Wicca Magic: 2 Manuscripts - Wicca for Beginners and Wicca Spells. An introductory guide to start your Enchanted Endeavors in Witchcraft: The Wiccan Coven

Introduction

As we continue to grow, we also seek to understand ourselves better. Sometimes we look for answers in uncommon places. Often we find that these new perspectives spark a change within us. Always, we learn something new.

Every now and then, people go on so-called spiritual pilgrimages. Moments in life when they become more open and flexible to the many wisdoms of this world. One such source of wisdom is the legacy of our ancestors. How they used to honor and commune with nature. How they embrace themselves completely. And how they use a special energy – magick. To heal the sick. To protect loved ones. To banish negative energy. To express oneself.

Wicca is a space that preserved the wisdom of the ancients. This book will share with you what it really is about. It will help you banish misconceptions about witchcraft. It will help you design a life full of wonder. A love for nature. And desire to embrace all facets of yourself. You are welcome to approach it with an open mind.

Start with the first chapter, if you will. For it will answer some of the most common questions about Wiccans. Such as what is a witch? Or, why is magick spelled with a k? Or even the controversial question: Do Wiccans worship the Devil? Learn of the history of Wicca and how it came to be what it is now.

Once you are satisfied, you have the rest of the eight chapters to explore to your heart’s desire. Learn of the belief system of the Wiccans. Find out whether you should join a coven or be a solitaire. Assemble your own collection of magickal tools. Learn how to perform a ritual, read auras, and help heal a sick loved one. Know how Wiccans use herbs. Understand the basics of spellcraft... And so much more.

Enjoy this journey through Wicca. Whether you really are a beginner, or an old witch who wants to rekindle the flame, this book is for you.

Thank you and I hope you enjoy this book. If you’d like to support the work of independent authors, the only thing I ask is if you could please leave a review after reading.

Chapter 1: Welcome to the world of Wicca

At heart we are all powerful, beautiful, and capable of changing the world with our bare hands. – Dianne Sylvan

What is a witch?

Ask some passers-by and they would describe a strange lady who brews love potions and casts hexes. Or a scary hag who rides broomsticks and eats children for breakfast. Or maybe a young boy who receives a mysterious letter from a magical school.

Despite these stereotypes, it is hard to blame an ordinary person who thinks of them this way. After all, these are usually how witches are portrayed in pop culture.

The word witch was derived from wicce, an Old English term for both a male and female witch. Nowadays, the word witch may refer to both male and female practitioners of magick. And contrary to popular belief, a warlock is not a male witch. Rather, he is someone who failed to keep an oath and has been cast out of the Wiccan community.

Be that as it may, witches are real. They are not all evil, and they are not all strange and dark. In fact, witchcraft is in the Wiccan sense is all about spirituality. It is about communing with nature and connecting with the magickal self.

What exactly is Wicca?

In the simplest sense, Wicca is now understood as a polytheistic Earth-based religion. Many witches practice it, but not all of them do. Moreover, many people practice it but not all of them are witches.

Interestingly, an increasing number of people in the western world have gained interest in the Wiccan religion. Wicca welcomes anyone regardless of their background. It may be due more to the foundational beliefs and practices of Wicca that make it so attractive to the modern-day person. After all, it teaches us to channel our energy to heal and protect ourselves, the people we love, and the nature we live in.

Hopefully this does not lead you to misconceptions. One of which is that becoming a Wiccan will enable you to become supernatural. Or that it is only meant for special people with super powers. No, that is not Wiccan at all.

Wiccans aim to live in harmony with Nature. They do not have to become witches – practice magick – to show reverence to Nature and to live in the now.

That said, Wiccans do not believe in the idea of humans having an original sin. This refers to the sin inherited by the descendants of Adam. Along with Eve, he is believed to have eaten the forbidden fruit. And as a result, was cursed by the Christian God.

