What is witchcraft?
“Witchcraft” has no single agreed definition. In everyday use it usually means the practice of magic, such as spells, charms, divination and ritual, carried out by someone who calls themselves a witch. Historians and anthropologists use the word differently. They often describe it as a label that communities have applied to people suspected of causing harm by supernatural means.
Because of this, two people can say “witchcraft” and mean quite different things. One may be describing a personal, nature-centered spiritual path. Another may be describing a belief held in a village centuries ago that a neighbor had cursed the livestock.
Witchcraft as accusation versus witchcraft as practice
It helps to separate two ideas:
- Witchcraft as accusation. In many societies and periods, people blamed illness, crop failure or sudden death on a supposed witch. Most of the people accused in European and colonial witch trials almost certainly did not see themselves as witches. The Salem witch trials are the best-known example.
- Witchcraft as practice. Today, many people openly identify as witches and practice magic or ritual on purpose. Some do so within a religion such as Wicca. Others treat it as a craft or a personal spiritual path.
Mixing the two up is behind many common misunderstandings about what it means to practice witchcraft.
A short history
Belief in magic and in harmful magic is very old and appears in many cultures. In medieval and early modern Europe, ordinary people often turned to “cunning folk”, local healers and diviners who used charms and herbs. At the same time, Christian authorities increasingly linked witchcraft with heresy and the Devil. The period of the major European witch trials is generally placed between the 15th and 18th centuries, and historians disagree about the total number of people executed.
Modern Pagan witchcraft emerged in the 20th century. In England, Gerald Gardner published books in the early 1950s describing a witchcraft religion, which became the basis for what is now called Wicca. Gardner claimed it descended from an ancient survival. Most historians are skeptical of that claim and see Wicca as a 20th-century religious movement that drew on older folklore, ceremonial magic and Freemasonry. Many practitioners accept this and value the tradition on its own terms. For how the two terms differ, see Wicca vs witchcraft.
Witchcraft in religion
Paganism and Wicca
Many modern witches are Pagan, meaning they follow a nature-oriented or pre-Christian-inspired religion. Wicca is the best-known witchcraft religion, but there are many other paths. Our article on what witchcraft is in Paganism goes deeper. Seasonal festivals, the eight pagan sabbats, are a common shared feature.
Witchcraft without a religion
Not every witch is Pagan or religious. Some practitioners are atheist or agnostic and treat magic as a psychological or cultural practice. Others combine witchcraft with Christian, Jewish or other beliefs, though this is debated within many religious communities.
How the Bible describes witchcraft
The Bible condemns several practices that English translations render as witchcraft, sorcery, divination or consulting the dead. Frequently cited passages include Exodus 22:18, Deuteronomy 18:10-12, and the account of the medium at Endor in 1 Samuel 28. Scholars note that the Hebrew and Greek terms are not identical to the modern idea of a witch, and translations differ. Christian denominations also differ in how they apply these passages today, and many modern witches reject the idea that the biblical texts describe what they do.
Main aspects of modern witchcraft
- Magic and spellwork: intentional acts, often combining words, objects and focused attention, aimed at a desired outcome.
- Ritual: structured actions such as casting a circle, marking the moon’s phases or honoring a deity. See witchcraft practices and rituals.
- Nature and seasons: many witches observe lunar cycles and the Wheel of the Year.
- Tools and symbols: candles, herbs, a cauldron, a pentacle and similar items, which carry meaning for the practitioner.
- Divination: tarot, runes, scrying and similar methods.
- Ethics: views vary. Wiccans often cite the Wiccan Rede (“An it harm none, do what ye will”), but other witches follow different or no formal codes.
Forms of witchcraft
People describe their practice using many labels, including Gardnerian, Alexandrian, Dianic, eclectic, solitary, hedge, green, kitchen and sea witchcraft. These overlap, and the terms are used loosely. Our guide to the types of witches explains the common ones.
Witchcraft is also sometimes compared with shamanism. They share some themes, such as working with spirits and nature, but they are distinct and come from different cultural contexts. Some shamanic and indigenous traditions are also considered closed practices, which is worth understanding before borrowing from them.
Common misconceptions
- Witches worship the Devil. Most modern witches do not believe in the Devil in the Christian sense, and the pentacle is not a Satanic symbol for them.
- All witches are Wiccan. They are not.
- Witchcraft is always spellcasting. For many people it is mainly about nature, reflection or ancestor veneration.
- Witches were a secret ancient religion. Historians generally reject the idea of an organized, continuous pagan witch cult through the Middle Ages.
Where to go next
If you want to know what practicing witchcraft means on a personal level, read what it means if someone practices witchcraft. If you are curious about the history of accusations, start with Salem.