Witchcraft and ... Magic

Now it's time for me to finally get back on track and continue with Witchcraft and More. I've read plenty of articles, some books about witchcraft. Somehow it became more familiar to me, I can proudly identify the witchcraft tools when they showed on TV, and can say that yes, a witch and a wiccan is not the same. However, while opening up my blog's page I actually asked myself what is the relation between witchcraft and ... magic.
First, magic is a broader concept, I hope you agree. The Macmillan on line dictionary says that magic is "the mysterious power some people believe can make impossible things happen if you do special actions or say special words called spells". That's how it is understood in modern TV shows and movies. The latest  (one of them) vampire saga  "The Vampire Diaries" pictures a witch, who uses spells and her implicit powers for performing different rituals and creating magic. Or my favorite fantasy novel Harry Potter portrayed magic in an appealing way (besides all those Lord Voldemort's dark deeds).

I was already raising same kind of issue with witchcraft and witch connotations in old time and modern life. In my search through the global network and books, I found an acknowledgement of my thought once again - the concept of witchcraft bears a negative element, while magic is treated as a fascinating phenomenon. 
I cannot agree with this as witchcraft is a part of magic, or better, one of the ways of its implementation.  As Wiki says "in non-scientific societies, perceived magical attack is an idea sometimes employed to explain personal or societal misfortune. In anthropological and historical contexts this is often termed witchcraft or sorcery, and the perceived attackers 'witches' or 'sorcerers'". 
There are such expressions like "a magic moment", "a magic touch", which we take positively, we love to say them to show that something was special and it made us happy. But imagine such word combinations (if they can exist ever) as "a witchcraft moment", "a witchcraft touch" ... one probably recollects a steaming cauldron, dark rooms and black robes. Feel the difference?
In my opinion, witchcraft is a very personal thing, judging by the blogs of the modern witches I follow. It's not something what comes easily to you. It is personal also because every witch invents her own ways of making a brew, or cleansing a house. Also witchcraft has a very big psychological impact in a way that saying of  a particular spell, or may be any written spell, tune you in a successful problem resolution for example.
Another moment I'd like to reflect on is that magic actually can be of two kinds: black and white. I  consider that here's where the confusion occurred. Association of witchcraft with black color, and dark side overall automatically linked it to black magic, and further, all the witches were considered causing only harmful things. However, there were and are such women/men in every country of the world who do such "magical" actions like herb brewing and healing with the help of words and touch. Are they doing magic? Probably, no, but they use witchcraft techniques, if there are such.
I don't know where today's thoughts led me, and whether I was able t and explain them to you, but I feel that something became more clear for me in the world of witchcraft.
Just as addition: I'm reading a very nice horror fantasy novel "Anna Dressed in Blood" by Kendare Blake, and I'm liking it! Guess, what attracted me first of all in this novel?;)
Thanks for all your comments and staying with me even if I don't post frequently. My other blog takes a lot more of my attention, but this one is dear to my heart too. Keep on writing and reading.
Yours sincerely,
Witchcraft and Literature

Meet Witches' Tools

I was thinking about witchcraft a lot and what makes it attractive for me... Witches' tools! Almost anyone can name few of them like brooms, cauldrons, wands... and then you will start guessing and may be will name crystals. But do we really know witchcraft tools and do we know all of them? I decided to explore the topic of witches' tools and found many interesting facts.

As soon as the power of nature plays the most important role in the witchcraft practice, the tools also, in my opinion, have direct connection to the nature, the very first phenomena a human faced,  and that's why  the tools are made of natural materials like wood, stone, metal (as soon as nature gives it).

I was lucky to find a very good book "The Witches' craft: The Roots of Witchcraft and Magical Transformation" by Raven Grimassi ( I bet it's a pseudonym). The author explains that each of such basic tools as pentacle, wand, dagger, and chalice is "an extension  of our (Wiccans'/witches'?) own personal power, a symbolic inner connection to the divine spark within us that allows for external creation".

 According to the author the mentioned tools have a "history of great antiquity.. each tool connects to an ancient belief system". That is what I was looking for and it means that witchcraft has inherited its system in the beginning of time. So what I knew about some of the tools and what discovered now.

Wand

Me: The wand in my opinion has to be considered as one of the most ancient witchcraft tools. The wand is the best known witchcraft tool and very well reflected in popular culture (Harry Potter is in my mind). I know that wand is used for casting spells.

Discovery: In immemorial times people used to worship trees and observe their qualities. Many cultures had (and have) a concept of a Sacred tree - roots extend into Underworld, dark side, while upper branches of tree - to Heaven World, a light side, and both the world are connected to each other.

