Today's average person thinks of Witchcraft as synonymous with "Satanism," "Orgies," and "Drug-ingesting," and believes Witches practice a mishmash of "Devil Worship," "Ungodly Rituals," "Inhuman Cruelty" and "Human Sacrifice." Fundamentalist Christian Fanatics and the news media will also tell you that Witches are "..evil people and ugly old women who have sold their souls to the Devil", "...who work to destroy Christianity, kill babies and eat lizards for lunch." There are definitely people in the world that may do those things - but they are NOT Witches and they do NOT practice Witchcraft. In order to inform you what Witchcraft is, we must first tell you what Witchcraft isn't.

Witchcraft isn't the "Devil's work"; it isn't "Satanism"; it doesn't involve Sacrifices of humans or animals; it isn't becoming bound to "Demons"; it isn't dark, dangerous or evil; it isn't anti-Christian, anti-religion, or anti-anything. These are myths propagated by those who profit from instilling fear in unsuspecting people. Witchcraft is pro-healing, pro-love, and respects all life. For centuries, the lies have been told...we feel it is time for the TRUTH!

There are many so called "Reputable Christians" and "Occult Experts" on the lecture circuits selling their "Occult" seminars to Police Departments and Law Enforcement agencies. Most of these so-called experts are in reality fundamentalist Christians who have fabricated an elaborate lie out of whole cloth. Their statistics are false. Their representations are false. And they are usually out of business in a few years when rational officials investigate their credentials.

Why would they do such a thing? Because most fundamentalist Christians have been brainwashed into believing that their version of Christianity is the only true and real religion. Someone has convinced them that the coming of Christ is just around the corner and you better be a Christian or you are going to Hell! They believe that all other religions, especially Witchcraft, are invalid and not real; that if you dabble in anything "Occult" or "Psychic", that you are doing the Devils work. They believe that the end justifies the means. Because of this mistaken belief, they believe that it is alright for them to lie, and commit violence against anyone they disagree with, just as long as they save one soul from the evils of the occult.

They would twist, change and ignore the real teachings of their Bible in order to carry out their program of Genocide. They need a scapegoat to explain the evil in the world, even though it has been shown that fundamental religions are responsible for most of the wrongs. Remember the Waco, Texas massacre? Remember the killings at Salem, Massachusetts during the founding of this country? Remember Jim Jones and the Jonestown suicides? Remember the attacks on physicians at abortion clinics (one dead, one wounded)? These were ALL done by fundamentalist Christian groups. Can you name even ONE incident in which followers of the actual religion of Witchcraft have done anything similar? Of course not. But your Christian friends will try to convince you that every victim of an "occult" or "ritual" killing is actually the work of an organized plot led by Witches (who they claim are actually Satanists in disguise!) What is the truth?

In reality, WITCHCRAFT is an ancient religion which has existed in many forms for thousands of years. In prehistoric times, people respected the great forces of the Universe and celebrated the cycles of the seasons as they related to agriculture, animal husbandry and so on. They saw divinity in the Sun, Moon, the Earth, running water, and all life. The creative energies of the universe were personified: masculine and feminine principles became gods and goddesses. These were not semi-abstract, superhuman figures set apart from nature: they were embodied in earth and sky, women and men, and plants and animals.

This viewpoint is still central to present-day Witchcraft. To most Witches, everything in nature -- and all gods and goddesses -- are true aspects of the Deity. In this respect, Witchcraft is similar to many Native American spiritual traditions, as well as other "Earth Religions."

Some Witches believe that Witchcraft had its beginnings in Hyperborea before the deluge. We do have evidence that it existed during Paleolithic times, co-existing with other Earth Religions in ancient Europe. Hence the common symbols of the Earth Mother Goddess and the Sky Father God representing the vegetable and animal life of the Earth, and the light and life giving Sun, respectively. We find these religions in harmony with Nature and its celebration of life, birth and death, expressed seasonally. These ancient Earth Religions had a profound influence on early Christianity, by supplying the concepts of: the Dying God, The Resurrection, the Redeemer, Grace, and the Trinity. All of these concepts were part of the religions of Mithra, Zoroastrianism, etc.

The Roman Catholic Church attempted to hide the evidence that it had "borrowed" these concepts, by destroying not only all the books and manuscripts of Pagan religions, but also the religions themselves. They burned the Alexandrian Library in Egypt which at that time (around the third century B.C.) held a complete collection of all the famous works of the masters. Books, paintings, statues, etc were all laid waste because they were "Pagan". The Roman Catholic Church directed a virtual war of genocide and persecution against Earth Religions. Any book that mentioned any similarity between Pagan religions and Christianity was burned, buried, or hidden in the Vatican archives. This effectively got rid of the competition and the Witchcraft faith was largely repressed, at least in public. But small groups continued to worship in private and many families continued to quietly practice their faith, and pass it on from generation to generation.

