A male witch is not a warlock or a wizard, he is a Pagan, Wiccan or Witch who happens to be male. So, of course, there are men who are Witches too.

If you are a male Pagan you could be the only one, or one of few, in your coven or group. There may be many men working as solitary Wiccans, Witches or Pagans just because they feel isolated even when they are in a group. Women are drawn to Paganism, at least partially, because it is a religion (set of beliefs) which focuses on the feminine Goddess.

However, Pagans don't have a one sided belief. Pagans have a dual God and Goddess. The Horned God, the Green Man, are names for the male God of the Pagans. It's a mistake to think of Wicca, Witchcraft, or Pagan paths as female centred only. If it were not for the men who began researching the older Gods, ancient religions and societies we would not have some of the great Pagan history and literature which we enjoy, study and follow in our modern days.

Actually, there have been a lot of men in the Pagan religion. Some of the most popular books for Pagans have been written by male Pagans.

• Scott Cunningham
• Aleister Crowley
• Robert Graves
• Raymond Buckland
• Stewart Farrar
• Gerald Gardner
• Isaac Bonewits
• Charles Godfrey Leland
• Sir James Frazer

Finding Pagan Men Online

• Male Witches Unite | Facebook
• The Pagan Man
• Pagan Men, Unite! | Pagan Culture
• Pagan Men Alone - PaganSpace.net
• Facebook: Pagan Men's Society
• The Pagan Man: Being a man in Wicca
• Male Witch.com
• The Home of the Pagan Man
• Can Men Be Pagans or Wiccans?
• Reading List for Pagan Men
• Witchvox Article - In Praise of Pagan Men

Men are Welcome

If men don't create their own rituals they may find inspiration from the rituals and spells of others. If the spells were written for a woman, men will have to adapt them to their own needs and purposes.

This is nothing unusual. The Pagan religion is very adaptable, making room for all sorts of new ideas and beliefs - different ways of looking at the world.

Men should not be uncomfortable about taking part in Witchcraft, Wicca or Pagan groups. There may be some groups which will not welcome men, depending on the unique point of view and focus of that particular group. For instance, there are covens which focus on the female Goddess or Maiden, Mother and Crone aspects of women. In this case, the group would be specific to women.

Many groups and covens are far more generic and welcoming for men, new Pagans and solitary Pagans too. Just as any other time you are looking at a group to become involved with, you have to do some research and get your foot in the door.

Comments from the original post on HubPages:

Radical Rog

Personally, I have a problem with this need to label everyone as being this or that. Witch, Wizard, Hedge, White, Black, Wiccan, each is an individual on their own journey towards spiritual enlightenment, understanding, whatever you want to call it, or maybe just standing still on the Path.

So which Path do you follow? In truth, it's a labyrinth with many turnings and junctions and crossroads. The symbology of the labyrinth in occult mythology is there for a reason.

LaurencePJones

Waband, far be it for me to question that remark as I have ony begun posting hubs a short while ago and haven't been involved in Wicca that long but isn't it a sweeping statement to say that 'witches are female'. I'm sure the majority of them are but surely a little research is required before dismissing male witches out of hand.

That Grrl

Don't let me interrupt. I'm loving to hear about word history - two of my favourite things combined.

Radical Rog

Correct Raptorcat, or go back further to 'wys'. 'Wizard' has a different entamology and is more of a construct, though with a similar meaning, from 'zinoti' - to know.

There is also a connection to the phrase: 'Singers of the Earth's Dawn,' from a time before the written word, when travelling storytellers passed on news and ancient tales. Many of these tales were what are now dismissed as the creation stories of mythology. A wizard was a travelling story teller, a bard, who 'knew' the story of man's relationship to the gods. The early Church missionaries set out to suppress this ancient knowledge and replace those tales with its own version of creation. Hence the subsequent denigration.

A witch was someone who 'knew' the tale keeping it alive where they were. A wizard was someone who travelled to spread this knowledge and wisdom, though that last bit is my interpretation.

Raptorcat

Actually, Radical Rog, the word "witch" goes back even further to the original root word "Wicce" which means "Wise" or "Wise one".

There is also the possibility that it is the root for the word "Wizard" as well, but I am not sure, though the linguistic similarity is there.

