Pop culture gives us a lot of generalizations that make it difficult for people to walk their true path. If you believe the hype, all Christians are anti magic (and in various doses, against all things fun).
Meanwhile, witches get labeled a range of things, from evil to out of your mind.
These generalizations mostly boil down to bigotry with made-up scare tactics thrown into the mix. All Christians aren’t the same. And of course, neither are all witches.
Can you be both a Christian and a witch? Abso-frigging-lutely.
From petitions to the saints, to invoking angels, to including passages from the bible in your spell work, folk magic practitioners across many cultures incorporate both Christian beliefs and ancient ancestral magic in their spells.
Yes. You can believe in the Christian God and practice witchery. Whether that means following a set path, adjusting spells to align with your religious beliefs, or keeping your witchery and religion separate.
Christian Witch: Stuck in the middle of stereotypes
I didn’t always call myself a witch, usually opting for things like, “I’m a little witchy” or leaving it out of the conversation entirely.
Hiding in the broom closet has its advantages. But it also feels a little like lying.
The thing is, I’ve heard Catholics say I can’t read tarot, cast spells, or practice any sort of magic and still be Catholic. I’ve also seen a shit ton of self-proclaimed witches insist that you can’t believe in God and still be a witch.
Neither thing is correct.
No one else gets to tell you how to practice your magic or your religion. Sorry. They don’t.
And the more I started talking about my practice, the more I found out that an awful lot of people believed in the same type of magic as I did. And a lot of them needed help figuring out how to do both.
Folk magic and merging ancestral beliefs with your every day
What types of witches also identify as Christian? Folk magic is a big one. I practice an eclectic mix of Sicilian folk magic, kitchen witchery, and bits and pieces of Wicca and Irish folk magic that resonate.
For me, there’s something powerful about stepping onto the path my ancestors walked. It feels like magic made for me, that’s part of my blood, connecting me to the people who came before me.
Folk magic. Ancestral magic. A bridge between who I am and where I came from.
For many in folk magic, it’s a merging of the old beliefs before Catholicism took root and current religious beliefs. And a lot of the Catholic traditions we grew up with were also created to align with the beliefs our ancestors had before.
Just look at a Church service. The candles are anointed and snuffed out, never blown out. We use incense. We anoint people with oil and ashes. These traditions took root to help people feel more comfortable converting.
And that is another reason many witches are both Christian and witchy… magic practices call to them, but they also deeply believe in the religion they grew up with.
I was always witchy. My mother was witchy before me. My grandmother would go to a Strega (witch in Italian) rather than a doctor. And they were also Catholic. It’s not a new thing. It’s not even a rare thing.
And lots of people who don’t think of themselves as witchy do believe in going to witchy people for help. I can’t tell you the number of times non-witches asked me for spells/prayers/charms for things they were struggling with.
Don’t let the haters get you down
I’ve gotten it from both sides. In witch groups, I’ve heard plenty of:
“You’re in the wrong group if you believe in God.” It goes hand in hand with the people who think their practice is the ONLY way to practice.
I’ve also heard Catholics say tarot readings, psychics, and any form of witchery is a sin/against God/insert your judgy judginess.
If merging your Christianity with your magic practice feels right to you, then it’s the right path. If it doesn’t, it’s not. But it’s no one else’s choice. Practicing magic should bring you joy and feel like a fit for you.
And there are plenty of practices that incorporate both, so don’t ever feel like you’re weird or alone.
Looking for more witchiness?
Explore more witchy goodness with blogs on Kitchen Witchery, types of spells, and an interview with an astrologer. Or pop by any of our tarot blog posts to learn more about working with the cards.