I Was A Christian Witch

Christian Witchcraft.  

Two words which, biblically speaking, are diametrically opposed to one another. A concept foreign to most Christians who are aware that the Bible prohibits the use of witchcraft in both Old and New Testaments. In fact, if you ask most people they would probably say there is no such thing as Christian Witchcraft.

They would be wrong.

In the past twenty years, Christian Witchcraft and Christian Wicca have emerged as growing spiritual paths for many mystically minded Christians. Typically these people come from church backgrounds but for them somehow being a Christian falls short. These are people who often disagree with certain doctrines or dogmas in mainstream denominations, have a love or reverence for nature, and long for a deeper connection with God. They have a love for God, the teachings of Christ but have also been harboring a secret interest in the occult for much of their lives.  Eventually, for these people factors combine which create a desire to stop fighting against what has always felt natural and meld Christian traditions with magickal practices.

I know.  I was one of these people.  I was a Christian Witch.

The real question isn't whether Christian witchcraft exists but rather how is such a thing possible? How could anyone believe they could bring opposing philosophy's into a form of spiritual harmony? The process is called syncretism.  Syncretism pulls religious ideas from a number of sources to create something unique or individual. This is the foundation for Christian Witchcraft.  A Christian Witch will take what they like from various traditions, beliefs, and rituals of both Christianity and witchcraft…and leave the rest behind.  In doing so the Christian Witch creates something totally individual for their own spiritual expression. 

What exactly then does a Christian Witch believe? What does Christian witchcraft look like?

Like all esoteric or mystical paths, Christian witchcraft is highly individualized. However, there are some common denominators which can be found among Christian Witch's, Christian Wiccans, and Christo-Pagans. Most…though certainly not all…Christian Witch's either have a very liberal understanding of the Bible.or follow Gnostic Christian teachings.  Many come from a Catholic upbringing. New Age philosophy can also enter strongly into a Christian Witch's belief structure.  Some will take the religion of Wicca or a form of Paganism and superimpose a Christian understanding of deity on the rituals while others take a more traditional Christian approach, adding magick and ritual into their belief structure. Many will continue to be regular attenders and active participants of their local church. In all circumstances, Christian Witchcraft, Christian Wicca, and Christo-Paganism are nature based.

As a Christian Witch, I was a Christian who practiced traditional witchcraft.  Christianity was my belief…witchcraft was my path.  

Christian witchcraft (or "witchery" depending on who your addressing) differs significantly from Christian Wicca, which actually includes four traditions or "sects" with varying influences:

Trinitarian Wicca utilizes the traditional Christian Trinity but is  "goddess inclusive"…Father, Son, Holy Spirit (Mother). Additionally, saints, angels, and elemental spirits are invoked for rituals and spells.

Norvescensian Wicca follows a threefold path of nature mysticism, spiritual feminism and ritual.  It is inspired by the lives of three Christian mystical women of the past….Brigid of Kildare, Hildegaard of Bingen, and Julian of Norwich.

Marian Wicca views Mary of Magdala and/or Mary, the mother of Jesus, as representations of the goddess.

Sophian Wicca adopts the feminine personification of God's wisdom…"Sophia"…as a separate goddess.

You may be asking why would anyone want to combine Christianity and witchcraft.

In my own case, from the time I was young I had always experienced an interest in the occult, witchcraft, and other mysteries. However, being a Christian all of my life I loved God. When I reached a crisis point in my faith as an adult I spent several years exploring the occult, turning my back on God and the church. Eventually though I wanted to be able to return to my Christian roots without giving up what I'd learned about witchcraft. In a way it's like "having your cake and eating it too." The idea of combining Christian belief and the Craft seemed a little strange but also like the answer. What truly surprised me was when I discovered two things…a mentor who was willing to show me how and many others who were on a similar journey. I found a community of Christian believers who either desired or were on a similar journey as my own. A kind of secret movement growing out of needs not being met in traditional or mainstream churches.

Christian Witch's follow their path silently and in secret, connecting on the internet through chat rooms and on message boards. Christian Witch's have no desire to convert anyone to their way of thinking but simply want to be able to have what they consider to be the best of both spiritual worlds…Christ and mysticism. I eventually turned from the witch path (after also becoming a medium and ghost hunter). I repented of my sins and my relationship with Christ was truly restored. However, I learned one important thing from my occult experience. There are more Christian Witches and Christian Wiccans out there than most people realize. 

  The church needs to wake up to the reality of their existence.

Rather than arguing the impossibility of Christian witchcraft, the church needs to acknowledge there are spiritually hungry people in the Christian community who are being tempted to incorporate magickal practices into their faith walk. We must do all we can to encourage Biblical literacy among Christians.  Too many people profess Christ but have no clue what the BIble says about Him or anything else for that matter. People now seem to base their Christian walk on what they hear in the pulpit, see on tv, or read on the internet without ever checking to be sure it's actually from the Bible, accurate, and in context.

We must acknowledge the Bible as the true, revealed word of God.  There is no doubt Scripture condemns all practices involved in witchcraft: sorcery, spell casting, divination, enchantments, spiritism, idolatry, etc…in the strongest terms  (Deut. 18:10, Deut. 18:14, 2 Kings 17:17, Gal. 5:20, Rev.18:23) but many people are either missing or ignoring it.

As Followers of Christ we are saved by grace as revealed through the gospel.  We don't need to add magick to our lives to be fulfilled or empowered.  After accepting Jesus, the Holy Spirit comes into our lives and through Him we are daily transformed to become more like Jesus.  The Holy Spirit gives us wisdom, strength, and spiritual gifts to be used for the glory of God and for building up the church (Acts 1:8, 1 Cor. 12:7-10). 

By loving God and loving people we need to go out into the world as salt and light with the truth of Jesus Christ.  We also have to make sure those in the church are fully equipped with the knowledge of who they are in Jesus Christ.  To stand firm against the temptation and allure of witchcraft.

"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."  Matthew 7:13-14