Radical Rog

To support your argument, the word witch derives from the original, wichá and wiché (masculine the feminine). The word refers to knowledge/wisdom and a more correct transliteration would be:, wise man or wise woman respectively, or even more correctly, one who knows.

It is this knowledge the Church wished to suppress hence their denigration and persecution.

That Grrl

I'm kind of the opposite. I get started with an initial spurt of idea, even something I don't know much about. Then I dig up information, decide what I think and what I want to say about everything I have found. Then it all piles into the article. I'm not an expert about anything but I use research and common sense to share information and hope for the best.

I do feel that there will be people who read what I have written and tell me I don't have a clue. But, usually my research, common sense and my own experience pull me through. I just think it is a shame to let someone else intimidate you from writing and sharing the information you have.

My Uncle told me no one should be a writer until they are 40 and have experienced life - which would mean they had something to say at that point. I was about 14 at the time - a long way from 40. I let that keep me from writing anything more than my diary for a really long time. It wasn't until I was in my last year of high school and then college that someone made me feel good about my writing again.

Raptorcat

@That Grrl, Actually, there are a few people on the hub that are at least equal, if not superior to me in that regard. They are also better writers than I am.

It is not with any false sense of modesty that I say that, it is just that I know my own limitations in writing on any subject. In some areas, I am a very skilled technical writer and in others I am a more skilled emotive writer.

I am well versed in many subjects, btw, so it is not as if I feel any inferiority or don't know my voice, but more that I do know my voice and as I gain more and more knowledge, that voice grows, as all voices do.

If people have specific questions, I am more than happy to address them to the best of my knowledge and experience, but to just start writing on a specific subject is tricky for me. Getting started on anything that is not historical is usually where I run into the problems.

That Grrl

Kittydreamer is one of the HP people I follow. I try to keep a watch out for all the Pagan writers here. (As well as all the other Lauras).

That Grrl

@Raptorcat - You aren't writing to people who are experts and far more experienced than you consider yourself to be. You are writing to people who know less than you do and would benefit from the knowledge and experience you (in particular) have.

If you always consider yourself to be writing for people who know more than you - how will you ever find your own voice and write anything? There are far more people who know less and would like to know more than there are people who know a lot and don't want to learn anything else. Even the people you call experts are likely to read your thoughts and find something new or interesting to take away with them.

LauraD093

That Grrl- I found this article interesting also the comments made by Raptorcat were things I never knew in regards to this particular belief system. Paganism doesn't seem female oriented-although until knowing the true definition for "witch" from Raptorcat I always associated Wiccan belief as female dominate with men taking a secondary role which is the exact reverse for most Western religions. It is informative to know that there appears to be a balance. kittydreamer is a fellow hub-writer who addresses a lot of Wiccan and Pagan beliefs you may want to check her work out.

Raptorcat

To be honest, I really would not know where begin. There are a lot of far more qualified and experienced witches out there that can discuss the issue with far more information and knowledge than I.

Authors like Kerr Cuhulain (who has a column on Witchvox) come to mind.

Factually speaking, we are at a point in the craft where we need to move away from the female-centered attitude and start to balance all practices of the craft, taking the male into the same level of serious consideration that we have, to date, given to the female.

Both are mysteries that are equally important to us, as humans and to us as practicioners of the craft.

That Grrl

Raptorcat, I hope you write about Pagan men too. You have a lot more background to make a better post than mine. I got the idea and wanted to write it up before I forgot my ideas/ thoughts. There is a lot more which could be added.

Raptorcat

That Grrl, There are a lot of books that are mostly fluff and many more that are complete and utter nonsense. Many are geared toward only the female practicioners, which is kind of dishonest, since Paganism is neither exclusively a male nor female practice (with few exceptions). It is bi-gender, like our species is.

Many books are filled with gems of useful information, but the real trick is to discern the wheat from the chaff. Not an easy task for any newcomer to any Pagan path.

A lot of the books in our personal library are a bit on the fluffy side, but we still have them for the gems of useful information buried within them.

Raptorcat

Wabond, the word "witch" is actually based in the old English "Wicce", which means "wise", which has no gender. SInce the word has no actual gender, I have never called myself a male witch. I am, simply, a witch.

