcraft has been seen as a magical phenomenon, a pagan worship or religion, sorcery, and others, at different periods in Witchcraft History.

The earliest records of the concept and practice of witchcraft can be traced to the early days of humankind when witchcraft was seen as magical a phenomenon that was invoked for magical rites which ensured good luck, protection against diseases, and other reasons.

However, it was not until 1000 AD that the practice of Witchcraft and witches invoked the wrath of priests, Christianity, and members of the society. Witchcraft, seen as a religion of the ancient and traditional pagan religion which worships the feminine, earthly, and masculine aspects of God, was considered as anti-Christian and a heresy.

Held to be against the declarations and beliefs of the Church, witches were considered as evil, making pacts and connections with the Devil. It was even believed that witches engaged in practices such as flying, invisibility, killing, taming black wolves and cats to spy on people, and others.

The belief in the existence of witches was strengthened particularly after Pope Innocent VIII issued a declaration in the 1498 confirming their existence in society, and inquisition increased, although in 1200, killing of witches had already become authorised by Pope Gregory IX.

The Inquisition thus began after 1200 on orders of the Church to discover the witches or heretics who were believed to be evil and against the Church. Full-fledged killing of witches was, however, recorded in the 1500s and 1600s.

The first crusade against witches was held in 1022 AD when a witch was burned to death. Witchcraft History echoes the terrible campaign against Witchcraft in Salem in 1692 in which 150 people were tried as suspects of practicing witchcraft.

People suspected as witches were usually burned at stakes, and those pleading their innocence were either stoned to death or even sometimes thrown in water to prove their innocence. Witches usually faced severe and painful deaths or punishments.

A juxtaposition of good as well as evil views, Witchcraft History is, thus, a stock of shocking, yet hypnotising incidents of humankind and their crusade against the practice of Witchcraft.

Books You Might Enjoy:

Jaroslav Nemec - Witchcraft And Medicine
Yogi Ramacharaka - Yogi Philosophy
Tarostar - The Witchs Spellcraft Revised
Louise Huebner - Witchcraft For All
Gerald Gardner - Witchcraft Today

What Is Witchcraft

Witchcraft (aka witch Craft) in various historical, anthropological, religious and mythological contexts, is the use of certain kinds of supernatural or magical powers. witchcraft can refer to the use of such powers in order to inflict harm or damage upon members of a community or their property. Other uses of the term distinguish between bad witchcraft and good witchcraft, the latter involving the use of these powers to heal someone from bad witchcraft. The concept of witchcraft is normally treated as a cultural ideology, a means of explaining human misfortune by blaming it either on a supernatural entity or a known person in the community. A witch (from Old English wicce f. / wicca m.) is a practitioner of witchcraft.

Belief in witchcraft, and by consequence witch-hunts, is found in many cultures worldwide, today mostly in Sub-Saharan Africa (e.g. in the witch smellers in Bantu culture), and historically notably in Early Modern Europe of the 14th to 18th century, where witchcraft came to be seen as a vast diabolical conspiracy against Christianity, and accusations of witchcraft led to large-scale witch-hunts, especially in Germanic Europe.

The "witch-cult hypothesis", a controversial theory that European witchcraft was a suppressed pagan religion, was popular in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Since the mid-20th century, Witchcraft has become the self-designation of a branch of neopaganism, especially in the Wicca tradition following Gerald Gardner, who claimed a religious tradition of Witchcraft with pre-Christian roots.

Books You Might Enjoy:

Dr Leo Martello - Weird Ways Of Witchcraft
Louise Huebner - Witchcraft For All
Mike Nichols - Eight Sabbats Of Witchcraft
Michael Harrison - The Roots Of Witchcraft
Paul Huson - Mastering Witchcraft

Native American Witchcraft

Native American witchcraft was basically allied with the religious beliefs of the natives of the region. In fact religion and witchcraft were alike in many ways. Both the witchcraft and the religious beliefs held the nature sacred. Many of their symbols and ideas came from nature. Old religion was closer to the spirit of the Native American traditions and witchcraft.

Each region of Native America had its unique kind of witchcraft which used different kinds of amulets and charms. They had their own rituals and masks. The practitioners of witchcraft wore costumes specific to the region. They had their own carvings, totem poles and performed ceremonies according to the area where they lived. In spite of all these regional differences they all shared a sense of awareness and oneness with their land, plants and creatures of Native America.

They looked to their land for providing them the raw material for their magic and witchcraft. The material included herbs, stones, feathers and bones besides Articles for preparing the medicines, tools and other instruments such as charms, costumes and masks. The witches had deep faith in the power of nature and tried to maintain a sense of unity with its invisible forces.

