Today there is more of a trend in witchcraft towards making all of witchcraft religious.  This is simply not the case.  Witchcraft is a practice and a craft.  The world craft is in the word witchcraft which implies that there is a skill and a practice to witchcraft.

While there are many ways that witchcraft can be a part of a religion like Wicca, Witchcraft is not a religion.  It is a craft and a practice.  It has a philosophy and a spiritual background but in the end witchcraft is a practice and a craft.

There are no actual specific rites or beliefs held and practiced by all witches.  Which is why witchcraft is not a religion.  There are no united beliefs and practices among witches aside from the belief in magic and the practice of magical arts and even that can be debated as a non issue as many witches don’t believe in magic-they know it exists and work with it.

Every witch is different and has their own practice.    Some witches will practice more intense ceremonial magic with elaborate altars and spirit invocations while another will practice more simple folk magic and remedies.  Some witches will work shamanic rites while any other witch may practice meditative rites and do everything in their mind.
While the belief in spiritual powers is common not all witches will work with all of them.  Witches have the power to contact and summon spirits who work with them as their aid and partners.

There are religious practices of witchcraft but that does not make witchcraft a religion.  For myself nature worship or a nature based spirituality would be my religion while witchcraft is my practice.  The Gods and spirits I worship are deities and spirits associated with witchcraft so I consider my religion a witchcraft religion.

Being a witch does not mean you practice a religion like Wicca.  Being a witch merely means you practice some form of witchcraft.  Invocations to Gods and spirits are not required in spells nor rituals.  Being a witch is simply working with the forces of nature and the universe to create changes in this world.

~Loona Wynd~ )0(