CHAPTER 1

Types of Witches

What does a witch believe? What does a witch do? The answers to those questionsare extremely complex. There are many ways to be a witch. Witches ply theircraft in many ways. There are many witchcraft traditions. It is virtuallyimpossible to condense complex belief systems into a few sentences, and so whatfollows is but a brief sampling and should not be considered definitive.Witchcraft is a fluid, vital art. Perhaps you, too, possess a unique perspectiveon how to practice witchcraft and will pioneer new ways and crafts.

Many people are perplexed by the differences between Wicca and witchcraft.Witchcraft is a broad term that encompasses many styles, perspectives, andpractices. Wicca refers to a very specific spiritual tradition. One person maybe both Wiccan and a witch, but not all witches are Wiccans and perhaps viceversa.

Among the crucial differences between Wicca and witchcraft is that most Wiccantraditions require initiation and thus direct transmission from one member toanother. Self-initiation is a controversial topic within the Wiccan community.There is no concept of initiation in many traditional paths. It's not that it'snot required; it doesn't exist. There is no hierarchy. Each witch is anindependent practitioner on his or her own path.

AlexandrianWicca

This tradition's name pays tribute to its founder, Alex Sanders, and also to theancient library of Alexandria, Egypt, once the largest library in the world anda repository of sacred, mystical wisdom. Alexandrian Wicca was established inthe United Kingdom in the 1960s.

Atheist Witches

As atheists, these witches do not acknowledge a Supreme Creator or the Wiccanconception of a Lord and Lady; but work their magic using Earth's natural powersand energies. Some may work with elemental spirits such as land spirits orfairies.

Cabot Tradition

This tradition, based on the teachings of Salem witch Laurie Cabot, emphasizesthat witchcraft is a science, art, and religion. The Cabot Tradition alsoemphasizes psychic development.

Chaos Magic

There is no one specific school of Chaos Magic, also spelled Chaos Magick, nordo its practitioners adhere to one specific philosophy or spiritual tradition.Instead those who define themselves as chaos magicians share a certain attitudetoward magic. Chaos Magic is defined as the primal creative force in theuniverse.

Chaos magicians learn and experiment with various magical techniques in order totap into this underlying, primal, creative force in whatever ways work best andmost effectively for them. Chaos Magic is influenced by the work of visionaryartist and magician Austin Osman Spare, who wrote, "What is there to believe,but in Self?"

The Clan ofTubal Cain

This tradition, founded by English witch Robert Cochrane, is based on practicaltraditional witchcraft, shamanism, Celtic mysticism, and Cochrane'sinterpretation of Druidry. The American branch of the Clan of Tubal Cain isknown as the 1734 Tradition.

Dianic Wicca

Sometimes also called Wimmin's Religion, Dianic Wicca is a feminist spiritualtradition and the only form of witchcraft that is exclusively female. Women'srights and rites are combined in celebration of female divinity. The name of thetradition pays tribute to the Italian goddess, Diana. Among Dianic Wicca'sfounding mothers is author Z. Budapest, who formed the Susan B. Anthony Coven inLos Angeles on the Winter Solstice of 1971.

In 1975, Budapest self-published The Feminist Book of Lights and Shadows, acollection of rituals and spells that became the basic text of Dianic Wicca. Ithas since been republished as The Holy Book of Women's Mysteries: FeministWitchcraft, Goddess Rituals, Spellcasting and Other Womanly Arts.... DianicWicca may be considered similar in essence to the women's mystery traditions ofancient Rome.

Most Dianic covens are exclusively female.

Sybil Leek sometimes called her own tradition Dianic, but what she practiced wasnot the same as Dianic Wicca.

FaerieWitchcraft

This shamanic tradition involves actual interaction with fairies. Faeriewitches, also spelled fairy witches, practice Earth-centered magic with emphasison plant and animal familiars. Historically, many witches have worshipped andcommuned with fairies. In 1662, while being interrogated, Scottish witch IsobelGowdie described her visits to the Fairy Queen. Similar testimony was given inFrench, Italian, and Hungarian witch trials.

Faerie Witchcraft is profoundly influenced by Scottish clergyman Reverend RobertKirk's mysterious account of Fairyland, The Secret Commonwealth of Elves, Fauns,and Fairies, written in 1691 but not published until the early 19th century.Influential modern practitioners of Faerie Witchcraft include authors R. J.Stewart and Aline DeWinter. Faerie Witchcraft is not the same as Feri Tradition,nor is it the same as the various Wiccan traditions identified as Fairy Wicca.

Feri Tradition

This shamanic, ecstatic, initiatory, spiritual, and magical system, alsosometimes spelled Fairy, Faery, or Faerie Tradition, began its modernincarnation in the 1940s when author, poet, and witch Victor Anderson (1917–2001)began initiations. Anderson is typically described as Feri's "founder,"but he described himself as a transmitter of ancient information. Another branchof Feri Tradition is known as Vicia. Anderson taught that Feri Tradition derivesoriginally from a primordial people who emerged from Africa thousands of yearsago, the original fairies—although they are known by many other names indifferent cultures. Their teachings were transmitted orally over thegenerations.

