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Occultwiki (talk | contribs) (Created page with "400px|thumb|"The Magic Circle" by John William Waterhouse '''Witchcraft''' is the use of magic or supernatural powers to harm others...") |
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The ability to work with a [[familiar]], a kind of totem animal or spirit, was often considered evidence of a witch's power. | The ability to work with a [[familiar]], a kind of totem animal or spirit, was often considered evidence of a witch's power. | ||
Historian Ronald Hutton outlined five key characteristics ascribed to witches and witchcraft by most cultures that believe in the concept: | |||
* The use of magic to cause harm or misfortune to others. | |||
* Magic used by the witch against their own community. | |||
* Immoral and often thought to involve communion with evil beings. | |||
* Powers of witchcraft were believed to have been acquired through inheritance or initiation. | |||
* Witchcraft could be thwarted by defensive magic, persuasion, intimidation or physical punishment of the alleged witch. | |||
==Wicca== | ==Wicca== | ||