Witchcraft, Sorcery, Magic… we have many different words for seemingly the same thing. But.. are they really the same thing? No, I don’t think so. It is easy to simplify and lump any magical practice into one big box… but I think there are differences that are less than subtle.
“It is not easy to draw a clear distinction between magic and witchcraft. Both are concerned with the producing of effects beyond the natural powers of man by agencies other than the Divine. But in witchcraft, as commonly understood, there is involved the idea of a diabolical pact or at least an appeal to the intervention of the spirits of evil.” —New Advent
Here we see a traditional mainstream view of Witchcraft. So, how about we remove those two *judgmental* words… ‘diabolical’ and ‘evil’, and end with:
In witchcraft, as commonly understood, there is involved the idea of a pact, or at least an appeal to the intervention of the spirits.
Nice, right?
To me, witchcraft differs from magic or sorcery because historically and traditionally within witchcraft there is a *pact* with the ‘Devil’. This Devil can be identified with a pagan god, a personal Spirit, the Fallen and Restored Angel, or simply a metaphor. He is the Serpent that tempted humanity in the Garden, the Fallen Angel from the Book of Enoch, the horned god Pan, and many other things. These beings aren’t necessarily evil, but rather personalities that causes a fuss to move things forward… a tempter, a trickster, and a conveyor of knowledge. The point is, with witchcraft, you share working in tandem with Other… it is a partnership. But in magic or sorcery you can be acting with simply your own Will.
According to some traditional beliefs in Witchcraft, this pact is actually with a demon or devil (rather than with The Devil). The person offers his or her attention (i.e. ‘soul’) in exchange for favors. Thinking on the etymology of the word demon, tracing it back to daemon (a good or benevolent spirit in Classical mythology), we can see that this pact is actually between the Witch and a Spirit. A partnership of mutual hospitality is created whereby the Witch provides offerings and sustenance, and the Spirit returns with aetheral power to charge the Arte.
“And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.”
— Genesis 3:4-5Why a Pact with this “Devil”? Because he chases us through fields at night, to teach lessons. He is the Man in the Moon with a riddle, carrying sticks by lantern-light through the night. He plays his pipes, inspiring us to create beauty in the world. He reminds us that it takes blood, sweat and tears to achieve anything material. He tempts us to THINK, and leads us out of the Garden onto an evolutionary path of exploration… explaining what it means to be human, and where our true potential lays. Shining One …Falling Star. Guardian Angel.
He reminds us that it is ok to be …Human.
He is the Man at the Crossroads, the Shadow in the Doorway, the Shade in the Backseat… Whether with a Spirit, or with the ‘Devil’, the Pact is that which charges Witchery. With our Spirit, we can create a Pact of mutual understanding to share power between this world and the Other.
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