Witches, wicca?

Question

Wait, I don't understand what that is.

What's the difference between a witch and a Wicca.

is it bad.?

Answer 1

A witch is someone who practises witchcraft, they can be of any religion or any belief system.

A Wiccan is someone who practises the religion of Wicca. Some Wiccans are witches, and some are not.

Wiccans do not believe in causing harm to anyone, so no it is not bad.

Answer 2

wiccans follow the wiccan rede, harm none, and are not just about casting spells, it's a religion.

witches dont have to follow the rede and they are more of a pratice then a religion.

Answer 3

Wicca is a religion - based on honoring the divine masculine and feminine - God(s) and Goddess(es), attuning to and honoring nature and the natural cycles of the year (solstices, equinoxes, planting/harvest times, etc. - there are 8 holy days celebrated in the year called Sabbats), and living by a code of ethics based on the Wiccan Rede.  (The Wiccan Rede is NOT simply "harm none".  It is "An it harm none, do as you will".  There is a good article explaining this rede on the link I've provided below.)

Witchcraft is a magical practice, most commonly associated with spell casting, but can also include the practice of various methods of holistic healing and/or divination as well as other occult practices/studies.  "Occult" simply means beyond the range of ordinary knowledge; mysterious.

Witchcraft is an accepted practice within Wicca, but not required to be Wiccan.  One could be a witch and not be Wiccan as well.  So while some Wiccans who also practice witchcraft, like myself, may use the two terms interchangably, they do not automatically equate to each other.

Answer 4

You can be both a Wiccan and a Witch, these two words are not the same.

One of the biggest sore points among Wiccans is the improper usage of the terms "Wiccan" and "Witch". Too many people use the terms interchangeably, presuming that they both mean the same thing. They do not.

Wiccan

Wicca is a religion, and someone who follows that religion is called a Wiccan. Sometimes it can be difficult to accurately define Wicca, and not all Wiccans will define themselves the same way. Observing the 8 Wiccan Sabbats, honoring the Gods and/or Goddesses, creating sacred space for rituals, to name a few. Many traditional Wiccans also feel that belonging to a coven is also a requirement and that those who practice their religion as a solitary, should not refer to themselves as Wiccan. Personally, I don't agree. Typical Wiccans also practice "magick", and therefore are also witches. Sometimes Magic is spelled with a K to differentiate between religious ritual and stage sleight of hand. You cannot be a "natural Wiccan" any more than you could be a "natural Christian".

Witch

The practice of witchcraft is not associated with any religion, therefore you can be a witch and yet also be a member of any number of religions (or none). Using the natural energies within yourself, along with the energies of herbs, stones or other elements to make changes around you is considered witchcraft. Though the skills and gifts that are part of witchcraft can be inherited from parents or grandparents, you aren't automatically a witch just because your grandmother may have been one. The use of magick takes practice, experience and learning. On a side note, a male witch is called a witch, not a warlock.

Pagan

While I'm explaining terminology, I thought I would throw in "Pagan" as well. Paganism refers to a variety of non-Christian/Jewish/ Islamic religions that are usually polytheistic and are often nature-based. Wicca is only one Pagan religion, but there are others such as Santeria, Asatru, or Shamanism. Many people do not necessarily identify with a specific religion, and just use the broad term "Pagan" to define their spiritual path. Pagan religions are distinct and separate from each other, and it should not be assumed that they are just different names for the same faith.

Answer 5

A witch is someone who practices witchcraft.  This is a magical practice, relying on natural correspondences and the witch's internal strength of will, to accomplish results.  A witch can be of any religion.

Wicca is a religious practice.  It is only about sixty years old, but it is rooted in the pre-Christian European religions.  It often encourages and incorporates witchcraft, though this is not universal.

So there is a lot of overlap between them, but they are not exactly the same thing.

Answer 6

Witches practice wicca.  Wicca is basically what people call the black arts spells, rituals good and bad etc etc...

Answer 7

A Witch is a person who practices a Pagan Belief.

WICCA is a Pagan belief system practiced by some (but not all) Witches.

BB

Answer 8

Wicca is a somewhat contemporary version of witchcraft that the

credit for starting is generally given to the late Gerald Gardner.  

Witches have been around for centuries.  In ancient times in the

ancient civilizations (such as Ancient Egypt) it is my understanding

(from the translations of scholars) that witches were an "ad hoc"

bunch more or less on the periphery of society.  Some were people

with no marketable skills who apparently turned charlatan to ek out a

"survival level" exisatnce.

Others probably had some sort of skill (such as herbcraft or divination)

and supported a need in the society that the extant priesthood could

not quite address.

Answer 9

Wicca is the belief system, witch is the practitioner.

Answer 10

Witches practice witchcraft.  Wiccans practice Wicca.  Wicca is a Pagan religion.  Basic witchcraft is much older and has ties to many Pagan religions.  Some Wiccans may practice witchcraft but not all and not all Witches are Wiccan.