Real Witches, Real Warlocks, and Real Wizards

"Old Witch Making Potion"
A.I.-generated image created by A.I. and Leon.
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Witches are mentioned in the Bible, so the dark arts have probably been around since time immemorial. In fact, the first witch was probably Adam's first wife, Lilith. [Lilith is not in the canonical Bible; but she is part of Hebrew Lore]. She did not like to be told what to do by Adam, so she divorced him and became a demoness (what I call a witch). Being childless herself, she envied Adam and Eve's progeny. So, it was said that she stole the souls of babies in the middle of the night. This is how the ancient Hebrews explained infant mortality.

"Lilith Holding a Baby"
A.I.-generated image of Lilith holding the soul of a baby.
Image created by A.I. and Leon.

So, was Lilith a witch? In my book she was the very first witch of all time. But, she is not the only witch mentioned in Hebrew Lore. The witch of Endor is probably the most famous witch mentioned in the Bible, and she was, among other things, a necromancer (one who summons the dead to gain information). Around 1000 B.C., King Saul sought out the witch of Endor to summon the recently deceased prophet Samuel in order to obtain guidance from the prophet. The séance succeeded and King Saul was able to talk with the ghost of the prophet Samuel.

"The Witch of Endor Summoning the Spirit of Samuel for King Saul"
This is an A.I.-generated image created by A.I. and Leon.

Of course, there are good witches. Was the witch of Endor one of them? I'll let you decide. In general, the Bible is very critical of witchcraft and unfortunately most witches are involved in the dark arts (dark magic). What determines whether one is a good witch or a bad witch? Well, I believe that it all depends upon intention. If the witch's intentions are good, then she is good. If the witch's intentions are bad, then she is bad.

