Wild witchcraft refers to a form of witchcraft that is deeply connected to nature and the natural world. It is said to tap into the raw power and energy of the Earth and its elements. This type of witchcraft often involves working with herbs, plants, crystals, and other natural entities. Rebecca Beyer, a prominent author and practitioner of wild witchcraft, has written extensively on the topic. In her books, she explores the different aspects of this magical practice, including its history, rituals, and beliefs. Beyer emphasizes the importance of developing a deep connection with nature and a reverence for the Earth.
Given, the suspicions of the public, witches were soon confessing to riding broomsticks under some pretty dubious circumstances. In 1453, Guillaume Edelin became the first to confess, admittedly under torture, to the practice of flying on broomsticks as well as watching his “aged mother straddle a broomstick and whisk up the chimney and out of the house.” Edelin was a priest who had publicly criticized the church’s warning about witchcraft. Shortly after, he was arrested and tried for witchcraft.
But the vulgar believe, and the witches confess, that on certain days or nights they anoint a staff and ride on it to the appointed place or anoint themselves under the arms and in other hairy places, explained the 15th century theologian Jordanes de Bergamo. But the vulgar believe, and the witches confess, that on certain days or nights they anoint a staff and ride on it to the appointed place or anoint themselves under the arms and in other hairy places, explained the 15th century theologian Jordanes de Bergamo.
Beyer emphasizes the importance of developing a deep connection with nature and a reverence for the Earth. One of the key principles of wild witchcraft is the idea that magic is all around us. Practitioners believe that by tapping into the natural world, they can harness its energy and use it to manifest their desires and bring about positive change.
Greek flying witchcraft practitioner
From Sigrid Brauner, Fearless Wives and Frightened Shrews: The Construction of the Witch in Early Modern Germany (Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, 1995), 121-124. Image right: Hans Baldung Grien, "Preparation for the Witches' Sabbath" (1510). Woodcut. Source: historicum.net.
Hexe
Although prevalent today, Hexe was not always the most common German term for witches. It derives from the Old High German hagazussa, the name for the female spirit in Nordic mythology who straddled the fence separating the world of the gods from that of men. The term hagazussa and its derivatives in Old and Middle High German (hazesse, hazus, and hezze) have several distinct connotations, including (1) a female comedian, (2) a slovenly, promiscuous woman, and (3) a cannibalistic, night-flying female spirit. Rarely were these concepts associated with sorcery.
Hagasuzza and its derivatives all but vanished from usage in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, only to reappear in the fifteenth century in connection with the witch hunts in Switzerland. Records from a 1419 Swiss trial show the first use of the term Hexereye for witchcraft. By the late fifteenth century, variations on the term Hexe (including Hex, Heckse, and Haxe) were used to denote the modern witch in Switzerland and neighboring German-speaking regions, such as Alsace and the area near Constance. Outside of southwestern Germany, however, the term Hexe seldom appears in witch trial records. More common are Unhulde and Zauberin, or such regional terms as Kunstfrauw and Töwersche (northern Germany), Trutte (Bavaria), and Weidlerin (eastern Germany).
Though absent from most German witch trial records, the term Hexe found its way into many early modern legal treatises and literary texts on witchcraft. Because the first witch trials involving German speakers occurred in Switzerland and southwestern Germany, interest in witchcraft focused on records from these areas, helping to popularize the term Hexe. The term first spread across southern Germany, appearing in such works as Geiler von Kaisersberg's Emeis (1508) and Ulrich Tenglers Der neue Layenspiegel (1511), as well as in many of Hans Sachs's writings (from the 1530s on). Writers elsewhere soon picked up the term, notably Martin Luther.
Unhulde, Unhold
Unlike Hexe, the term Unhulde and its variations (including Unhold and Unhole) were in constant use from the Middle Ages on. Originally, Unhulde was the name for a malevolent spirit in Nordic mythology. With the spread of Christianity in the early Middle Ages, it came to be associated first with the pagan gods, then with the Christian devil. From the eleventh century on, it was used to describe the night-flying spirits of folk belief, both good and evil. Rarely was it associated with sorcery. In the fifteenth century, it was increasingly used as a term of invective for women, finally becoming the most common sixteenth-century German word for the female witch.