The witches and medicine men used several methods and tools to diagnose the ailments of the patients such as crystal rocks and using their trembling hands in a state of trance. Some times they chanted some sacred hymns while diagnosing the diseases.

The shamans, usually women, served the community by performing ceremonies to cure several diseases and ward off evil influences over the weather and the harvest. Herbs used to be an important medium of curing the sick persons.

There is also a reference to a sacred pipe which was very important symbol of witchcraft. Sacred pipe symbolized the medicine wheel and all the four directions in the same space. Pinches of tobacco along with some grains were placed in the pipe which was also used for lamenting.
Owl had a very important place in the witch craft of those days. Owl was considered a symbol of bad luck. An owl sent by a witch could not be killed.

Books You Might Enjoy:

Gerald Gardner - Witchcraft Today
Louise Huebner - Witchcraft For All
Paul Huson - Mastering Witchcraft

How To Practice Witchcraft Spells

When one thinks of witchcraft and spells, the tendency is to imagine a haggard woman of the wood reciting an incantation to hex her neighbor. This is unfortunate and completely inaccurate. To practice true Witchcraft Spells means to accept personal responsibility for one's actions and their consequences. So, before you fire up your cauldron, learn how to properly practice witchcraft spells.

How to Practice Witchcraft Spells Instructions

Things You'll Need:

* Spell supplies and materials, as appropriate

Step 1. Decide on the spell you wish to perform. This will depend on your goal or intent, whether it be to increase financial abundance, find a new job or promote good health.

Step 2. Practice responsible ethics. Accept that we cannot always change what is meant to be, nor should we try to. Likewise, life is full of lessons that are intended to be learned from. So, examine your motives carefully before resorting to using a spell to bring about change through witchcraft.

Step 3. Follow the Witch's Pyramid when performing any spell. This is a set of four pillars (or principles) that are integral to success. They are: To Know (understand the mechanism of the spell and its effects), To Will (the ability to focus on your intent), To Dare (to believe that you are worthy of receiving this blessing) and To Keep Silent (don't negate the positive flow of energy set in motion by talking or bragging about your spell).

Step 4. Prepare the area for spellwork by walking in a circle three times deosil (clockwise) while cleansing the space once with sprinkled salt, again with blessed water and the final time with the smudging of incense, such as frankincense or myrrh.

Step 5. Consecrate any tools you intend to use when casting spells, such as a wand, pendulum or an athame (a special knife used for ritual, not cutting). To do this, set up a lit candle, burning incense, a bowl of blessed water and a bowl of salt to represent the four elements. Then pass the object over the candle flame (Fire), through the incense smoke (Air), sprinkle it with the water (Water) and then the salt (Earth). Finally, recite the following: Elements of Air, Fire, Water and Earth, to this tool of the magick now give birth. Blessed and consecrated in this hour, be thou (name object) of strength and power.

Tips & Warnings

* Do not perform any spell that affects another person unless you have that person's explicit permission to do so.
* Abide the Witch's Rede, which states, "An' it harm none, do as ye will."




Books You Might Enjoy:

John Dee - The Practice Of Enochian Evocation
Louise Huebner - Witchcraft For All
Tarostar - The Witchs Spellcraft Revised
Paul Huson - Mastering Witchcraft
Cassandra Eason - A Practical Guide To Witchcraft And Magic Spells

How To Break Witchcraft Spells

Witchcraft is the use of supernatural powers and dates back to ancient societies. As with any power, real or imagined, the person possessing such skill may use it for good or evil. These are usually subjective ideas and practitioners of "black" magic rarely see themselves as "evil." But if you believe you have been the target of a spell, there is a method that may help to protect yourself and break the spell.

How to Break a witchcraft spell Instructions

Things You'll Need:

* Name and birth date of the person you believe placed the spell on you
* 2 candles, 8 inches long, black and white
* 2 knives
* Safety pin
* Bag of charcoal
* Knight of Swords or Queen of Swords tarot card

Step 1. Find a spot where nothing grows and dig a hole 12 inches deep and 12 inches wide. Fill the hole with charcoal.

Step 2. Find a piece of land with green grass near a tree.
Make seven circles in the white candle with the knife, each 1 inch apart. Place the white candle in the green grass.

Step 3. Using the other knife, make seven circles in the black candle. On the bottom of the black candle, etch the name and birth date of the person you believe cursed you, along with the word "drevida."

Step 4. Light the white candle and light the black candle. As the candles burn, repeat the phrase, "Creo del macres ete prestwer" until both candles have burned down to the first circle. Put out the candles. Etch the name and birth date of the person who hexed you on the tarot card (knight card for a male, queen card for a female). Bury the card and the black candle in charcoal.

