What are differences between the original witchcraft and Wicca?

Question

I've read that Wicca is like the rebirth of Witchcraft, what is the main diffrence between the two?

Answer 1

Wicca is an organized religion loosely based on historic witchcraft, it was founded in the 1950's by Gerald Gardner.
Witchcraft is not a religion, it is a practice, an umbrella description of many different sects. "Original witchcraft" would have consisted of herbalists, healers, midwives, dousers, seers. anything considered to be something that uses an understanding of nature. I call myself a Hedge Witch because most people would not have a clue if I said I was a Pict (which is more accurate because I am a Pecti-Witan). I am a practitioner of "The Old Religion" which predates Christianity.
And again, not all witches are Wiccan, though the words are often interchanged (and it really does not bother me). I have been practicing for over 40 years in this life, and I believe this is not my first life as a "witch".
BB
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Answer 2

"Wicca" is an 'emerging religion', one of a number of new belief systems that have arisen around the world to fulfill various spiritual needs. Whilst Gerald Gardner certainly popularised it in the 1940s and 50s, it's probable that he encountered a pre-existing group that had formed in the early 1930s.

Witchcraft is the term usually used to denote a form of sympathetic magic that existed before Christianity and persisted despite attempts of the Christian church and other organisations to suppress it. Witchcraft doesn't normally denote a religion, but rather a technique.

So some Wiccans practice withcraft but others don't, and in the same way not all witches are Wiccan.

Whilst many people would like it to be true, there's absolutely no evidence that Wicca emerged from a traditional form of 'witchcraft' and a great deal of evidence that it did not (although it was certainly inspired by some of the folklore).

blessings
ffetcher

Answer 3

Witchcraft is a Pagan religion that has been around since Paleolithic times. Wicca was invented in the 1940's by Gerald Gardner. It is actually based largely on Golden Dawn, Freemasonry, and the writings of Aleister Crowley. Wicca is, in a way, a reconstruction of the fragmentary beliefs of Gardner's coven. But there are many types of witchcraft, and many different way of practicing it.

Wicca and Witchcraft should not be used interchangeably since not all witches are wiccan. Conversely, not all wiccans like to be called witches because many wiccans do not practice magick.

Answer 4

When Wicca emerged in the 50s, it claimed to be the modern remnant of any ancient witch-cult. The theory of the witch-cult was largely popularized by Margaret Murray but has since been discreditted. There was no witch-cult. There's never been a witch-cult.

There were people who practiced magic, but they didn't generally call themselves witches, and they didn't follow a pagan religion: they were Christians. The magical practice was just that, a magical practice, while Wicca is a religion. There's actually relatively little connection between the two, but there's lots of pseudo-history still floating around out there saying otherwise.

Answer 5

to all you obvious christians who posted answers belittling the faith of wiccans and witches...... grow up.

Of course witchcraft and magic work. Otherwise why have Christians spent the last 2000 years trying to wipe it out??? haven't succeeded yet have you ha ha ha !

Cant you stand the competition??????? Worried we might actually be right????

To answer the question, Witchcraft has been around since humans. Wicca is the invention of Gerrald Gardiner who took some of his influences from witchcraft.

Answer 6

Wicca was created this century based loosely on Golden Dawn material in other inventions. "Original Witchcraft" only exists in the imagination. Anyone that says differently only knows what they want to know. It was Margaret Murray in the 1960's that tried to make a connection between Wicca and pre-Christian fertility cults. Her works ("God of the Witches", and "Witch Cult in Eastern Europe") are considered by anthropologist to be on par with Erich von Däniken's "Chariots of the Gods" or Zachariah Sitchen's "The Earth Chronicles". She willingly created evidence where there was none, and ignored any evidence to the contrary. Her views are not respected in the scientific community at all.

Answer 7

Wicca was created in the 1960's compared to Paganism which is predating Christianity.

Answer 8

Original witchcraft was basically a pre-Christian practice, which continued into the Christian era and incorporated elements of Christian mysticism. There's no single tradition, it's just a term for everything vaguely mystical in medieval Europe which wasn't Judeo-Christianity.

Wicca is much newer. It was invented in the last century, and whilst it takes inspiration from witchcraft, it's not the same.

By the way, neither of them work.

Answer 9

Wicca was started/invented by Gerald Gardner.

Witchcraft was the heathen/pagan.

Answer 10

Wicca is now the in-word for witch. Bit odd that as wicca is the old English word for basket-case.