Christian/Catholic Witches?

[Serpent Child]

I have met more Christian/Catholic Witches than Satanic Witches. When I asked one Christian Witch about how the bible condemns Witchcraft she said, "Witchcraft is found throughout the whole Bible!" I think she meant Herbalism and Oils that were used (a part of Witchcraft) but I'm still unsure what she meant.
There are many increasing Christian and Catholic Magick Practitioners everyday, Witchcraft is simply a practice (nowadays and mostly but can be a religion from what I've researched) so anyone can practice Witchcraft (Atheists, Non-religious, Buddhists, Taoists, Spiritual, ect) is what others (in the Witchcraft Community) say in regards to them.
I have been to online Witchcraft Academies and there are Christian Witchery Classes.
To all Christians and Catholics: 1. Have you ever met Christian/Catholic Witches? 2. What do you think about them?
All I know about "Christian Witchery" is that they use Psalms to add power to their magick workings and some work with Abrahamic Angels. I don't know if they do Dark Magick (jinxes, hexes and curses) since Witchcraft is highly personal, individual and diverse. Most I've met aren't open about it since their community/friends/family are religious.

 

[Aštra’el]

There is actually a lot of ceremonial magick involving Abrahamic culture, so I can see how "Christian witches", as you call them, would have quite the reservoir of established cultural material to explore for their workings.

Some well-known grimoires that might appeal to the Abrahamic-inclined would include "The Book of Abramelin", "The Three books of Occult Philosophy", "The Sworn Book of Honorius", "The Lemegaton", and many others. These individuals might even find appeal in Jewish Kabbalah and Hermetic Qabalah, especially in systems like the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn.

Some of my favorite sigils can be found among these sources, such as this one:

​

The inclination to integrate various Abrahamic culture into one's magickal practices is certainly something I can relate to. I may not be Christian, but YHVH does hold the highest position in my pantheon.

 

[Kemosloby]

No, but i burned myself once, or twice, on the stove.

 

[Nietzsche]

No, but i burned myself once, or twice, on the stove.

I want to point out, I do not generally like you. I imagine the feeling is mutual. But I love this, so much.

 

[lovesong]

There is actually a lot of ceremonial magick involving Abrahamic culture, so I can see how "Christian witches", as you call them, would have quite the reservoir of established cultural material to explore for their workings.

Some well-known grimoires that might appeal to the Abrahamic-inclined would include "The Book of Abramelin", "The Three books of Occult Philosophy", "The Sworn Book of Honorius", "The Lemegaton", and many others. These individuals might even find appeal in Jewish Kabbalah and Hermetic Qabalah, especially in systems like the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn.

Some of my favorite sigils can be found among these sources, such as this one:

​

The inclination to integrate various Abrahamic culture into one's magickal practices is certainly something I can relate to. I may not be Christian, but YHVH does hold the highest position in my pantheon.

It really does seem like the majority of occult literature has an Abrahamic flare, doesn't it? I actually kind of like this influence, despite generally disliking places where Abrahamic ideas creep in. When it gets a little too heavy for me, though, I simply switch out the names so that I can still work with my appropriate gods. While I downright despise the Abrahamic influence on today's Paganism (Abrahamic ideas like sin, hell, the need to be saved, mono vs atheism, just the whole subtle Christian backdrop, not Abrahamic deities. I myself hold the angel Azrael in highest regards.), I can see it's value in occult theory, philosophy, and practice. Occultism (as opposed to other branches of magic), has really been born out of a very Christian era, from the medieval grimoires to our modern philosophies. While we'd certainly have other forms of magic without this influence, I think we really owe it to the early Kabbalists and esoteric Christians who laid the path for our occult ideas to be formed.

 

[Adamski]

Witch craft is a mortal sin

 

[Raahim]

Does 'Hoodoo' go into Christian witchcraft?

 

[VioletVortex]

As a Pagan I find that to be contradictory. There is no "light magic".

 

[Callisto]

There is actually a lot of ceremonial magick involving Abrahamic culture, so I can see how "Christian witches", as you call them, would have quite the reservoir of established cultural material to explore for their workings.

True regarding ceremonial magic but that's different from witchcraft. Witchcraft is essentially folk magic whereas ceremonial magic consists of learned complex systems. Witchcraft is called low magic whereas cm is high magic.

 

[roger1440]

The term “Christian witch” is a contradiction of terms.

 

[VioletVortex]

The term “Christian witch” is a contradiction of terms.

The term "witchcraft" derives from Old English, and means something my the lines of "the craft of twisting". There is probably a connection to "wise" too. Christianity is more about submitting and accepting things as they are, weheas watercraft traditions involve having more control over the circumstances. I might add that the term "wick" probably comes from the same root, in the sense that a wick is made of twisted string.

Also, as I said earlier, the benevolent white witch is a myth. Whenever the circumstances are changed, someone is harmed. Face it. You can't cast a love spell on someone and say with a straight face that you are being benevolent. No, you are inverting someone's will. And that isn't always bad, sometimes, people deserve that.

 

[roger1440]

The term "witchcraft" derives from Old English, and means something my the lines of "the craft of twisting". There is probably a connection to "wise" too. Christianity is more about submitting and accepting things as they are, weheas watercraft traditions involve having more control over the circumstances. I might add that the term "wick" probably comes from the same root, in the sense that a wick is made of twisted string.