Step 5. Bury the white candle next to the tree. This method will remove the curse within seven days.


Tips And Warnings

* Use caution when lighting or extinguishing the candles. Use caution when drawing the circles with the knives.




Books You Might Enjoy:

Louise Huebner - Witchcraft For All
Paul Huson - Mastering Witchcraft
Tarostar - The Witchs Spellcraft Revised
Archmage Bob Andrews - Old Witchcraft Secrets

Having A Spell With Witchcraft Proves Popular For Women

Witches and charismatic Christians are leading religious growth in Australia with many women turning to witchcraft or paganism as a reaction against the patriarchal nature of traditional Christianity.

Dr Philip Hughes of the Christian Research Association said the numbers of people participating in nature religions - mostly witchcraft and paganism - rose by 140 per cent between 1996 and 2001. Agnostics were on the rise too, he said.

For many, nature religions were seen as environmentally friendly.

But Dr Hughes said their numbers remained small, with fewer than 25,000 adherents in Australia.

"They are never going to be really numerous as it is largely a protest movement."

Leading witch Caroline Tully says witchcraft is a religion for the weak and oppressed, especially women.

"Actually, I'm surprised the guys haven't taken advantage because there are so many single women," she said.

"There aren't many men, and a lot of them aren't particularly appealing."

Dr Hughes said growth among Pentecostals (such as Sydney's Hillsong Church) had been remarkable, along with ethnically based religions. For example, the Coptic Orthodox Church grew by 83 per cent between 1991 and 2001.

"Immigrants head to the churches in large numbers, even if they did not attend in their homelands," Dr Hughes said. However, he said he discounted fears in some church circles of mass conversions to Islam.

"The number of converts is very small, probably in the realm of less than a thousand or two. Only 2.5 per cent of all Muslims in Australia were born of Australian-born parents and some of these would be grandchildren of immigrants."

About 25,000 Australians identified themselves as Buddhist at the last census. Dr Hughes said young people liked its simplicity and ethics.

He said changes in immigration meant religion was now more diverse. Between 1996 and 2001, Buddhist numbers grew by 79 per cent, Hindus by 42 per cent and Muslims 40 per cent.

But all these groups together were still less than 5 per cent of the population.

Books You Might Enjoy:

Eliphas Levi - The Conjuration Of The Four Elements
John Ankerberg - Satanism And Witchcraft The Occult And The West Part Ii
Aj Drew - Wicca Spellcraft For Men

Egyptian Witchcraft

Like the witch craft of any other region, the Egyptian witch craft is based upon the country’s tradition, myth, legend, rituals, drama, poetry, song, dance, worship, magic and living in harmony with the earth. Egyptian Zodiac Wheel

The practitioners of Egyptian witch craft honor the ancient Egyptian gods and goddesses including the Triple goddess of the waxing, full and waning moon and the horned god of the sun, death and animal life.

Since moon has an important place in Egyptian witch craft, therefore both men and women in city apartments, suburban backyards and country glades meet on full moons and on festival occasions to raise their energy levels and harmonize themselves with the natural forces.

Congregations in Egyptian witch craft are called temples and covens where the seekers are initiated into learning the witch craft. The repeated patterns of changing seasons have great importance in the Egyptian witch craft. ritual and festivals evolved to celebrate these seasonal cycles more especially during the sowing and harvesting seasons.

Egyptian witch craft, therefore, has an image of the ‘Wheel of the Year’ with its eight spokes which symbolize the four agricultural and pastoral festivals and the four solar festivals commemorating seasonal solstices and equinoxes. Like the ancient Pagans and witches, Egyptian witches consider the day as beginning at sundown and ending at sundown the following day.

Egyptian witches hone their divinatory skills in the increasing starlight and moon light and as winter begins, they work with the positive aspects of the dark tides. Therefore October 31-November eve is the most auspicious period for the Egyptian witches as this, according to them, is the time when the veil that separates our world from the next is the thinnest. This period allows the dead to return to the world of living when their kith and kin welcome and feast them.

Egyptian witches perform magic at gatherings called Moon Celebrations or Esbats which coincide with the phases of the moon. Witches practice healing magic, protection, retaliation and channeling of energy to develop themselves spiritually. They create circles to work magic. The primary tool that they use to work magic is a ritual knife called a Sacred Blade or Athame. The sacred blade gets charged with energy of the owner and is used to define space such as drawing a sacred circle where the owner’s will and energy work. A bowl of water is used to symbolize the element of water and its properties: cleansing, regeneration, and emotion.

