A Grove of Ashes and Aspens

Now Playing: 3 Ways to Magick by Elvenking

Before anyone says anything, no, paganism and witchcraft aren’t the same thing, though there is a lot of overlap between the two, with many pagans practicing witchcraft and many witches also identifying as pagans to some degree, especially where Wicca is concerned. But they are not the same, and yes, it is possible to be a pagan without being a witch, and you can be a witch without being a pagan. (You can also be a Christian witch, though I will admit I’m not familiar enough with witchcraft to know how that would work.)

One thing I see whenever I look for pagan stuff online is a bunch of witchcraft stuff and “witchy aesthetic” things. Now, I have complicated feelings about this. Hear me out.

I have nothing against witches/the witchy aesthetic. It’s cute to just scroll through or see from time to time.

The issue I have with it is that a lot of online spaces, at least from what I’ve seen, have conflated paganism with witchcraft and the witch aesthetic. I don’t say this to discredit those pagans who do fall into that aesthetic and/or who do practice witchcraft, but it is something that can sometimes make me feel like an outlier in my own faith, resulting in a sense of alienation and loneliness. (I’ve already spoken about the loneliness, and the alienation is a topic for another time.)

That said, should others practice that way, I support them doing so. I may even pick up some tips from then from time to time. I just think it would also be nice to have more representation within paganism of paths less connected to witchcraft, as that is also a sizable chunk of the faith. Then again, I’m just some guy with an opinion on the internet, so I’d love to hear other takes as well.