Also, as I said earlier, the benevolent white witch is a myth. Whenever the circumstances are changed, someone is harmed. Face it. You can't cast a love spell on someone and say with a straight face that you are being benevolent. No, you are inverting someone's will. And that isn't always bad, sometimes, people deserve that.

Regardless where the term was derived from, if you go into a church riding on a broom and casting spells, I don't think you would be welcomed very much.

 

[Lucida Sidera]

Christianity is such deeply rooted in many societies and individuals perspectives that is very difficult to abandon it.
I wouldn't think that witchcraft is, however, in itself, something more anthagonist to Christianism than, let's say, the Neoplatonism of St. Augustin. It's just more sterotyped as being.

If we are going to be historically accurate, it's difficult to see Christ's Miracles being seen on his time as something different from witchcraft - just having a specific divinity, the Highest God, acting on it and not other kind of divinities (usually painted as demons on Christian perspective)

 

[outlawState]

Am tempted to say that anyone who serves before a worldly altar could be regarded as a type of Christian witch, because the true altar is in heaven, and so what do they think they are doing?
8 Bible verses about Altars, In Heaven

and

"We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat." Heb 13;10.

 

[josip123]

Flying through the skies on a broomstick, the popular image of a witch is as a predominantly female figure – so much so that the costume has become the go-to Halloween outfit for women and girls alike. But where did this gendered stereotype come from? Part of the answer comes from medieval attitudes towards magic, and the particular behaviours attributed to men and women within the “crime” of witchcraft.

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The Evolution of The Medieval Witch

 

[ChristineM]

I have met more Christian/Catholic Witches than Satanic Witches. When I asked one Christian Witch about how the bible condemns Witchcraft she said, "Witchcraft is found throughout the whole Bible!" I think she meant Herbalism and Oils that were used (a part of Witchcraft) but I'm still unsure what she meant.
There are many increasing Christian and Catholic Magick Practitioners everyday, Witchcraft is simply a practice (nowadays and mostly but can be a religion from what I've researched) so anyone can practice Witchcraft (Atheists, Non-religious, Buddhists, Taoists, Spiritual, ect) is what others (in the Witchcraft Community) say in regards to them.
I have been to online Witchcraft Academies and there are Christian Witchery Classes.
To all Christians and Catholics: 1. Have you ever met Christian/Catholic Witches? 2. What do you think about them?
All I know about "Christian Witchery" is that they use Psalms to add power to their magick workings and some work with Abrahamic Angels. I don't know if they do Dark Magick (jinxes, hexes and curses) since Witchcraft is highly personal, individual and diverse. Most I've met aren't open about it since their community/friends/family are religious.

I see most religions in this way, rites of religion are akin to rites of witchcraft. The celebration of relics, incantations etc.

Of course religion does not see prayer as incantation or the bible a relic.

 

[ChristineM]

Flying through the skies on a broomstick, the popular image of a witch is as a predominantly female figure – so much so that the costume has become the go-to Halloween outfit for women and girls alike. But where did this gendered stereotype come from? Part of the answer comes from medieval attitudes towards magic, and the particular behaviours attributed to men and women within the “crime” of witchcraft.

---------------------------------------------
The Evolution of The Medieval Witch

In mediaeval europe 'witch' was the derogatory term given by doctors and priests to "wise women", pagan priestesses healers, herbalists, nurses, midwifes etc. In a rather harsh crackdown on job security and universal religion

 

[wellwisher]

I have met more Christian/Catholic Witches than Satanic Witches. When I asked one Christian Witch about how the bible condemns Witchcraft she said, "Witchcraft is found throughout the whole Bible!" I think she meant Herbalism and Oils that were used (a part of Witchcraft) but I'm still unsure what she meant.
There are many increasing Christian and Catholic Magick Practitioners everyday, Witchcraft is simply a practice (nowadays and mostly but can be a religion from what I've researched) so anyone can practice Witchcraft (Atheists, Non-religious, Buddhists, Taoists, Spiritual, ect) is what others (in the Witchcraft Community) say in regards to them.
I have been to online Witchcraft Academies and there are Christian Witchery Classes.
To all Christians and Catholics: 1. Have you ever met Christian/Catholic Witches? 2. What do you think about them?
All I know about "Christian Witchery" is that they use Psalms to add power to their magick workings and some work with Abrahamic Angels. I don't know if they do Dark Magick (jinxes, hexes and curses) since Witchcraft is highly personal, individual and diverse. Most I've met aren't open about it since their community/friends/family are religious.

In the 4th Century AD, Christianity became the official religion of Rome. Rome was the over dog and made changes. To help Christianity spread easier though the Roman empire, Rome made changes to the original Christianity, to help accommodate its diversity of peoples and faiths. Christmas or the birth of Jesus was made to overlap a Pagan holiday, to help bring people together. Halloween is a holiday to pagan spirits. This change was acceptable, since it was connected to render onto Caesar what was Caesar's.

The Catholic Church formed from this merger with Roman; Roman Catholic Church. Catholic witches are a throw back to a Christian heart wrapped in Pagan clothing; social unity via merged diversity. The inner spirit of the Holy Spirit does not change if you wear different clothing; render into God what is God's. However, cultures who are more on the surface, found it easier if they did not have to quit the past cold turkey. The Christian heart could accept that as they found their way.