Witchcraft – Good or Evil?

Various definitions of the word ‘witchcraft’
start from the same idea and reach different
conclusions. Witchcraft is commonly defined as
the practice of magic and it consists mainly in
the use of supernatural forces. The problem is
what kind or forces – good or evil? This
fundamental opposition – good versus evil, yin
and yang, alpha and omega – can be found in many
cultures and civilizations.

In the Middle Ages people, mostly illiterate and
ignorant, accepted the doctrine according to
which all witchcraft or supposed witchcraft
practices were inspired exclusively by the devil.
And thus under the influence of the religious
leaders thousands of people got killed for the “
guilt” of practicing magic for evil purposes.

There are some features that can be found in all
cultures, European and Asian, when it comes to
the use of sorcery. A wizard or a witch can
influence another person’s body and private
property, he or she casts magic spells or
conjures the dead and the devil. The powers
commonly attributed to those believed to use
magic originated in the pre-Christian beliefs of
the peoples around the world. There was a time
when the pagans in Europe strongly believed in
gods, spirits and demons which could be called
for help by the white witches and wizards or on
the contrary to harm by the black witches. The
Church placed a Christian methodology involving
saints and divine relics which when venerated or
mentioned in special ceremonies, such as the
liturgy, would bring luck, health and peace. The
fundamental difference between the pagan beliefs
and the Christian doctrine consists in this clear
statement: God is the only one who can be called
for help and He does only good things. Satan is
not worth paying attention to because he is an
evil-doer.penta.gif

As I said, in the Middle Ages people were
particularly interested in witchcraft. Anybody
knows about the witch hunts. A witch-hunt is a
search for the so called witches and wizards or
evidence of sorcery, often involving moral panic,
mass hysteria and mob lynching, but in many
historical situations also legally sanctioned and
involving official witchcraft trials. From this
point of view the “classical age” of witch-hunts
in Europe was between 1450 - 1700 which resulted
in tens of thousands of public executions and
torture. A very efficient “public service”
specially founded for this purpose was the
Inquisition. The Catholic Church fought by all
means against heresy and the hostility to the
ecclesiastical hierarchy. In England the episode
of the “Witched of Pendale” in Lancashire
represented a turning point for the evolution of
the witchcraft phenomena.

In Eastern Europe, where most people are Orthodox,
the “war” against the use of magic was not a
priority. Pagan beliefs and customs were accepted
by the Church as long as they did not interfere
with or alter the religious doctrine. Spells and
incantations were mainly used for domestic
purposes such as protection of the family, of the
cattle and very rarely to harm some neighbours.

Today, after of period when witchcraft has been
neglected, it comes back but this time only as a
source of inspiration for the showbiz. Especially
in books and films aimed at the youth, witches
are often depicted as wicked old women with
wrinkled skin and pointy hats, clothed in black,
with warts on their noses and sometimes long claw-
like fingernails. They are usually portrayed as
concocting magic potions in large cauldrons.
Witches typically ride through the air on a
broomstick as in Harry Potter’s universe. The
modern folklore is represented mainly by
successful literary works and movies such as the
classical The Wizard of Oz, released in 1939, one
of the greatest film ever.

While in Europe the word “witchcraft” stands for
an obsolete concept in Africa it is still very
popular. Voodoo or vodou represents a series of
beliefs and ritual practices that connect the
people with the forces of the Universe. The
public in Europe and in America associates voodoo
with satanic practices and yet even if there is
evidence of zombie creation, it is a minor
phenomenon within rural Haitian culture and not a
part of this religion as such. Another prejudice
against this western African faith is the
practice of sticking pins, but its exact origins
are unclear and seems it originated somewhere in
the south of the USA.

Real or not witchcraft and all the myths related
to it represents an important part of the
cultural heritage of the world. In my opinion
this concept is actually trying to explain the
inexplicable. Originated in the ancient times the
whole collection of practices and legends are
just an attempt to make the world accessible to
as many people as possible.

Article Source: http://www.klienwachter.com

Various definitions of the word ‘witchcraft’ start from the same idea and reach different conclusions. Witchcraft is commonly defined as the practice of magic and it consists mainly in the use of supernatural forces.

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