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Wiccans, Withces & Pagans

The explanations given below are but one of many used when it comes to defining Wiccans, Witches and Pagans. I do not know who authored these definitions but I feel they convey a fairly accurate description of Wiccans, Witches and Pagans. If you know who penned these explanations please let me know so I may give credit where due. When the term "Pagan" is used with a capatilized "P" it denotes modern day practitioners and when it is used without a capital "p" it is refering to ancient peoples.

Language is a powerful tool. The application of words is one of the clearest ways in which we can identify ourselves. When definitions become blurred, meanings and identity become unclear. When someone identifies himself as a Christian or a Jew the average person has a general idea what he means. If he identifies himself as a Catholic the average person knows he is Christian and probably some of the things that define a Catholic from other Christians. But what is a Wiccan, and how do they compare to Witches? There's a saying about if you ask 100 Wiccans, you'll get 100 different answers. Pluralism is good, but only to a point. If one cannot clearly define himself, then he cannot possibly expect others to understand.

Wicca
Like every religion, Wicca has a few core beliefs and a whole lot of trimming. For the moment, forget the tools and traditions and everything else, because these can vary from group to group and person to person. The core beliefs of Wicca are comprised of the following:
1) A belief in deity. Generally this involves both a God and a Goddess, and often these two forms manifest in multiple incarnations i.e. a pantheon of gods and goddesses. An atheist cannot be a Wiccan, although he can be a Witch (see below).
2) Belief in the Wiccan Rede.
3) Belief in the Law of Return.
4) An understanding of nature and a desire to connect with it.
5) A belief in the existence of magic, although they may not practice it.

Witchcraft
About twenty year ago the terms Wicca and Witchcraft were used interchangeably. That, however, is changing, mostly on the part of those who wish to be only Witches, but not Wiccans. Some of them simply find Wicca too cerebral - gods, shods, show me some magic! But many others have become embarrassed by the Fluffy Bunnies they associate with Wicca. One Witch explained to me that the only difference between her and a Wiccan was that she did not believe in the Wiccan Rede - namely, she believed that there shouldn't be a rule against self-defense, even if she harmed her attacker in the process. (read up on the Wiccan Rede and see why this argument isn't actually applicable.)

The essential element of Witchcraft is the belief and practice of magic. Witches may or many not be religious. There can even be such a thing as a Christian Witch - one who believes in a single omnipotent God but who can still draw energy from the earth (which he may believe is an extension of God) and does not believe that energy is evil. And yes, there are Satanic Witches as well, and they have as much right to the word as the next person.

A subset of Witches is the Hereditary Witch. Theoretically, this practitioner of magic has had his knowledge passed down to him through many generations of his family. I have serious doubts that such people actually exist. If they do, they certainly aren't anywhere near as numerous as they claim. Ten years ago these people were all claiming to be Hereditary Wiccans, secretly keeping the old pagan religions alive through centuries of persecution. Since the myth of the Burning Times is no longer accepted as credible, the pagan overtones have been muted and the focus has shifted toward magical practice.

There is also the Traditional Witch. This is not to be confused with Traditional Wicca or British Traditional, both of which refer to a number of Wiccan traditions such has the Gardnerians and the Alexandrians. The Traditional Witch is similar to the Hereditary Witch, except they do not claim to have had the knowledge passed down through their families. They do not believe one is born into Witchcraft but instead is something to be learned over years. It's generally claimed to be initiatory - you can't learn it from a book. They reject many of the High Magic elements of Wicca. However, they do claim to be practicing something passed down for hundreds or thousands of years. Some of them get very uppity when a Wiccan calls himself a Witch - as if the Traditionals have some sort of copyright on the word.

The problem with the very term "Witch" is it perpetuates the "more persecuted than thou" syndrome. They take a term which has very negative connotations, then get offended when other people do not agree with their new definition. The counter-argument is that "witch" was not always a derogatory term, but I've yet to see any actual evidence of that claim. Regardless, it's an incendiary term. It's like wearing a swastika and insisting to outraged viewers that you're wearing an ancient Aryan religious symbol as opposed to a Nazi emblem. Oh, and then blaming the viewers for not being open-minded.

Paganism
Pagans are a much more broadly defined set of people, generally defined as followers of a nature-revering religion. All Wiccans are Pagans, but there are many other types of Pagans as well. Unfortunately, this is another term that we have redefined for our own uses. The common definition of a pagan is a worshipper of a non-Judeo-Christian religion. That would include such people as Buddhists and Hindus, who generally won't have a clue what you're talking about when you speak of Pagan religions in the sense that we use it.

More importantly, however, it's a definition based on a negative, on what I am not. Religion should be defined by what you are and what you believe, not what you are not and what you don't believe: something more Wiccans need to understand.

Some people prefer the term Neo-pagan, implying the very truthful assertion that we are following modern religions based on older religions, as opposed to following the original religions.

Ceremonial Magicians
Ceremonial magicians practice high magic - alchemy, numerology, astrology, etc. The magic they practice are highly complex and lengthy workings. In earlier centuries they enjoyed high positions in royal courts. It was a magical practice, but not a religion. Ceremonial magicians were Christians. Angels remain important figures within ceremonial magic.

Ceremonial magicians perhaps best fit the stereotype of "occultists." They include the O.T.O., Hermetics, Thelemites, and the Golden Dawn. Possibly the most famous modern ceremonial magician was Aleister Crowley, whom Gerald Gardner had at least met, but there were a host of others. Much of the trappings of ceremonial magic can also be found in the rituals of the Masons, of which Gardner was one. Many of these same trappings found their way into Wicca, although their meanings have frequently been changed. Some followers of Thelema consider it a religion, others see it as a philosophy. Regardless, the origins of their beliefs are tremendously different from that of Pagans.