[Elspode]

Originally posted by LUVBUGZ
I guess I'm not sure the difference between Wicca and witchcraft. The "bad witches" for lack of a better term, if not Wiccan, then what are they? If I met someone who said they were a witch, how do I know if they are a "good" witch or a "bad" witch?

Well, therein lies the rub. Wiccans are witches, but not all witches are Wiccan. Wicca is based upon ancient European belief systems and practices. Witchcraft existed a long time before Wicca. Wicca is a modern codification of older, indigenous religious practices and folk beliefs. How do you tell the difference between a good witch and a bad witch? The same way you tell the difference between a good person and a bad one, I suppose. If someone works some bad juju on you (no, not *you*, Juju), then you should assume they are bad. If they say they are Wiccan and have still worked some bad juju on you, then you might want to ask them to re-examine their path a bit. If you meet someone who says they are a witch, ask them if they are Wiccan. If not, that doesn't necessarily make them a "bad" witch, anyway. It just means they don't adhere to the same ethos as Wiccans. I know witches who aren't Wiccan and are spiffy fine folks.

When you do spellwork is it like sitting in a circle and chanting/praying? Do you actually do specific spells? Sabrina comes to mind, looking in her big Spell Book, following some recipe for a spell she wants to perform.

Sometimes we sit, sometimes we stand, sometimes you do spellwork alone, other times with the coven. Do we have spell books? Well, some of us, yes. We call it a Book of Shadows in our coven (you may sometimes hear it referred to as a Grimoire, although we tend to think of that as more like a recipe book), and it is simply the accumulation of rituals, spells, journaling, lessons, etc, that one accumulates in the course of being a witch. For us, our BOS is a personal item, not to be shared. We have a coven BOS which is a record of the rituals, spellwork, etc we've done as a coven.

Yes, we do specific spells...it is sort of difficult to do a general spell. That would be kind of like asking someone for something that will make you happy for your birthday...you *might* get something you want, but the chances are reduced.

And, if you know of any examples, what kind of spells do "bad" witches think they can perform?

Well, pretty much anything you can think of, I guess. I'm not aware of anyone having been turned into a toad or such, but I have known of people who did things which were not intended to enhance the lives of others. I guess "bad" witches probably think they can do a lot more than they actually can, overall. It is all relative. If, as I said, one is cognizant and takes reasonable care about one's own path and lives honorably, it is probably going to be pretty hard for a "bad" witch to screw with you very much in the first place. Let me try an example, here...Let's say you have a good witch working for you, and also a bad witch. Let's then say that neither of them like you very much (which is highly unlikely, I am sure . ) The good witch might do a spell to facilitate a promotion, so that they no longer have to work under you. A bad witch would work a spell intended to have you fired, become ill, or otherwise gotten out of their hair in some rather more nasty way.

It all comes down to intent and approach.