Witchcraft?

[Midnight Witch]

Do you believe in witchcraft? Tell me your opinion. Some people actually practice it.
What do you think? Is witchcraft real, or is it just a story? Also, if you know any Wiccan deities, please share them and give information about them. If you have any interesting information to share, share it.
"Wicca itself is a comparatively new religion. It is classified as neopagan (or "new" pagan), although it does base many of its beliefs in the old ways. It is however a misconception that Wicca is ancient."

[Nostalgiascape]

These teeters close to religion but is also about...well....witches which are very Halloween related. I believe there are dark practices in dark arts. I believe people can channel dark powers, but ussually at greater cost to them than benefit. These are merely my beliefs. Wiccan does step outside the batters box of Halloween and that ones better off left alone.

[ofwgdgaf]

I really wouldn't want to dabble in witchcraft because I love Halloween they were showing some crazy stuff about it on Taboo

[Jack Skellington]

I do believe in witchcraft & channelling dark powers also. I wouldn't want to mess around with that sort of thing though.

[Murfreesboro]

The few Wiccans I have known don't dabble in dark arts at all. They are mainly nature-worshippers, if I am understanding them right. From my perspective as a Christian, this is misguided, since it is worship of the creation rather than the Creator. However, Wiccans themselves seem harmless to me and are generally very nice people to know.

I enjoy learning about Celtic lore, the old Celtic calendar with its understanding of the annual cycles, etc. That is interesting stuff and subtly underlies much of our modern calendar.

As for witchcraft the way you see it in movies, a person casting spells with supernatural effect? For the most part I am not a believer in that, although I do think there are dark forces in the universe, and that it's best to steer clear of them.

[Pumpkin_Man]

I agree with Murf about Wicca. My oldest niece is into Wicca, and she describes it as the worship of God in nature, and various other dieties. It is a peagan belief system, though, because it promotes ploytheism (Beliefe in multiple gods) as apposed to monotheism (belief in only one God).

As for the black arts, I also agree that they are practiced. Devil worship and satan worship and the practice of vampirism are the primary examples that I knwo of. I very much believe that it leads to disaster for those who practice. The practice of black magig has lead to peopel becoming serial killers. There was a teenager in Kentucky who blugeoned his girlfriends parents to death because he believed himself to be a vampire, and there was a woman who practiced vampirism in Austrailia who got a group of her friends together and slashed the throat of an unsuspecting stranger so to drink his blood.

Mike

[witchy]

I agree with Murf & Mike, there are all kinds of people that try different things in this regards.
I for one am a nice witch!!

[Midnight Witch]

Yes, a lot people practice witchcraft and they resort to evil. There is a dark force in the world, though. If anyone else would like to share anything, please do.
Remember, I want to know about Wiccan deities, too! Tell me much about them.
Isn't Gaia one of the goddesses?

[TheHallow1]

Yes, a lot people practice witchcraft and they resort to evil.

Common misconception. Basically false.

[TheHallow1]

Isn't Gaia one of the goddesses?

No. Gaia was a goddess of Greek mythology.

[SpookShowBaby]

Murf, that is one of the most wonderfully open-minded statements I have ever heard coming from a Christian! Thank you so much.

Midnight Witch, if you want to PM I can answer any other questions you may have concerning Wicca. Threads about religion on here tend to not go very well even if witches and Halloween are closely tied in several ways.

[Murfreesboro]

I believe that God loves Wiccans, too, SpookShowBaby.

It's also true that the ones I have known have been gentle people.

[Pumpkin_Man]

God loves everyone He created, and again, one of the most profound messages in the New Testament is "Judge not lest ye be judged."

Mike

[Nostalgiascape]

One can embrace or steer clear of something. One can be uninterested or interested in it. But I don't think there's any judging going on.

[Pumpkin_Man]

No one every said there was. I was just illustraiting a point, that not all Christians are judgemental bafoons who claim that everyone who thinks differently then they do is going to hell in a hand basket.

Mike