The wicce have always been the ones that performed many duties, from healing to leading ritual at the sabbats and esbats, to officiating at weddings and funerals. They were always the ones that understood herbalism, signs and portents and, sometimes, counsel to the village elders or even to the nobility before the rise of Christianity.

In some cultures they were called priest or priestess, depending on gender, yet there were other cultures, like the celts that had a single word to denote that person who was of the wicce.

That Grrl

I know people who think there is a big difference between being labelled as a Pagan, Wiccan or Witch. I don't see it that way myself. It's a shame you let a label change your path. But, you said there were other reasons too.

@Raptorcat - Thanks for the suggestion of another book. I looked for awhile to find books that seemed worth listing. I remember when I started out and had no idea what the right books were to start with. There are some who trust faithfully in books which I think are pure hogwash. There are always people who will write a book full of fluff and nonsense just to create sales.

Raptorcat

Interesting article. As the acting HP of a Gardnerian Coven, I often find myself pointing out that the word "witch" is neither male nor female and that the term "Warlock" is wholly inappropriate as the word means "oathbreaker", not male witch.

Many of the books that you have listed here I have. They are all good reads, but I would also add the book "Wiccan Warrior". Most male pagans will find it to be a very enlightening book concerning the warrior spirit found in the God and how it can be applied to both practice and everyday life.

wabond

I was a male witch years ago, and never felt comfortable with the concept. That was one of the reasons I got out of witchcraft. To me witches are female, why do we need men to be witches as well?

I have a lot of books, too many books really. It's so hard to resist an interesting book. I find them with the new books and I like the way they smell. I find vintage, retro and just plain old books at the thrift store and the second hand book stores (one of my favourite places).

I've begun trying to limit buying books. I really need to because I've got a hoard of books, more than I have storage space for really. So, I'm sorting my books and trying to part with some - even some that I would love to read but have to be practical and realize I will (in reality) never have enough time to myself to read all these books.

People who don't love or hoard books don't understand the love of books. My family are not book people. They read them and forget them. Some of them seldom read anything more than the occasional street sign or grocery flyer. But, I love the non-fiction books. I want to find out more about everything. As a kid I wanted to know about everything and I wondered how long it would take me to learn it all. I estimated I'd be in my thirties by the time I was done. As a kid, that seems old but, as a kid, the world seems much smaller too. In reality, as an adult, the more I learn the more I know I have yet to learn.

So then what...? I'm taking a look into selling my books. I bought them in the first place, who better than myself to know the advantages of owning such a great and interesting book?

My Friend (Deanna) Has Written about Selling Books Online and Kindly Gave me the Interview Below

• So You Want To Sell Your Books (Almost Everything You Need To Know)
• So Many Books, So Little Time
• Advice On Starting A Book Collection | Inherited Values
• The Value In Collecting & Reading Antique & Vintage Publications | Inherited Values

An Interview with an Experienced Book Seller

Before we begin, please introduce yourself and give us a summary with your experience as a book reviewer and seller.

I've been reviewing books online for over a decade, and as a result, have review copies filling my mail box weekly. (Please note, there are precautions to selling review copies; not everyone knows or respects the rules!) I've been selling books as well as antiques and collectibles online since 1997, I believe it was... That includes buying, and then selling, entire estates full of books. And I've been reading and collecting books for decades, of course.

Do you consider yourself a book collector? What do you think makes one person a book collector versus someone who reads books or someone who hoards books - where do you draw the line?

I actually believe there are several categories of bibliophiles. There are readers, those who just love to read but do not need to keep or save books or periodicals. There are the book lovers, magazine lovers, etc., who need the objects themselves. Then there are the collectors, who consider the pursuit of works as important as the keeping of them. As for hoarding, there's the seriously negatively impacting disorder which is pathologically compulsive (which I'm not capable of addressing) and the state hoarding which many of us joke about doing. As someone who professionally writes about collecting, I'd say the true distinctions between "collecting" and "hoarding" are about the focus in the accumulation of and care of that is given to the objects themselves.

For the record, I am a book-reading, book-loving, book-collecting bibliophile!

Are there different methods of selling books online, beyond using sites like eBay?

