You’ve heard the term “the old faith” in relation to Paganism and Witchcraft, right?  Well, let’s look at this with an Ask A Witch questions.

[box] Whats the old faith? Where can i get more information? Books, are there books on this? Do your own written spells work better than a borrowed spell?

– Tara[/box]

Thanks for your questions Tara.

Typically when people speak about the “old faith” or “old religion” they are referring to Paganism as a whole.  Some people use this term to reference Witchcraft in a general sense and yet others use the term in reference in Wicca.  It’s a term that has become very popular but doesn’t necessarily mean that something is “old”.  Wicca, for example, has only been around for 60-70 years, and while that might be old to some people, it certainly doesn’t make it an ancient religion.  Wicca takes many elements from many different traditions and faiths that came before it, but Wicca itself isn’t really an “old faith”, even though that might be how some people refer to it.  If you’re just getting started with Wicca there are a number of books available to get you started.  If you’re looking for books  that are more historical in nature to learn about Paganism and the place where Wicca holds it’s roots, there are some books that can help you there as well.  Here is a list of books that you can look for on both counts:

Recommended Beginner Book On Wicca and Witchcraft:
Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner by Scott Cunningham
Solitary Wicca for Life by Arin Murphy-Hiscock
Wicca for Beginners by Thea Sabin
The Inner Temple of Witchcraft by Christopher Penczak
Power of the Witch by Laurie Cabot
Spirit of the Witch by Raven Grimassi
Witchcraft Today by Gerald Gardner

Books Looking At History In Paganism:
Triumph of the Moon by Ronald Hutton
Wicca by Vivian Crowley
A History of Pagan Europe by Prudenece Jones and Nigel Pennick
Drawing Down the Moon by Margot Adler
Her Hidden Children: The Rise of Wicca and Paganism in America by Chas S. Clifton

As for spells, spells that are borrowed, regardless of how old they are, are never inherently better than something that you create yourself.  Spells that you write yourself will always have more truth and more power to them than something written and created by someone else.  When you write your own spells the words you pick will have more meaning, deeper meaning, for you than words written by someone else.  Also, the energy and time that you put into writing the spell, gathering the items for the spell, and putting it all together, add to the energy of the spell when you actually cast it.  This lends more energy to your work than just taking a list of things from a book and going to a shop and grabbing things without really knowing why you’re using them other than it’s what the book stays.  I have another article that I have written about this specific thing called “The Power of Words” that you might want to read to help answer your question.

If you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to ask!
Many Blessings!!