- WHO IS A WITCH
-
Witchcraft is often referred to as
"the Old Religion" and "Craft of the Wise." Witchcraft has been
present since the beginning of humanity, in many forms. It was never a defined,
organized religion, particularly not a universal one, but it was everywhere, as it is now.
Those who practice Witchcraft are called Witches, no matter their sex.
A very common misconception is that a warlock is a male Witch. This could not be
further from the truth. Warlock means "oath breaker," and can be applied
to either sex. Basicly it is someone who betrays the trust of a coven.
Witches are not evildoers, rather,
they are the most moral, most aware and sensitive people you will ever come across.
They realize that every action has a reaction in every reality. Most Witches abide
by a code of "harm none, do as thou will." This rule can be interpretated
in many ways, but in short, it means do as you wish, and be sure not intentionally harm
any innocent. Most Traditional Witches are also familiar with the old saying a Witch
who can't curse, can't heal. What does this mean? To most Witches, it means if
someone is harming you, your family or friends, by all means do something about
it. Turn the other cheek is not necessarily the best motto when dealing with
people whose intent is to harm.
Witches tend to be pantheists---that
is they recognize the divine in all things. Most Witches in some fashion worship the
Goddess and her consort, the Horned God.
The Horned God is a deity of fertility and festivity, often represented by a man
with deer antlers, or a satyr-like being, as artifacts of Pan and Cernunnos depict.
One can easily see now where the Christian concept of the devil originated. It is
always wise to remember that the gods of the old religions become the devils of the new in
many western cultures. So never have Witches worshipped "the devil" as
Christianity portrays. We actually find the idea of personifying evil rather stupid,
for if you give something a name, you give it power. Witches, likewise, don't
believe in Hell. We cannot believe in an "all-loving" god that would send
its own children to damnation, simply because they did not worship him in a certain
form. Instead, Witches believe in a transient-like afterlife, sometimes called the
Summerlands, as well as reincarnation.
Most Witches practice magick and or
some form of spellcraft, following along the lines of "harm none." Magick
cannot be defined as "black" or "white," because of the complexity of
the results.
-
- What is the Difference between
Wicca and Witchcraft?
This is a question I get all the time
(almost on daily basis) and so I figured I'd better add it to my website! First I
would like to say that most of the confusion lies in the term Witchcraft itself.
Most people tend to think of spellcraft when they hear Witchcraft, but Witchcraft is a
religion unto itself that may include the practice of spellcraft within it.
Spellcraft is a collective term for magickal systems, folklore, etc. It is not
synomynous with Witchcraft.
- (most of the below is taken from a brief article
written for the Daily Goddess News)
- Now, for the difference between Wicca
and Witchcraft. Wicca is the faith made public by Gerald Gardner (firstly), which combines
supposed traditional Witchcraft with ceremonial magic and many of the ideas and thoughts
of the Freemasons andRosicrucians (basicly more ceremonial magic). It was then added to by
many people, from Sanders, the Farrars, and Starhawk to nowadays SilverRavenwolf, Scott
Cunningham, Buckland and many more. The ceremonial magic aspect is still heavily present,
even though many people have had their hands in making it something else. You have very
formal ideas, and certain ways of doing things (not uncommon in anything actually), which
leads up to a fairly collected system. Not uncommon is the heirarchal structure of covens,
heavy use of magickal tools and formal casting ofcircles...also very prevelant, the focus
on the "Lord and Lady". This is a rough generalization of modern day
Wicca.
Now, for me, my own tradition that we lovingly call "Modern
Traditional" is of the religion of Witchcraft. You will rarely find ceremonial magic
in my circle, if I am casting a circle at all. We usually cast a large informal circle for
groups to create sacred space, but you won't find longwinded rhymed speeches and the
parading around of tools and such. I do have magickal tools, but I collect them because I
think they are beautiful, not because I use them for magick. Magick that I do on my own is
done almost always without any tools, or simply very nature-natural oriented. We
sometimes do more spellcraft-oriented exercises in circle, but you won't see us making a
super big deal about what exactly is needed
herb-wise, oil-wise, what colors the candle should be, is it the right day of the week
yadda yadda yadda. You use what you have, and you do it when you need to. Since my grove
is a collection of solitary type Pagans, our rituals and community are very
non-hierarchal. You are respected for your behavior, input, and knowledge, not for how
long you've been doing something or what fancy paperwork you may possess from some snazzy
namesake. We are very pantheistic (all things divine) and recognize the God and Goddess in
all things, naming them as we wish and feel the need to do so, for all the deities are
aspects of the same force.