Feri is an experiential tradition and various distinct Feri lineages andteachers now exist. Different lineages are influenced to different extents bydifferent spiritual traditions including Celtic, Hawaiian, and Vodou. What mostFeri practitioners share in common is direct personal interaction with spiritsor deities. They do not subscribe to the Wiccan Rede (Do what you will but harmnone); instead, each practitioner must take personal responsibility for her orhis own actions.

GardnerianWicca

Gardnerian Wicca is the oldest, most formal modern Wiccan tradition. Based onthe teachings and practices of Gerald Gardner (1884–1964), it is named"Gardnerian" in order to honor him but also to distinguish this tradition fromolder, less formalized traditions.

The term Gardnerian Wicca may originally have been coined by Robert Cochrane,who was not a fan of Gardner or of his tradition. Its standard text is TheGardnerian Book of Shadows, which Gardner co-authoredwith Diane Valiente. At thetime of its writing, Valiente and Gardner believed that they were involved inthe evolution of an old faith, not the creation of a new one. More informationabout this tradition is found in the discussion of Wicca on page 31.

Hedge Witchery

No initiation is necessary to be a hedge witch. Hedge witches are unaffiliated,solitary practitioners. The term "hedge witch" derives from "hedge rider" andsimilar northern European synonyms for witch. A hedge is a dense wall of bushesand other shrubbery. Once upon a time, large, dense hedgerows separated avillage from surrounding forests. The hedge is a liminal zone, simultaneously abarrier and a threshold between the civilized world and wild nature. Witcheswere the hedge-riders who navigated this zone.

The modern term "hedge witch" is sometimes used as a synonym for "kitchen witch"or is intended to serve as an all-encompassing name for the large community ofnon-affiliated, non-initiated, non-Wiccan witches. The term "hedge witch,"however, possesses shamanic undertones. By definition, a hedge rider or hedgewitch travels between at least two worlds: the world of conventional reality anda spirit or afterlife realm.

HereditaryWitchcraft

By definition, a hereditary witch comes from a family in which at least oneother person is or was a witch. Most hereditary witches derive from a lineage ofwitches; the trait is often passed down from parent to child, although sometimesgenerations are skipped. The term is also sometimes used by someone with onelong-ago ancestor who was a witch or believed to be one. "Hereditary witch" isnot a definitive term, and different people may interpret it in different ways.Some hereditary witches share traditions that are unique to their own families,but others do not. Fictional witches are very frequently hereditary; forinstance, the Halliwell Sisters from the television series Charmed, or the PureBloods of the Harry Potter universe. Most modern witches are not hereditary.

Hoodoo

A high percentage of the enslaved Africans in the pre-Civil War United Stateswere of Congolese origin. They brought a sophisticated system of magic with themto North America, where it merged with European folk magic, Native American, andother African traditions to form a whole new magical system now called Hoodoo. Apractitioner of Hoodoo is traditionally known as a "worker." Hoodoo is veryclosely related to New Orleans Voodoo; the names are sometimes usedinterchangeably.

Hoodoo is a system of practical magic, not a specific spiritual tradition.Hoodoo practitioners may belong to any or no religion. There are Pagan, atheist,and Jewish Hoodoo workers, for instance. Some Hoodoo traditions are intenselyChristian. Many Hoodooers incorporate sacred texts into their practice,especially the Book of Psalms or the Book of Job.

IndependentEclectic

Most modern witches are not affiliated with any one specific tradition. Mostwitches incorporate whatever works for them or complements their own spiritualbeliefs. Urban witches, in particular, may have many influences that are thenintegrated and incorporated in independent and eclectic ways. No one categorymay be sufficient to identify their practice; hence they are independent andeclectic.

Jewitchery

This informal and eclectic tradition incorporates witchcraft, magical practice,and often shamanism with Judaism or Jewish self-awareness. Emphasis is placed onindividualism. A Jewitch may or may not be a religious Jew. Judaism may beunderstood as a tribal group rather than as religion, and so essentially aJewitch is someone who identifies as both Jewish and as a witch.

Some Jewitches incorporate traditional Jewish folk magic or Jewish angelologyinto their practice. Others identify with pre-exile or pre-Second Temple Jewishtraditions that may have been less monotheistic than modern Judaism. Stillothers identify with Canaanite traditions. Jewitches may or may not alsoconsider themselves Jewish Pagans. Some Jewitches are Wiccan; others are not.

KitchenWitchery

Kitchen witchery is a practice, rather than a specific spiritual or magicaltradition. What distinguishes the kitchen witch from other witches is that themajority of her tools and ingredients are readily found in the home. A kitchenwitch can cast a spell using ingredients found in her kitchen cupboards. Hermagical tools may or may not be indistinguishable from ordinary household tools.