Instead, Wiccans believe that life here on Earth is meant to pursue knowledge. It is also meant to understand both painful and pleasurable experiences. Wiccans concentrate on what it means to be a part of this Earth. They do not think that they are here just to wait for death and the hereafter reward or punishment.

Wiccans take full responsibility for their actions as well. For they believe that they would have to pay for any negative acts they made – regardless of whether they are intentional or the result of carelessness. This is not simply because the universe is punishing them. Rather, they believe that whatever energy they release into this world will return to them threefold.

Thus, releasing positive energies will enable you to receive thrice the positive energies. The same thing goes for letting loose negative energies into the universe.

Wiccan witches are not either the Wicked or the Wise and Kind. Instead, they aim to use magick to do good. A Wiccan witch should never wish harm or suffering on anyone no matter who it is. Even if is their worst enemy. Or themselves.

On the contrary, Wicca acknowledges that we all have natural abilities. It allows you to discover yourself and your hidden talents and abilities. There is no need for you to wield an elaborate wand to tap into this energy.

Why is magick spelled with a k, anyway?

Of course, you may have noticed that magick is spelled with a k. This is to make sure the dear reader does not associate it with magic. That is to say, images of a magician with his rabbit and hat. Or card tricks and disappearing assistants. Magick is the term used to refer to the witches’ way of practicing Wicca.

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Do Wiccan Witches worship the Devil?

This is arguably the most common misconception about witches: that they are worshippers of Satan.

Satan is an entity in the Judeo-Christian belief that is considered the adversary of God. He is understood to be the evil, conniving, and deceiving master of Hell. He is often referred to as the Devil.

Actually, the idea that Wiccans are worshippers of the Devil came from Christian leaders. They wished their followers to believe that anything that does not share the same belief as them is anti-Christian. It falls into one logical fallacy. That if one does not believe in Christianity, then that person is a believer of its opposite: Anti-Christianity, or Satan.

However, witches in Wicca do not believe that such an entity exists. Neither do they believe that negativity is some external force caused by such an entity. Rather, they perceive evil as negative energy. And this translates itself into harmful, destructive behavior. Evilness is often incited by beings out of their own personal desires, not because an entity told them to do so.

Now, it is almost certain that you have more questions than ever about Wicca at this point. Well, maybe you will find more answers if you go on a condensed journey of the rich history of this faith.

The History of Wicca

Here we create the space to delve deep, albeit briefly, into the history of Wicca. But before we start, here is a question: Have you ever heard of the Salem Witch Trials?

If you have, then you may have an idea of the atrocities the witches of old went through. Not only that, but during these dark times many innocent people were also dragged into the mess and murdered by hysterics.

So many women and men, both Wiccan and not, were condemned for witchcraft and then exposed to a painful torture and death. Due to the malice and fear of others, they endured pain and suffering.

Prior to this pandemonium, however, the ancient Wiccans practiced their beliefs in peace and harmony. Back then, believing in the spirit of nature was not uncommon. In fact, many ancient dwellers of modern day Europe, including the Romans and the Greeks, believed in many gods and goddesses.

Evidences of such beliefs are in the form of ancient statues. One of which is the famous prehistoric figure is the Venus of Willendorf. She seems to be the symbol of female fertility and women’s power to give birth to life. Another evidence is the prehistoric cave paintings. Some of these were of humans performing rituals, such as dances and the wearing of animal skins.

That said, rituals have been a part of human history since the dawn of time. Of course, as humans continued to practice these rituals they also tend to add even more to the procedure. As a result, certain rituals become increasingly complex. And leading these rituals is what most people call the shaman.

As the leader of a particular ritual or ceremony, the shaman is given immense power. So much so that their followers believe them to be the mediation between the human and the spiritual world. Shamans would fast or go into deep trances in order to depart the world of the visible and enter the world of the spirits. During these sacred moments, their followers would perform such rituals as dancing around a fire, chanting, and so on.

