The Superstitions of Witchcraft
By
In today’s
era, people are becoming interested in the mysteries surrounding the occult
because of the new studies in meditation and metaphysics. Through this, many of
the fallacies made against witches and witchcraft over the centuries are being
questioned. Virtually all of these misleading notions were invented by
Christian authorities in order to force witches into converting. Now, many
modern witches, such as those of the Silver Serpent Coven of Midwest City,
Oklahoma, are stepping out of the “broom closet” to explain the true meaning of
witchcraft. These brave witches first discuss the misconceptions of the Craft,
how these false impressions came about, and then enlighten people with the
truth.
People all over the world have grown up cowering
under the false representation of the witch. Belinda Smith, High Priestess to
the Silver Serpent Coven, and known as Becca to her coven kin, presents a
description of what most people think of when they hear the word “witch”:
“Parents were telling… how hideous she looked with her green skin (she was sick
form being held in confinement), her clawed hands (from her fingers being
broken and then healing in unnatural positions), her long stringy hair (from
falling out due to malnutrition), and her hunched back (from being tortured).”
This common image is exemplified by the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz (Stein 8). It
is the typical idea of a witch most people have in mind. Society also tends to
believe that witchcraft is the archetype of evil. “Wicca is a modern religion
that draws upon satanic occult rituals and ceremonies, including blood
offerings and human sacrifice” (Roleff 29). Over
centuries of erroneous beliefs, the terms “witchcraft” and “devil-worship”
became synonymous. The established work of 1484 titled Malleus Malificarum,
or “The Witch’s Hammer”, was a guide that piloted society into the Burning
Times (Cabot 62). This piece of literature, commissioned by Pope Innocent VIII,
justified the torture and execution of accused witches. Malleus Malificarum provided
the greatest amount of the perceived wickedness of all witches, claiming that
they participated in night rides with Satan, performed human and animal
sacrifices, and seduced men into sinful activities.
How were these fallacies spread into a generally
accepted belief by society? “The simple answer, fear,” says Cyrus Smith, also
known as Cian, the High Priest of the Silver Serpent Coven. “Humanity fears
that which they cannot understand, comprehend, explain, or control.” This idea
is widely supported by the community of witches. To side with their fear of the
unknown, the Christian church also felt compelled to eliminate all pagan practices
that undermined the belief of there being only one God. “The church’s
frustration over this led it to destroy sacred trees and groves, pollute
healing wells and springs, and build their own churches and cathedrals on
ancient power spots where people had communed with spirits and deities since
Neolithic times” (Cabot 64). In other words, the church attempted to force
everyone into conversion. To go against the church’s beliefs was to go against
the Christian God, and that could only mean to side with the devil.
“Missionaries were particularly prone to label all primitive tribes upon whom
they stumbled as devil-worshippers, just because the tribe worshipped a god or
gods other than the Christian one. It would not matter that the people were
good, happy, often morally and ethically better living than the vast majority
of Christians… they had to be converted” (Buckland 5). This author’s words
mirror these of Cian’s that misconceptions about
another’s beliefs are provided by “anyone whose ideas blind them to the
possibility that their religious doctrine or personal beliefs might not be the
only true answer to life’s questions.” The Horned God, worshipped in the Old
Religion as a high power, was turned into the diabolical Satan of Christianity
in order to discourage witches from practicing their beliefs (Cabot 65).
Debbie, known as Eleyna to the Silver Serpent Coven, states, “I believe that
the government found Christianity as a way to control society, and making all
other religions and beliefs the enemy was the only way they could keep that
control.” Christians and others of close-minded religions are simply alienated
to the fact that there could be something other than the Christian God as a
divine source. These false impressions of witchcraft are derived from ignorance
and intolerance more than anything else.
The truth of the Craft is being shared more
freely today now that fear of persecution has dwindled in light of the recent
interests in metaphysics. Many of the members of the Silver Serpent Coven proclaim
that they have walked the path of the witch all their lives without ever truly
realizing it. “I was raised in a religion with no name – Mom called it the
religion of the great outdoors,” says Madge, better known as Brandwin to her coven kin. David expresses a dislike
towards the idea of other religions using fear of damnation as control. The
plain truth is that “the Devil is a purely Christian invention; there being no
mention of him, as such, before the New Testament” (Buckland 5). Silver Serpent
Coven members will agree. “We all hold a balance of good and bad within us.
Deity is the same… a balance of good and bad,” Becca explains. “To believe in
evil is to give it power,” adds Sabrina, known as Arafel
to the coven. Modern witches constantly reiterate that the Craft has no
relation whatsoever to the Devil of Christianity – that is the greatest
misconception of all. “Anthropologists say witchcraft has a small but growing
following” (Stein 84). Witches will agree. Many still practice in secret, and
so it is impossible to tell how many modern witches there are in the world.
However, people discover the Craft and begin to follow its path everyday. “When
I realized there was no closer Divinity than that of Nature and that I felt a
kinship and a calling to the Goddess, I became a Pagan Witch,” reveals Stormy.
This is how people come to feel about their faith, whether they are Christian
or pagan doesn’t matter. Christians today are also overcoming the ridiculous
myths of witches, but very slowly. “Those hideous misconceptions have survived
the centuries and only now are they starting to be addressed and slowly… ever
so slowly reversed,” states Becca. Some witches, admittedly, are fearful of
coming out of the “broom closet” because the Burning Times could happen again
(Cabot 57). “My hope is that when real people hear the truth, they will
recognize the lies for what they are” (Cabot 57). Hopefully Laurie Cabot is
right.
The Silver Serpent Coven stands as a prime
example of who witches really are and what witchcraft truly means. Their motto,
“There is a difference between knowing the path… and walking the path,” can sum
up the reality about witches easily. Christians and other close-minded people
may believe that they “know the path”, and they think the path leads to the
Devil and to Hell. However, those who “walk the path” know its true nature, and
thus they understand the actual reputation of the Craft. One cannot truly
understand the path until one has treaded upon it. People following the ways of
the witch believe in gods and goddesses that have their own humanlike
dualities. They do not believe in Satan. For witches, a great deal of
spirituality is drawn from nature. Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and Spirit are the
elements of life, represented in the five points of a pentacle. Circles are
sacred because they are never-ending, just as the soul is reincarnated from
life to life. The highest law is called the Rede, and
it is stated thus, “And it harm none, do what you
will.” And covens, like this one, live in perfect love and perfect trust.
Works Cited
Beasley, “Stormy”. Electronic interview.
20 November 2005.
Buckland, Raymond. Buckland’s
Complete Book of Witchcraft.
Cabot, Laurie. Power of the
Witch.
Howard, Sabrina “Arafel”.
Electronic interview. 20 November 2005.
Isbill, Madge “Brandwin”. Electronic interview. 20 November 2005.
Phennegar, David. Electronic interview.
20 November 2005.
Roleff, Tamara L. Black Magic and Witches: Fact or
Fiction?
Smith, Belinda “Becca”. Electronic
interview. 20 November 2005.
Smith, Cyrus “Cian”. Electronic
interview. 20 November 2005.
Stein, Wendy. Witches.
Wilson, Debbie “Eleyna”. Electronic
interview. 20 November 2005.
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