Oh there are likely hundreds of options! It depends upon what kind of books you have, as well as your personal goals and preferences. Each site or marketplace varies as much in audience (types of buyers) as they do in their terms or conditions and fees. It's not just a matter of what sites you like or trust, but where the buyers are for specific types of books and how much they are willing to pay. This not only affects how much money you are likely to get for your book, but how quickly you are likely to get it too. Depending on how much you sell, these sites work perfectly for keeping track of your sales. This can come in handy for when you file taxes at the beginning of the year. Depending on how much you sell, these sites work perfectly for keeping track of your sales. This can come in handy for when you file taxes at the beginning of the year.

Along with online marketplaces, there's also just tossing up your own site, using PayPal buttons for purchasing. Blogging software, like WordPress, now offers ecommerce plugins so that you can sell online easily. Of course, those options require you driving your own traffic to get sales, but the rewards can be greater too.

Where have you found your most success as a book seller?

Matching the book for sale to the appropriate sales platform in order to get it in front of the largest group of most likely buyers is really important. That's how you get the best prices for your items.

Do you sell books offline, in flea markets for example?

I sell a lot of books at flea markets and at good old fashioned rummage sales in my backyard too. These books tend to be more common books; think "used books" rather than "valuable books".

I also sell a number of books at the antique stores we have booth and case space in. These tend to be antiquarian books, rare titles, and other collectible works which are perhaps not as commonly sought after but fetch higher prices.

What are the extra costs for selling books online, like shipping?

Shipping is a cost -- and that includes boxes and mailers, packing tape, shipping labels (the ink and paper you print them on), and other items for packaging. There's also fees for shipping insurance and tracking options. If you don't consider those costs, or are charging less than you should, those amounts can really eat at any profits you may have.

And then there's your time. There's the time it takes to ship items, but even before you get to that, there's a lot of time invested in properly listing books to sell. You'll need to research each book to have an idea of its value in order to set your price or start the bidding at. You'll need to accurately describe the book and its condition; you may need to photograph or scan the book itself. You may need to respond to questions from potential buyers. And then there's the time spent organizing your books for sale. (You have to be able to find a title quickly to answer questions and to ship it.) This time can add up surprisingly fast.

As the saying goes, time is money. If, after you take out the fees for listing and selling at a site, you find you are only getting a dollar or something for your book, it may not be worth your time to sell books online.

Is there a danger of being ripped off by a book purchaser?

Most sites have protections for both seller and buyer. Sites like PayPal favor the buyer a lot, which means you are best off using the insurance and delivery tracking options to protect yourself. But still, even when you've accurately described the item and taken the shipping precautions, issues may still arise. There are fewer scammers than one fears; but there is always the element of just bad luck with a sale or shipping. Sometimes things just end up going sideways and aggravating you, if not costing you money outright.

What advice would you give to someone starting to sell their own books online?

Whether you are simply down-sizing your book collection or planning on generating income by selling books, it's really important to know what you have. Not just in terms of the books themselves and their values, but your time constraints, skill sets (or willingness to learn), and desire to want to do the work it takes.

It can all seem overwhelming, I know! But once you have realistic ideas and expectations, the right options for you are much easier to see.

Thanks for taking the time to be interviewed. Is there anything you would like to add?

Just that most of this information applies to used or past issues of magazines and periodicals as well -- and anything vintage or antique, for that matter. While a lot of the collecting shows make it sound like there's treasure in your attic or basement, it's not as easy as many people think it is. Learning to identify and separate the "gems" from the "junk" takes time and experience, as does the act of selling it. There is money to be made, for sure; but, as the saying goes, there's no easy money.

And thank you so much for including me in your discussion about selling books!

Microblogging is a liberating experience. You narrow down your focus to the essentials and leave out all the extra explanations.

When you post for a microblog you jot down, announce and make note. You don't have to add a lot of context. You can skip an illustration - unless your post is the illustration, in that case you can skip the worlds.

Microblogging should be short, quick, but frequent posts.

My favourite places to microblog are Twitter, Tumblr and the sidebar of my own blog where I keep a Sideblog using a WordPress plugin.

