Witchcraft. Witchcraft is the practice of magical skills and abilities.
Witchcraft is a broad term that varies culturally and societally, and thus can be difficult to define with precision; therefore cross-cultural assumptions about the meaning or significance of the term should be applied with caution. Historically, and currently in most traditional cultures worldwide-notably in Africa, the African diaspora, and Indigenous communities-the term is commonly associated with those who use metaphysical means to cause harm to the innocent.
In the modern era, primarily in western popular culture, the word may more commonly refer to benign, positive, or neutral practices of modern paganism, such as divination or spellcraft. Belief in witchcraft is often present within societies and groups whose cultural framework includes a magical world view.
The concept of witchcraft and the belief in its existence have persisted throughout recorded history. They have been present or central at various times and in many diverse forms among cultures and religions worldwide, including both primitive and highly advanced cultures, and continue to have an important role in many cultures today.
Historically, the predominant concept of witchcraft in the Western world derives from Old Testament laws against witchcraft, and entered the mainstream when belief in witchcraft gained Church approval in the Early Modern Perio
Witchcraft is a broad term that varies culturally and societally, and thus can be difficult to define with precision; therefore cross-cultural assumptions about the meaning or significance of the term should be applied with caution. Historically, and currently in most traditional cultures worldwide-notably in Africa, the African diaspora, and Indigenous communities-the term is commonly associated with those who use metaphysical means to cause harm to the innocent.
In the modern era, primarily in western popular culture, the word may more commonly refer to benign, positive, or neutral practices of modern paganism, such as divination or spellcraft. Belief in witchcraft is often present within societies and groups whose cultural framework includes a magical world view.
The concept of witchcraft and the belief in its existence have persisted throughout recorded history. They have been present or central at various times and in many diverse forms among cultures and religions worldwide, including both primitive and highly advanced cultures, and continue to have an important role in many cultures today.
Historically, the predominant concept of witchcraft in the Western world derives from Old Testament laws against witchcraft, and entered the mainstream when belief in witchcraft gained Church approval in the Early Modern Perio
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