There appears to be a lot of dispute these days as to what exactly is fact, fiction, or opinion regarding the information pertaining to the path of Witchcraft. Arguments are raised regarding every subject imaginable... like the proper way to call quarters, the proper pronunciation of "athame" even the proper way to spell the word "magic" ( Magic, Magick, Majik, or Majick? ). I have to ask myself... why? Why put so much emphasis on such trivial things that are for the most part undocumented & unprovable? Aren't there much more important issues that need that kind of attention?
This is a fact... It's All Conjecture.
Everyone has their particular take on things and chances are, trying to prove them wrong simply will not work. Regardless of how much research you do or what tradition you claim, you will not find a "one & only" true path... only the path that is true to you. No one source of information is without flaw in some way and no one particular way of doing things is absolutely or irrefutably correct. The best you can hope for is to find what resonates with you, follow those ideas, & enjoy life. Everyone's personal path is decided on that individual's adopted and accepted beliefs handed down from someone somewhere. The following is some information that is based on research that we have found to suit our particular path & belief system. We hope that you find this information to be an aid to you in search of your path.
What Exactly Is A Witch?
A Witch is a person that manipulates energy through thought word & deed. Some use all or a combination of the following for that purpose: meditations, spells, stones, oils, herbs, potions, divination tools (such as tarot cards, runes, scrying mirrors, pendulums ect.) and many various ritualistic practices. The Witches of old were known as the midwives, shamans, healers, herbalists, wise-ones, & workers of divination in many different paths & geographical locations.

What Is Wicca?
Wicca is the name of the earth conscious religious structure that began to manifest itself around the early Nineteenth Century mostly rooted in the ideas & practices of the Ancient Ways of Western Europe and abroad. Many authors, teachers & philosophers have perpetuated the evolvement & structure of what is known as the Wiccan Religion. There are many different Traditions within Wicca containing similar belief structures, but with varying ritual practices & guidelines for their particular path.

Can You Be A Witch Without Being Wiccan?
Yes. A Witch can be someone who practices the "art" of Witchcraft without necessarily embracing the Wiccan Religion's theology. For example, some believe it is possible to actually be a "Christian Witch". Many (including our Coven) would disagree because the Christian religious doctrine would clash with many of the practices of the Craft itself, especially taking past history into consideration... but again, that's our opinion. However, the practice of Witchcraft itself is quite eclectic, and is practiced by many walks of life & path selections. It really depends on the individual's outlook & convictions.

What Are The Ancient Ways?
They are pre-Christian era ideas, philosophies, & practices that revere the earth as The Sacred Mother of life. The Sun & Moon are honored for their forces of energy & life giving power. The legends of Goddess & God Deities were passed along for many generations to preserve the wisdom & beliefs of the ancients. Simply put the Pagan lifestyle.

Why Is Witchcraft So Controversial?
To answer this question we must go back to the time when Christianity had just begun. Many false rumors & accusations were directed toward the Pagan people in the early stages of Christianity, mainly to ensure the success of the Christian religion among the people. It began with the invasion of sacred sites & merging Christian holidays with certain pagan holidays in an attempt to make the transition to Christianity more "palatable" to the Pagan folk. However, failure to embrace the "new religion" in many cases resulted in harassment, torture or even death. Tragically thousands of lives were lost as a result of the early Christian crusades.
Now, before any nasty words get thrown around, understand this... what we are discussing now is why in today's society Witchcraft is viewed so controversially. We know that during the period known as "The Burning Times", many people (including some Christians) lost their lives over many different issues (land boundary issues, personal vendettas, jealousy, the list goes on & on). Unfortunately in today's society there exists within our communities an "I'm absolutely right & your absolutely wrong" mode of thinking. This has been carried down from generation to generation from the onset of Christianity denouncing any alternative path to Christianity and proclaiming alternative paths to be "a trick of the Devil". What we are striving for is understanding & acceptance for all paths... Pagan, Christian, and others as well. Even though many have come a long way in their acceptance of diversity, some old habits die hard. A remarkable amount of negative stereotypes & accusations still exist today. So, you may ask "Why then do you continue to label yourselves as witches?" The name is not the problem; it's the negative connotations that have been thrust upon it that cause the problems. It's just another path, our path. We are not ashamed of being Witches. We strive daily to put all the fear & negative publicity behind us, because such rumors are founded on nothing but false information, lies, & paranoia. Witches help the community in ways that many people rarely even think about... recycling, natural resource & wildlife preservation, various environmental issues, & petitioning for religious freedoms for all beliefs just to name a few. We hope that someday instead of being viewed with controversy & fear, our path can be accepted with a new understanding of truth & appreciation.

