The Crooked Path: An Introduction to Traditional Witchcraft

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Ankarloo, Bengt; Clark, Stuart (2001). Witchcraft and Magic in Europe: Biblical and Pagan Societies. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: University of Philadelphia Press. p.xiii. ISBN 978-0826486066. Magic is central not only in 'primitive' societies but in 'high cultural' societies as well. The witch-cult hypothesis has influenced literature, being adapted into fiction in works by John Buchan, Robert Graves, and others. It greatly influenced Wicca, a new religious movement of modern Paganism that emerged in mid-twentieth-century Britain and claimed to be a survival of the pagan witch cult. Since the 1960s, Carlo Ginzburg and other scholars have argued that surviving elements of pre-Christian religion in European folk culture influenced Early Modern stereotypes of witchcraft, but scholars still debate how this may relate, if at all, to the Murrayite witch-cult hypothesis. For a historic perspective on belief and practice, Cunning Folk and Familiar Spirits: Shamanistic Visionary Traditions in Early Modern British Witchcraft and Magic by Emma Wilby is a great place to start. Although it is an academic book, Wilby’s writing style is highly engaging and informative. Her book will also add a deeper layer to one’s understanding of witchcraft history through her analysis of folk beliefs and witchcraft trial records. I remain very fond of Marian Green’s classic ‘ A Witch Alone’ which encourages a deeply personal exploration of the old magical arts of the working witch alongside a relationship with the lore of one’s own landscape.

Scholars of religious studies classify Wicca as a new religious movement, [141] and more specifically as a form of modern Paganism. [142] Wicca has been cited as the largest, [143] best known, [144] most influential, [145] and most academically studied form of modern Paganism. [146] Within the movement it has been identified as sitting on the eclectic end of the eclectic to reconstructionist spectrum. [147] The "supernatural" or "night" witch: portrayed in court narratives as a demon appearing in visions and dreams. [34] Main article: Cunning folk Diorama of a cunning woman or wise woman in the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic Throughout these traditions, practitioners may refer to themselves as witches and engage in rituals, magic, and spiritual practices that reflect their connection to nature, deity, and personal growth. These British-developed traditions have since been adopted and adapted outside of Britain. Choosing just five books to recommend from the vast array of published material is an impossible task. Even narrowed down into specific genres makes it no less achievable. There are so many factors to consider, particularly with regard to the level of experience and subjectivity of the reader. After perusing at least a dozen or so possibilities, I was finally able to narrow it down to the number requested, only when I re-considered the brief, which specified books on traditional witchcraft. Had that request been for traditional folklore, witchcraft, sorcery, trance-work, spell-craft etc, then the list would be very different. The five texts I have chosen are firm favourites of mine and amongst some of the most instructive, providing an understanding of what traditional Witchcraft is properly about. They are not easy reads by any means, nor are they generic. They are all chosen to challenge and provoke your beliefs – in some cases, to stretch you beyond them. None of them provide information on rituals, coven-craft, these are books that will shape your perceptions on your craft, from which you will understand then, how to craft your rites.The history of witchcraft had evolved around society. More of a psychological concept to the creation and usage of witchcraft can create the assumption as to why women are more likely to follow the practices behind witchcraft. Identifying with the soul of an individual's self is often deemed as "feminine" in society. There is analyzed social and economic evidence to associate between witchcraft and women. [ relevant?] [115] Goya's drawing of result of a presumed witch's trial: "[so she must be a witch]" [116]

Where does one begin learning about Trad Craft? I decided to reach out to some of the most prominent Trad Craft authors and practitioners of our day to ask them which books they’d recommend to beginners who are interested in learning about Trad Craft. Daniel Schulke One pivotal text that shaped the witch-hunts was the Malleus Maleficarum, a 1486 treatise that provided a framework for identifying, prosecuting, and punishing witches. The burgeoning influence of the Catholic Church [ citation needed] led to a wave of witch trials across Europe. Usually, accusations of witchcraft were made by neighbours and followed from social tensions. Accusations often targeted marginalized individuals, including women, the elderly, and those who did not conform to societal norms. Women made accusations as often as men. The common people believed that magical healers (called ' cunning folk' or 'wise people') could undo bewitchment. These magical healers were sometimes denounced as harmful witches, but seem to have made up a minority of the accused. The witch-craze reached its peak between the 16th and 17th centuries, resulting in the execution of tens of thousands of people. This dark period of history reflects the confluence of superstition, fear, and authority, as well as the societal tendency to find scapegoats for complex problems. Orion Foxwood has written a very personal book in “ The Flame in the Cauldron”. It details a lot of his own experiences in learning about the Craft and gives useful and practical examples drawn not only from his own Appalachian heritage, but also from teachings he received from Old Craft mentors from England. It is a curious mix of lore and practicality, but all the more interesting for that. In Wales, witchcraft trials heightened in the 16th and 17th centuries, after the fear of it was imported from England. [92] There was a growing alarm of women's magic as a weapon aimed against the state and church. The Church made greater efforts to enforce the canon law of marriage, especially in Wales where tradition allowed a wider range of sexual partnerships. There was a political dimension as well, as accusations of witchcraft were levied against the enemies of Henry VII, who was exerting more and more control over Wales. [93] The Russian word ведьма ( ved'ma) literally means 'knower', and was the primary word for a malevolent witch. [112]

Are There More Types Than Just These 23?

