Is Witchcraft Legal?

[*Gypsy*]

Assuming that you live in the United states, witchcraft is not only legal, it is protected by the Constitution, in the Bill of Rights.

You’ve read or heard of the First Amendment, right? “Congress shall make no law…”

So, the short answer is yes, witchcraft is legal. As a form of religion iit is protected by the First amendment to the Constitution and you are free to practice it anywhere in this country, including in the U.S. military or American prisons.

Now, the long answer. Witches have long been oppressed throughout the world because people do not understand the religion and many ultra-conservative religions have chosen to persecute witches. Many even take their traditions from variations on Wiccan and witchcraft traditions, like Christmas and Easter, but still argue that witches are evil.

Historically, much of the persecution comes from fear and from the fact that pagan religions were much more prevalent and powerful in the first years of Christianity. By convincing Christians that the religion was evil and its practitioners consorted with devils and demons, the Christian church was able to gain followers and become larger.

And, though legally we are protected in our right to practice whatever religion we choose, the reality is that many are still persecuted for their beliefs. After September 11, many Muslims were discriminated against and even injured for their faith. Many witches face the same kinds of actions.

Those openly practicing witchcraft often find that they lose their jobs, or can’t get a job, and are targets of hateful speech and hateful actions. There is nothing wrong with practicing witchcraft, but you must be prepared for the way others might respond.

How is it to practice your craft in your state? or country

[steve]

Gypsy your the greatest.

I have been a Witch for many a year but i am not a law man. I have often wondered and worried about this side of things. It is important that we know our rights so that we can use them and work with in them,

This information is of great value to all. I thankyou my friend and if you find any more please do poste

[*Gypsy*]

you know me..I'll dig and dig till I get it for us...lol
you bring up a real good point,we should know the law on what we are doing!

[dragonsteve]

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I hear of more and more cases of people going to court for many diffirent things and if it turns out that they are a witch or the likes. Then it seems to get in to the papers and TV. Any reason to make the Witch or the likes look bad. This really is not right or true. If a person does some thing wrong they do it of there own fee will and not in the name of the craft or any religion. And does not in any way get the backing from us. It's also wrong for the court's , TV, or the media to say that a person did this because they are a Witch or the likes.

Unfortunately like all religions there are those people that give out the wrong ideas of what it is that we stand for or do. Its down to us all to give the right imprecation and show the world the beauty that is truely in what we believe.

The law it's self needs to respect our religion and our rights. At this time i think most people are very unsure of the laws.

[just]

geesh, guess this was a post I'd best not to have read, for my thoughts on it are not nice right now.
Regardless of what your religion or belives are there is always, ALWAYS, folks that will find falt with it.
It's not just religion, it's everything. Some folks are too fat while others are too skinny, some are to dark while those are to light, some to rich and therefor sinful while that person is poor due to their sins.
It's a cruel world and no matter what laws there are, they will be folks breaking them. No matter how good a person is, their is always someone to point out something bad about them.

I am Christain, I do believe in God, Jesus and the Holy Ghost. Yet I am a Wiccan. I will not walk into my church and proclaim I am a witch! But I will not sit in silance when others talk bad about the Wiccan ways when they know not what they are talking about.

I believe my God sees me as all colors, all faiths and in both good and bad times. I believe man only see what they want to see and nothing will change that.

We can take it has that, sit and do nothing, or we can speak up to try and educate others. But know you will get shot down each and every time. But each and every time you just might have open a few peoples eyes where they will seek out the truth.

Life is never ending, you can enjoy it, and watch where you step so you remain happy, or you can take a stand and be prepaired to be outcasted by your own hand.

[ladyjay]

I never really questioned it. Thank goodness.

[dragonsteve]

this may be of interess to some it's from a real case. and was of it s time a much talked about case being heard before MR justice swife in king's bench division during April, 1934.

The judge* asked the plaintiff the shortest, and at the same time comprehensive, definition of magic which he knew'

ANSWER: Magic is the science of the art of causing change to occur in conformity with the will. white Magic if the will is righteous, and black Magic if the will is perverse.

MR JUSTICE SWIFT: Does that involve the invocation of spirits?

ANSWER: It may do so. it does involve the invocation of the Holy guardian Angel, who is appointed by almighty God to watch over each of us.

MR JUSTICE SWIFT: Then it does involve invocation of spirits?

ANSWER: Of one spirit, GOD is a spirit, and they that worship him worship him in spirit and in truth.

MR JUSTICE SWIFT: Is it ,in your view, the art of controlling spirits so as to affect the cause of events?

ANSWER: That is part of Magic, one small branch.

MR JUSTICE SWIFT: If the object of the control is good, then it is White Magic?