So that's my definition of
Witchcraft. Some family traditions define Witchcraft as "the continuation of
the native cultural beliefs and practices of the ancient Europeans as named after the
advent of the Christian religion." Basicly, this is the same idea as the ramble
above, just less personal. We're looking at a more naturally oriented faith, than
one with the rigidity of ceremonial magic.
One last thing I'd like to note is that some people use the word Wicca because they think
it has a better connotation for
today's society. Most of these same people would also be surprised to find out that
wicca is the masculine form of the word...wicce is the feminine (pronounced
"witchy")). I proudly call myself a Witch---I reclaim this word for its true
meaning (wise one, one who bends...) and as a woman, I assert my power and make a
statement about who I am.
Witchcraft
of Wales; a Warm Welsh Welcome or "Croeso Cynnes Cymraeg!" This is an
on-line source of free information about the old religion of Wales and Great
Britain. Discover knowledge, love and power as you browse many fascinating pages of
wisdom. This is a doorway page created to help you find our site more easily. Your
complete satisfaction is our number one priority.
Croeso I Paganiaeth
Cymreig. Welcome seeker. Y Tylwyth Teg is a Georgia, USA based cenedl (Which means Kind.)
We apply that meaning as a type of Grove or Coven) of a Welsh Tradition. Our parent
cenedl Dynion Mwyn, is located in North Wales. Our cenedl's focus is on the teaching of
Magick and ancient Celtic mysteries with a healthy dose of information from other sources
as well.
This web page is dedicated to the thousands of seekers who are looking for TRUE answers to
those age old questions: Why am I here? What is the meaning of Life? Is there a god (or
Goddess)? Where am I going? and What is Witchcraft?
Almost everyone has asked these questions from time to time. It is the nature of
humanity to be curious. Many thousands of books have been written over the years that have
tried to address these questions with only limited success. We will now try to answer
these questions from a perspective of a Welsh Witchcraft philosophy.
Before you go any further, If you don't know anything about Welsh Witchcraft, go to http://www.dynionmwyn.com/beliefs.html out the Principles of
Belief and/or Frequently Asked Questions. Then click on our Reading List, History of
Y Tylwyth Teg in America, our Dictionary, Wheel of the Year (Religious Calendar), Coven
Symbols, and our Gathering of the Tribes 2000 festival.
We also have a page which describes Other Traditions.
We have two navigation areas above this article which include a Site
Index and a Disclaimer. Also available is a Search page, a Recommended Groups
page, a Halloween Page, and much more. Wherever you see
words that are underlined, you can be sure that they are links to pages on or off this
site.
Now that you have read the above pages, we can discuss Y Tylwyth
Teg and Dynion Mwyn, and you should have
a pretty good idea about what we are talking about.
Welsh Witchcraft was founded over 700 years ago by the bards of Prince Llewellyn ap
Gwyffes, the last true Prince of Wales. Their descendants were of the family
which they called Dynion Mwyn. Although we
have only seen proof that it was in existence in the 1920's, we do believe that it has
components of an older surviving Mystery Religion. The principal legends of Dynion Mwyn,
containing the language, symbols and main theme of our tradition, are said to be
substantially the same as they were in Prince Llewellyn's time.
Y Tylwyth Teg (which means The Faerie Folk) is a clan of the tribe of Dynion Mwyn and was
brought to the United States in 1966. The beliefs of Y Tylwyth Teg are veiled in allegory
and illustrated by esoteric symbols that tell the story of the search for the Mystical
Grail of Immortality. This is the eternal search by men and women for Love, Knowledge and
Power.
We are both an extended family from Dynion Mwyn, a hereditary system of Worship in North
Wales, handed down to us through Sarah W. Llewellyn and Taliesin enion Vawr.
Within our tradition, you will find simple human friendships and discover an empathetic
and supportive community. You will experience a personal relationship with the Great
Spirit and the Lord and Lady. This worship of the God and Goddess and the acknowledgment
of their seasonal influences is the heart and soul of our philosophies.
We also place a great deal of emphasis on ecological and environmental concerns as well as
demonstrating our LOVE for Mother Earth. Our overall purpose is to relink humanity with
itself and Nature. Therefore knowledge of the world of Nature and the forces of Nature,
are important in this tradition.
Our ultimate goal is the spiritual and psychic development of our members. We give you the
tools to understand the Universe and all its myriad aspects; and we show you how you can
live in harmony with nature and its forces. In our teachings, we emphasis the creative
aspects of the Great Spirit and stress the respect that you must have for these forces.
In days past, oral teachings were the basis for our tradition, but times change and many
of our teachings have had to be written down or lost forever. In 1933, there were 23
family members in North Wales, who followed the path of Dynion Mwyn. Today there are only
two who are directly descended from Prince Llewellyn, and practice the old ways.
