The Isis Cult
Strictly speaking, the cult of Isis is not a Witch Religion, but it has many features of one. It was essentially an ecstatic, Lunar, initiatory Mystery-cult, where magic also played an important role.
Members of the Isis-cult were mostly women, women there were groups that didn’t admit men
into their circles at all. The Isis-cult was based upon the older Egyptian cult of Isis (Aset), but the religion itself was born and flourished in the Roman Empire. The religion of Isis adopted many Roman elements, this clearly shows on the Roman statues and images featuring the Goddess. Isis was regarded as the Goddess of the Moon and magic, the Great Mother Goddess. Followers believed that all Goddesses are only different faces of the same Goddess, Isis.
Like in many classical Witch-cults, the Isis religion also had orgiastic rites, merry making, and worship also included the use of alcoholic beverages. The cult was at some point banned in the Roman Empire because of its "negative effects on the moral fabric of the Roman society", and its followers were persecuted. of initiation. Later this was adopted by the Freemasons (and possibly the Witches of the
Middle Ages).
In the ancient novel, the Golden Ass, Isis says: (Apuleius, the writer was actually a follower of Isis)
"I am she that is the natural mother of all things, mistress and governess of all the elements, the initial progeny of worlds, chief of powers divine, Queen of heaven, the principal of the Gods celestial, the light of the goddesses: at my will the planets of the air, the wholesome winds of the Seas, and the silences of hell be disposed; my name, my divinity is adored throughout all the world in divers manners, in variable customs and in many names, for the Phrygians call me Pessinuntica, the mother of the Gods: the Athenians call me Cecropian Artemis: Artemis the Cyprians, Paphian Aphrodite: the Candians, Dictyanna: the Sicilians , Stygian Proserpine: and the Eleusians call me Mother of the Corn. Some call me Juno, others Bellona of the Battles, and still others Hecate.”
Brujeria
Most of our information about Brujeria comes from the Middle Ages. Spanish Witches worshiped the Divine Couple , the God appeared as a black goat, the Goddess as a young naked girl. The names of the Gods varied on the different areas, and the worship of the Horned God was more important than that of the Goddess. They mostly called him Akhera, which translates to "He - Goat”. Other forms of the name are Akerbeltz or Aherbelts.
The most well-known form of Brujeria existed among the Basque community, which is an ethnic group on the northern parts of Spain. They have their own language and culture. They called Witches the Sorginak. Sorginak The places where they held their Sabbaths were called Akhellare, Akhellare which means "The Field of the He-Goat".
The Goddess was called Mari, she was regarded as the Mother of the Gods. She wore red robes, and traveled on a chariot drawn by goats. Her head was adorned by the light of the Full Moon.
The God not only appeared as a goat, but also as a serpent, in this form he was called Sugaar, Sugoi, or Maju. The name Sugaar means Flaming Serpent, and most probably he was connected with male fertility, and had a phallic significance.
Hungarian Witchcraft
There is not a whole lot that I know about Hungarian Witchcraft. I can almost certainly say,
Spanish Witches celebrated on Fridays, and during thunderstorms, which were regarded as sacred times. Caves were frequently used as temples.
that in this area Witchcraft quickly lost its religious charge, and became more like a loose system of folk magic. It has adopted many Christian elements, most notably, that where other Witch-cults say God and Goddess, they used Jesus and Mary.
According to the famous Witch Trials of Szeged, Witches here had a unique system of ranks, similar to those in the military (Witch Captain, Major, etc). Some elements and spells can be traced back to Mediterranean Witch-cults, like the threefold Magic Circle, which Hungarian Witches cast with a Hazel Wand.
It is likely that in German Witchcraft the female aspect was more important, as there are mainly only Goddess names that survive from this cult: Herodia (which is related to Aradia, Habundia(Goddess of Abundance), Bertha, and Freya. The male God was probably worshiped under the names Odin, or Wotan.
Speaking of German Witchcraft it is important to not the phenomena of the Wild Hunt. Both in Germany and Greece, people believed that in the night Witches, along with ghosts and other spirits ride through the fields led by the Goddess or the God (the "devil"). German Witchcraft was completely terminated during the Burning Times.
Wiccaecraft (pronounced as "witchcraft") is the historical Witch cult among the anglo saxon people. Worship of the God aspect was more significant here, he was invoked as a Stag, a Black Dog, or Black Cat, rarely as a Goat. He was probably called Herne, which Doreen Valiente speculates to be imitating the sound of the cry of the stags. The name Cernunnos is related to Herne, and this name
was widely used, even in the area that is now France. Other significant names are Pucca and Boucca.The Goddess appears as the Queen of the Sabbat,or Fairy Queen. Queen The taditional group name coven comes from the Wiccaecraft, more specifically, from Scotland. Female practitioners were called Wicce ("Witche"), and males as Wicca ("Witcha"), or Wizard, which comes from "Wys Ard", meaning "Wise Old One".
