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{I know this sounds terribly snooty and judgmental of me, but to be very honest, I'm tired of the European medieval/religious reputation that we have. It's old, misanthropic, religiously hysterical, probably food-poisoning, and misinformed news. So, if you'd like some more details about why I think this, please see my details {bottom of page} in Wicca & Spirituality.}
What is Wicca?
Like "What is a witch?" the answers to this question are numerous. But, essentially, Wicca is the religious form or the religion of witchcraft. Wicca is a 20th century re-invention of a 19th century re-invention of a European prehistoric fertility religion - in other words, Wicca is a contemporary and modern religion. Wicca is also considered a pagan religion because of its worship of prehistoric deities.
{Now, I'm not going into details here - if you'd like more details, please access the history section {1/2 way down the page} of Wicca & Spirituality. The history section will explain what led up to the founding of Wicca in the latter part of the 1950's by Gerald Gardner. The history section also illustrates how Wicca has matured and grown - particularly in the 1970's - and how Wicca along with the renaissance of other pagan religions has helped to fuel the New Age movement.}
Witchcraft and Wicca
Witchcraft is often referred to as Wicca, and vice versa. It also doesn't help that many Wiccans call themselves witches. Witchcraft is not a religion, even though there can be both spiritual and ritual overtones in the practice of spellcrafting and divination. Wicca is a religion, even though practices can use magical rites.
Most dictionaries consider the word wicca or wicce to be an Old English {Anglo-Saxon} word meaning witch and is equated with being wise. Added to the confusion is the Teutonic word wic or wice meaning to bend i.e., witch hazel, which has branches that bend easily. Regardless of the confusion caused by the common usage and application of the two roots, wicca is now usually accepted as a Celtic {Gaelic} word that means either wise woman or wise one. {And that, of course, hasn't helped reduce the confusion. Every witch and Wiccan I know consider themselves wise!} {I've got a table on word roots - more details!! - in the Wicca & Spirituality section.}
Also, both witchcraft and Wicca can encompass many other beliefs, philosophies, and practices such as, paganism, totemism, kabbalah, and so on, ad infinitum. Witches and Wiccans are unique in their own personal way. One witch may belong to a coven, another may believe that Chinese, Zen, Tantric, Sumerian, or North American Native magic is the only true magic. Then, again, another practitioner may believe that you can only cast spells when sky clad {naked} and during the full moon. In other words, like many other followings, everybody has a different opinion, set of rules, or a way of going about it.
So, then, what's the difference?
Witchcraft is the practice of the craft. Wicca is the religion. Both can include religious observance/rituals and both can include spellcrafting and/or divination. {In all fairness, though, there are many witches and Wiccans who will not agree with my statements - for, at least, 50 billion different reasons.} And, also, what doesn't help is that the term Wicca is confusingly used interchangeably with witch.
So, is there a difference? Maybe. It's entirely up to you to decide. Personally, I don't think there's a difference. I feel that if you're a witch then you're also Wicca {or vice versa}. But again, it's up to you to decide. If it feels right, then it probably is right. There are very few "hard and fast" rules in and about witchcraft and Wicca. The only rule that every witch and Wiccan must follow is that you don't do any harm!
What does the "white" part mean?
Sad to say, the "white" part is a defense mechanism. Witches call themselves "white" to make it clear to people that they don't do any harm. You've probably heard something about the witch hysteria, witch trials, and witch persecutions in Medieval Europe - not a nice reputation. And, you must have seen some movies where witches are not portrayed as "nice, warm, fuzzy-
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