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So, you are new to the craft and you want to be a witch, huh? Welcome!
First, I am going to focus on going over the basic concepts of what Wicca and Witchcraft are.
So what is Wicca? Wicca is a polytheistic, fertility earth based religion. Wicca specifically focuses on the moon and sun, the triple goddess and the horned god. Some see these deities as actual deities, while others see them as a representation for the moon/sun, feminine/masculine energy, dark/light. Wicca was formed around the concept of witchcraft. So historically, Wicca is a RELIGION that USES Witchcraft.
Wicca was originally established in the 1950s in England by Gerald Gardner. While most Wiccans practice witchcraft, some do not claim the name of "witch" and don't practice witchcraft or do spells. I personally do not understand this view point because Wicca essentially was formed around the concept of "magic" and a lot of the rituals and things done in circles of what are read in Wicca 101 books are very witchcraft focused even if spells are not being done. But I am not knowledgeable on all traditions of Wicca, so I can not speak for everyone.
Many Wiccans follow the “Wiccan Rede,” which goes over the belief system of the religion. The most popular line, and probably the most important is “An' it harm none, do what ye will”. The Threefold-Law (the rule of three) is also a big guiding factor for practicing Wiccans (https://www.learnreligions.com/the-wiccan-rede-2562601).
This is a very bare boned explanation of what Wicca is for simplicity. I would encourage everyone interested in or already a part of the religion and practice to do EXTENSIVE research on Wicca and it's history. There is a lot a false information out there, and the mixing of what was "traditional" vs eclectic added on over the decades.
And Witchcraft? Witchcraft is the practice of using magic(k). The attempt to manipulate energy from the earth or universe to get a desired result and/or asking for assistance from the divine to provoke change. A general term for someone that practices witchcraft is a witch. This term works for men and women.
Now, what is the difference between the two? Well, Wicca is a religion, and Witchcraft is a craft. Like I mentioned, most Wiccans practice witchcraft and call themselves witches, but not all witches are Wiccan. There are witches who practice different traditions of magic(k) with non-Wiccan deities, while some do not work with deities at all.
Since there are many different types of people, there is also a variety of Wiccan and Witchcraft traditions. I will list examples of both, but I will not go into detail. I will also probably miss a few, so just be aware there are more traditions than I will go over.
Wicca
Gardinarian
Alexandrian
Cabot
Eclectic
Dianic (which focuses of goddess work)
Feri
Seax
etc.
Witchcraft
Eclectic
Folk
Ceremonial Magic ( not always "Witchcraft")
Christian (which many debate on this)
etc.
Since witchcraft isn’t a religion, these are more so “categories” for witches. If someone identifies as a specific type of witch, it just means they focus on a specific type of magic(k). If you do more than one style of magic(k), being eclectic is the easiest. Which pretty much means you draw your craft from multiple traditions or sources.
These next few I will list off are forms of MAGIC traditions, but tend to be more culturally based, and some are considered to be “closed” practices due to the nature of their origins. Not all of these traditions are called witchcraft themselves but have their own magical traditions. (I am not very familiar with these practices, so take this with a grain of salt).
HooDoo
Brujeria
Santeria
Various forms of other folk magic traditions that don't identify as witchcraft
Thelema
Golden Dawn
The reason some of these are seen as closed practices is due to their origins, roots, and culture. I won’t tell you NOT to practice these, but please do your own research and be respectful. You might want to reach out to people in those communities to gain proper information.
When you first start to learn about Witchcraft, you will probably hear a lot of false information. Here are corrected concepts based on a few misconceptions about Witchcraft.
(MANY) Witches do not worship the Christian devil, and those that do, don't worship him in the way the "church" assumes. Though there are those who work with who they call "devils" or even who they consider the Christian devil, but their perspective of them are very different than many Christian view the devil as.
Practicing magic(k) is not inherently evil. Some people may be, but not magic(k) itself.
Not everybody follows the path of “love and light”. Some hex and jinx, but many Wiccans do not. This is why some do not choose to follow a Wiccan path because they do not believe in the Wiccan Rede or the three-fold law.
Real witches do not believe that they can do the same things that Harry Potter can. We wish we can, but we can not.
Witches do not need to wear all black.
You do not need to do spells everyday.
You do not need to be gifted your tools.
Your spell results won't be instant. It can take some time... or a lot of time... the Universe will get back to you when its ready.
As you continue to learn and develop your witchy path, make sure you do plenty of research and practice. You do not have to do things the same as anybody else. You will also probably run into people who are "gatekeepers" which just means they will say or do things to seem better than they are or tell you that you can't do something because they think the way they do magic(k) is the only right way. The best way to know if something is true or not about witchcraft, is to find something you would like to know about, and confirm the information through MULTIPLE sources. And if something sounds "too good to be true" it probably is.
So good luck on your journey and dive into magic(k)!
Fawna
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Updated 6/3/2022