Introduction to Folklore: witchcraft

What is witchcraft, besides the obvious thought that generally enters many… worshipping the devil which I can never understand why this reaction when The Devil is the darkness entity or negative energy it is all around us, some will choice to honour this part of their journey and others will not. That being said it does not mean those entities are not lurking among us.

You can definitely worship anything you like, that is your choice. BUT the world of witches that is growing is not performing any evil tasks as we are creating a community to offer hope, kindness, a form of connecting with the wonders of nature’s magick.

A traditional form of witchcraft is through folklore which today brings in a form of the old and new of witchcraft from the 20th century. IT is in this century that many of our genetic lineage stems from; if that lives within you and as you practise you will discovery this mystic part of your life.

As a Greenwich, there are many ways to practice. I have always used mother earth, the moon phases, and a combination of my spirituality as a child into my adult world. I have paid attention to my ancestors rituals, gardening; herbs, vegetables, flowers and shrubs. I have grown my connections with the plants I work with in understanding them, spending time with them, and feeling their presence as they grown in my soil. I feel their magic and work with what I am energectically absorbing. I have developed my spirituality through all the influences in my life.

I do not believe that you should use it for evil or to create curses. I use it to gather knowledge, create herbal medicine, to protect my home and others of negative entities or energies. I am a strong believer that a witches life journey does stem from past organized religions, as many of the traditions are similar, and they have stemmed from a century of old thinking, an example; cleansing, incense, frankincense, myrrh, the use of feathers, and there are many others. I am aiming for a higher vibration through lightness as in anything you can use it for positivity or negativity that is the contradiction of our world.

The mystic side of the moonphases through folk witchcraft.

• The removal of things is frequently associated with the waning moon.
• The full moon is associated with powerful magic and is an opportune time for ritual.
• The waxing moon is a time for positive workings for luck, prosperity healing, and gaining.
• Lunar is tied to the days of the week for determining the timing of a ritual.
• Sunday is ruled by the sun and is associated with healing happiness and good fortune.
• Monday is ruled by the moon and is associated with the second site and deviation.
• Tuesday is ruled by Mars and is associated with defence and victory over enemies.
• Wednesday is ruled by mercury and is associated with trade communication and travel.
• Thursday is ruled by Jupiter and is associated with prosperity luck in favour.
• Fridays rule by Venice, and is associated with love, friendship and beauty finally Saturday is ruled by Saturn associated with curses, the dead and painful workings.

“ It is quite common to encounter charms and rituals associated with witchcraft that use Christian liturgy, palms, or Latin prayers for magical purposes, although many pagans would try to deny it, witchcraft developed into the form we recognize today alongside Christianity not before.

Our path is not ancient religion, but a folk tradition incorporating elements of pagan practice alongside, adopted bits of Latin incantations derived from church liturgy.

In this way the development of witchcraft is not unlike the development of voodoo or other folk traditions that blend disparate cultural elements.

Our ancestors found the Latin language used by Christian invaders, very strange and mystical, and they sought to use it in their craft, much to the dismay of church authorities. By the early modern period, many old pagan gods had become saints, and identifying as Christian was not optional if you wanted to survive.

Folk identifying with the cunning craft, the benandanti tradition, the bean fasa tradition, and many other folk practices at the roots of old world witchcraft had fully incorporated Christian elements by this time.

From a modern magical perspective, this is very clever, since the working at hand can draw on the egregores of the dominant culture, much like a magical battery.

The modern folk witch need not feel any qualms about using psalms and Latin incantations from the Christian tradition. This is part of our history. That said, it’s perfectly fine to use the names of non-Christian entities if one prefers.

Accept the paradox of calling on the devil one minute and reciting psalms the next. The craft is full of riddles, and there is mystery in the way these elements speak to one another.

The belief of magic is frequently viewed as delusional and superstitious. Bothered by this, some writers attempt to explain the means of which magic operates as a form of primitive psychology, much like repeating affirmation, wearing piece of jewellery as a reminder of who you want to be, or removing objects and images from your home that remind you of something you wish to be rid of in your life.

Personally, I don’t think this is an inaccurate, per se. I view magic and psychologist as two different languages used to describe practice that can overlap, but the language of magic as far older and more fundamental to the human experience than any modern science.

The folk witch has no reason to desire to use the language of psychology to explain their craft. We aren’t recruiting, so we have no one to convince, and there’s nothing to gain from legitimacy. Folk witchcraft uses the language of magic because magic is the language of our lore.

“Folk Witchcraft: A guide to Lore, Land, and the Familiar Spirit for the Solitary Practitioner; Roger J. Horne, Moon over the Mountain Press, 2019“

It has been interesting discovery the entails of witchcraft tied to the church and similar practice’s but no acknowledgement. Once again it is a practice that many women have embraced through a healing practice and connection to nature of herbs, flowers, and evergreens. During the 20th century many turned to spirituality for comfort and healing during many crisis. Personally, nothing has changed in today’s 21-first-century as it continues.

It is through this solitary practice that I enjoy so much to create what helps me get through the day, or brings a smile, or allows me to rest my mind in creating magic. Much of my magic is not shown but is held in secrecy for my enjoyment. We do not have to share all of our rituals and mystic ways to the world much of that should be left for your naked eye.

I do love to share its history, its knowledge and tips to incorporate it into glimpse of your journey or daily in your life.

I will share blogs on many different topics that I am familiar with or involved in directly so you are able to take something from it in which ever way it resonates.

Bless Be,

JourneywithSpirit72