Why I Like MicroBlogging

• It's a great way to jot down a thought without going into detail or overthinkng it.
• I dash down a half baked idea and leave it to finish later.
• I can leave a note for readers of my site.
• I can post a great quotation and just let it stand on it's own.
• I post backlinks to a sites I find but haven't really reviewed yet.
• I announce a change to my site, or other sites I write.
• I stick in a new word that sounded worth looking up.
• I make note of an inspirational book I found.
• I can leave a quick tip and turn it into a full post later.

 MicroWriting for MicroBlogging

Writing a short post can take some getting used to. Don't give up on it or quit. Just get creative, resourceful and take a risk on saying and explaining less leaving your readers to make their own assumptions. If you want clear and concise communication you need few words, no flowery prose.

For example, Twitter limits everyone to 140 characters, including punctuation, spaces and hashtags.

You may get creative with spelling, or run two words together or eliminate some words all together.

Some people will post their thoughts over two or more posts in a row. (I see this now and then with Twitter posts). But multiple posts is not a great option, it's better to stick with the microblogging concept and keep it short and to the point.

If you can't find a shorter way to say what you mean, microblogging can be a challenge to your communication skills.

Think of your posts as announcements. That helps to keep them shorter.

A day trip is simple, just the one day away. You don't need to put in a lot of serious planning, you don't need heavy duty packing. If you leave something undone at home - you will be back later the same day to finish it up. Just make sure you leave your home safe - turn things off and lock it up!

A day trip can be something you decide to do just because you want a change of scenery, feel frustrated or need to recharge your creative energies.

I really enjoy a day trip. Day trips can be impulsive or planned in advance. Either way, you don't need to bring a lot with you or plan your life around the one day you're taking off.

Where to Go on a Day Trip

• Visit friends or family who live in another city or town.
• Pick a restaurant you wanted to try.
• Take the bus or train and go into the city for the museum, art gallery, etc.
• Take the bus or drive out into the country, be rural for the day.
• Travel around and try farmer's markets on a weekend day.
• Look for local events like seasonal fairs and festivals.
• Pick a town you heard something interesting about and go there.
• Go to the beach. In winter it's cold but still nice to hear the waves.
• Look into short excursions like ferry boat tours and ghost/ haunted walks.
• Pamper yourself by going to a spa or enjoying some other luxury.

Check the Weather

Check the weather expected at your planned destination and along the route you plan to take there and back. You can expect seasonal weather but you might want to see if you're heading into a humid or rainy day or a day where the winter is going to dump a few inches of snow. This is also good to know for the driving conditions, if you are driving rather than taking a bus, train or plane.

Pack for the Activities Planned

If you know what you will be doing, make a list of everything you will need. Do this ahead of time so you can add items to the list as you think of them. Trying to think of everything last minute can leave you with something important forgotten at home. You really don't want to be the one person who forgot to pack a swimsuit for the beach.

If you are going to be active (swimming, hiking, etc.) you might want to pack your own shampoo, even though you only plan to be away for the day. Chances are you will find some where to have a quick shower to freshen up before heading home again.

Think of the little things which you may not need but could really wish you had packed, if you had planned ahead. If you don't end up using everything, then just bring it home.

Light Travel Links

• Well Designed Travel: How to Pack Lightly | Apartment Therapy

• One Bag - The Art and Science of Travelling Light

• How to Prepare Your Day Pack | Festival Survival Guide

What to Pack

Don't use a huge suitcase or massive luggage for a day trip. You're just going to be stuck carrying around a huge bag when you could be carrying everything much more easily and with less weight to haul around. Your actual bag to be packed should be light weight, as with any luggage.

• Any tickets, documentation, government or insurance papers you need.
• Any medicines and toiletries (shampoo, hairbrush, toothbrush, etc.) you need. Pack these as if you were planning the trip for an overnight stay, just in case plans change. Stash a light nightgown and a change of underwear too.
• ID, money, wallet, credit or debit cards. Keep some cash handy too. One of the best things is stopping for farm fresh produce at the roadside stands.
• A good book, possibly pens and paper too to keep yourself amused should you end up waiting for someone or something. (I'm into bookpacking myself.)
• Your electronics of choice: camera, mobile phone, tablet, mini laptop, etc. Pack the chargers too if you haven't already charged the electronics at home.
• Maps! If you are driving look for maps showing the back roads. Get driving directions if you need them.
• Something to drink should you be in for a long drive. Stop for coffee if you want to but keep something with you in case you don't find a good coffee place.
• If you are going anywhere fancy pack an extra set of clothes to wear so you aren't wearing the same travel clothes.
• Consider items for first aid or wardrobe malfunctions.
• Consider a sturdy pair of boots if you are the type to stop for interesting detours along the way.
• Pack sunglasses for warm travel and warm socks for cold travel.