The book says that there was a custom for leader to carry the branch of a tree, the most powerful of all plants. The custom made the person possessing the wand a medium between Gods and humans, what later led to the association with shamans, prophets and wizards. Others also started using small branches of a tree for religious and magical purposes, and this is how the witches' wand appeared.
The wood was also a material easily available and easily worked up by our ancestors. There are many types of wood hence many types of wands which inherit the quality of each tree. The main wood used for wand making is oak, willow, birch, elm, rowan and walnut.Wand represents the extension of the arm and associated with the element of air. It is used to evoke and invoke the spirits and Gods of Nature (as it has connection to the Heaven World) (b).

Broom

Me: Well, the tool which is very well known to me. Seems like I knew about it since my childhood. In Russian folklore and Russian literature all the witches always used to ride a broom. So no doubt it is a mean of transport.

Discovery: As appeared the broom is not that plain tool. It is evolved into a composite of both male and female fertility. As a ritual tool of Witchcraft the broom is used to sweep the ritual setting for purification. The broom is comprised of three different materials: the handle is mad of ash, the sweep of birch twigs and the binding lash is made of willow strips. The triad the materials announces all the spirits that the witch operates from the name of Hecate. The broomstick allows the witch to have power over spirits of night, shadow and darkness (b).

Not a single word about flying on the broomstick! Is it then a modern interpretation of this tool?

     Athame

Me: I had a little knowledge about this tool and used to call it a "knife". TV shows mostly present it in the scenes where a witch uses it to for killing ritual animals.

Dicsovery: I never knew it is called athame. This tool appeared later in history when people actually learned how to make tools out of metal. Athame is "a tool of elemental fire because the metal itself was forged in fire and retains the memory of this transformative power". The athame does such functions as tracing out a ritual circle and evoking the guardians of the four quarters (b).

 Not as bad tool as I thought and quite a peaceful tool.

 Cauldron       

 Me: I know that witches prepare their potions and ointments in the cauldron.

Discovery: The cauldron has more significance for witchcraft than we think. The cauldron is usually made of iron and associated with fertility, abundance and revival of the dead  It is also a symbol of womb of the Great Goddess. In Celtic myths the cauldron is hidden in the Underworld or some magical castle or labyrinth. What means that cauldron can't be reached easily and the person has to make a long journey to obtain it (b).

Once again the stereotype thinking about the cauldron makes it simple and ordinary tool.

 Chalice

 Me: I must have seen this tool in many movies picturing the witchcraft in the scenes where a witch holds it above her saying some spells and then drinks out of it, or offers to somebody else.

Discovery: Chalice is a tool connected to the Goddess through a womb symbolism (just like the cauldron). In ancient times chalice was a gourd, a large shell or a wooden bowl used to contain the sacred liquids. Nowadays the chalice is made of silver, a metal sacred to the moon goddess. In the Witchcraft chalice is used to hold ritual wine, which used to represent goddess blood and later with the raise of patriarchal power and the creation of agrarian society, the blood of the Goddess symbolized by the red wine became the blood of slain god of the harvest. The cult of Dionysus is the best known example of such symbolism. Chalice is a vessel of offering and receptivity (b).
The chalice  didn't go far from my understanding of it as you can get to know easily what it is used for from its shape. Yet the deep symbolical meaning of it is not known to us.

These were several the most important tools of the witchcraft. However there are still many of them of which I didn't have any idea like the witches' ring, pentacles, a ritual scourge and others. I will try to give time to post about them too. Here now some stereotype image of a witch in modern art. Can you some of the tools beside her? ;)

P.S. All the material taken form the book has linkage (b) in order to follow copyright. Some citations are not full and modified a bit.

Greek Magical Papyri

I was so much happy and excited when I got to know about such ancient text as "Greek Magical Papyri" (Papyri Graecae magicae). It eventually gives and answer on the question about practice of magic in ancient Greece and Hellenic countries as well as it gives us first magical instructions in a written form. I have also found that there is not much information in the internet about it and moreover, not so many images of it though I found some and I hope they are genuine.
"Greek magical papyri" is the name given by scholars to a body of papyri from Graeco-Roman Egypt, which each contain a number of magical spells, formulae, hymns and rituals. The  materials in the papyri date from 2nd century BC to the 5th century AD. The manuscripts came to light through the antiquities tarde, from the 18th century onwards. One of the best known of these texts is the so-called Mithras Liturgy (Wiki).
I must say that the papyri has a very strange look, it has not only script in it but some pictures too and I would like to know the reason. It looks more like some kids' drawing to me as well.