Further information: Medieval European magic Evolution through Medieval and Early Modern Europe [ edit ] Macfarlane, Alan (1999). Witchcraft in Tudor and Stuart England: A Regional and Comparative Study. Psychology Press. p.130. ISBN 978-0415196123. Russell, Jeffrey Burton. "Witchcraft". Britannica.com. Archived from the original on May 10, 2013 . Retrieved June 29, 2013. Contemporary witchcraft in Italy represents a revival and reinterpretation of ancient pagan practices, often referred to as " Stregheria" or "La Vecchia Religione" (The Old Religion). [126] Rooted in Italian cultural and mystical heritage, modern Italian witches blend elements of traditional folklore, spirituality, and magic. This resurgence draws from historical beliefs, superstitions, and the desire to reconnect with Italy's pre-Christian spiritual roots. [127] a b Ehrenreich, B.; English, D. (2010). Witches, Midwives, & Nurses: A History of Women Healers (2nded.). New York: Feminist Press at CUNY. pp.29, 54. ISBN 978-1558616905.

Ronald Hutton outlined five key characteristics ascribed to witches and witchcraft by most cultures that believe in the concept. Traditionally, witchcraft was believed to be the use of magic to cause harm or misfortune to others; it was used by the witch against their own community; it was seen as immoral and often thought to involve communion with evil beings; powers of witchcraft were believed to have been acquired through inheritance or initiation; and witchcraft could be thwarted by defensive magic, persuasion, intimidation or physical punishment of the alleged witch. [4] :3-4 Illustration by Martin van Maële, of a Witches' Sabbath, in the 1911 edition of La Sorcière by Jules Michelet Among the laws attributed to the Pictish King Cináed mac Ailpin (ruled 843 to 858), "is an important statute which enacts that all sorcerers and witches, and such as invoke spirits, 'and use to seek upon them for helpe, let them be burned to death'. Even then this was obviously no new penalty, but the statutory confirmation of a long-established punishment. So the witches of Forres who attempted the life of King Duffus in the year 968 by the old bane of slowly melting a wax image, when discovered, were according to the law burned at the stake." [60] The text of the canon Episcopi in Hs. 119 (Cologne), a manuscript of Decretum Burchardi dated to ca. 1020. Roma witchcraft stands as a distinctive and culturally significant tradition within the Roma community, weaving together spirituality, healing practices, and fortune-telling abilities passed down through generations of Roma women. Rooted in history and mythology, this practice bears witness to the matrilineal nature of Roma culture, where women are the bearers of these ancient arts. [134] [135]In the early 14th century, many accusations were brought against clergymen and other learned people who were capable of reading and writing magic; Pope Boniface VIII (d. 1303) was posthumously tried for apostasy, murder, and sodomy, in addition to allegedly entering into a pact with the Devil (while popes had been accused of crimes before, the demonolatry charge was new). The Templars were also tried as Devil-invoking heretics in 1305–14. The middle years of the 14th century were quieter, but towards the end of the century, accusations increased and were brought against ordinary people more frequently. [78] Marginal decorations of " des vaudoises" in Le champion des dames, by Martin Le France, 1451 Much of the knowledge of herbalism in European witchcraft comes from the Spanish Inquisitors and other authorities, who occasionally recognized the psychological nature of the "witches' flight", but more often considered the effects of witches' ointments to be demonic or satanic. [160] Use patterns [ edit ] Berries of belladonna Nigel Pearson’s ‘ Treading the Mill’ is an immensely practical book through which the reader can get ‘hands on’ with the crafting of magical tools and substances as well as exploring ritual and ‘inner’ working. Robin Artisson Gregory of Nyssa (c. 335 – c. 395) had said that demons had children with women called cambions, which added to the children they had between them, contributed to increase the number of demons. However, the first popular account of such a union and offspring does not occur in Western literature until around 1136, when Geoffrey of Monmouth wrote the story of Merlin in his pseudohistorical account of British history, Historia Regum Britanniae (History of the Kings of Britain), in which he reported that Merlin's father was an incubus. [71]