Why do people keep confusing witchcraft with wicca?

Answer 1

Because they are ignorant. They are too lazy to learn about something before they start retardedly criticizing it.

Answer 2

Probably because the terms were used synonomously by prominent authors 25 years ago, but have taken on seperate meanings in the modern age of Neo-Paganism.

For example, look at Janet & Stewart Farrar's book "A Witch's Bible" which was written in the late 1970's. The title implies that it's a book about witchcraft...casting spells, and the like. But instead, it's really a book about religion, focusing instead on rituals for the sabbats, initiation rituals, marriage rites, and the like. There's very little actual spellcraft in there.

The language used by Neo-Pagans has clearly changed over the years. As a general rule, Wicca now refers to the religion decended from Gerald Gardener's writings whereas witchcraft refers to the casting of spells. But because the terms were used interchangeably a generation ago, their synonomous use persists amongst a minority within the Pagan community. In fact, some are even stubbornly resist the change, as evidenced by a recent article on Witchvox insisting that Wicca and Witchcraft are one and the same, namely because that's what the author learned 30 years ago and she has no intention of changing with the times.

And since we witches, Wiccans, and other Pagans still sometimes use the two terms interchangeably, it's no wonder that non-pratitioners would confuse the two even more.

Answer 3

That's a really good question.

People seem to think that just because people claim that they are witches, those people obviously belong to the Wicca religion, & that's not necessarily so, especially since Wicca is only less than a century old, & Witchcraft has been around for millenia.

The truth is, Wicca is **NOT** the only religion that practices witchcraft. Both Voodoo & Santeria are also witchcraft religions also, as are a couple of others.

BTW, I am not a witch myself. I just happen to find the topic of world religions to be fascinating, that's why I know all this.

Answer 4

Maybe because they've never taken the time to actually look things up. Witchcraft is a skill, Wicca is a religion. As you know, a Wiccan may/may not practice witchcraft. And a witch may or may not be religious. It doesn't help that there are unscrupulous authors who intentionally blur the definitions between the two. Proves that when in doubt, it pays to make the effort to pick up a dictionary. Still, it was surprising how many answers here were from grossly misinformed people.

Answer 5

people confuse witchcraft and wicca because some wiccans consider themselves witches, but that's not in every case. some people are too entrenched in their own beliefs to bother opening up their eyes to learn about other religions. wicca is a new religion, tracing it's earliest origions to the 1920's at best. many people agree that it was founded in the 1950's by gerald gardner. witchcraft itself dates back thousands of years and applies to several different religions.

taken from wikipedia:

Not all Witches (people who practice witchcraft) consider themselves Wiccan or Neopagan, and vice versa.

wicca: Wicca is a Neopagan religion and a religious movement found in many different countries, though most commonly in English-speaking cultures. It was first publicised in 1954 by a British civil servant named Gerald Gardner[1] after the British Witchcraft Act was repealed. He claimed that the religion, of which he was an initiate, was a modern survival of an old witch cult, which had existed in secret for hundreds of years, originating in the pre-Christian Paganism of Europe. Wicca is thus sometimes referred to as the Old Religion. The veracity of Gardner's claims cannot be independently proven, and it is thought that Wiccan theology began to be compiled no earlier than the 1920s.

Answer 6

well what really is witchcraft? And what really is Wicca? Wicca is more living off the land and using spells to appease the land. Witchcraft is more using spells for your own good. A lot of people dont know the difference, they just hear spells and think witches. It boils down to ignorance.

Take CarolM for instance, she says they both worship Satan. There is a prime example of ignorance. In neither witchcraft or Wicca does it say anything about Satan. Only in the Bible and the Necronomican does it mention Satan. I feel sorry for these closed minded people. You dont have to change your religion just to read a book!

Answer 7

Because popular culture often interchanges the two terms, leading people to believe that they are the same thing. Unfortunately most people don't realize that not all Wiccans are witches, and certainly not all witches are Wiccan. Witchcraft is the use of magick to effect changes. Wicca is a religion.

Answer 8

Because people are dumb.

From http://www.religioustolerance.org/wic_sata.htm

Wiccans worship a Goddess and her consort, a God.
They do not recognize Satan or any other all-evil supernatural entity.
Their prime symbol is the exact opposite to the symbol used by Satanists. It is the upright pentagram -- a 5-pointed star with two points downward and one up. Sometimes it is enclosed by a circle to form a pentacle.
Their groups are called covens, not grottos or temples.
Their rule of behavior is called the Wiccan Rede: "An it harm none, do what thou wilt." i.e. do whatever you wish, as long as it harms no one, including yourself. Unlike Satanists, Wiccans are not allowed do dominate, manipulate, control, or harm others.

They believe that they worship neither the Christian God nor the Christian devil. They worship a Goddess and a God. Neither is at all similar to Satan. Wicca, and other forms of Neopaganism, are as different from Satanism as Hinduism is from Christianity.>

Answer 9

Isn't Wicca witchcraft? Are there different types of witchcrafts? Wicca is a witchcraft, but not all witchcrafts are Wicca.

Next time: Provide more detail.

Answer 10

In Webster this is the definitions.

Pronunciation: 'wich-"kraft
Function: noun
1 a : the use of sorcery or magic b : communication with the devil or with a familiar

a religion influenced by pre-Christian beliefs and practices of western Europe that affirms the existence of supernatural power (as magic) and of both male and female deities who inhere in nature and that emphasizes ritual observance of seasonal and life cycles

I guess that people just don't know the true difference.

Answer 11

Because followers of Wicca are called witches.