witchcraft is not really new age but its own teaching and ways

This is a remarkable time for Witches and Witchcraft. Not since the times before the christians assimilated all of Europe has Witchcraft been so open and accepted by the society at large. Our craft can finally be practiced in the open again. And as our Craft flourishes, so do many other paths to enlightenment and personal transformation. Unfortunately, it makes this a confusing time for the Witch. As a Brother or Sister in the Craft we need to be on guard for those "New Age" ideas that are illusionary. It is a time when personal enlightenment is easily sold to a starving populace, but just as saw dust bread may taste good but provide no nourishment, there are people out there trying to sell us ideas that sound good but turn us away, without seeming to, from our goal of worshiping the Goddess and the God, and from our real path to personal transformation.

There are several New Age ideals that are being practiced that are potentially detrimental to the Witch. First among these are the 'Channelers.' I am leery of any person who states the spirit of this or that long dead Master is speaking through them. How can a Witch, a believer in reincarnation, communicate with a dead spirit when that spirit would have been reborn to continue on the spiral path.

I would question those that would teach us of the ancient powers of the Atlantian. Though I know not if there ever were any such people, I do know that no person or people should be effectively deified.

And what of those who would limit you to Crystal Power. While we all know that Crystals are an excellent source of borrowed power, for specific Magical Uses, they are not some all powerful source to cure all mans ills, as others would have us believe.

Further, I would ask, what of groups that mix Witchcraft with christianity. Can these to truly be mixed. A religion that honors life and self transformation like ours mixed with the manipulation of others and the giving up of self to a higher power, can this truly be mixed?

Finally, what of 12 step programs that require the individual to admit personal defeat and accept the need of a higher power to cure them of their addiction. I know they work by transferring an addiction to a substance to a more socially acceptable addiction to a higher power. Our Goddess and God demand that we accept ourselves and our work is to perfect ourselves. This cannot be done by giving up our responsibility for our own action.

In the end, I say to the Witch, Beware, the whole of the world does not respect each other as we do. There are times to be wary of your less honorable fellows, but never give up hope on these people, we were once them.