Witchcraft, among other things, is essentially a lunar cult in which the Women's Mysteries of Old Europe reside.
The experience of Witchcraft is of a healing and gentle religion, it is very clear to those who practice it. The power raised in a Witch's Circle can be felt by those who are consciously receptive to it.
All who stay on the Witchcraft Way must be assumed sincere, otherwise they would have chosen a more fulfilling one. Being an active and practicing witch takes time and effort. There really is no such thing as a Sunday Witch. You must work to increase your potential powers and you must take time to learn. Witchcraft is a life system as well as a practical religion. It must be used to be strong. As you grow, you will have the light of the Goddess reflected in your eyes. Witchcraft provides growth and that is the key in any pursuit, to grow within yourself and to know your own potential.
In ancient times, the light of the Moon itself was the power of the Moon. There was nothing symbolic about it - it was the actual substance of magick. This is why we find torches on the hands of Hecate that she is displaying the power she yields in her hands. From this concept arose the ritual practice of employing candles, torches, and bonfires in lunar ceremonies. This was designed to encourage the light of the Moon as seen in the ancient rite of carrying torches around in a newly planted field at night.
In ancient Greece, the torches of Hecate were placed in a circle around freshly sown fields to aid in the germination of the grain. Witches employ an invocation during the time of the full moon, requesting that the light of the moon impart occult knowledge to them in their dreams. In Greece, the festival day of Hecate (August 13) multitude of torches were lighted to honor the Moon Goddess and to secure Her favor not to send storms that might harm the coming harvest.
The Goddess rules over all. It is from Her that we come and to Her we return. The God is looked at in two ways. The God of the Sun is the power of the seasons without which we could not exist. (However, it is She who moves away from the Sun, creating the seasonal change.) That is why in some cultures of ancient times, they only celebrated the Sun God in the Winter Solstice (birth of the sun) and Summer Solstice (death of the Sun). In other cultures in ancient times, they celebrated the Horned God of the forest and of the hunt, stemming from a time when humans were reliant on the earth and Her creatures as well as the seed, root, and bud. Their Sabbats were Candlemas, Beltane, Lammas, and Samhain. The Wheel of the Witches' celebrations can be conveyed in many different ways. The Farrar's have supplied us with the Lady and Her Consort in a mythical way. Other occult writers feel that the Sabbats are more spiritual in manners such as a journey inward for each Sabbat and as the wheel turns, you turn inward spiritually.
We must learn to live in harmony with the Great Mother for She is our provider, and if we destroy Her, we destroy ourselves. There are many who feel that this is the reason for the great return to the pagan religions. To get in touch with Gaia and ourselves is one way to reverse the damage that has been done.
Ritual is the movement of a Witch's belief. Chanting, drumming, lighting candles, burning incense, and casting circles are all rituals. Rituals allow us to pass to another time and follow the movement of Goddess-Blood in us. We hear the music in the background and we fly on the sound waves to another time and another place. We feel what those who-have-gone-before experienced. The physical world around us disappears and we are hurtled through time and space to magical realms - to times when the mysteries were revered as a path of knowledge and wisdom. What steeps within the witch is the very pulse of the Goddess herself. Beneath us and around us is the Great Mother as she was then - alive with growth, clean and powerful. She vibrates with life. The Priestesses and Priests of all the pagan faiths could still the blood of the children of the Goddess with a dancing prayer. They rejoiced in the bond between the Mother and themselves. They saw the changing seasons and celebrated them with ritual. They paid attention to the world around them. The leaf that turned red, the ground that became cold and unyielding - all these signs were observed and honored as a part of life.
Many things can be added to a home to create within it the atmosphere of harmony and joy. Through scent and candles, pictures that are pleasing, and areas that are comfortable and not busy, one can achieve a place where there is freedom to go within. That is where it all happens. We must seek our answers from within ourselves, for if we seek them from without, we will find nothing. The Goddess does not give us the answers but facilitates our awareness. She allows us signs and clues that we must use to work the answers through to their deeper meanings.
In Witchcraft, the ritual and symbolism is only as important as the practitioner finds necessary. Some Witches find gardening more fulfilling than ritual, while others would rather dance or chant as a way to connect to the Great Mother. Each must find his or her own way of achieving the balance and harmony within the religion. Ritual, symbolism and myth are each a way of bringing the deeper psychic and psychological visions to the surfaces.
The casting of spells is a great part of the Witch's work. Witches tend to believe that the words of a spell (especially a healing spell) can lose their effectiveness with the telling. Each time they are told at an inappropriate moment, their power weakens. This is why witches are counseled to be cautious. The four responsibilities attached to any magical act are - to know, to dare, to will, and to keep silent. There are a few variations to these in most paths dealing with magick.
Spell casting is probably the most "mysterious" activity that Witches engage in. And, spells do exist and they do work. It is as simple as that. There are literally thousands and thousands of Witches worldwide who know this.
Candle spells are common among Craftswomen and Craftsmen. The candle spells have the advantage of making use of the fire and air elements, both of which are carries of your wishes.
Excerpts from: " Of Witches" by Janet Thompson