Everything you know about witches and witchcraft is probably 99% false. The remaining 1% goes to recognizing that witches and witchcraft do exist, but know that they’ve existed long before contemporary religions. In fact, witchcraft is so old it’s referenced as “The Old Religion” due to its rituals and traditions too ancient to date (recordings by archeologists go back 9,000 years!). Unfortunately, movies, TV shows, novels, etc. regarding anything about witchcraft have fictionalized what it actually is. However, none more so than religion. The immediate question becomes, where did everything in pop culture surrounding witchcraft and witches come from? In short, Christianity.

Before Christianity, witches and their craft were both deeply revered and ubiquitous throughout the world (they weren’t called witches either). Consequently, the craft and its practitioners varied from one another and rightfully so because its essence was rooted in synchronized existence with nature—relative to era, culture and geography.

Witchcraft not only existed thousands of years before the Abrahamic religions, many pagan celebrations and practices are unknowingly practiced by religious institutions today. Christmas, Easter, Trinitarianism, communion, the use of an altar, baptism, and holy water all originate from witchcraft.

Witchcraft is not a religion, but it was declared one in 1986 due to a court case (Dettmer v. Landon) in the United States. Constitutional rights for worship (in this case, Wicca) had to be recognized by the government in order for the defendant (Dettmer) to claim lawful protection for his practice. Also, note that the term “Wicca” didn’t exist until 1954. It was popularized by a man named Gerald Gardner, who stated that the word “Wicca” is derived from Scots-English and means “wise people.” The term “witch” itself is an Old English word that became commonplace around the 16th century and similarly meant “wise teacher.” Before then, witches were referenced by too many names to keep track of.

So, what exactly is a witch? Basically, anyone who’s a holistic botanist, medicinal herbalist, astronomer or anatomist. Simply put, a witch is a natural scientist. That’s it. To answer the aforementioned question regarding where everything we’ve come to “know” about witchcraft comes from, Christianity invented the rest. Unfortunately, the world followed the Christian narrative, albeit, not by choice. The deeper question is, why? There are two reasons.

Because Christianity and the bible are rooted in supernaturalism, all opposition and nemesis needed to be as well. But this wasn’t enough. Christianity’s antagonists would have to physically exist to justify a Christian offensive.

Historically, Christianity opposed, fought and condemned all science and free-thinkers (like philosophers and astronomers) because scientists and mathematicians explained the natural universe through human observation and understanding— which discounted the “mystery and power” of the Christian god. Additionally, critical thinking exposed Christianity for nothing more than a manipulative hoax designed for profit and control. Sadly, things haven’t changed over the centuries, particularly between religion and science. The two remain fundamentally opposed, although, contemporary believers typically point to Christian scientists as a form of proof that religion and science are harmonious. But these scientists’ religiosity stem from personal choice, not evidence. This is not to also say there are Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, and all sorts of scientists with varied personal faiths. Correlation isn’t causation.

People fear the unknown. And Christianity took full advantage by forcibly correlating witchcraft to their devil. Not only did it terrify believers, but it also justified killing any who opposed the religion.

The existence of Witchcraft, hence by default, defied Christianity’s invading absolutism unknowingly (many witches are solitarians; they aren’t political). Since witches possess profound knowledge, adept skills and abilities, Christianity deliberately declared them supernaturally evil. Again, these “abilities” were nothing more than applied sciences. Till this day, Christians still believe witches worship the devil, when in fact, witchcraft doesn’t even acknowledge or believe in the existence of deities like Satan or God.

Christianity’s lust for power over every culture, belief and group expanded across Europe. Any that didn’t conform to the church were disenfranchised, hunted down and murdered…like witches. Millions died over the centuries, worse, most of them weren’t even witches, just accused.

Witchcraft was never institutionalized. There are no establishments, union, flag, militia, nor did it ever have political prestige. Practitioners are mostly defenseless women (note that there are male witches) who prefer to thrive in solitude and in nature. While the Christian church went on destroying its opposition for centuries (e.g., European Wars of Religion, Holy Crusades, The Thirty Years’ war, etc.) witchcraft continued quietly. But it wouldn’t last.

It wasn’t until 1484 CE when Pope Innocent VIII issued a decree that witches were devil worshipers and not believing so was punishable by death. Before then, sometime during the 1200’s, Pope Gregory IX authorized the killing of witches, but it didn’t become popular because Christians were too busy killing Jews; Christianity’s directive for over a thousand years was to enact sovereign terrorism “in the name of God” under The Great Commission (Matthew 28:16–20).