Time	Name / Culture	Info
Prehistory Mythology?	Lilith Hebrew	See above.
1020 B.C.	Witch of Endor Hebrew	See above.
Mid-9th century B.C.	Jezebel Hebrew / Phoenician	"Queen Jezebel" (Image created by A.I. and Leon) [From left to right: Asherah, Queen Jezebel, Baal] In my opinion Queen Jezebel was definitely a witch and a high-priestess. Also, in my opinion she was probably the most evil woman in human history. Picture this... Queen Jezebel came from Phoenicia and was wedded to the Israeli King Ahab (who was no paragon of virtue himself). She obviously brought with her the gods of Phoenicia, such as Asherah (AKA: Ashtoreth). Asherah (or Ashtoreth) was the female goddess of fertility. I represented her in silver, because she was a moon goddess, who ruled the night, and oversaw the fertility of humans (at night). Having a large brood was very important to people back then. It meant more free labor in the fields. Already existing in the countryside of Israel was the cult of Baal. Baal literally means "Lord" but he was Lord of the Weather. He is represented in gold above, with rays of sunlight emanating from his head, because he was a sun god. As any third-grader should be able to tell you, the sun is the powerhouse of the Earth's weather. And, the ancients knew this very well. That's why it was very important to appease the sun god, so as to have propitious weather for a fertile harvest. Queen Jezebel merged the two religions (Asherah and Baal). As they were both fertility cults, it worked out quite well. Baal ruled the day, and Asherah ruled the night. And, obviously Queen Jezebel was their mouthpiece on Earth. While not called a witch in the Bible, Queen Jezebel can be known by her deeds. In addition to being the high priestess of pagan worship (which allegedly involved great licentiousness), she was the wife of King Ahab, and she wielded both great political authority and great religious authority in all the kingdom. She used her power to kill, steal, rob, and commit a multitude of whoredoms. (Parenthetically, the Bible was not clear and what kind of whoredoms; but we can use our imagination, can't we?) There is a mention in the Bible of the Baal-worshippers offering their children as sacrifices to their god. This was in the eighth century B.C., under King Ahaz. So, it is likely that Jezebel also offered children to her gods. So, let's sum up. Jezebel worshipped false gods, sacrificed children, and engaged in all sorts of immorality. That sounds like a witch in my book; And, a bad one at that!
11th century B.C. - 4th century B.C.	Sibyls Greek	"A Sibyl" (Image created by A.I. and Leon) There were many Sibyls. They were considered "oracles" of the gods. They were never called "witches", but that's what they were. They would achieve trancelike states (probably with the help of some narcotic or inhalant) and utter prophecies. These prophecies were written down on leaves.
Late 5th century A.D. or Early 6th century A.D.	Morgan Le Fay British (Welsh)	"Morgan Le Fay" (Image created by A.I. and Leon) Morgan Le Fay was the half sister of the legendary King Arthur Pendragon. She was said to have great powers of healing. "Le Fay" means "The Fairy", an epithet given to her by a French writer. She, of course, was not a fairy, but had fairy-like powers. Morgan [AKA: Morganna] gained most of her knowledge from Merlin, who appears to have been in love with her. But, later, she studied on her own, eventually becoming the most powerful woman in the world. Some of her deeds (mostly magical) were evil, and some good; but in every case self-serving. She used her powers for selfish gains. It would seem that her powers grew and grew until she was beyond mere witchcraft, becoming a full sorceress. It was written that she controlled demons, just as King Solomon was written to have done (in Arabic lore). Since intention is everything, and since her intentions were entirely selfish, I would have to classify her as an evil witch/sorceress. Her arch rival was the Lady of the Lake. (Apparently not all witches like each other).
Late 5th century A.D. or Early 6th century A.D.	Ninianne "Lady of the Lake" British / Welsh	"Lady of the Lake" (Image created by A.I. and Leon) Ninianne [AKA: Vivianne] was definitely a witch. But, was she a good witch? I'm not sure. First off, we need to understand that there was more than one "Lady of the Lake". There might have been a whole coven there. (And, nobody seems to know which lake was the actual lake of the lady). The first "Lady of the Lake" (which was unnamed) was the one who gave King Arthur the sword Excalibur, after the sword he pulled from the stone got broken in a battle. She was beheaded by one of the knights of the round table over a family feud (much to King Arthur's chagrin). The second "Lady of the Lake" (named Ninianne or Vivianne) was tutored by Merlin (probably after Morganna was done with him) and Merlin was quite enamored with Ninianne. But, she did not requite his affections. In order to obtain Merlin's knowledge she promised that she would be his girlfriend after he taught her everything he knew. But, when she couldn't take his advances anymore, she entombed him alive (and he was never heard from again. She took over Merlin's position as advisor to King Arthur. Some writings speculated that she might have been a fairy, but I think she was a witch. There are many good deeds attributed to Ninianne, mostly helping King Arthur and others, like Lancelot from the evil doings of Morganna. But, what she did to Merlin is not cool in my book.
Early 1500's A.D.	Mother Shipton British	Mother Shipton was a suspected witch (as was her mother). She had clairvoyant powers and correctly prophesied many future events, including some that are yet to come to pass. Read more here.
1692	Salem Witch Trials U.S.A.	Honestly, I wasn't even going to mention this one, because I don't believe that any of those women (or men) accused were actually witches/warlocks. It was a "witch hunt" (pun intended) and innocent people got hurt and/or killed. Over 200 people were investigated, thirty were convicted, and 19 put to death by hanging. It was shameful part of Massachusetts' history.
1801-1881	Voodoo Priestess Marie Laveau U.S.A.	Voodoo is originally from Africa. The word means "spirit deity" (but is most likely a demon posing as a deity). Marie Laveau was very famous in Louisiana for her work as a Voodoo priestess, an herbalist, a nurse, and a midwife. Voodoo involves a lot of animal sacrifice, potion-making, and communicating with spiritual entities (which I call demons). That's a witch!
1831-1891	Helena Blavatsky Ukraine/U.S.A.	Madame Blavatsky (as she's called) started the Theosophical Society in 1875 and wrote a popular book entitled "The Secret Doctrine," which is popular reading for occultists around the world. She was heavily into the paranormal, such as: séances, channeling, and mediumship; And, was said to get a lot of her information from such sources. Therefore, in my book, she was a witch. She was not a bad person, but I question some of her information, because it is not from reliable sources. She is credited with heavily influencing the New Age movement that started in the 1970s.
1900s	Wicca	Wicca started as a grassroots movement in England in the mid 1900's, becoming very popular in the 1960s. Sometimes it is called, "The Craft" (as in... "witchcraft"); but its not necessarily bad. There's a lot of connection with and reverence for Mother Nature. One thing I like is that they understand that whatever intentions you put out there towards another person, comes back on you three times stronger. So, at least they understand the law of karma; and so they tend to stay away from bad spells, potions, etc.

Sources: The Holy Bible, Wikipedia, Google A.I., and other sources that I cannot remember (I read a lot).
Jezebel info comes from the Bible and Jewish Women's Archive.
Asherah info also comes from the Bible and Jewish Women's Archive.

