Witchcraft is what Witches practice.   

     Just what is a witch? Do they always wear black, hooded robes?   Some do, but only during rituals, while others dress the same as anyone else.

     Do they brew magick spells in a cauldron?

     Some do, but others buy them pre-packaged in stores.

Wicca is becoming quite modernized. It has changed quite a bit since it was first formed in 1938.

     In the beginning they performed all their group rituals ‘skyclad’ (i.e. naked). Today, that is seldom done.

In the beginning they were formed in covens each of which had no more than 13 members. Today any particular coven may have 50 members or more

    In the beginning each Witch kept a Book of Shadows, an origin journal in which the rituals of the faith and particular spells and other bits of information were written down by hand. Today few Witches keep a Book of Shadows. Most buy them ready-made in a store.

      Wicca is becoming quite modernized. It has changed quite a bit since it was first formed in 1938.

     In the beginning they performed all their group rituals ‘skyclad’ (i.e. naked). Today, that is seldom done.

     In the beginning they were formed into covens each of which had no more than 13 members. Today any particular coven may have 50 members or more

    In the beginning each Witch kept a Book of Shadows, an origin journal in which the rituals of the faith and particular spells and other bits of information were written down by hand. 

      Today few Witches write their own Book of Shadows. They can be purchased ready-made  in a store.  In other words, Wicca a growing and changing to meet the desires of today's Witches.    

      Wicca began with the writings and teachings of Gerald Gardner in the 1930s. Gardner claimed to have been initiated into Wicca in England by Dorothy Clutterbuck. Whether or not this is true, it is clear that the system he taught was derived from the Qabala, Masonic ritual, Celtic mythology, eastern philosophies, Egyptian ideologies, and even fictional ideas from mystical. The elements (earth, air, fire, water) which form an important part of Wiccan ideology are from classical Greece. The Witchcraft that existed before Wicca, often called Traditional Witchcraft, has a much less well-defined history. It is most likely a product of European Shamanism.

      Gardner's students had an important role to play in the evolution and spread of Wicca. Doreen Valiente added the poetic quality to many of the rituals that have been passed down. Others whom Gardner initiated took the new practices to distant lands, while still others branched off forming their own traditions such as the Alexandrian tradition begun by Alex Sanders. In the U.S., many new traditions appeared, among them Dianic witchcraft and the faerie traditions, both of which are further from Gardnerianism than the direct descendents, but still clearly influenced by Gardnerian Wicca.

     In the fourth century all the Pagan religions of Europe and the Mediterranean were united in one. Over a period of hundreds of years, many rituals and beliefs were dropped and replaced with others. Yule became Christmas and Oester became Easter, and all became a part of Christian tradition. However, not all beliefs were abandoned when they were not accepted by the state church. Many of the practices simply went underground and were passed from generation to generation in families. Since the majority could neither read nor write, these oral traditions were the only means of keeping the knowledge alive.

      After Wicca was created by Gardener, many re-examined their “family traditions” and realized that they contained elements of an ancient faith. From these roots grew Traditional Witchcraft. Wicca and Witchcraft have so intertwined, it is difficult to distinguish one from another.