Other important tools denote the elements earth, air, fire, and water. A pentacle (a pentagram traced upon a disk, like a small dish) is often used to symbolize earth and its properties, stability, material wealth and practical affairs. Alternatively, a small dish of salt or soil can be used to symbolize the earth element.

Books You Might Enjoy:

Mike Nichols - Eight Sabbats Of Witchcraft
Paul Huson - Mastering Witchcraft
Gerald Gardner - Witchcraft Today

Beginner Witchcraft

Creating an aura of mystery and magic, witchcraft has always been a fascinating and mesmerising concept for all at all periods of time. Spanning ages and centuries, throughout history, witchcraft has been limited to and practised by certain people, men and women, who have also been looked at with awe, fear, and sometimes, hatred. However, even today, Beginner Witchcraft is sought by people, wishing to engage themselves and learn the mysterious discipline.

So what does Beginner Witchcraft mean?

Beginner Witchcraft refers to the knowledge that aspiring witches learn and understand to gain an insight into the basics and fundamentals of the religion and practice of witchcraft.

Contrary to the widespread belief that Beginner Witchcraft includes learning advanced magical spells, reading loads of Witchcraft And Wicca books and resources, and many others, Beginner Witchcraft, in reality, includes a careful orientation of our bodies and minds towards the elemental forces of nature.

To enable aspiring witches, numerous books and resources are available which will help them to learn about Beginner Witchcraft. True, reading about the fundamentals of witchcraft from books and other resources is indeed essential; however, equally or even more important is gaining an insight into the workings of nature.

Tuning our minds and observing the minute details of nature, besides confirming to certain fundamental and highly essential rules helps in paving the path towards Beginner Witchcraft. Research states that observing the different patterns of moon, such as full moon, waxing phase, wanning moon phase, and many more. Even different seasons, life patterns of insects, and plants, besides others should also be observed to get closer to the elements of nature and their vibrations.

Meditation is also considered to be an important part of Beginner Witchcraft. Candles and incenses also help in creating an aura of peacefulness and sacredness. Setting aside a place for meditating, making herbal gardens, learning to distinguish different types of herbs and plants, and related activities, help in gaining the basics of witchcraft.

Beginner Witchcraft involves reading, observing minute details of nature, and tuning our minds and bodies to the changes occurring around us. It even includes learning of basic spells, divination, and others, but should always be learnt from experienced and learned witches.

A concoction of mystery and magic, Beginner Witchcraft is highly interesting and fascinating to learn and practice.

Books You Might Enjoy:

Allen Greenfield - A True History Of Witchcraft
Michael Harrison - The Roots Of Witchcraft
Paul Huson - Mastering Witchcraft
Louise Huebner - Witchcraft For All
Gerald Gardner - Witchcraft Today

Pagan And Christian Rome

Book: Pagan And Christian Rome by Rodolfo Amadeo Lanciani

Christian Church and the word church are used to denote both a Christian association of people and a place of worship. The word church is usually, but not exclusively, associated with Christianity. The term means something quite different for each religious institution that sees itself as belonging to the Christian traditions. The Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Churches each claim to be the one Church established by Jesus Christ, specially guided by the Holy Spirit as the Body of Christ. This ecclesiology describes those people, including other Christians, not in full communion with the Church as standing in several degrees of imperfect communion; other churches are recognised as legitimate to varying degrees, but also as deviant from the true and orthodox Christian faith to varying degrees. The word 'church' (lower case c) also describes particular different groups of tradition within the Church, e.g. the Syro-Malabar Rite church as a particular church within the 'Catholic Church', as is each diocese, while the Greek Orthodox church is a particular church within the 'Orthodox Church'; again, to a Catholic the Eastern Orthodox are but particular churches, and conversely to an Eastern Orthodox the Roman Catholics form particular churches, each not viewing the other as 'the Church' commissioned by Jesus. The other Eastern churches such as the Oriental Orthodox are also viewed by both in this way. Anglicans feel that they are but a branch of the Church. Neither the Eastern Orthodox nor the Catholics recognise Protestants as 'churches' at all, describing them as communities in imperfect communion with the Church, as they have not maintained theparticular features of historic Christianity (such as Apostolic succession) that the Catholic/Eastern Orthodox define as conferring 'church' status. In both the secular and the Protestant views, the Christian Church is a religiously ambiguous and cultural-sociological term to refer to all religions based on the worship of Jesus of Nazareth as the Son of God."

Download Rodolfo Amadeo Lanciani's eBook: Pagan And Christian Rome

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

Abram Herbert Lewis - Paganism Surviving In Christianity Ver 1
Edward Carpenter - Pagan And Christian Creeds Their Origin And Meaning
Rodolfo Amadeo Lanciani - Pagan And Christian Rome