Greek magical papyri sheet

I found the text of "Greek magical papyri" here. So what is the content of this papyri. Mainly the texts included in it are :

• instructions for magical rituals
• different magical spells
• guidance on how to deal with demons
• formulae
• curses
• hymns

and other miscellaneous.
The text of "Greek magical papyri" contains references to various gods and demons, Greek, Egyptian and Jewish. In "Papyri graecae magicae III. 1-59" are found names of Hermes, Hekate (papyri spelling), Hermekate (perhaps merging of Hermes and Hekate) and some Meliouchos. In another papyri IV.4-25 there are names of Egyptian and Jewish gods: Osiris, Anubis, Thoth, Sabaoth. Also Zeus is mentioned there. Moreover, angles are also met in the text.

As I had said above there were images in the papyri too. I consider them to be images of Gods or demons with the spells written in the borders of their body.

Greek magical papyri sheet

 The "Greek magical papyri in translation Including the demotic spell, Second edition" book  explains pretty well the origin, history of discovery and the meaning of "Greek magical papyri". The author of the "Introduction to the Greek magical papyri" Hans Dieter Betz says that beside the insight into syncretism of Greek, Egyptian, Jewish and even Babylonian ancient religions, the papyri also "provides many insights into the phenomenon of magician as a religious functionary(...) Some of the magicians writing and using the spells may have been associated with temples of Egyptian and Greek deities".
The author had good words about the meaning of magic in the time of papyri creation: " In a transitional culture like Graeco-Roman Egypt, a religious functionary who operated as a crisis manager became a necessity to the lives of ordinary people. This role the magician was bale to fulfill". This is what I was saying about the origin of magic   , that it appeared as a support for those who needed it, and the person who performed had a special knowledge, so that he or she could communicate with the world of demons and dead.
Papyri is an amazing written source for the study of magical knowledge in ancient times and we also shall value it as any other opportunity to get a little bit closer to the understanding of how our ancestors lived.  

Origin of Witchcraft - Greek Hecate

 I had opened a big topic related to a reflection of a witchcraft in ancient Greek literature. Therefore, I would like to continue my thoughts on the subject of the first witch/wizard in the human's history. And I would like to descry ancient Greek mythology and Goddess Hecate and her relation to witchcraft.
Hecate is an ancient Goddess who is presented mostly as a triple formed Goddess: triple headed, triple bodied, six armed and six legged. I also found that  "earliest Greek depictions of Hecate are single-faced, not three formed" (wiki), and that her mystic nature was created later.

Ancient Hecate, 3rd century BCE

Goddess Hecate has associations  with a variety of phenomenon as fire, light, the Moon, crossroads, entrance ways, knowledge of potions and herbs, necromancy, sorcery, magic and witchcraft. Hecate also has a universal rule over the earth, sky and the sea, what might be reflected in her triple bodied figure.

Modern Hecate

Hecate's image as a witch can be treated as much valuable and powerful than any other. I must say that Hecate also figures in a myth about Jason and the Argonauts, discussed here in regard with Medea. Nevertheless, Hecate shall be considered as the source of witchcraft, probably it's origin, or the origin of belief in it.
In the Michael Strmiska's book "Modern paganism in world cultures" I found the lines about the origin of witchcraft and Hecate's cult, where the author says that Hecate conflated with Diana (Roman Goddess) was a protector of witches and sorcerers in their work and was most active at night. This then, in late antiquity and early medieval period, gave a ground for association of Hecate with witchcraft and night rituals.
According to Greek tradition Hecate can be called the first Goddess in humans history which used to have links with witchcraft and officially could be called as a Goddess of witches. However, in my opinion, we can't really know how she was treated by ancient Greeks and did they really worship this side of her deity. For that matter I also would like to know about the magic as a tool of mortal people in ancient Greece. How they used magic and how magic was treated that time.

Why I like the topic of witchcraft

    This is not a question, this is a try to explain myself why I like to read about magical stuff or watch it. Well, as far as I remember, I was fond of such things since childhood. Thanks to my Mum, who was always interested, on a hobby level, in astrology, stones properties, chiromancy and so on. It was not that she especially presented all her interests to me, but I am myself used to pick up some book on these topics and read it. It was all curiosity of course. Why not? This is indeed interesting and deserves our attention.

    I don't specifically like a witchcraft or all this black magic things or especially to do it (no way), but as soon as it exists  in our world and it is something what we can't explain yet - it becomes an object of our observation and even research.

    As soon as I am a philologist, I have a special interest in witchcraft. How many of the writers and poets  made magic and wizardry as part of their works! I can't leave the fact that this theme can also inspire to create. You can see different dimensions of it's presentation in the literature, however some books can be called "magical", if you take an example of Harry Potter, the latest top book (hence, movie) about the world of witches and wizards.

   In the next posts I would like to explore the witchcraft, and everything related to it, from the point of view of the literature. All the best to me and hope to realize my witch explorer potential!

Yours Sincerely,
Witchcraft and Literature