What is Traditional Witchcraft?

Traditional Witchcraft is the non-ceremonial practice of simple and practical magic, influenced by and intertwined with local customs, folklore, superstitions, spiritual beliefs, and traditions.

Traditional Witchcraft is a Spiritual path at direct odds with all Religions.

 

It’s important to understand that in any community that practices magic, there are only a handful of ‘practitioners’ of magic, and the rest of the community followed locally influenced beliefs, superstitions, folklore, and customs – culminating in a local Tradition. Primarily, influenced by agriculture due to the important role it plays in survival as humans.

Spiritual Beliefs and Practices vary by region and people, but focus on Spiritual development of individuals to find peace in their place in our communities, find meaning in their individual lives, and embracing the nature of humanity to find peace in their eventual death. This practice requires a lifelong commitment to cultivating, nurturing, and preserving traditions that bring the community closer.

By nature, this practice encourages individual expressions of spirituality and identity, and celebrates differences, even within families or communities.

 

Traditional Witchcraft is not a Neo-Pagan or New-Age practice, and it is not Reconstructionist in nature – because Traditional Witchcraft never died.

While other expressions of magic have died out or been snuffed out, Traditional Witchcraft moved into the shadows to survive.

Through hereditary witchcraft, the teaching of traditions within a family from one generation to the next, these traditions have continued to evolve and coexist in the modern world.

 

Unlike new age practices that seek to reconstruct past beliefs & religious practices, Traditional Witchcraft evolved and continued to be practiced because it is inseparable from family, family history, and family traditions. These practices will vary from family to family, or community to community.

 

Traditional Witchcraft is a deeply personal practice, tied to very specific family practices.

You cannot package it up and sell it because there is not one version of Traditional Witchcraft – there are thousands.

Each of them are correct. Each of them are right. Each of them are unique and have their own stories, reasons, and histories.

You don’t get academic explanations of Traditional Witchcraft – or Folk Witchcraft, because elite members of society have never been welcome in our circles.

What they claim to know of us was stolen – while our wise elders were tortured and then hanged or burned.

And they still get it wrong.

The goal of traditional witchcraft is to provide spiritual, emotional, and mental support for family and immediate community members.

This makes for a deeply personal belief and practice, which is why so many are drawn towards Traditional Witchcraft.

 

As Traditional and Hereditary witches continue to practice in secrecy, witchcraft has somewhat thrived in popular culture and has seen a resurgence in social acceptance.

Unfortunately, the reconstruction of pagan practices have still been heavily influenced by elite occultists, oppressive classism, and Religion.

At Hekate’s Finishing School, we saw an opportunity to reach out to those that identify as witches and are looking to set their roots down in pre-religious practices.

Instead of reconstructing what a past culture may have practiced, Traditional Witchcraft focuses on guiding the individual witch through the process of developing their own unique practice based on the principles of Traditional Witchcraft.

 

HFS is open for pre-enrollment without any payment information required.