The concept of kitchen witchery is ancient. For centuries, it was not safe to bean obvious witch. Low-key, discreet magical practice helped keep witchcraft—andwitches—alive. Most kitchen witches are solitary practitioners who are well-versed(or learning to be well-versed) in herb lore and folk magic. Much kitchenwitchery involves magical protection of the home and family. Associations withthe kitchen are no accident; spells are often cast in the form of deliciousmeals. A kitchen witch might be conscious of stirring eggs in a clockwise (alsoknown as sun-wise) direction, for instance, in order to draw in positive solarenergy. A synonym for kitchen witch is hearth witch.

A kitchen witch also refers to a kind of doll, a household amulet in the form ofa flying witch that is traditionally hung up in the kitchen to bring good luck.These kitchen witches are of Scandinavian origin and recall Swedish Easterwitches. (In Sweden, witches are associated with Easter, rather than Halloween.Children dress up as witches for parades and folkloric traditions similar toAmerican trick-or-treating. Swedish Easter witches wear the guise of old peasantwomen, rather than black hats and dresses.)

Non-WiccanWitches

This term was invented in response to the now-common assumption that all modernwitches are Wiccan. Non-Wiccan witches may belong to any tradition other thanmodern Wicca. Non-Wiccan witches may belong to any spiritual or religioustradition or none—agnostic or atheist witches are typically considered non-Wiccan.Shamanic witches who perceive spirits as unique individual beings ratherthan as aspects of the Lord and Lady may also identify as non-Wiccan. Those whodo not subscribe to the Wiccan Rede are, by definition, non-Wiccan.

ShamanicWitchcraft

By definition, shamanic witches blend elements of shamanism into theirwitchcraft. Some use the term "shamanic witch" to indicate a spirit worker, buta shamanic witch may incorporate trance and shamanic soul journeying into herpractice, practices not necessarily done by a spirit worker. Please see page 128for more information about spirit working.

TraditionalWitchcraft

This is a loose definition; there are many schools and kinds of TraditionalWitchcraft. Essentially, traditional witches are practitioners of forms ofwitchcraft that pre-date modern Wicca and New Age practices. Some people usethis term to refer to hereditary traditions that are exclusive to specificfamilies. Others use the term for specifically British traditions pre-datingGardnerian Wicca. Others consider traditional witchcraft to be a worldwidephenomenon that refers to any practitioner of folk magic.

Wicca

Although some people use the word "Wiccan" as a synonym for any kind of witch,in general, Wiccans perceive Wicca to be a specific religion or spiritualtradition, not just magical practice, which may or may not be encouraged. Bydefinition, Wiccans subscribe to the Wiccan Rede, which states, Do what you willbut harm none. (Rede is an archaic word for "rule.") Those who do not subscribeto the rede are not Wiccan.

Wiccans worship a male and a female deity, the Lord and the Lady. (Dianic Wiccais an exception, as most Dianic Wiccans only worship the feminine divine.) Wiccahas a religious calendar, as does any other religion. Festivals, known assabbats and esbats, honor the Wheel of the Year, the cyclical turning ofnature's seasons. The most famous Wiccan sabbat is Samhain, which falls onHalloween. Other Wiccan sabbats include Beltane, Imbolc, and Yule. Wicca tendsto be an initiatory religion, but it is not exclusively so. There are differentdenominations of Wicca, with different rules and restrictions, in the same wayas Protestant denominations.

Modern Wicca is based on the teachings of Gerald Gardner, but the word is alsosometimes used to refer to pre-Gardnerian British witchcraft traditions, as inRhiannon Ryall's 1989 book, West Country Wicca: A Journal of the Old Religion.To add to the confusion, there are also those, usually outsiders to witchcraft,who perceive the word "witch" to be derogatory, like a racial slur. They may usethe word "Wiccan," perceived as less offensive, as a generic synonym for "witch"because they are trying their best to be polite.

CHAPTER 2

A Cavalcade of Witches:The Famous, the Infamous, and the Influential

Witches come from all walks of life, espouse different philosophies, and aremasters of many arts. Here is a sampling of some of the most notorious,renowned, and influential. They derive from all over the world and representdifferent magical traditions.

These particular witches are literally exceptional because most practitioners ofthe magical arts have historically plied their crafts in private. Until veryrecently, it was dangerous to do otherwise. From the vantage point of the 21stcentury, where civil rights, freedom of expression, and society's tolerance maybe taken for granted, it can be difficult to comprehend the sheer bravery ofthose first witches who emerged publicly from the broom closet and boldlyproclaimed "I am a witch," the opening sentence of Sybil Leek's 1968autobiography, Diary of a Witch.

For centuries witches were suppressed, oppressed, and persecuted. Witches werefalsely assumed to be minions of Satan. Britain's last law against witchcraftwas repealed only in 1951. Before the repeal of that Witchcraft Act, it wasillegal to publish books that might be construed as encouraging the practice ofwitchcraft. This book that you hold in your hand would not have been published.You would not have been permitted to read it.