There is a lot of confusion these days about these 2 terms, and many think the terms are synonymous. Before delving into specifics of each, let's start by pointing out the difference between witches and Wiccans.

- A witch is a person who practices magic/spellcraft.

- A Wiccan is a person who practices Wicca, an earth based pagan religion.

A Wiccan can be a witch, and a witch can be a Wiccan. But the terms do not mean the same thing. Why? Because you do not have to be Wiccan in order to practice magic and spellcasting. Therefore you do not have to be Wiccan to be a witch. And although Wiccans tend to practice magic (and are therefore witches) they do not necessarily do so.

This is where alot of people get it confused, which I find sad. I have talked to countless people who thought in order to practice witchcraft they had to give up their current religion and become Wiccan. Now that's fine if Wicca appeals to you and you no longer believe the teachings of your current religion. But it is not a necessity. You can be Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu, whatever religion you already are, and still be a witch and practice witchcraft.

Where the biggest problem lies is usually with the other religion. I don't think there are alot of Christian priests who will give witchcraft the big thumbs up. The same goes for church leaders of most religions. But here's the thing you need to consider... (and let's use Christianity as our example since there are so many Christians) are you practicing the ideas of your religion... or are you blindly following a preacher? Just as you do not have to be Wiccan to be a witch, you don't have to worship the Pope to be a Catholic. When you are a member of a religion, it is because you believe in a good number of the ideas others of that religion believe in. It does not mean you are a slave to every word uttered, their church leaders, or every idea they have.

Each person is an individual. We all have our own personal thoughts, ideas, beliefs, and feelings. You do not have to believe every single thing of the religion you belong to. You believe in Christ? You believe you are saved through him? Well then you are a Christian. Your preacher tells you witchcraft is evil? Um, ok... he is entitled to his opinion. Does that make you stop being a Christian? Someone disagrees with your belief and that somehow takes something away from you? Why on earth would you think that?

Religion is a personal experience, and your beliefs are your own. Our so called religion is just a title we give ourselves. Something to be identified by. If you believe a little bit of Buddhism, a little Hindu, some Christianity and a little Wicca... let yourself. Don't pigeonhole yourself into a title. If you really need to have a response to give people who ask, pick whichever thing you are closest to and say you are mostly. "Hi I'm Selena, I'm mostly Christian!" or combine your beliefs into a single title "I'm a Christian witch," or "I'm a Wiccan Buddhist." Then at least you are being honest.

Don't know what you are yet or what you believe? Well you owe yourself the time to find out. Research it, contemplate it, and develop your own personal belief system. That is what I have done, and there are few things as fulfilling as that.

Me personally? I'm a Christian witch, and I'm proud of it. I practice spellcraft and I believe in Christ, just as the "title" implies.

If you have questions or comments about this guide feel free to contact me. However, please do not contact me to spread negativity. I only deal with positive people. I know there is a plethora of zealots that would love to tell me how wrong I am and try to pigeonhole me into their beliefs. Although I respect their beliefs, I am not interested in receiving angry, preaching or negative emails. I am secure in my beliefs and have researched them thoroughly. I think everyone should do the same. I do not look down on or judge other religions, religious hybrids, or people still trying to find their way. I am accepting of everyone's beliefs, and I am accepting of my own beliefs. And that is the greatest gift you could ever give yourself.