Zauberin, Zauberer
In both its Old High German (Zaubrarin) and Middle HIgh German (Zouberaerinne) forms, this term referred to a sorceress. Witchcraft and sorcery have elements in common: like a witch, a sorceress was believed to invoke spirits to perform magic, and her magic was sometimes considered harmful. But sorcery was not associated with other practices of witchcraft�such as flying at night or copulating with the devil�until the fifteenth century, when the term Zauberin and its variations (including Zaubrerin, Zeuberin, and Zwebrynne) came to signify the modern witch. The related masculine term Zauberer was sometimes applied to men accused of witchcraft, but more often it retained its older connotation of sorcerer rather than witchcraft. Only the female form of the term was permanently linked to the modern witch.
Lamia
The term lamia is rooted in ancient mythology. Originally, it was the Greek name for a Libyan serpent goddess. Later, Lamia was the name of a minor figure in the Greek and Roman pantheon: a consort of Zeus, she terned into a vampire who preyed on infants after the jealous Hera murdered her children. In the early Middle Ages, the term lamia referred to the night-flying spirits of folk belief. After about 1450, lamia began to appear in technical treatises on witchcraft, where it referred exclusively to the modern witch. Some fifteenth-century writers derive the term from the completely unrelated term laniare (to lacerate), because witches, they argue, devour flesh.
Malefica, Maleficus
Malefica was the most commonly used Latin term for witch in the sixteenth century. It derives from the adjective maleficus, used in classical Latin to describe an evildoer. In the Vulgate Bible, the male plural noun malefici refers to sorcerers (Exodus 22:18 and Deuteronomy 18:10); similarly, medieval glossaries define the second declension male noun maleficus as �sorcerer.� The related term maleficium appears in legal treatises throughout the Middle Ages, where it refers to harmful sorcery.
Until the fifteenth century, maleficum was associated only with sorcery, not with other practices of modern witchcraft. The female noun form malefica was first introduced by Heinrich Kramer and Jakob Sprenger in their Malleus maleficarum (1487) to describe the modern witch. They use the male plural form malefici for sorcerers in general, but reserve the female form malefica for the modern witch�because, they claim, many more women than men are witches.
Pythonica, Pythonissa
The term pythonica (or pythnonissa) derives from �the Pythia,� title of the priestess of Apollo at Delphi. In medieval glossaries, a pythonica is strictly a soothsayer, without any of the attributes of the modern witch. The term was associated with fortune-telling throughout the fifteenth century, but gradually acquired connotations of modern witchcraft. In the Malleus, Kramer and Sprenger use the term pythonica to refer to practitioners of magic who predate modern witchcraft. The devil speaks through a pythonica, they maintain, and performs feats of magic through her, but he does not use her to seduce men, a practice attributed in the Malleus only to the malefica, or modern witch. In the sixteenth century, however, German writers dropped the distinction between the pythonica and the malefica.
Striga, Strix, Strigimaga
In Roman folklore, the striga (derived from the Latin strix, or �screech owl�) was a birdlike female spirit of the night who was believed to render men impotent and to feed children poisonous milk. Clerical writers used the term in the Middle Ages to describe the night-flying spirits of folk belief. But as in the cases of Hexe, lamia, and Unhulde, a term originally used to describe a mythical female spirit was redefined after 1450 to apply to the modern witch.
Though less common than other terms for witches, striga inspired several etymologies and variations that tied it to modern witchcraft. The Inquisitor Bernhard of Como (Tractatus de strigiis, 1508) derives the term from the mythological underworld river Styx�because witches, he says, are from hell�and from the Greek word strigitos (�sadness�)�because witches, through their harmful sorcery, bring sadness. The Roman Dominican Sylvester Prierias (De mirandis strigimagarum, 1521) changes the term from striga to strigimaga in order to emphasize the harmful sorcery of witches. The Italian Inquisitor Arnaldus Albertinus (Tractatus de agnoscendis assertionibus catholicis et hereticis, 1540) claims that witches are called strigae because they communicate at night by screaming like screech owls. Through such imaginative derivations and word combinations, sixteenth-century writers tailored the term striga to fit the new concept of the modern witch, adding connotations of harmful sorcery and diabolical dealings to the term while satisfying its traditional association with night-flying.