Time	Name / Culture	Info
970-931 B.C.E.	King Solomon	"King Solomon" (Image created by A.I. and Leon) In the Bible, King Solomon lost favor in God's eyes because he followed after the gods of his wives. In Arabic lore, King Solomon is written to have had power over the Jinn. King Solomon may have been a warlock, but he was most definitely a wizard. It was written that the Temple of Solomon was built by the Jinn by King Solomon's command.
5th-6th Century A.D.	Merlin	"Merlin the Magician" (Image created by A.I. and Leon) Merlin was definitely a warlock or wizard. And, he tutored both Morgan Le Fay (Morganna) and the Lady of the Lake (Ninianne). If you understand the powers that both Morganna and Ninianne had, you have wonder how powerful Merlin actually was, for he surely did not reveal all of his knowledge unto them. I just learned from the article on Wikipedia about Merlin that he saw his own death, but Ninianne. She entombed him alive (sealed him in a cave with a heavy stone). He was wise enough to know that anything he did to prevent the future would only bring that future about more expeditiously, so he just acquiesced to his own demise. Merlin was advisor to King Arthur. When he "disappeared" (by the workings of Ninianne), Ninianne took over as advisor to King Arthur. It is important to note that Morganna (King Arthur's own half sister) was first to be tutored by Merlin. Later Ninianne was tutored. Morganna and Ninianne were rivals (not friends at all).
1503-1566	Nostradamus	"Nostradamus" (Image created by A.I. and Leon) Michel de Nostredame (AKA: Nostradamus) was into just about everything occult: astrology, apothecary (chemistry + herbalism), and seership, but how he got his information is quite the mystery. He wasn't a bad person, and therefore I would not classify him as a warlock. Rather, I would classify him as a wizard, which is a very educated person in the occult.
1887	Founders of the Golden Dawn	3 guys broke away from the Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia (S.R.I.A.) and started their own occult society called the "Golden Dawn". Each was called "Grand Magus" (magus = magician).
1875-1947	Aleister Crowley	Was a member of the Golden Dawn, but then he started his own occult society/religion (called "Thelema") on his own property aside the Loch Ness. His religion stemmed from Egyptian occult, and involved channeling information from the dead by both he and his wife. (This is called necromancy). Therefore, he and his wife were warlock and witch. Their motto (allegedly channeled) is "Do as thou wilt."
1930-1997	Anton LaVey	Founder of the Church of Satan (in the U.S.A.) in 1966. Definitely a warlock. He has been called, "The most evil man in history," and "The Black Pope."

Sources: Wikipedia mostly.
Information on King Solomon comes from the Bible and various Arabic texts (translated into English, of course).

Among other things, witches have been known to have great knowledge of apothecary, herbalism, alchemy, chemistry, pharmacology, and, yes, how to make potions, tonics, and elixirs. I wonder if this part of witchcraft still exists somewhere.

I don't think anyone really knows how the idea of witches flying on brooms got started. However, it has become a popular part of the iconography of witch lore. Certainly those witches / sorceresses which deal in the dark arts may have employed the power of demons to provide levitation. However, I highly doubt any witch could actually fly.

The iconic witch is often depicted as an old hag, but witches can be young and beautiful. It is even said that through the power of magic, a witch can change her appearance from old and ugly to young and beautiful--perhaps through a potion of some sort.

Witches often sought seclusion in the woods, most likely due to the ignominy of their chosen profession. The story of Hasel and Gretel teaches children to beware of lone cottages in the woods and the inhabitants thereof. Also, it is commonly thought that witches prefer cats as pets. This probably came about because the strange cries that cats make, giving them an evil reputation in many cultures.

Lore teaches us of white witches. They are witches that only use their powers for good purposes. The existence of such witches have been portrayed in various fictional stories, such as the "White Witch" in the Chronicles of Narnia and the "White Lady" in Lord of the Rings; But, in the historical record there isn't much out there, though they surely existed, perhaps more under the label of "Fairies" (although I can find no evidence of this except for the fact that Morganna was called Morgan Le Fay (Morgan the Fairy). Contrary to some belief, witches seldom exist in isolation. Mostly, witches exist in covens. And, in keeping with aforementioned assertion, I give unto you...

Some examples of possible white witches/wizards of history (and today) are as follows:

The Shaolin (of China, who combined martial arts with magic for good purposes)

And, on a side note; let it be known that China has a rich history of witchcraft.

Voodoo (from African tradition) may have both a light and dark side (I'm sure it does, I just don't know enough about it).

FOREWORD: I would never promote the dark arts on any of my forums, for to get involved in such would involve the loss of one's soul. Far better it is to raise one's vibrational frequency and have power over the dark side, wouldn't you say?

(1) LOVE
In the animated film "The Sword in the Stone," Merlin calls love the most powerful force in the universe. I have thought about that statement a lot and I have come to the conclusion that Merlin was right. Have love in one's heart for others, for mother Earth, and for all creatures thereon.

(2) GRATITUDE
One must be grateful daily for one's blessings; for unto one who is grateful, the universe bestows more thereof.

(3) KNOWLEDGE
Knowledge is power, so they say. And, it is true. For instance, if you know that you have power over all dark side, then you have nothing to fear. The dark side has no power over us, unless we believe that it has power over us. When you are armed with the knowledge that the dark side has absolutely no power over us, we then begin to wield our power in beautiful and wonderful ways.

(4) SPELLS / WISHES
If you want to cast a spell (a good one) all you have to do put your intention or "wish" out there (into the universe) and see if it comes true. There are limitations to this practice, such as human free will. Your spell cannot and will not counter anybody's free will. Basically, what I'm saying is that spells don't work on humans. But, try it on inanimate things. You don't have to wait upon a falling star to make a wish. You don't have to catch a Leprechaun. You don't have to find a genie in a bottle. You can make a wish at any time. And, you must have faith that it will come true. Making a wish without faith is like trying to walk by stepping on your own foot. 'Tain't gonna work.

(5) SPIRITUALISM
I firmly believe in guardian angels. I talk to mine all the time. But, they can only help when asked for help. So, you need to ask them for their help. They stand ready at all times, just waiting for you to ask for help.