Of course, you won't need all of this for a day trip. Skip whatever you don't want to pack or carry around. If you can't fit more into your light backpack or travel bag then re-plan how much you are taking and leave some of it behind. The theme of the day is to keep it light. As long as you have the basic ingredients you can usually grab anything else you need along the way. Day trips, after all, are not that far from home.

When I was about 20 I decided to look into religions. I knew the traditional Christian ways were not for me. I didn't like they way these religions viewed women. I had just read a book where the women were put into isolation after having their period or giving birth, they were "unclean". This was on top of growing up with the Adam and Eve mythology. From that point the Bible (written and rewritten by men) just goes on to look down on women, and worse. If I were a male, I would probably never have become Pagan. I would never have begun researching other religions and beliefs and looked deeper than the surface. Most likely I would have put religion behind me as not being all that important.

My Early Pagan Experience

I started with Witchcraft and Wicca because I found a book written in the 70's. It's a book I wouldn't choose to read now but parts of it were enough to send me looking for more information from more reliable sources. I found a Pagan bookstore referred to in a book. I made the hour long bus trip to downtown Toronto and found the place. Entering for that first time was not easy. I felt daring and yet I also felt I was walking into a place I didn't fully belong and might not be welcome. I wondered if they could see inside of me, my mind and my thoughts. Would they know what I was thinking, could they see my future and my past, my aura...? That was creepy.

The first thing that really happened was the smell. Ever since then I have noticed the same smell, strongly of incense over time, in every Pagan bookstore. I like pulling out a book I bought in a Pagan store. Even a couple of decades later I can smell it in the pages. If the smell ever goes away I don't know. So far it hasn't.

My adventure in that first Pagan store was intimidating. If I were less determined or less curious I doubt I would have tried another Pagan store. The people there did watch me and yet said nothing. Maybe they thought I was going to walk off with something, maybe they were just curious too, I won't know and I didn't ask then. I was already the shy type. I bought a book and a couple of polished rocks and I left, glad to be out of there. I was left with the feeling of not belonging and I never did go back to that store. Luckily there were others and more came along later.

Finding Where and How I Fit In

A few years more and the Internet came along too. By that time I was making my own decisions about what I believed and how I believed it. I didn't accept Wicca as it came. I took what felt right to me and put it together with how I felt about the world and it's people. I still believe this way; I'm very much an eclectic solitary type of Pagan. I gave myself the label of Earth Witch and I've stuck with that, to keep the explanation simple. To me an Earth Witch means I focus on the Earth, the natural and I don't feel influenced by deities or magick. I believe we each create our own magick from ourselves and it is up to each of us to choose how to use it, or not use it.

I have written about my Pagan beliefs before but not shared much of my actual experience. I used to get email from young women who wanted to know more about being Pagan. The main thing they wanted to know was how to hide it from their parents. I was never behind this. For one thing, if you have to hide it, maybe you should rethink the whole thing.

I do understand that some families are very Christian and close minded or even afraid of Pagan ideas and Pagan ways. If that is the case and you are living at home, this is not the time for you to explore being Pagan. Wait until you can do it openly. In the meantime, there is no reason you can't do simple things like have a collection of rocks, maybe some shells and feathers, keep a journal about your observations of nature, history and people. These are things you can do without upsetting your parents and family. You can be Pagan without having to prove you're Pagan. Know it yourself and start there.

Nowadays...

For me, being Pagan is a personal thing. I mainly keep it to myself. I've found a local group with weekly meetings but I have yet to venture out and attend one. I think I will. Each time I have stepped out and met other Pagans I have enjoyed the experience and learned new things about history, religion and beliefs. But, I'm comfortable with what I believe now, the way my feelings about being an Earth Witch have evolved. So I'm not as eager to stir myself up as I was when I was younger and just starting to explore and discover.