Hi everyone -- banning the books - Some clarification on the term "witch"

[emberleeblu]

No: HPFGUIDX 159461

Random832 <random832 at ...> wrote:
> What I don't understand is this. Wouldn't it have been better
> for them (that is, Wiccans in general) to simply stop co-opting
> the term "witch" (and thus avoid being stereotyped as "witches")
> rather than trying to fight a much older meaning of the word?


Actually, the term "witch" has been used by Wiccans, like myself,
and others who practice the Old Ways since about 2000 B.C.,
beginning in ancient Egypt! It was the early/medieval time Christian
leaders who created the "stereotype" you speak of to turn people
away from the Old Ways because there were many who were straddling
the fence, so to speak, and practicing both. This can be verified
with very minimal research by anyone who cares to run a Google or
check Wikipedia, etc. Our religion has not changed, that's why it
has always been refered to as "the Old Ways", as in the ways before
the new(Christianity). It is, then, the "newer" meaning of the word
we must fight, not the "much older" suggested here. We didn't ask
for the stereotype. Why should we change to please anyone else? If
the fires of the witchhunts didn't break us, then a bit of "stigma"
won't either. You might as well ask Christians to call themselves
something besides Christian because they could avoid being
stereotyped as "holy rollers" or "bible bangers".
                                                Aleyna