how long has witchcraft been around?

Answer 1

As long as religions have been burning people they fear.

Answer 2

As long as the oldest historic documents have been around, they have shown witchcraft. An if you practice study or read about Wicca, you would know we have been here from the beginning from time. We are not a religion that is based on things we stole like from other religions. I have read every book I can find about Wicca and witchcraft. I have been a student of Wicca for more than 20 years. I was brought up that GOD was the all mighty. Then I discovered there was so much more out there. People shun us thinking we are evil, and worship the devil. If Christians did any research into their religion they would know that a lot of the holidays they claim to be theirs are all based on Wiccan and pagan HOLIDAYS. We were here before the Christians and we will be here after. Wicca is not just a belief it way of life, my life the way I live and have raised my children to believe as well.

Most of my life I have been a advocate for what I have read about Wicca and have try to impart knowledge to the best of my ability to those who have asked about this religion that I practice. I will never stop learning about this wonderful religion called Wicca. As a student of life I cannot nor will I allow myself to stop learning, the more knowledge I gain the happier I am about life an way I live.

Answer 3

Witchcraft, in essence, has been around since man began to realize that there is something more than just being. Not as witchcraft, I believe that term only goes back mere centuries whereas the practice of magick goes back to pre-historic times, before written language. Wicca only goes back a few decades and claims a basis in the old religion. Not all witches are Wiccan. Many people confuse the terms. There are probably more denominations of witches than there are denominations of Christians and they are just as varied. Some focusing mainly on ritual and worship, others on the more esoteric areas. Some on divination, others are purely environmental. Some on herbal and gemstone magick. And of course the multitude of combinations of worship, ritual and many types of magick.
A simple answer is that some form of witchcraft (under whatever name you want to give it) has been around since man discovered that there is more to life than just existing.

Answer 4

There is a lot of blending of information and I am shocked that so few people understand the difference between Wicca and Witchcraft. Wicca's history dates back to late 40's early 50's and was given to us by Gerald Gardner.

Witchcraft goes back through history to before Christianity with many types of magick practiced. The early Egyptians practiced it and some form of it has spread throughout the world.

Answer 5

shamanism is the oldest belief system and predates polytheistic and monotheistic religions which are more abstract in nature and therefore not easy to achieve without language and culture. Indications of shamanism go back to over 40.000 bc., polytheistic religions 12.000 to 5.000 bc depending on the region. The first monotheistic religions the worship of Atun in Egypt about 1900 bc and the Zoroastian fire worship about 1200 bc. Many hundereds year later judaism also postuated a single creator who had no need for a pantheon, but unlike atun and I believe the name was ahura mazda for the zoroastrians who stood alone the judaic Creator had angels paraleling the polytheistic lesser gods in all but name. The magic of the polytheistic egyptians people of mesopatamia and indus valley is well known. Celts date back to at least 600 bc. So depending on your definition of witchcraft pick your answer.

Answer 6

Witchcraft or Wicca?

Witchcraft as a name for folk practices, about 80 years.
(Most of those folk practices are maximum 1000 years old)
Wicca, the religion, about 60.


PS: There were no ancient goddess cultures.

Answer 7

What we call witchcraft today has only been around since the early 60's. It stems from England. Two men started two separate nudist colonies. Gardener and Alexander. Two branches of witchcraft. All current forms of wicca and witchcraft stem from them. Buckland and Cunningham picked bits from them and formed their own styles.

Past persecution of those called witches were actually Christian. You can compare the timelines of Protestant Reformation and the Burning Times. They match up. Protestants were burning Catholics.

To this day many of them still call us witches and sorcerers.

Many saints of history were knowledgable about herbs and natural remedies. Many saints had visions and saw the future. Many pious religious women barely escaped being burned as witches because they had the charism of Knowledge.

PS: My dear people, the ancient practice you all mention, and the goddess worship - is not witchcraft. It is sorcery. It involved human sacrifice. Often infant sacrifices. Goddess worship of ancient times was centered around the exploitation of women. Not honoring them.

Today's feminist wiccans would have kicked serious butt back then.

Today's witchcraft and wicca has absolutely NO resemblance to that at all. It is all very innocent. Well, except for those who take it to a dark place. But we have Christians who would also take God to a dark place. So we'll have NO pointing fingers!

Answer 8

a lot of people don't realize that the term "witchcraft" is a generalization of a number of things. Sorcery, idolatry,magic,etc. are considered witchcraft according to the Bible. Witchcraft originated in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve put their selfish desires ahead of God.

Answer 9

What we now call "witchcraft" has been around since the beginning of mankind...magick and the worship of the Natural World can be proven back into the Neolithic age.

Blessings,

Answer 10

it been there a long time but not as long as hinduism or vedic religion is the oldest religion in the whole human race it is old as 1.7 million years this is a bridge by god's incarnation that is created 1.7 million years ago click on this website
http://www.rense.com/general30/nasa.htm
for more info and pictures

Answer 11

A form of it has been around since early man.