Toil and Trouble Misunderstood: Rise in witchcraft forces a rethink of … – Frederick News Post

Witches lurk in the shadows of our imaginations, worshiping demons and wreaking havoc on society. Still, the collective imagery of the "evil witch" is a far cry from the truth.

Real witches walk among us.

They don't cast horrifying spells on unsuspecting bystanders; they raise their children and work regular jobs.

Today's witches practice in peace, and their numbers are growing.

How Many Witches Are There?

Complete data on the number of practicing witches in the United States is unavailable. Studies on religious affiliations often group witches under "other" or "unaffiliated," making it challenging to track adherents to their beliefs.

Trinity College conducted a massive research program seeking to track the changing religious landscape of U.S. citizens. The American Religious Identification Survey looked at religious affiliations across time, comparing statistics on self-proclaimed religious identities from 1990, 2001, and 2008 to highlight changing trends in religious affiliations.

The study found a rise in the numbers of witchcraft practitioners over the years. The 1990 report estimated there were only about 8,000 Wiccans, but by 2008, their numbers soared to over 300,000.

A 2014 Pew Research Religious Landscape Study offered a "new age" category for spiritual practitioners who didn't fit into other religious affiliations. The study found that .4% of the population approximately 1.3 million people identify with a new-age religion.

Numbers can be misleading, however. Wicca is only one form of witchcraft, and many self-proclaimed witches wouldn't identify with the Wiccan religion.

The study also ignores the millions of so-called Christian witches who practice their craft to supplement their primary religious belief system and the spiritual witches who practice magic while rejecting any form of organized religion.

A 2021 Statista study found that 21% of Americans believe in spells and witchcraft, showcasing a discrepancy between what many religions people identify with and what they genuinely believe.

But witches can't be defined by their religious beliefs. They come from nearly every walk of life.

Michelle Lefler, a Jewish Witch and founder of Living Moon Meditation, defines witches as wise people who use magic and nature to aid their spiritual devotion and practice. She reminds us that witchcraft has no god or goddess and that the association with Satan is untrue.

Witches embrace their inner energy and that of the world around them, using it to guide their spirituality.

Evil witches abound in legend. The familiar trope of the sultry enchantress working magic to lure unsuspecting men to their doom arises repeatedly in stories, myths, and songs about witches.

These tales inundated our collective imagination with horror at the thought of practicing magic, but these fictional representations bury the truth. Witchcraft is no more dangerous than any other spiritual practice.

The Truth About Witchcraft

Witches believe natural items have innate qualities and energy. When performing a spell, they purposefully select ingredients with qualities that enhance their spell's purpose. For example, a practitioner creating a prosperity spell would use colors, herbs, and symbols representing wealth. They'd light green candles, focus energy through jade or pyrite, and anoint their symbols with oils made from chamomile or cinnamon.

All these items work together with an incantation to focus the witch's intention toward their goal, much like modern Catholics use rosaries and prayer.

Lefler compares witchcraft to visualization practices. We often visualize ourselves achieving what we desire. Although many people wouldn't consider that simple process magic, witches do.

Magic is the essence we create with our minds. The positive energy we put into the world helps our thoughts become a reality.

Although stereotypes showcase witches cursing their enemies and hexing those who do them wrong, most witches care deeply about consent and personal freedom. Most follow the two basic tenets of Wiccan morality. "An' ye harm none, do what ye will," which means following the craft however you wish as long as it doesn't hurt others. And the Rule of Three states that anything you do, good or bad, will come back to you threefold.

Rethinking Outdated Views on Witches

Witchcraft has a long and sordid history. The stigma against witches drips with misogyny and makes false accusations of devil worship to keep women in their place. Patriarchal religions were terrified of knowledgeable women, rebranding beloved medicine women and healers as witches for daring to compete with men in these professions.

Women were persecuted, oppressed, and burned for expressing their inner feminine power.

Although governments no longer burn witches at the stake, the negative view remains. Earlier this year, Target became the center of a controversy after AI-generated images appeared, making it look like the massive retailer sold children's clothing with a pentagram, a symbol attributed to both Witchcraft and Satanism.

In April, social media exploded after an accusation that Taylor Swift promoted Witchcraft and Satanism in her Eras tour. Though many users made light of the situation, the fact that the charge exists in the first place highlights the cultural stigma witches still face.

Many still view modern witches as evil devil worshipers set on summoning demons and stealing children's innocence.

All Spiritual Practices Deserve Respect

The U.S. is a beacon of hope for those wishing to explore their inner power. Celebrating religious freedom means witches can practice in peace without fear of imprisonment for their beliefs, even if they stand outside the mainstream.

Wiccans, pagans and other believers deserve the same dignity and respect that Jewish, Christian, and Hindu practitioners enjoy.

It's time to end the panic over witchcraft and respect people's choice to worship how they see fit.

Follow this link:

Toil and Trouble Misunderstood: Rise in witchcraft forces a rethink of ... - Frederick News Post