ANSWER: Yes,

MR JUSTICE SWIFT: if the object of control is bad, then it is black Magic?

ANSWER: Yes

MR JUSTICE SWIFT: When the object of the control is bad, What spirit do you invoke?

ANSWER: You cannot invoke Evil spirits.you must evoke them, and call them out,

MR JUSTICE SWIFT: When the object is bad you evoke Evil spirit?

ANSWER: Yes, you put yourself in their power. in that case it is possible to control Evil spirits for a good purpose, as we might if we use the dangerous elements of fire and electricity for heating and lighting, Ect.

This last reply is very sophistical, since anyone evoking Evil spirits would never want to employ them for a good purpose, andevrn if it were seemingly good this would be in order that eventually the greater mischief might be wrought. When the plaintiff, in reply to the judge's question, Then it ( Magic) does involve invocation of spirits? , answer, Of one spirit. GOD is a spirit.... He was quoting a mistransllation, and in consequence a good deal of confusion must have arison, The correct translation of ST. john iv, 24, is GOD is spirit, a vastly diffrent thing, to say "GOD is a spirit" is bad metaphysic and worse theology. in fact, it makes no sense. I very much doubt whether this drawing the line, this talk of white Magic and black Magic, is anything other than varbal emptiness, and in effect a purely artificial ( and rather perilous) discrimination between the good and the bad, all magic, all witchcraft, Depends on the Devil, and is fundamentally Evil. it is true that we speak of of natural Magic, Which the dictionaries define as, define as that which did not involve recourse to the agency of personal spirits, But the phrase is no better than a vulgarism and metaphor. It were a good thing, if possible, to get rid of these ambiguities and misnomers from our common everyday speech. A recent writer( 1929) goes so far as to speak of white witchcraft for the cure of disease and other purposes innocent in themselves, Although what he means is abundantly clear, actually there can not be such a thing as " White Witchcraft". The very words are contradictory, and little wonder that a wiser age condemned this art, under whatever pretext it was practised, as Heathenish and diabolical. Ancient spells and chams, a knowledge of herbs and planetry influences-these are neither witchcraft nor Magic, but leechdom. No conjuration, the evoking of Demons and malign spirits, Is involved.

Georde Giffard: sometime minister of maldon, essex, uncompromisingly condemns the "white witch". His dialogue concerning witches, published in 1593, was reissued in 1603,Three years after the writers death, these cunning men and women with charms, seeming to do good, ought to be rooted out' is his verdict.

William Perkins, the eminent Elizabethan divine, in his posthumous d**ned art of Witchcaft, published in 1608, Lays down that all Witches ' conviced by the magistrate' should be executed. he allows no exception, and under his condemnation fall ' all diviners, charmers, jugglers, all wizards, commonly called wise men and wise women, All those purported ' good witches, which do not hurt but good, which do not spoil and destroy. but save and deliver' should come under the extreme sentence ' The blessing Witch, is the right hand of the Devil'. Men shun and abhor the sorcerer, the necromancer, But they willfly to the white witch in any necessity, and thus thousands of heedless folk are carried away to thier final confusion. Death therfore is the just and deserved portion of the good witch. The very terms ' Good Witch, White Witch, are self-contradictory.

In 1684 richard bovet, who came of an old west of England family, thus sums up the matter in his pandamonium, or The Devil's cloyster. 'being a further blow to modern sadduceism, proving the existence of Witches and spirits, in a discourse deduced from the fall of the angels the propagation of satan's kingdom before the flood; The idolatry of the ages sfter greatly advancing diabolical confederacies, With an account of the lives and transaction of several notorious witches. also a collection of several authentick relations of strange apparitions of daemons and spectres, and fascinations of Witchs, Never before printed' by a Witch is commonly understood a female agent, or patient,Who is become covenant with the Devil.

[Stormsong]

there us a good book out by Kerr Cuhlian called Wiccan Warrior... he is a police officer and pagan activist.. this book shows how to deal with people effectively and issues of law...

I am not wiccan my self but found it to be a great book

[Stormsong]

the whole thing reads

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

I use it often when countering slander and icky messes about my right to worship how I choose

if I want to pray to a VW beetle named George dangnabit that is my right!

[aislinstorm]

An interesting case to look at that deals with this subject is that of the "West Memphis Three" from 1993

Three teenage boys accused of murdering three elementary school boys and mutilating their bodies. They were all convicted of the murders with very little evidence. One of the items marked into evedence was a book by Alister Crowly. The boy owning the book (Damen Echols) is also the only one who was given the death sentence.

This was said to have been a ritual killing...many Wiccans have come to their defence, and have tried to help them to get a new and more fair trial for these crimes. All the info for this case is on the Free the West Memphis Three web site if you are interested.

www.wm3.org/splash.php