are they both the same but with different names?
2007-10-23 06:59:59 · 24 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Mythology & Folklore
There is a HUGE difference between a witch and a Wiccan.
Wicca is a religion.
Witchcraft is a practice.
Many Wiccans practice witchcraft, but some do not.
Many witches practice witchcraft in connection with their religion--no matter what it is--some practice with no reference to their religion at all.
Witchcraft is the practice of manipulating energy to bring desired results through sympathetic magic, natural magic, and incantations and charms.
Wicca and witchcraft are distinct from each other, though a person can participate in both.
Wicca is a system of utilizing pagan deities for worship. Witchcraft, historically, has been very localized to the particular region of the world in which the witch lives. For example, a witch in the African jungle would practice his or her craft quite differently from a Cherokee shaman.
2007-10-23 08:15:49 · answer #1 · answered by tempest_twilight2003 3 · 7⤊ 1⤋
A witch practices witchcraft. Witchcraft is a practice that encorperates magic to help achieve thier desires & goals. Magic is an act of Will to effect change. The methods of each witch will vary.
A Wiccan is an initiate into a the mystery religion of Wicca. A Wiccan may be a witch, but not all witches are Wiccan. Because of the preponderance of published work about wicca, there is the belief that you can become a wiccan with out an initiation. They would be for the most part "solitary" and most definately "ecclectic" Traditional Wicca such as BTW requires a period of dedication for at least a year & a day before an initiation of the 1st degree. When the seeker is initiated then they are then considered Wiccan in the trad community.
They are not both the same.
2007-10-23 07:10:30 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 7⤊ 0⤋
A Wiccan is a person who follows the Wicca religion (Earth based) who follow the creed "It harm none, do what ye will". They do not believe in Satan or hell. They follow the cycles of the Earth (seasons) and connect with energies around them. They try to do what is best for the Earth and themselves. The Moon phases are also carefully followed and special energy work is often done at the Full and Dark of the Moon. A witch is a person, but not necessarily a Wiccan.
2007-10-23 11:54:51 · answer #3 · answered by Lori 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
A Witch is someone that harnesses and redirects base energies to cause some change in "reality" based on their will.
A Wiccan is a member of the religion of Wicca - an earth-based religion popularized by Gerald Gardner in the early 1950s. Gardner's practices and writings are said to be based on the practices of a much-older, hidden tradition - and while I will not dispute the validity of that claim, it is worth noting that some of the things Gardner writes can be easily recognized in other "secret" groups that don't identify themselves as Wiccan.
In my (admittedly limited) experience, most Wiccans are witches. But there are a great number of witches who are not Wiccan.
The terms are often used interchangeably in reference to those who follow the Wiccan path. This practice causes just as much confusion as the interchangeable use of Pagan and Wiccan... but that's a whole other matter.
2007-10-23 08:30:16 · answer #4 · answered by shewolf_magic 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
not necessarily, you can be a witch without being wiccan, it just means that you practice magic and don't observe a deity. You can also be Wiccan without being a witch, this simply means that you observe deities and perform ritual much the same as any religion. You can also be both, and I'm sure you know what that means. But you probably shouldn't assume one way or another what a person refers to him/herself as. Some people will be offended so just ask
2007-10-24 16:56:42 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
A Wiccan follows the religion of Wicca and witches practice witchcraft. Witchcraft is not a religion but a practice, and it isn't a part of any one religion. It can be incorporated into any religion. Wicca is famously compatible with witchcraft, and you may meat many Wiccan witches, but not all Wiccans are witches, and not all witches are Wiccan.
2007-10-24 14:24:55 · answer #6 · answered by Young Wiccan 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
They're the same, yet different.
All wiccans are witches, but not all witches are wiccan. Wiccanism is a branch of paganism. Like someone else said, wiccan is actually fairly new. A new version of an old belief. :)
2007-10-23 07:57:14 · answer #7 · answered by xxamethystnightxx 3 · 3⤊ 1⤋
All Wiccans are witches but not all witches are Wiccan. I know Kemetic witches, Sumerian witches, Druid witches, Celtic witches. Wiccan is a PATH in paganism. Not paganism itself.
2007-10-23 15:02:39 · answer #8 · answered by ~Heathen Princess~ 7 · 3⤊ 1⤋
Wiccans call themselves witches. However Wiccan is a fairly new religion that put together various pagan phylosphies back in the 1960s.
2007-10-23 07:17:56 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 3⤋
I don't know from experience...
wiccans arent like the witches you see on tv, I can tell you that much
2007-10-23 07:02:24 · answer #10 · answered by piratewench 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