Thankfully, in 1965 eight outsiders were adopted into the tribe of Dynion Mwyn and these
eight have gone on to establish hundreds of cenedl (covens) around the world and thousands
of Gwyddoniad Cymreig. (Welsh Witches)
If you study our ways, you will learn various techniques of obtaining inner awareness such
as meditation and rituals which will help you to induce a higher form of consciousness
leading to spiritual enlightenment. These methods are also essential in the practice of
Natural Magick.
We regard Natural
Magick as an integral part of our workings. We believe that Magick can be used to heal and
to help. Magick and psychic development are our tools for understanding the Universe and
all living things and improving the conditions of our life. We believe that Magick is the
essence of creativity, that it is the energy of the God/dess and the nature spirits.
We teach a healthy respect for Nature shown by our worship of the God and Goddess, the
Lord and Lady. We celebrate the Turning of the Wheel at the Sabbat festivals, and meet
together at Full Moons and at other times for ‘work’ as well as worship.
By these means we attune ourselves to the changing seasons and the phases of
the Moon.
The first phase of our path is the study of herbology, learning to recognize different
species of trees, plants, and wildlife in their natural state. You will learn to follow
the animals into the OtherWorld. This involves experiencing ‘wild’ places in
forests and mountains. You will learn to use all your senses to observe and remember. You
learn a kind of meditation in order to communicate with the living things around you.
You learn to
appreciate the different forms of Weather and learn to dissolve clouds. You will
experience nature in different seasons and in all kinds of weather. You will learn weather
lore and bird migration patterns.
On clear nights you will be taught how to observe the stars and the Moon, and learn its
four major phases.
You will learn to work with the five elements of Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and Spirit. You
will learn the control of the forces associated with each.
You will be taught the four cornerstones of Magick: Belief, Will, Secrecy and Imagination.
The most important tool you must develop is the ability to imagine or visualize. This
involves allowing the left or creative side of your brain to develop, and allows you to
shut out the everyday thoughts which can interfere with your visualization.
You will be taught techniques of healing, dowsing, Tarot, astrology,etc., and develop
whatever we think is appropriate.
The mysteries of Dynion Mwyn will be found in your communion with the natural world and
the study of the Welsh/Celtic mythological cycles.
If you complete this training and are initiated, you will become a Gwyddon! (Witch!) A
Witch is a pagan who has dedicated him or herself to the service and worship of The Mother
Goddess and The Father God in all the many forms and names they are known by. A Witch
teaches the knowledge of the Mighty Ones, and lives by the philosophy of the Three Fold
Law of Utterance and Return. As in days of old, only true witches are involved in the most
magickal aspects of the ancient ceremonies, though pagans and friends can celebrate the
Great Sabbats together, feasting and reveling. The title Gwyddon is exclusively reserved
for those pagans who know the Craft well, who are knowledgeable of its many facets and who
have been properly initiated. A Witch is initiated by someone who has already completed
the training and has gone on. A Gwyddon by definition cannot be initiated by themselves.
You can dedicate yourself to the Craft. You can do a great deal of reading by yourself.
You can meditate by yourself. You can worship the gods by yourself. But you cannot become
a Witch by yourself.
After initiation, you can practice solitary and you can do rituals solitary, but the
nature of the practice of Witchcraft makes it imperative that you ground yourself and come
together with others of your coven from time to time to balance your energies. One of the
old laws is "Thou shalt not be a Witch alone!"
The Craft of the Wise is rich with unspoken Secrets and Mysteries that are well guarded
from the uninitiated. The Mysteries cannot be expressed in words to those who are not
ready, because they will not understand. The Greater Mysteries are for those serious
students who desire to know and search for the Mysteries of their being and discover why
they are part of the All-In-One, the Great Spirit, the Divinity within everyone.
A Warm Welsh
Welcome or "Croeso Cynnes Cymraeg!" This is an on-line source of free
information about the old religion of Wales and Great Britain. This easy to use site gets
you guaranteed results. Welcome and thank you for stopping by. Find sources of Health,
Love and Money. Please click on the image to enter the site. Discover knowledge, love and
power as you browse many fascinating pages of wisdom.
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January 1, 2005
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Author:
Originally by Taliesin einion Vawr, Revised by Celtic Church of Dynion Mwyn, Inc.
Copyright © 1977, 1992, 2003 by Celtic Church of Dynion Mwyn, Inc. All rights
reserved.
Revised: 26 Jun 2008 15:09:03 -0400 |
|
This Site was Created by Celtic Church of Dynion Mwyn,
Inc. For information on all individuals and organizations listed in this website, or the
name of a contact person in your area that can give you further information on the Celtic
Church of Dynion Mwyn, Let us hear from you! Click here to contact us.
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