You say Witch like its a bad thing.....

I have never hid the fact that I practice witchcraft, call myself a witch, or live my life in the beliefs of Pagan roots. It amazes me that people still have this bitter taste in their mouths when the word "witch" is spoken. Let's go down the list of the top ten reasons people think of "witch" or calling someone a "witch" is a bad thing...

(this is my personal order, my own personal beliefs, and research)

Number 10 ~ The Salem Witch Trials

Mass hysteria inserted itself into a very God fearing town of New Salem. What started as perhaps innocent play among the your children, people who feared that the pretense the children presented was from the Devil himself. This placed neighbor against neighbor. The rich seemed to thrive where the poor and the meek quickly became victims. This mass hysteria started in the year 1692 and it continued for almost a whole year. Most of the children that claimed to be inflicted sent many to the gallows. Were these people witches? More than likely not. If there had been anyone actually practicing the old pagan ways, they probably lived far away from any of the christian towns, or they lived a quiet life and no one knew.

Number 9 ~ Superstition

Many items and acts land under this category. It ranges from owning black cats to liking to wear all black. However it is never so simple. Ever since the dawn of the age of writing there have been sayings and mannerisms from people all over the world. People blame bad luck on being cursed or bewitched by someone. Beliefs in these superstitions have lead to paranoia and people holding on to their deeply related Christian views. 

Number 8 ~ Occult/Satanism

Its very easy to lay blame on anything that is not christian based.


The definition (according to freedictionary.com) of an Occult is:

1. Of, relating to, or dealing with supernatural or magical influences, agencies, or occurrences:
2. Available only to the initiate; secret or mysterious:
3. Beyond the realm of human comprehension; inscrutable:
4. Hidden from view; concealed:


The definition (according to freedictionary.com) of Satanism is:

1. The worship of Satan characterized by a travesty of the Christian rites.
2. A body of doctrine and practice based on the celebration of individual will, explicit rejection of monotheistic notions of virtue.
3. Profound wickedness.

Number 7 ~ The New Age

Around the late 1960 to the early 1970's a craze of new ideas were born. These ideas were peace-loving, inner spiritual attunement and mediations just to name a few. The ideas of chakras and aura readings became popular. Not to mention certain types of drugs that claimed could put a person into a trance and get to know their higher self. The age of self aware was born, and society norms did everything in their power to push it back. 

Number 6 ~ Not Believing in the Christian God

Not much can be said on this. If a person does not follow any christian faith, then there must be something Godless about the person. This has been pressed into many christian faiths.

Number 5 ~ Not Liked in the Community

This can be traced back to early writings before 1AD. Stories that for one reason or another a person has been singled out due to any number of reasons. One reason that seems to echo through many countries was merely the fact that the person choose to live their life differently from everyone, or from what was expected of them. The person could be an old man that just wants to be left a lone and seems mean to everyone else do to this isolated behavior. In some cases, psychics get singled out, yet people will not hesitate to seek one out to get advice. However in doing so, that person doing the seeking may cover their tracks so that they do not become an outcast in the town they live in. 

Number 4 ~ Being Eccentric

Eccentric is defined as 'of a person or their behavior unconventional and slightly strange'. A person who may like to dance while waiting for the buss, a person who paints with their body or even a person who might have OCD would fall under this category.

Number 3 ~ Herbalist

Someone who knows the medicinal qualities of plants. One that has been known to work with things in nature. One who may know how to use herbs in aroma therapy, tinctures, salves, etc...  

Number 2 ~ Psychics

People that can either see the future. They tend to get feeling from things they interact with either by just being near or by actually touching. The recieve messages, and sometime can see the things that have happened in the past. 

Number 1 ~ The Bible

According to the King James version, there are many passages about witches.

Exodus 22:18
'You shall not allow a witch to live.'

Leviticus 19:31
'Do not turn to mediums or spiritualists; do not seek them out to be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God.'

Leviticus 20:6
'As for the person who turns to mediums and to spiritualists, to play the harlot after them, I will also set My face against that person and will cut him off from among his people.'

Leviticus 20:27
'Now a man or a woman who is a medium or a spiritualist shall surely be put to death. They shall be stoned with stones, their blood-guiltiness is upon them.'

Deuteronomy 18:10
"There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer.'

Deuteronomy 18:11
or one who casts a spell, or a medium, or a spiritualist, or one who calls up the dead.

1 Samuel 28:3
Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him and buried him in Ramah, his own city. And Saul had removed from the land those who were mediums and spiritists.

Jeremiah 27:9
"But as for you, do not listen to your prophets, your diviners, your dreamers, your soothsayers or your sorcerers who speak to you, saying, 'You will not serve the king of Babylon.'

Jeremiah 27:10
"For they prophesy a lie to you in order to remove you far from your land; and I will drive you out and you will perish.'

(references from biblehub) (cross referenced from the King James Bible)