INTRODUCTION: Both Wicca and Witchcraft are nature-oriented religions whose primary belief system revolves around a relationship between the individual and Deity. Sometimes the Deity is identified with "The Land", sometimes as "The Great Spirit", but usually as a polarized Male and Female deity know simply as the God and Goddess. Wicca and Witchcraft differ from mainstream religions in their relationship with nature, a worship of both a male and female deity, and sometimes, the practice of Magick.

            Although Wicca is a new religion, its traditions are drawn several ancient sources: traditional Witchcraft, pre-Christian pagan beliefs, Eastern philosophy and ceremonial magick. 

Wicca tends to be misunderstood because of its ancient association with Paganism and Witchcraft. For this reason, Celtic Paganism in Medieval times, was treated as an enemy of the Catholic church which demonized everything which was not the Catholic version of Christianity. Witchcraft or Folk Magick was therefore associated with evil when the Catholic Church began to Christianize Europe. It was firmly believed after the 1400s, by those who were not Pagan, that in order to become a witch, one must make a formal pact with the devil. Modern scholars, however, have shown that the Inquisitors fabricated the pact with the devil and other anti-witch propaganda to further their own social and/or political agendas.