The air is still and expectant. Her breath is still. The night is still. The forces of life wait expectantly, and suddenly the light returns to flood the room. The cycle is complete. The magic of her fingers will soothe where they lay, and the magic of her voice will heal where it is heard, the magic of her eyes will light the Earth, and all the things will grow where she looks upon them. What is she practicing? Witchcraft.
Witchcraft, in a neutral sense, is sorcery, the magical manipulation of supernormal forces through the casting of spells and the conjuring or invoking of spirits (Encyclopedia, 368). Such spells may be for either good or bad purposes. Witchcraft also means, "Craft of the Wise Ones," and is known as the "Old Religion" (witchcraft is a legal religion protected under the First and Fourteenth Amendments). In early times, the witch was the local lawyer, psychiatrist, and doctor. Its practices can be traced to Neolithic ("Stone Age") cave paintings (Vogel, par. 1). .
In most societies, however, witchcraft has been considered the harmful branch of sorcery (Jong, 13). Contrary to people's opinions, witchcraft is not always evil. Usually, witches do not do evil. Influenced by "the Threefold Law" found in the Wiccan Rede, witches are discouraged from the idea of doing evil to others or themselves, and encouraged to use their powers for good.
The Wiccan Rede, in its entirety is only two lines, "Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill, An" ye harm none, do what ye will" (Encyclopedia, 363). It is the basis for the entire religion of witchcraft. It acknowledges the right of all people to choose their own paths, as long as their choices do not bring injury to another or themselves. The term Wiccan Rede is derived from the Old English terms wicca ("witch") and roedan ("to guide or direct") (Encyclopedia, 363). Violators of this interpretation of the Wiccan Rede will suffer a karmic boomerang effect and bring negativity or evil upon him or herself, also known as the "Threefold Law of Return.
