There are many definitions ;

-a person living in dark places and performing "magic".

-a demonic person considered to be spiteful or overbearing.

-one particularly skilled or competent in one's craft or to quote carl jung "enlightenment is not imagining figures of light but making the darkness conscious"

So what is a witch/warlock ?

asked 16 Oct '11, 07:14

blubird%20two's gravatar image

blubird two
(suspended)

edited 18 Oct '11, 08:31


So what is a witch/warlock ?

It seems to me that a witch is generally a female and a warlock is generally a male, right? And it seems clear that both of these genders are typically said to practice the art of witchcraft. I've read both positive and negative accounts on the use of witchcraft, sorcery and magic. Those arts are not necessarily negative.

I'm sure that you know what witchcraft or sorcery is and whether you decide to apply a positive or negative label on practitioners of those arts depends on you.

What is a witch/warlock … angel or demon ?

Could it be that your question is asking to put unrelated definitions of people into boxes (categories) where they don't really fit? Many people, including the Illuminati, are said to perform rituals intended to summon demons. And I'm sure that a group of people with strong beliefs and intentions would be able to see the evidence of what they believe in some form.

However, I don't believe that things like demons or the devil are any more real than a 'thought form' brought about by a collective belief. And as such, the only way these things can have a negative impact on anyone is if the person strongly believes that they can. Thus, this form of witchcraft (devil worship) relies on people's belief in order to be affective. Without a person's belief, it has zero affect.

I don't really know much about angels, but even the word 'angel' seems to be positive. So in that sense, I wouldn't put angels in the same category as demons. Again, I believe that they are a positive representation of a 'thought form' thus; believing in them will bring positive results to believers.

At the end of the day it really depends on what you feel attracted to and what you believe. Personally I see all of these things as tools that can help us to achieve specific goals. However, with the new energy of the time we live in, we don't really need the tools because we've realized that the power the tools had was always the power of our own consciousness anyway :)

link

answered 20 Oct '11, 02:54

Eddie's gravatar image

Eddie
20.9k12368

@Eddie-the last paragraph is a good summary, thanks :)

(20 Oct '11, 04:03) blubird two

Definitions of witchcraftIn anthropological terminology, a "witch" differs from a sorcerer in that they do not use physical tools or actions to curse; their maleficium is perceived as extending from some intangible inner quality, and the person may be unaware that they are a "witch", or may have been convinced of their own evil nature by the suggestion of others.[4] This definition was pioneered in a study of central African magical beliefs by E. E. Evans-Pritchard, who cautioned that it might not correspond with normal English usage.[5]

Historians of European witchcraft have found the anthropological definition difficult to apply to European and British witchcraft, where "witches" could equally use (or be accused of using) physical techniques, and some really had attempted to cause harm by thought alone.[6]

As in anthropology, European witchcraft is seen by historians as an ideology for explaining misfortune; however, this ideology manifested in diverse ways. Reasons for accusations of witchcraft fall into four general categories:[7]

1.A person was caught in the act of positive or negative sorcery 2.A well-meaning sorcerer or healer lost their clients' or the authorities' trust 3.A person did nothing more than gain the enmity of their neighbours 4.A person was reputed to be a witch and surrounded with an aura of witch-beliefs Éva Pócs in turn identifies three varieties of witch in popular belief:

The "neighbourhood witch" or "social witch": a witch who curses a neighbour following some conflict. The "magical" or "sorcerer" witch: either a professional healer, sorcerer, seer or midwife, or a person who has through magic increased her fortune to the perceived detriment of a neighbouring household; due to neighbourly or community rivalries and the ambiguity between positive and negative magic, such individuals can become labelled as witches. The "supernatural" or "night" witch: portrayed in court narratives as a demon appearing in visions and dreams.[8] "Neighbourhood witches" are the product of neighbourhood tensions, and are found only in self-sufficient serf village communities where the inhabitants largely rely on each other. Such accusations follow the breaking of some social norm, such as the failure to return a borrowed item, and any person part of the normal social exchange could potentially fall under suspicion. Claims of "sorcerer" witches and "supernatural" witches could arise out of social tensions, but not exclusively; the supernatural witch in particular often had nothing to do with communal conflict, but expressed tensions between the human and supernatural worlds; and in Eastern and Southeastern Europe such supernatural witches became an ideology explaining calamities that befell entire communities.

