Pagans, Wiccans, and Witches - oh my!
Thoughts | Michaela Fuchs
We have made it. It is officially spooky time. With the seasons changing I figured this is a great occasion to spread some public awareness about your local Pagans, Wiccans, and Witches.
Being someone who practices elements of Wicca, I have noticed a steady rise in the “popularity” of this nature-based religion over the past year. With this new-found exposure of the religion spreading across social media, I have also witnessed a rise in people pushing forward misconceptions that originated in pop-culture. I am here, as your “spirit guide,” to debunk some of my favourite myths the general public has in regards to Paganism, Wicca, and Witchcraft in general.
1) Worshipping Satan
No. Just no. We do not worship Satan. Even the Church of Satan does not “worship” Satan. Wicca is a nature-based religion, therefore we focus on honouring the cycles and energies of the Earth through the changing of seasons. The concept of Satan is Christian-made, which is completely different from Wicca. You may be confused with a horned God that some Wiccans or Pagans in general may choose to worship - his name is Baphomet. This lovely goat-headed hermaphrodite has been blown up through media (and Christianity) into being seen as a symbol of Satan or the devil himself. This is a complete misunderstanding. In reality Baphomet just represents perfection through the union of opposites; female vs male or good vs bad.
Once again for the guy in the back: WICCANS DO NOT WORSHIP SATAN.
2) Black Magick
Again, this is another popular misconception. Wiccans do not participate in the act of “Black Magick,” especially since it does not actually exist. This religion does not believe in using magick or witchcraft with negative intentions - the Wiccan rede states “Any ye Harm None, Do What ye Will.” That basically is an old-fashioned way of saying “karma’s a bitch, so treat people nice.” If you know anyone claiming to be Wiccan and they are putting hexes or curses on others, newsflash: they are not real Wiccans. Also, maybe stop hanging around people like that and run to your local crystal shop to pick up some black tourmaline - you need to PROTECT yo’ self.
3) Dancing Around a Fire Naked Sacrificing Babies
The amount of times I have been asked if I have to get naked at rituals is actually embarrassing. Shocker: Wiccans do not get naked to dance around a bonfire while sacrificing babies - or any animal for that matter; we are not a cult that needs to get down and dirty. I don’t know if there is anything else I really need to say about this. It’s common sense.
Romanticized Hollywood versions of Pagans, Wiccans, and the practice of Witchcraft is fun on film, but in the real world, let’s try to keep away from these ridiculous myths to save you from your own embarrassment.