In recent years Witchcraft has experienced a tremendous revival, no doubt fostered to some degree by increasing ecological awareness, the movement for equal opportunity between sexes, and attitudes of religious tolerance. There are thousands of active congregations (covens or groves) throughout the British Isles, the United States, Canada, Australia, Germany, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, France, Italy, Spain and even Russia.

How do we practice our faith today? There is no central authority or doctrine binding on all congregations, and individual groups vary. But most Witch covens meet for services once or twice a month, hold adult religious instruction on a regular basis, and celebrate eight major holy days throughout the year. Services are highly participatory, and may include meditation, prayer, singing and occasionally circle dances not unlike some Native American ceremonies.

Though some Witches practice their faith alone or with only their families, many Witches are organized into congregations of from three to twenty-three members. Clergy are called priests and priestesses, and many groups are led by a priestess/priest couple. Other congregations are less formal, and share leadership roles among the participants. In either case, membership is considered to be an important commitment, and often extensive instruction is required before full membership is conferred.

There are many branches or "traditions" of Witchcraft in the United States, Great Britain and elsewhere. All adhere to a code of ethics. None engage in the disreputable practices of some religious groups, such as recruiting lonely, impressionable young people to raise money so a leader can live in luxury (remember Jim Baker and the Christian PTL Club scandal?) Witches welcome sisters and brothers, but not disciples or victims.

Witches are encouraged to question, to grow spiritually, and to assume responsibility for their own lives. This includes mastering various psychological and spiritual skills such as meditation and energy-channeling, which are used for positive goals such as healing or insight. These techniques have much in common with the shamanic spiritual traditions of the native peoples of the world.

Witchcraft beliefs do not include such Judaeo-Christian concepts as original sin, vicarious atonement, divine judgement or bodily resurrection. We do believe in a beneficent universe, the Law of Karma, reincarnation, and divinity inherent in every human being and all of nature. We tend to have a cheerful outlook on life; and while our services can be very dignified, laughter and pleasure are an important part of our spiritual tradition.

All of the great festivals of the Pagan religions, wherever found, correspond to natural cycles of Nature (animal mating, seasons, planting and harvest) or the cycles of the Sun (Solstices and Equinoxes). Most remain today in the more or less disguised form of:

• Christmas (Yule)
• Easter (Spring Equinox)
• May Day (Beltane)
• Thanksgiving (Harvest Home)
• Halloween (Samhain)
• Valentines Day (Candlemas)
• St. Johns Day (Midsummers)
• Loaf Mass Day (Lammas)

These comprise a total of eight major festivals. The Christian Church renamed these festivals because of it's intolerance for "competition" and it's need to establish holidays of it's own.

During the past 1900 years Christianity has persecuted and repressed all religions that posed a potential threat to its existence. This ideology has caused the death of millions of innocent people, the destruction of countless books of knowledge, and the virtual extinction of whole species of plants and animals.

Despite sensational headlines , non-factual books and the maligning of the words "Pagan" and "Witch", real Witches do not worship Satan, never perform "Black Magick," do ill toward others, or desecrate any person, place or thing. The Witchcraft religion does not have a place in its belief system for a Satan, or evil protagonist. We do not believe in an evil force, but, we do believe that people do evil things. Evil is the result of choice by people, not a devil or a Lucifer. Evil is created by letting selfishness control your decision making process. This results in the crime. unethical and immoral behavior, mental and physical abuse of children and all other negative behavior. Satan is really only a symbol for Humankind's inhumanity to others and its inability to control its base instincts.

An Evil Satan was invented by the early Christian church in the first century A.D. in order to explain the erratic behavior of Humanity, and blame an outside agent for all human ills. This allowed the Church to keep its members, even though they continually sinned, but now they could blame it on: "The Devil made me do it!" If the Church had to admit that the blame for all humanities ills rested squarely on the shoulders of humanity, the guilt would be too much to bear. The church adopted the "good god" vs "evil god" philosophy of Mithra and Zoroaster and blamed a Satan for all evil, the church relieved their members of accountability and set itself up as the "Good" half of the duality.

Witches reject this philosophy. We take responsibility for all our actions. There is no "Devil" or "Satan" to make us do anything. Humans do evil things by choice. Everyone has the free will to "sin" or do good, to heal or hinder. Witches face up to this fact and don't hide behind a Satan to blame their behavior on. Witches are guided by the Rede which stands primary within all traditions - the one basic dictum: "An it harm none, do what you will." Witches understand that they alone are responsible for everything they do, and there isn't anyone else to blame for their mistakes. They are very conscious of the effects that their actions have on other people. Therefore, Witchcraft is naturally a tradition of love, nurturing, healing, and creativity.

Witchcraft is also a member of the Pagan family of religions. The word Pagan is derived from the Latin Paganus, "peasant," deriving, in turn, from the Latin pagus, "village." They are also many groups of Priests and Priestesses practicing what we call "Paganism" or "Neo (from the Greek word for new) Paganism". You may hear their many names: Y Dynion Mwyn, Tylwyth Teg, Neo-Greek, FeraFeria, New Reformed Order of the Golden Dawn (NROGD), Huna, Amerindian, Gardnerian Wicca, Alexandrian Wicca, Saex-Wicca, Irish Witta, Dianic, Scots-Gaelic, Pagan Way, Celtic Traditional, Continental Traditional, Strega and others. Pagan religions are "natural" religions both in origin and in mode of expression as opposed to artificially created ideological religions.