White witchesMain article: White witch Further information: Folk magic, Magical thinking, and Shamanism

A painting in the Rila Monastery in Bulgaria, condemning witchcraft and traditional folk magicThroughout the early modern period, the English term "witch" was not exclusively negative in meaning, and could also indicate cunning folk. "There were a number of interchangeable terms for these practitioners, 'white', 'good', or 'unbinding' witches, blessers, wizards, sorcerers, however 'cunning-man' and 'wise-man' were the most frequent."[14] The contemporary Reginald Scott noted, "At this day it is indifferent to say in the English tongue, 'she is a witch' or 'she is a wise woman'".[15] Folk magicians throughout Europe were often viewed ambivalently by communities, and were considered as capable of harming as of healing,[16] which could lead to their being accused as "witches" in the negative sense. Many English "witches" convicted of consorting with demons seem to have been cunning folk whose fairy familiars had been demonised;[17] many French devins-guerisseurs ("diviner-healers") were accused of witchcraft,[18] and over one half the accused witches in Hungary seem to have been healers.[19]

Some of the healers and diviners historically accused of witchcraft have considered themselves mediators between the mundane and spiritual worlds, roughly equivalent to shamans.[20] Such people described their contacts with fairies, spirits often involving out-of-body experiences and travelling through the realms of an "other-world".[21] Beliefs of this nature are implied in the folklore of much of Europe, and were explicitly described by accused witches in central and southern Europe. Repeated themes include participation in processions of the dead or large feasts, often presided over by a female divinity who teaches magic and gives prophecies; and participation in battles against evil spirits, "vampires", or "witches" to win fertility and prosperity for the community.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witchcraft

so anny one doing something that other people do not understand or fathom is judge as witch or sorcerer. even if it is science like apocatery, herbaliste, reiki,acupuncture,hypnotis , magnetism etc.. anny science not understood by someone can be witchcraft.

so even God and jesus,moses,john the baptism, buddha, all the prophet, saint tathatgata, arhat from all religion: could be judged as witch.

even scientist could be seen as witch.

but if you want the folklore definition: old hag riding a broom in the air to go stell young children for the sabbath. they wait for satan to kiss is ass.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLoKm_vUsFY

link

answered 16 Oct '11, 09:02

white%20tiger's gravatar image

white tiger
21.9k116117

@white tiger-thanks for your very rich and complete answer ... i particularly like the phrase "anyone doing something that other people do not understand or fathom is judged as a witch or sorcerer"

(16 Oct '11, 09:53) blubird two

Wow White Tiger your knowledge is growing by the day. Another excelent answer.

(16 Oct '11, 14:59) Paulina 1

The Color White The color white is symbolic of holiness, righteousness and dedication to serving the true God (Leviticus 16:4, 2Chronicles 5:12, etc.). In a vision Jesus first appears to the apostle John with hair that is white:

"Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire;" (Revel 1:12-14

(16 Oct '11, 18:02) white tiger

http://www.biblestudy.org/question/what-does-a-rainbow-symbolize-in-bible.html

(16 Oct '11, 18:02) white tiger

well bluebird am i hard to fathom?

(16 Oct '11, 18:27) white tiger

@white tiger-hard to fathom ? no ... impossible to fathom ? yes :)

(18 Oct '11, 08:07) blubird two

i agree bluebird but that all depend on you. i am not responsible for people free will and judgement they are. maybe they don't like what i see that they do not see or don't want to see. why judge others? you will be judge with the same mesure. You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. this you can fathom bluebird. go see my question am i hard to fathom you will see what has happen. also go see wade question about patience.

(19 Oct '11, 01:27) white tiger

@white tiger-we are all impossible to fathom my friend ...

(19 Oct '11, 04:03) blubird two

well blue bird i would say that no we are not all impossible to fathom. i know why people judge and it is all things from them self. but people do not all see that. i guess not all people have the same awareness. and people think it is hiden so they continue to do it. and it brings the result that you see today when people say God why do you let those things happen. well God give you free will so do not blame God blame your self. example some one judge some one he is a stupid basterd. well some one else see that and say it to someone else and it go around. then other people call that person

(20 Oct '11, 01:12) white tiger

stupid someone eventually needs to prove them self so they attack that person because that person is not popular. so you see it is a chain reaction. and eventually it comes back to the person that started that chain. you want another example: you nail and eventually you are careless(you look at something else or think about something else) and hit your self on the finger who will you blame the nail ? the hammer?

(20 Oct '11, 01:18) white tiger
showing 2 of 10 show 8 more comments

"Witch" is usually reserved these days for followers and practitioners of neo-paganism, and systems such as Wicca, etc. Since this is a very general term, beliefs and practices may vary widely.. from solitary practitioners, to traditional groups etc. all with their own deity beliefs.

"Warlock" isn't used much these days, but in the past referred to make sorcerers, usually in a negative context.

Your 3rd definition is probably the closest, since the first two seem to be the kind of definitions used in the Middle Ages against all sorts of people for all the wrong reasons.

One famous magician defined magic as "The science and art of causing change in conformity with Will.", which really means causing change in the world or your reality according to your desire (whether good or bad). Under this definition, switching on a light is considered "magic", and so is doing the washing, and so is creating a dance to cause rain. It's useful to note that in the Middle Ages, turning on an electric light, would have been considered "witchcraft" and probably risk having the operator burnt at the stake.

link

answered 20 Oct '11, 04:39

dionysius's gravatar image

dionysius
4193

@dionysius-"causing change in the world or your reality according to your desire" ... i like it; so in accord with the LOA, we all perform "magic" every time we have an unrestricted strong desire whether we realize or not.

(20 Oct '11, 05:55) blubird two
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