The Witches' Book of the Dead Read Online Free Page A

wisdom they received from supernatural beings infused their ability to better understand the inner workings of magic. These great sages of Witchcraft now inhabit the twilight world of the dead, yet they continue to inspire Witches today, and are often conjured to bring their magical legacy into modern times.
    Modern Wicca: Witchcraft Renewed
    In the early 1950s, a new image of the Witch emerged in the form of modern Wicca, which portrays Witchcraft as an ancient fertility cult that worships a god and a goddess. Blended together from bits of pre-Christian religions, Freemasonry, and nineteenth-century ceremonial magic, Wicca incorporates magic into its practices, but it is often secondary to worship. While it is true that some historical Witches have been associated with this deity or that, religious devotion did not define those individuals as Witches, and was certainly not the reason why they were both vilified and deified—their power was.
    Real Witches were distinguished by their magic, their cunning powers of manipulation, their connection to the spirits, and, most importantly, their willingness to exploit these powers for their own ends and to meddle in the affairs of others. I sometimes wonder if the gods and goddesses we call on today might once have walked the Earth as Witches themselves, having been so magical in life that they were deified in death. Consider the story of Jesus, who performed miracles and magic, preached from the fringes of society, and was later referred to as a god. While these facts do not necessarily mean that Jesus was a Witch, he certainly fits some of the criteria that I use to distinguish one. The Buddha also began as an actual person, Siddhartha Gautama, and is now revered by traditions throughout the world. So if it's safe to say that if this is true of other magical people, then it just may be that our very dieties are the departed Witches of long ago.
    Contrary to the Earth mother goddesses and jovial gods of modern Wicca, when Witches were associated with gods or goddesses, these deities were usually even darker and more feared than the Witches themselves. The spiritual intelligences employed by the Witch were typically not the officially sanctioned deities of the culture he resided in.
    Modern Wicca has two ironclad, dogmatic rules that adherents follow. The first, “Do what you will and harm none,” is a concept likely adapted from the teachings of Aleister Crowley. The second, the “threefold law,” is a precept stating that everything the Wiccan does will return to her threetimes. Neither of these axioms appears in history prior to the twentieth century. In real Witchcraft, there are no rules. Morality and ethics are situational and dependent upon the culture, upbringing, and personal philosophy of the Witch. There are times, such as when danger is imminent, that the Witch must take defensive action. It is not evil to protect yourself, your family, and your community. The competent Witch learns to work within the balance of nature and the tides of magic.
    While modern Wicca has contributed much to the old traditions of Witchcraft, these paths have also encouraged a culture of Witches who do not have to have any occult talent to participate in the latest religious fad—Witches without magic, if you will. In this new form where everyone is welcome, Witches can be just like everyone else—mainstream, scrubbed up, and acceptable. While inclusiveness is a foundation of our modern society, applying this principle in Witchcraft distorts the simple truth that Witches have never been representative of the masses—they were gifted seers who dwelt on the edges of society. Not everyone can do magic and talk to the dead. Those with real magical talent have always earned a healthy balance of fear and admiration.
    Because real Witches and their powers can be rare, modern Wiccans often seek them out when their own magic fails to bring them their desired results. In this, they are like the