Ideological religions are like buildings: an architect (prophet or messiah) gets an inspiration (revelation) and lays down his visions in blueprints (ideology/scriptures); then contractors, carpenters, masons, etc. (disciples/followers) build the buildings more or less according to specifications. It is assembled, but when it is finished, it cannot grow and begins to deteriorate (unless it is rebuilt or renovated) until it is eventually an outmoded and rundown building. It is then demolished and way is made for new buildings. A world of ideological religions resembles a big city with all the problems, changes, wars, hatred, crime, pollution and disease and for the same reason: UNNATURALNESS!

The Religion of Witchcraft on the other hand, resembles a tree. It emerges from the Earth, grows, changes (both cyclically in seasons and continually upward and outward), bears flowers/fruit, and shares its life with other living creatures. It is not made, it becomes. When its time ends (for many trees are potentially immortal, never dying of old age,) it does not pass from this world, for its "children" have, in the interim, sprung up from the Earth, each similar yet unique. The religion of Witchcraft is like a forest: NATURAL!

We share with most other Pagans a distaste for rigid religious organizations and so called messiahs and gurus. Obviously, this places our priesthood in an awkward position: It needs enough religious authority to guide it's organization, but not so much as to allow it to become oppressive. Since most Pagans deny the existence of any One True and Only Way, and since most Pagans insist upon being fallible, Witchcraft is steered gently between totalitarianism and chaos.

Witchcraft does not seek converts! It is up to each seeker to convince a coven or grove that they are sincere and worthy of membership. Without perfect Love and Perfect Trust, no one is accepted. Witchcraft offers a New/old way of life, free from pain, guilt and fear. We offer love, good will, friendship and the teaching of the Universal Laws of Truth.

Although our religion does not control our life, it does guide us no matter where we are and what we are doing. It's teachings encompass every aspect of our physical, mental and spiritual experience. These guidelines help us to make the right decisions. Foremost among these guidelines are: "If it harms none, do what you will." This is similar to: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

Witchcraft has many traditions common with other Pagan religions such as Native American Shamanism, but we have also adopted concepts from other sources. Witchcraft is an organic religion, and like a tree it will grow, change and produce offshoots as the years go by. We are committed, as a religion, to change humanities interaction with Nature, from one of fear, separation, arrogance, domination and destruction, to a relationship of mutuality, empathy, conscious evolution and respect for the ancestors of the human species.

We are trying to transform the human-to-plant interaction from one of greed motivated exploitation, non-sustainable agriculture and ecological destruction to a Right Relationship that preserves and protects habitats, optimizes bio-diversity and acknowledges mutual interdependence.

We also wish to transform the interaction of humans with the elemental environments of earth/land, water and air from the present state of "chemical warfare", pollution, toxification and degradation to a Right Relationship in which we acknowledge, re-balance and repair the disastrous destruction that has already occurred. Witchcraft is a natural religion which finds spiritual values in reason, nature, and the direct experience of the Gods. Witches are individualists, and have no central holy book, prophet or church authority.

They draw insight and inspiration from nature, tradition, the arts, science and personal experience. Our church organizations are usually loose federations of autonomous local congregations, structured in a way similar to Congregational churches.

To Witches, every religion is seen as having its own valuable perspective on the nature of Deity and humankind's relationship to it. There is no "One True Faith": rather, Witches feel that religious diversity is necessary in a world of diverse societies and individuals. Because of this belief, Witchcraft groups do not actively recruit or proselytize: there is an assumption that people who can benefit from the Witchcraft way will "find their way home" when the time is right.

Despite this lack of evangelistic zeal, many congregations are quite willing to talk with interested people, and even make efforts to inform their communities about the beliefs and practices of Witchcraft. Witches view nature as a manifestation of Deity. The male divinity revered without the female divinity is, at best, only half of the whole. Both sexes exist in nature. As nature is a manifestation of divinity, then divinity is manifested in both male and female forms. Therein lies Witchcraft - centered around reverence of the Goddess and the God as aspects of the universal spirit - both halves creating the whole. Witchcraft is a religion founded upon the duality of the Goddess and the God. The duality is balancing energies or non-physical manifestations of the Great Spirit.

The Goddess and the God are the primal female and male forces. They are two equal but opposite aspects of the Great Spirit. Witchcraft ritual celebrates this duality. Contained within the God and the Goddess are all the deities that ever existed. The Goddess is: maiden, mother, crone; she is all-women, all fertility; she is seen in the moon, waters, love and life. The God is: male force; grain in the fields; the Sun; fire; passion and life. Witches often cultivate personal relationships with the God and Goddess. Our deities are not cold or distant - they are real - as real as rain, trees, people and the Earth.