Venefica, Veneficus
The term venefica is a feminine noun form derived from the adjective veneficus, meaning �poisonous� or �magical� in classical Latin. Medieval glossaries retain these meanings in defining the venefica as a sorceress adept at the use of poison. Originally, the term was devoid of connotations of witchcraft, such as flying at night or bargaining with the devil. But the Greek Bible refers to the witch or sorcerer as pharmacous�one who deals with medications and poisons (Exodus 22:18 and Deuteronomy 18:10). Perhaps drawing on this connection, sixteenth-century legal treatises ascribe to the venefica all the characteristics of the modern witch�in addition to her special qualities as a poisoner.
This can be done through rituals such as meditation, spellcasting, and communing with nature spirits. Beyer also emphasizes the importance of ethics in wild witchcraft. She encourages practitioners to use their powers responsibly and with the utmost respect for the natural world. This means being mindful of the impact of their actions on the environment and taking steps to minimize harm. Another aspect of wild witchcraft is the celebration of the changing seasons and the cyclical nature of life. Witches who practice in this tradition often align their magic with the cycles of the moon and the changing of the seasons. This can involve performing rituals and spells that are specific to certain times of the year or working with specific elements or energies that are associated with each season. In conclusion, wild witchcraft is a form of witchcraft that is deeply connected to nature and the natural world. It involves working with the elements and tapping into the raw energy of the Earth. Rebecca Beyer has played a significant role in popularizing this form of witchcraft through her writings and teachings. By emphasizing the importance of ethics and a deep connection with nature, practitioners of wild witchcraft strive to live in harmony with the Earth and harness its power for positive change..
Reviews for "Honoring Ancestors: Rebecca Beyer's Approach to Ancestral Magick in Wild Witchcraft"
1. Mary Johnson - 1 star - I was highly disappointed with "Wild Witchcraft" by Rebecca Beyer. The book promised to explore the intriguing world of witchcraft but failed to deliver. The author's writing style was dry and dull, making it difficult to stay engaged. Additionally, the information provided was very basic and didn't go into much depth. I expected to learn about different types of witchcraft, rituals, and spells but instead found repetitive and uninteresting content. Overall, I found this book to be a wasted opportunity and would not recommend it to anyone seeking a comprehensive guide on witchcraft.
2. David Thompson - 2 stars - "Wild Witchcraft" by Rebecca Beyer was not what I expected. While the book did touch upon certain aspects of witchcraft, it lacked the depth and substance I was looking for. The information provided felt surface-level and didn't give me a true understanding of the topic. Additionally, the organization of the book was confusing, making it difficult to follow the author's train of thought. I wish the book had delved into specific practices and rituals rather than providing vague and general information. Overall, I was left wanting more from this book and would not recommend it to serious seekers of witchcraft knowledge.
3. Sarah Thompson - 2 stars - I was quite disappointed with "Wild Witchcraft" by Rebecca Beyer. The book lacked the depth and detail necessary to truly explore the world of witchcraft. I found the writing style to be monotonous and unengaging, making it difficult to stay interested in the content. The author also failed to provide practical examples or exercises to help readers connect with the material. I was left feeling unsatisfied and underwhelmed by this book. If you're looking for a comprehensive and informative guide on witchcraft, I would not recommend "Wild Witchcraft".
4. Michael Williams - 1 star - I regret purchasing "Wild Witchcraft" by Rebecca Beyer. The book was poorly written and lacked any real substance. The information provided was basic and unoriginal, failing to offer any new insights or perspectives on witchcraft. Additionally, the author seemed to focus more on personal anecdotes rather than providing valuable information. I would not recommend this book to anyone seeking a comprehensive understanding of witchcraft as it fails to deliver on its promises. Save your money and look for a more well-researched and informative book on the subject.
5. Emily Davis - 1 star - "Wild Witchcraft" by Rebecca Beyer is one of the worst books I've read on witchcraft. The author's writing style is bland and lacks any real enthusiasm for the topic. The book fails to provide any practical guidance or useful information for those wanting to explore witchcraft. It felt like reading a poorly written high school essay rather than a well-researched and informative guide. Overall, I found this book to be a waste of time and would not recommend it to anyone looking to learn about witchcraft in any meaningful way.