The "W" Word, or, Why We Call Ourselves Witches

[icymist]

M. Macha NightMare, 1998, 2000, reprinted from Reclaiming Quarterly
In a previous issue of the RECLAIMING QUARTERLY, you may have read an article by Sam Webster called "Why I Call Myself a Pagan." This is my further explanation of why I call myself a Witch, and also why the former Reclaiming Collective (RIP) chose certain terminology over other terminology in the crafting of Reclaiming's Principles of Unity.

Many people seem to be using the term Wicca to describe what has evolved into the Reclaiming Tradition of Witchcraft. This is a misuse of the term. In this article I'm going to try to explain the difference in the meanings of the words Witchcraft and Wicca, and also why we chose to call our tradition Witchcraft rather than Wicca.

Old Religion, Wicca, Pagan, Neo-Pagan, Goddess Spirituality, Nature Religion, Ecofeminist Spirituality, Craft, Witchcraft - we call ourselves many different names.

Just to narrow the field, we'll say here that Pagan and Neo-Pagan are broader, more encompassing terms than the others above. All Witches are Pagans, but not all Pagans are Witches. Some are Druids or Asatru or something else.

As mentioned above, the words Witchcraft and Wicca are not synonymous. Though many Wiccans may also call themselves Witches, fewer Witches would necessarily describe themselves as Wiccan. The Covenant of the Goddess, for instance, is an ecumenical organization of Witches, some of whom are Wiccans. Prospective members must be able to use the term Witch to describe themselves in order to be eligible to join.

Read the full essay