Is Witchcraft a Cult?
Fran CareyShare
© Copyright 2024 Fran Carey, All Rights Reserved.
Much too often true crime podcasts, television shows, and books titillate the public with tales of killer witch cults and satanic witches doing nefarious things. They purport that Wicca and Witchcraft are evil cults, luring in young people and morally corrupting them in ways that can lead only to debasement and murder. Could they be more wrong?
Wicca is a neopagan nature religion based on traditions preserved in folk magic in the British Isles. It was revivified in the 20th century by Gerald Gardner, who took the anthropological writings of Margaret Murray (whose conclusions have since been discounted) and ran with them to create a religion which worships and cocreates with ancient gods and goddesses from, originally, the Celtic pantheon, classical Greece, Rome, and Egypt. More recently, the doors have been kicked wide open and powers from around the world have been invited in, while paying close attention to avoid cultural appropriation.
Some people use Wicca and Witchcraft interchangeably, but Witchcraft is also used as a term for those who practice nature magic without the worship component of their activities. They do spellwork and sometimes celebrate the turnings of the Wheel of the Year, but without bowing the knee to the deities and spirits. They view the eternal powers more as advanced coworkers than as beings to be actively worshipped.
While there are wannabe cults and cult leaders who use the trappings of Wicca and Witchcraft within the structure of their clubs, and sometimes take things to the extremes, the true meanings and teachings of these pathways pretty much eliminate the possibility of a true Wiccan or Witchcraft cult as defined by sociologists and cult watchdogs such as Rick Ross at the Cult Education Institute, whose checklist can be tested against multiple groups in recent history, from Jim Jones to Amway.
Ten warning signs of a potentially unsafe group/leader.
- Absolute authoritarianism without meaningful accountability.
- No tolerance for questions or critical inquiry.
- No meaningful financial disclosure regarding budget, expenses such as an independently audited financial statement.
- Unreasonable fear about the outside world, such as impending catastrophe, evil conspiracies and persecutions.
- There is no legitimate reason to leave, former followers are always wrong in leaving, negative or even evil.
- Former members often relate the same stories of abuse and reflect a similar pattern of grievances.
- There are records, books, news articles, or television programs that document the abuses of the group/leader.
- Followers feel they can never be "good enough".
- The group/leader is always right.
- The group/leader is the exclusive means of knowing "truth" or receiving validation, no other process of discovery is really acceptable or credible.
Number one. If you are a Wiccan or practice Witchcraft, you can do it totally alone. If you are in a coven, chances are you joined because you had like minded friends who invited you, and, if you don't like the way things are going, you can bail at any time.
Number two. Most groups want you to ask questions. That is the only way you learn, is by being curious. Self-directed study is not only encouraged, in some groups it is required.
Number three. Most covens aren't big enough or organized enough to need a treasurer. When it comes time to do group ritual, it's more a case of "Okay. Jon, you bring the potato salad, Sally will do green bean casserole. Sue, just stick to plates and cups. Derek, you got the wine?", with everyone paying for their contribution out of their own pocket. If they do have enough structure for a budget, it gets nitpicked like they were the IRS. In committee.
Number four. Pretty much all the fears of the outside world are reasonable. As people who revere nature, witches are shaking their heads at what we have done to it, and doing their best to save what's left. There is also the whole witch trials thing, the mentality of which still exists in some areas. Witches don't have to look for hidden conspiracies against them. The persecutors are very much out in the open.
Number five. There are many legitimate reasons to leave. Everybody needs to follow their conscience and their personal path to the divine. Just don't go killing people and blaming it on your coven.
Number six. There certainly are books, news articles, and television programs documenting abuse by groups claiming to be or perceived to be Wiccans or practitioners of Witchcraft. Upon further investigation, the claims either fall apart or the groups are discovered to be the previously mentioned wannabe cults appropriating the trappings of Wicca or Witchcraft. It's kinda hard to worship the devil when you don't believe in him.
Number seven. One of the things Wicca and Witchcraft strive to do is help practitioners own their innate power. It is a form of self-development. You are a child of the gods and goddesses and have the inherent right to feel a connection to the Earth and all that is. Sure, you make mistakes. Learn and move on. Any coven leader who teaches anything else should be abandoned or voted out.
Number eight. See previous points.
Number nine. Two words. Personal gnosis. As part of one's spiritual development in Wicca and Witchcraft, you learn to hear the voices of the gods, goddesses, and spirits of place, plants, animals, and other differentiated energy beings. It's just part of the curriculum. Beings wear different faces for different people at different times. Discussion of this is allowed. Your group can also help provide a fail-safe if a discarnate entity or your subconscious is trying to trick you. A good leader recognizes that they are vulnerable to their own minds and will let their followers help them see their traps.
Wicca and Witchcraft do not attempt to isolate students from their families, unless it is to get them out of a very toxic, possibly physically harmful situation. No self-respecting priest or priestess is going to tell you to stay away from Grams just because she is a hell fire Southern Baptist and truly has your best interest at heart, in her own special way. If Cutthroat the evil redneck boyfriend is beating you senseless every Friday night, your crew will encourage you to cut ties for your own safety, and will help you do so if they possibly can.
Due to their emphasis on individualized personal development and direct contact with the divine, Wicca and Witchcraft rather spectacularly fail the criteria of a cult. The first rule of Wicca is, "An it harm none, do ye as ye will". Pretty much no way that can be used to justify murder. Then there's the Threefold Law - "Whatever you do comes back three times to you". Also hard to justify harmful acts with that. Most people who practice Witchcraft also abide by the precept of Harm None, or their understanding of the Christian Golden Rule, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." Again, hard to use to justify malfeasance.
Hollywood, YouTube, and the network news magazines may love to use headlines about evil witches as clickbait, but, on examination, it becomes apparent that Witchcraft and Wicca are not cults, and in no factual light can be viewed as evil. Don't let the fake news fool you.
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