The Druids

One of the most well-known records of ancient shamans can be found in the Celtic culture of West and Central Europe. Scholars believe that in 350 B.C.E. the Celts were able to establish their highest level of their shamans. They were called the Druids and they were believed to be highly knowledgeable about the spiritual world. The Druids were able to manifest their knowledge and power through healing, astrology, midwifery, law, the seasons, the weather, and even prophecy.

The influence of the Celtic Druids on Wicca is so strong that many Wiccans believe the roots of their practice can be traced back to these ancient people. Unfortunately, the history of the Druids eventually lead to a dark fate, especially with the rise of Christianity.

The Rise of Christianity

It was in the year 371 when the Roman Empire declared Christianity to be their official state religion. Its soldiers enforced the Roman interpretation of Christianity across the land. People who chose to continue their old beliefs or who refused to believe in the Christian God were called pagans. In the eyes of the Roman Empire, pagans were blasphemous and it meant they were to be slaughtered. The Celtic Druids were no exception.

One of the most powerful leaders of the Christian leaders at the time was Pope Gregory the First. Called Pope Gregory the Great by the church’s followers, he was the one who commanded the destruction of pagan temples and have the Christian churches be built to replace them.

According to him, the newly baptized people who were once pagans would still gather in the same sites. However, they would now be worshipping the Christian God instead of the ancient deities. And instead of the shamans or Druids leading them in rituals, it would be the Christian priests.

Because of this, many Christians from all over the world practice a hodgepodge of the Christian beliefs and rituals and remnants of their old beliefs. After the death of Pope Gregory the Great, this became a problem of the Catholic Church. For, despite their growing power, they noticed that there were many different kinds of Christianity due to the blending of faiths.

To ensure that the churches in their wing do not stray from their practices, they would send out inquisitors. And if these appointed men would catch Christians whose practices and beliefs were different from those of the church, the result would be imprisonment or even death.

The Burning Times

Here is a caveat before moving on to what may be considered as the darkest period of Wiccan history. The following retelling should in no way foster any negative energy on your end, especially towards other religions.

While terrible deeds were done by some of its followers, it does not mean you should let these negativities affect your present and future. If you are not quite ready yet to read anything that could anger you or cause you pain, it is best to look over this part. Of course, you may always come back when you are ready.

Now, despite the history of the church containing dark and often violent periods, a growing number of people continued to let go of their old faith and become Christians. Witchcraft was associated with the Devil. And witches, or those who continued to uphold the knowledge and rituals of the old Druids, suddenly faced great danger. For they were not only branded as heretics, but were considered evil and thus a threat to society.

The condemning of witches grew significantly stronger in 1484 when the pope of the time, Pope Innocent VIII, wrote a letter about witches. This letter was published and spread throughout the Christian parts of the world with the help of the newly invented printer.

The letter mentioned that the church’s followers are too lenient on the witches. In fact, he stated that Christians should strongly support his inquisitors to locate the witches. Anyone who tries to protect a witch is against God and should therefore be convicted as well.

Soon after this letter fell into the hands of the Christian world, many devout believers began calling themselves witch hunters. Two of them, German monks named Heinrich Kramer and Jakob Sprenger, published a manual for witch hunters in 1486. They called it the Malleus Malleficarum, which translates to the Witches’ Hammer.

The Malleus Malleficarum begins with the Papal Bull (Pope Innocent VIII’s letter) as its introduction. It then contained three parts: the first part explains the threat witches have in society, and how disbelief in witches is considered as heresy. The second part provides a taxonomy of witches and how their evil ways can be defeated. In the third part, the two authors describe how a person can be legally tried and convicted of witchcraft. These include tests that would lead a witch to confession.

This manual and the Pope’s letter led to the persecution and death of so many people all over Europe. Most of those who were condemned were women, because the witch hunters believed they were more likely to be seduced by the Devil. Some scholars say that over 50,000 people were killed during this time. The Wiccans of today called this period The Burning Times.

The Witchcraft Act