FAQs

Hi! Some of you may know me from my own website, but if not: I'm Diana's familiar (helper). I thought the best way to find out about witchcraft and to give you information was to interview her, and then sneak in some of my own comments. Please appreciate that the answers are hers and do not represent all witches/ wiccans. Warty Left Facing

Put aside your assumptions about witchcraft and read about it from a real witch ...

What are witches?
"Witches are follows of an ancient nature-based religion. I believe in one omnipresent force (The God/The Source) and a God and Goddess (who can be called in many names, as I believe that all Goddesses are one Goddess and all Gods one God). If this is confusing, just think of The One God as one ineffable source: like a diamond shining through everything. Then think of all the other Gods and Goddesses you have ever heard of as facets of that one, brilliant diamond. Each facet makes up the whole, but the whole diamond is too brilliant to comprehend, so you communicate with a facet, so it can pass this communication on to the whole.

"I also respect and revere the forces of Nature, which are also facets. Most importantly, I believe in the maxim "Do what thou wilt, an it harm none", which means that I have freedom to follow my desires, but only if I harm no-one, or no-thing whilst doing so. This even includes myself, so it's a pretty tall order!"

What are warlocks?
"No idea. Men who follow witchcraft are called witches. So are women who follow witchcraft."

What's the difference between a Witch, a Wiccan and a Pagan?
"I have given up trying to figure it out! As far as I am concerned, the term "Witch" and "Wiccan" seem to be interchangeable, depending on what site or book you read. I call myself a witch, as I think it is important to reclaim the word back from the days of persecution and torture in our ancient past.Wicca is often the name given to those people that have been initiated into a coven, but not always. Pagan is an unbrella term, it covers a lot of nature-based faiths, not just witchcraft and wicca. Pagan is to Christianity what Wiccan is to Baptist, if you know what I mean? For instance, Druids are Pagans, Druidism is a nature-based faith, but it is not like witchcraft.

"If you're still confused, don't worry. You and your god/goddess will know what you are! I think it is more important to follow the faith and be a good person, than worry about what you call yourself. These terms are only a convenient way for other people to try to understand who you are. You can call me anything you like except: don't pronounce my first name incorrectly and ... don't call me late for dinner!"

Do witches do spells?
"Yes. A spell is a bit like a clever prayer. Most faiths will pray for help in difficult situations; ask to have help to better themselves; give thanks for what they have. A witch is no different in these respects. A spell is different only in that the prayer will be said at a certain phase of the moon, using candles and incense, and will be said with certain ritualistic gestures. The belief is that following certain procedures not only show respect to the deities, but also help the prayer to be better heard."

Do spells work?
"Huh? Of course they do! Not always ... and not always in the way you think they will, but God - in whatever form you see him/her/it/them does listen and does answer - if it is in your greater good."

All this 'Eye of Newt' and 'Toe of Frog' stuff - do you use these sorts of things in your spells?
"No. Well not exactly. Many of these strange items you will hear mentioned in spells are actually ancient names for plants - I certainly do not use any animal parts in my spells (except feathers - that have been shed naturally). If you want to see what I mean about plant names, you can find an article in SECTION where all the best gossip and information is."

Are spells dangerous?
"A wise person once said that sometimes the worst thing that can happen to a person is for them to get what they wish for! Think very carefully before you perform a spell - make sure it really is what you want, and better still what you need. Always end your spell with the statement: "An it harm none", to make sure that the worst thing that can happen is that the spell doesn't work. Generally, spells aren't dangerous, but be sure you know exactly what the spell is for before you perform it. Make sure that you are totally comfortable with everything in it - or better still write your own. Then you should be fine."

Are you a white or a black witch?
"I get asked this all the time. The answer is always the same. There are NO black witches. Witches follow the maxim "Do what thou wilt, an it harm none", as the faith requires. If they are not following this maxim, they are not a witch. So 'black' magick is not something a witch would do - witches only do positive magick. There are people that use spells for their own selfish ends and do not care who they harm in the process. These people are not witches."

Do you fly on a broom, have a black cat, have a wart on your nose and wear black?
"No. I much prefer a vacuum cleaner, they are faster! Actually, I don't fly at all, my broom is for sweeping the magick circle, or as a symbol for fertility. I also have a broom to sweep the kitchen floor. I don't have any cat, sadly I am allergic to them. No, I don't have a wart on my nose, but I do have a small one on my cheek, which looks like a birthmark. It's quite pretty. Yes, I wear black. Witches are smart - black is slimming. I also wear loads of other colours (not all at once) and you are as likely to see me in a business suit as you are a long dress."

Do you worship the Devil?
"No. Witches do not believe in a Devil. They believe that the Goddess and God supply everything and that evil is part of life, but usually comes from within Mankind. If you don't believe in something, you can't worship it! I do not know much about Satanism, but I believe that Satanists worship the Devil. I stand to be corrected if not."

Do you dance naked under a full moon?
"No. It's way to cold in the UK and I do not have a bikini body! I wear clothes. I don't dance much and with the amount of rain we have, it's hard to see the moon! I'm afraid that a lot of my rituals have to be indoors, but I get out when I can."

Are your rituals full of animal sacrifice and orgies?
"No. We do make offerings - usually fruit, wine, mead or silver. Nothing is harmed, ever. Orgies? You are kidding me? Sex is NOT a sin in my belief, but I would not want to be with anyone but my husband and I have no idea what an orgy would add to a ritual! It would certainly not ever be part of any of my rituals!"

Are you anti-Christian?
"No. Absolutely not. I respect all faiths and their right to believe and practice, providing their followers do not harm anyone. Most faiths have a belief that they should not harm anyone incorporated into their holy books, so they are fine by me. Most witches (unlike myself) do not believe in the Christian doctrines - but they are not anti-Christian. Personally, I have no problem with Christianity and incorporate it into my belief structure, as I was brought up in a Christian community and it has been part of my life. Some people find my 'mix and match' even more abhorrent than if I was anti-Christian, but it's my faith! I don't bother anyone with it, I don't hurt anyone and none of my deities seem to have a problem with my eclecticism."

Are you hoping to convert me to witchcraft if I read your site?
"No. I have no desire to preach or convert (witches don't), and it does not affect me in any way if you do or don't want to be a witch. My site is meant to inform. You can believe what you wish - I don't like being preached to myself!"

How can I become a witch?
"Easy. Just be one. It's a faith - if you believe it and follow its traditions - you are a witch. There is no need for any initiation (unless you want to join a coven) and no need to do anything or pay anything. Witches are just ... witches. If you do want to join a coven, I'm afraid I cannot give you any details of where to find one."

Do you guarantee the spells you sell?
"No. No-one can do this. All items on the site are priced to reflect what they are, as they are. No magickal results are guaranteed. If you find that any spells are guaranteed on a site - avoid that site. No-one can presume what deity will, or won't grant."

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