Witchcraft colors are labels that are supposed to describe the kind of magick a Witch practices, but, are these labels fact or fiction?
The Old Religion, or Witchcraft, predates Christianity. Good and evil has always been an issue surrounding the type of Witchcraft one practiced. White has always represented good, as described in The Wizard of Oz by the Good Witch of the North, Glinda. But, the extreme dark opposite of Glinda was the Wicked Witch of the East; fatally wounded sister of the stereotyped Wicked Witch of the West. Had it not been for the coveted Ruby Slippers, no one would have known what was going on in that story!
Witchcraft Colors were used as a template to flood folklore.
Witchcraft colors were used as a template to flood folklore with many evil witches. Evil Witch, Grizelda, enticed innocent children to her candy cottage, as was the case of Hansel and Gretel. Evil has always captured our imagination. Witch Hazel dazzled Looney Tunes comics, and Walt Disney capitalized on some really nasty characters during his creative and entertaining reign.
We’re taught that black is evil, taboo, and dangerous; which makes it fascinating to the human psyche. White signifies safe and angelic, but, dull, boring, and laced with puritan ideology. Hair-raising, spine-chilling macabre story-lines and themes draw our interest and causes our adrenalin to pump. Could it be that we intellectually know that there is a fine line between good and evil?
In reality, Wicca has become a steadily growing organized religion throughout the world. There is some misunderstanding about Wicca and Witchcraft; one must practice Witchcraft as part of the Wiccan initiate journey, but, one does not have to be an initiated Wiccan to be a Witch! There are three distinct levels of Wicca; each degree or ring requires 365+1 days to complete. Every organized religion has many denominations. And, Wicca has many paths or traditions, each with slightly different belief systems and practices, as designed by the founder.
With the aid of Doreen Valente, Gerald Gardner founded and organized Gardnerian Wicca in 1951, after England repealed the Witchcraft Act of 1542. Lady Sheba, “a traditional Witch by heritage and a Gardnerian Witch by choice”, registered The American Order of the Brotherhood of Wicca as a religious organization in the State of Michigan on August 13, 1971. Thereby opening the bureaucratic door as one of the first people in the United States to officially establish Wicca as a legally recognized religion.
Black Magick imposes the will from one to another, most often with the intention to do harm. White Magick ascribes to the greater good, and follows do what ye will, and harm none. Passive Green Magick is intoned with the powers of nature’s energy. Labels produce a stereotype; knowledge produces wisdom. How and where we choose to direct our knowledge and the intention of the action is the choice which is most important.
