Well iv noticed that alot of people have been calling them self a witch lately and what i think is that the word "Witch" is a label for the practisioner? what are your opinions on this?
A witch is a label for a practiictioner and is a way to identify oneself..it is usually a term used for those who study topics under low magic, though some use it otherwise I found .
Darksphere is prabably right,though,one book i've been readind claims that,a witch is someone who has gone through an initiation,but everybody has there own opinion.
A label is a label. I could call myself something other than witch, but on this site, witch is easier than sau, hekau, qematet, rekhet, or any other title that would work just fine to describe me as a Kemetic practitioner. Other people know witch far better than the other titles. And it is less confusing to them and the mods as well. Lol.
I don't believe you have to be 'initiated' by anyone to be called a witch. I think that once the decision is made in your mind and heart to commit yourself to your craft then you are a witch. Although I'm not 'Wiccan' I do submit entirely to my pagan craft and the energies of each chosen deity that help me to create my world that surrounds me. Once I decided to commit, I was amazed at how I felt inside and happy that I finally found my perfect path. Those feelings when I introduce myself as a 'Witch', proud and with conviction, confirm it for me now. I am a witch, solitary and without organized rules.. (but I choose on my own to do it properly)
I always say that the title does not matter, and of course that it doesn't make us who we are. Titles only 'manufacture' impression and opinion from first sight.
A witch (you can grant it whatever term you want) is everyone who practices or specializes in magic(k) and performs the arts.
You can call yourself witch, magic practitioner, sorceress, etc. It won't change what you do or substitute with anything else. For example, if you call yourself a witch instead of a magic practitioner, this will not give you any recompense. This will be a simple transfiguration of a title. The titles define the same thing, thus you can feel free to grant yourself different names as you like and perform magic(k)s regularly. ;)
A Witch is someone whose spirituality is the Craft. Witches aren't just a practitioner of Magick, but are a part of certain (mostly Western) European practices. I call myself a Witch because that is my lifestyle, as well as practice and spirituality. This is not to say that I am only spiritual, or spiritual too much, but I do say it as this is something more than just practicing on certain days, doing a spell for this, or a spell for that. I honestly don't cast spells that much, as my focus is on life and energy working.
Technically, Witch is a label as is Druid, Rokkatruar, Shaman, etc. A label is just a term that describes something else, it is not the entirety of it.
Actually Eis, many Witches practice does not involve any sort of religious practice at all. Witchcraft is a form of magical practice which can be done by anyone of any religion, or even of no religion at all.
Some Witches do practice their Craft as part of a religious belief system that is based on the pre-Christian religions of Northern Europe. But again, this is not a blanket statement to indicate that all Witches do this for they do not.
And of course for others in this thread, Wiccans are a very specific modern religion with very specific beliefs and practices which also include the practices of witchcraft. All Wiccans are therefore Witches, but not all Witches are Wiccan.
Titles are what people wish to see themselves as or are given to them like as a rank. Calling yourself a witch can mean many different things here, depending on each person. For people that worry about titles too much, however, will state their title over and over again. In that case it really doesn't matter what title you are under but who you are.
I do call myself a witch but not as a practitioner, but as to give my respect to those that have been murdered for being a "witch".
