by Deborah M.

Created on: August 05, 2008   Last Updated: August 06, 2008

Superstition and Religion in Modern Witchcraft: Overview

Mention the words superstition' and religion' to any given person in the United States and there will be two general definitions given based within the common view of these two concepts. Colloquially, superstition is viewed as synonymous with the false' beliefs of ignorant or unsophisticated people. If one were to espouse a belief in superstitions, they will find themselves the object of scorn or derision. Religion, however, is colloquially viewed as some nebulous truth and generally respected as a valid belief practice. In common parlance within the United States, religion and superstition are viewed as polar opposites, with any resemblance between the pair only being incidental at best.

While folk wisdom is a significant part of the modern practice of witchcraft, it must be taken with a judicious amount of skepticism. In the case of the terms superstition' and religion', such skepticism is well warranted. Unlike what folk wisdom would have one believe, these terms are comparable. Indeed, when considering the definitions of these terms, it becomes apparent that the distinction between the two concepts is heavily dependent upon cultural context.

The purpose of this series of essays is to identify the role of both concepts within modern witchcraft. While it may be possible to apply the findings presented here to the larger body of Neo-paganism, please be advised that this work focuses strictly upon modern witchcraft. In the following essays, there will be examples drawn from various sources within modern witchcraft, including but not limited to mainstream American Wicca, the Alexandrian tradition of Wicca (as described by R. Buckland); the Reclaiming tradition of Wicca described by Starhawk; the Green Witchcraft tradition described by Ann Moura; and other, less well-known variants.

At this time, it is vital to clarify that Wicca and witchcraft are not interchangeable terms for the purpose of this series of essays. Wicca is a highly popular and extremely varied subset of the sacred version of modern witchcraft. Other terms that must be clarified are:

1. Superstition Any belief or attitude that is inconsistent with known laws of science or with what is generally considered by a particular society as true and rational.

2. Religion Belief in divine or superhuman power or powers to be obeyed and worshipped as the creator(s) and ruler(s) of the universe; the expression of this belief in conduct and ritual.

3. Magic

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