Expert: Luna - 4/17/2006

Question
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Followup To
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Followup To
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Do you really believe that you can be a Christian and practise witchcraft?
Answer -
Yes, I do believe that a person can be a "Christian Witch". However, a person can not be a "Christian Wiccan". There is the difference. Wicca is a religion that honors the duality of God in the form of a God and Goddess, so of course this would be in contradiction to the Christian belief in one single God. But Witchcraft is a practice, not a faithin and of itself.. To clarify, there are Wiccans who do not practice witchcraft, (i.e., they do not cast spells or make potions). You can look at this in the same way as Christians who do not practice the Rosary. So, you could be a "Christian Witch" or even a "Hindu Witch".

I know, most people would say, 'wait a minute, the Bible clearly states that witchcraft is a sin and against God'. And if you strongly believe in that fact then there is no way to change your opinion. I have listed a couple of websites that can better explain the Bible issue.

The fact is "Christian Witches" is not some new thing. It has been around for as long as Christianity has been here. People converted to Christianity, but they never let go of the 'old ways'. They just combined the two. You see it in Voodoo and Hoodoo. You also see some small parts of it in the Catholic Church with Christian holidays that were actually- and still are- pagan holidays, such as Easter and Christmas.

Here is some really good information if you want to understand how a person can be a Christian and practice witchcraft:

http://www.religioustolerance.org/witchcr5.htm

http://members.aol.com/RawnaMoon/

I do hope this answers your question.

Hello Luna!
Thanks for your response.  Can you explain the core beliefs & pracises of witchcraft to me. I've always understood that Witchcraft and the Wiccan faith are one and the same.

Answer -
Yes, this is the part that confuses most people. The problem stems from the fact that we use the word Witchcraft as a catch-all phrase in the same way that we use the word Pagan. It makes it easier for the mind to accept certain things when we can find a nice little mental file to place it in. Here is a quick overview of the difference between Witchcraft and Wicca.

Witchcraft means the 'craft of the witch'. Witches have the ability to work magic by utilizing personal power in conjunction with the energies of stones, herbs, colors, and other natural objects. Even though it may have spiritual overtones by its very definition, Witchcraft is not a religion. There are no God and Goddess that need to be worshipped. If a witch chooses to include a God or Goddess this is a personal choice.

Wicca is a contemporary Pagan religion with spiritual roots that do date to the earliest expressions of reverence of nature. Wiccans give reverence to the God and Goddess. They have ritual observance of the Full Moon and cast circles when doing rituals. But despite its roots, Wicca is a fairly new faith that has only recently been recognized by the US as a fully legal religion entitled to all the rights therein.  

You will find families that have practiced witchcraft for generations. Many people have passed along such secret information from one generation to the next. This is where we get such things as grimories and book of shadows. But no one can claim to generations of Wiccan beliefs, because Wicca just hasn't been around long enough.

Some people who practice Wicca will use the word witchcraft to describe what they do. It's just easier this way, since most people are going to mentally think of the person as a witch and not a wiccan anyway. Again, witchcraft can be practiced by people of any faith. One can be a Wiccan witch, a Jewish witch, a Christian witch, a Muslim witch, etc.

I hope this helps.

Hi Luna!
I just have a problem with the term 'Christian witch'. I believe this is an oxymoron. The very essence of Christianity teaches that God is the source of all power and wisdom. It is only through Christ, that we can be saved or receive salvation. The whole idea of Christians casting spells as a supplement to their religion is something that is quite foreign to what the Bible teaches.
When a Christian wants something done or prayers aswered he doesn't go to a rock or tree. He doesn't read the stars. He goes directly to God.
To a true practising Christian, looking to anything else else apart from God is idolotry (Idolatry is a form of worship).
What can a rock do for you? What wisdom can a tree tell you? Can the stars tell you the future? I don't think so. A rock is just a mass of sediment that has been created over either thousands of years or through volcanic activity. It can bring no wisdom to the table. Likewise, A tree is merely a product of creation. A star is a huge mass of fusioning gases many light years away from the earth. If it had any intelligence, or sentience I don't even think it would notice little planet earth, much less be interested in our individual lives. There is much wisdom to be learned through the study of nature, because it points to its creator.
Christians worship the Creator not the created.

Answer
I understand and respect your difference of opinion. That is the wonderful thing about being human. We have the capacity to a agree or disagree with others and still go about our daily lives. There is no right or wrong answer to the original question that you asked me. Because it is a question of faith each individual will view and answer the question through their own spiritual and religious filters.