Are All Witches Female?
No. There have been male witches from the earliest of times, and still are today. And to put the rumor to rest... most male witches would not refer to themselves as "Warlocks". Warlock is a Scottish term derived from the Anglo-Saxon word "waerloga" meaning "oath breaker or traitor". This description is believed to have been used for several reasons. First, it was believed that male Witches were traitors to their gender because Witchcraft was conveniently "perceived" to be practiced predominantly by women. This was an important tool in ousting women from positions of power by the male dominated Christian hiearchy of that time period. It was also believed that the term 'Warlock" was used to describe an individual "believed" to be a Witch who would in turn give up the identities of other proposed 'Witches" to avoid their own prosecution during the time of the inquisitions. Hollywood LOVES to use this term in movies to depict evil-doing males. Click here to check out an interesting article entitled The Forgotten Male Witch.

Do Witches Worship Satan?
No. The fact is, Wiccans, Witches, & Pagans do not even believe in or acknowledge the existence of a "Satan" figure as depicted in Christian belief. That being is a product of Christian religious doctrine and not the practice of Witchcraft.

     Do Witches Practice Black Magick?
   Magick is neither white nor black. It can have a positive effect or negative repercussions & outcomes, depending on the intent of the person practicing it. The practice of magick itself is the use & manipulation of natural forces & psychic energies toward a certain intent. For Witches, this process is practiced & honed over a lifetime.

Do All Witches Belong To A Coven?
Not all do. There are many eclectic Witches who practice solitary (on their own) with their own set of rituals & practices. However, there are many who do belong to a Coven or Group. Belonging to a Group is a great way for the solitary Witch to enjoy the camaraderie of like minded individuals, & receive other points of view toward their studies. If the Witch is looking for a more structured environment, Covens tend to be more close knit than Groups who just gather for the purpose of celebrating Sabbats, Esbats, Festivals, & occasional study.

Do Witches Perform Human Or Animal Sacrifices?
No. We feel that sacrifice of that sort is neither beneficial nor a necessary action toward a positive outcome of a situation. We as Witches concentrate on the protection & preservation of life in all forms, and are opposed to the useless destruction of it.

What do Witches Wear?
  On a day to day basis, you would probably not be able to tell most Witches apart from anyone else. Witches & Pagans come from all walks of life, race, creed, color, social status, & most any profession you could think of. Many tend to dress differently for ritual & other special events & gatherings, with attire consisting of robes, kilts, sarongs, togas, & many more styles of clothing in various colors.

Is Halloween A Witches Holiday?
Yes, but we call it Samhain (pronounced Sowen). It is the Celtic New Year & celebration of the last harvest before Winter. This is the time Witches believe that the veil between our world & the spirit world is at its thinnest, which makes it the perfect time for divination work & communing with spirits that have passed on. Our religious calendar contains a total of 13 moon celebrations (known as Esbats) and eight days of power (called Sabbats) The Sabbats consist of Samhain in October, Yule in December, Imbolc in February, Ostara in March, Beltane in May, Litha in June, Lughnasadh or Lammas in August, & Mabon in September.

Isn't That 5 Pointed Star The Sign Of The Devil?
The pentacle (5 pointed star in a circle) is a very ancient symbol used by many religions & belief systems in one way or another. Is it indicative to Satanism exclusively? No. In relation to Witchcraft, the pentacle's points represent elemental powers of Air, Fire, Water, Earth, & Spirit or Deity. The circle stands for rebirth, knowledge, & protection which encompass it all. True, some believers of Satanism have adopted the upside-down pentacle, but in reality, many traditions of Wicca & Witchcraft have long used this same symbol as the sign of the Second Degree Witch.

Is Witchcraft Really A Religion Per Say?
This is probably one of the most debated & "loaded" questions posed in the Pagan community at large today. The Standard Encyclopedic Dictionary defines "religion" as the following;
"The belief, attitudes, emotions, behavior, ect., constituting man's relationship with the powers & principals of the universe, especially with a deity or deities."
Do we (The Silver Serpent Coven) believe Witchcraft to be a true religion by definition? Absolutely. At least for our path it is. Witchcraft for us consists of not only the practice of the art, but combining that with our belief system including Deities, the elemental powers, the wisdom of the ancients, and a daily working relationship with all that is.

If you have any further questions about our path, feel free to contact us via email & we'll be happy to answer your questions to the best of our ability.