Practically every witch group I am in, I see people using the words Wicca, Wiccan, Witchcraft and Witch almost interchangeably. Witch/Witchcraft and Wicca/Wiccan are not the same words and they do not mean the same thing.
As I was surfing the net, I came across this explanation and I thought it was perfectly said in explaining the differences so I thought I'd share here.
"Wicca is both a magical system and a religion that includes Witchcraft in itâs core principles, however a Witch does not necessarily have Wiccan religious views. So a Wiccan is always a Witch, but a Witch is not always a Wiccan." - Sharon Ramel
I'll also add, when people start posting on social media about wanting to curse or hex someone, the responses typical start with preaching about the "Rule of Three" or the "Three Fold Law".
The Three Fold Law or Rule of Three is not strictly a Witch thing. The Rule of Three/Three Fold Law is a Wiccan thing.
What is the Rule of Three? It's a tenet held by some Wiccan Practitioners and other followers such as, Neo-Pagans and Occultists; it states that whatever energy is put out into the world by a person, that energy will be returned to that person three times.
It's part of the Wiccan Rede: 'An' it harm none, do what ye will' - old-fashioned language for 'as long as you aren't harming anyone, do as you wish'. Of course we could then get into the topics such as, ethics, integrity, and morals, when practicing witchcraft, but I think that would be another topic for another post! đ
The Threefold Law has become a cornerstone principle at the heart of Wicca, yet there was no mention of it in print until Raymond Buckland's book, Witchcraft Ancient and Modern. Buckland was a disciple of Gerald Gardner and introduced Gardnerian Wicca into the United States in the late 50s, early 1960s. Gardner founded Gardnerian Witchcraft and taught the Threefold Law as part of that tradition.
Take care everyone! Until next time, Live, Love, & Magick!
-Laurie
