One of the first things you will likely question or encounter, in the practice of witchcraft, is the questions of ethics and karma. Ethics are codes of moral conduct one lives by, their moral principles. Karma is the consequences (or cause and effect) of both good and poor behavior. I think ethics is a pretty well known, and understood, word so let’s start with a summary of karma.
Karma is understood in slightly different terms by different religions and cultures. The general idea is that every action we take, both conscious and unconscious, brings about an inevitable, and complimentary, result. The idea is that if you cause ill, you will receive a punishment of some sort. The converse is true for good deeds; do good, be good and good things will come to you. A bit oversimplified? Maybe, but the concept holds true.
Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity, Wicca, Confucianism, Islam, Judaism, most, if not all, of the major religions have some form of this law, although they perceive the details differently. A common argument regarding the law of karma is that “bad things happen to good people.” This is where the religions begin to differ in their explanations.
Here are some important questions about karma, although the answer will vary by religious philosophy:
- How is karma enacted? Does a higher entity or deity hand down rewards and punishments, a force of nature, a universal law?
- When do your karmic payments and debts come due? In this life, in another incarnation, or a combination of the two? If it is in another life, or a combination, it does explain how some people of questionable ethics seem to experience windfall after windfall.
- Can good/bad karma be passed to future generations?
- What is the measurement of karma? Are the punishments and rewards equal to the action performed or are they magnified? The Wiccan Rede describes the threefold law. “Mind the threefold law ye should, three times bad and three times good.” So whatever energy you send out, good or bad, comes back to you triple strength.
What do the religions seem to agree on? Karma is unavoidable, with the possible exception of performing atonement.
So how do we apply this to witchcraft? Most witches practice some form of spellcraft. When one sets out to perform a spell they have a desire in mind. If they do not consider all the possible consequences and repercussions of that desire coming to fruition, they may experience a negative karmic return. Even if it is unintentional. Why? Not considering how your desire will affect others is selfish, selfishness is negative, thereby creating negative energy. And if your spell should succeed, fulfilling your desire, but at someone else’s expense? Even more negative energy has been created, all of which you have to pay for eventually.
*Just a side note on this subject. I personally believe, although others may disagree, that if one has made every effort to think of the consequences and missed one or two, that will either produce a lesser karmic whiplash or possibly none at all. If it is truly an honest mistake, I think even universal forces take that into consideration. But maybe that’s just me 
A good example of this in action is a love spell. Love spells are tricky, since most love spells are intended to interfere with the free will of another person. So if you plan to attempt a love spells, tread carefully. Stick to spells that strengthen an existing bond, help the two of you communicate better, understand each other better, or for whatever the inevitable result of the relationship is to resolve quickly. Use love spells as nudges, not bulldozers. If you cast a spell to make a married man leave his wife for you, you could be hurting him, his wife, any children he/they may have, the families of both spouses, and ultimately yourself. Remember, no matter how much you may want someone, it isn’t right to roll over every one just to get what you want. And if you have to do that, do you really want it anyway?
So how can we preserve our karma for the benefit of ourselves and others? Christians call it the Golden Rule, NeoPagans call it the Law of Return or Threefold Law. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you, love your neighbor as yourself, harm ye none do what ye will. Give real consideration to your actions/words/spells, and the potential consequences of each. Lend a hand, help a stranger, give someone a kind word when they need it, and always ALWAYS consider the possible consequences of your spells.
*Personal tip: I like to add a line or two to the end of my spells asking that it bring no harm to myself or others. Just my little fail safe
~Anyanka
The Witches Cupboard
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Rarely do I see a word as misunderstood, and confusing in origin, as the terms “Wicca” and “witchcraft.” The word witch, or an early form of it, has been found in so many cultures, it is difficult to know for sure which one is the actual origin of the word we use today. I want to present some of the terms, both modern and historical, for the purpose of clarity and accuracy.
- “wicca” A wizard, soothsayer, sorcerer, magician. A male practitioner of magic Pronounced wee-cha (Old English noun)
- “wicce” A witch or sorceress. A female practitioner of magic. Pronounced wee-chay (Old English noun)
- “wicche” A witch or sorceress. (Middle English noun)
- “Wikken“ to use witchcraft or to predict (Low German verb)
- “Wicken” to use witchcraft or to predict (Low German verb)
- “Weik” having to do with magic or religion (Indo-European) This word is possibly the originator of the others.
To summarize what those words meant, and now mean:
Wicca (historical term) – referred to sorcerers, diviners and soothsayers, and was subsequently translated as “witch.”
Wicca (modern term) – an adherent to the modernized religion of Wicca.
Witch (historical term) – a practitioner of magic and or divination.
Witch (modern term) – can refer to both 1. an adherent of modern Wicca or 2. a practitioner of magic or divination by someone of any religion.
Witchcraft (historical term) – the practice of magic or divination.
Witchcraft (modern term) – can refer to both 1. The practice of magic or divination or 2. The practice of (modern) Wicca.
The terms “witch” and “witchcraft” are derived from words historically used to describe any practitioner of magic and or divination. Although these practitioners likely had a religious practice they ascribed to, the terms did not describe adherents to a particular religion. The modern term of “Wicca” is derived from the teachings of Gerald Gardner in the 1950’s. He used the word “Wica” (later changed to “Wicca,” the first evidence of which is in 1969) to refer to adherents of his particular tradition of witchcraft. Although I should note, he did not use the word at all in his first book. The religion that sprung from his teachings was then named Wica/Wicca. His teachings are thought to be based on a combination of an established witchcraft tradition, supplemented by additions by himself, Crowley and the Golden Dawn. But his story, and the debate surrounding his claims, are beyond the scope of this topic.
In summary, the terms “witch” and “wiccan” are not synonymous, nor are the terms “witchcraft” and “Wicca.” There are non-Wiccan witches and there are practitioners of witchcraft that do not practice Wicca. What makes it more confusing is that practitioners of Wicca call their religion the “Craft” or “witchcraft,” so those that have not fully researched the subject may assume that all witches are Wiccan and that witchcraft refers to religion. To further confuse the issue, many notable authors (including Raymond Buckland and Doreen Valiente) took Gardner’s lead in failing to differentiate the practices.
And as if all that was not confusing enough, what happens when someone calls themselves Wiccan, Wicca, or Wicce, using the original meaning (in Old English) of a practitioner of magic, and they are not part of the religion of Wicca?
Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying I am for or against the modern religion of Wicca. I am just saying that when early Wiccans adopted general terms to define their specific practice, they caused infinite confusion. And the only way I personally see the confusion being cleared, is if non-Wiccan (modern term) witches coin a new term for themselves. Not unlike the way the term “magick” was brought back in place of “magic” to differentiate it from illusionary magic. Which seems rather unfair since the general terms to describe a witch predate the modern dual definition by quite a bit, at least according to the evidence. But, such is the continued abuse of the English language.
So the next time someone tells you they are a witch, you may want to clarify by asking what religion (if any) they are.
~Anyanka
P.S. Might I add that this is a very good example of why it is a poor idea to reuse words. Especially when they have meanings that relate to each other in part, but are not synonyms.
I’ve done my best to separate the Wicca books from the witchcraft books in my store, but there will always be some overlap
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