TITLES IN NATURE-BASED SPIRITUAL PRACTICES

In western culture we have quite a bit of options when it comes to labeling ourselves in nature-based spiritual practices. Personally, I am not a fan of any titles. I believe working with spiritual energy and communicating with spirits is simply how nature works. While I call myself a witch in public, it's because the title "witch" has been used to villainize indigenous, pagan, and familial practices that are not from Abrahamic faiths. It's also used as a weapon against women especially those who are midwives and heal. I use "witch" to help remove the stigma around the word, and use it as a platform to start conversations to disarm it as a threat/weapon against women and educate folks to prevent it from harming others and demystify these ancient ways to help people not get scammed by imposters with the following titles.

That all said, I could be called a few things, High Priestess, Oracle, Witch, Mystic because of my spiritual experiences but I actually prefer people describing me as a "nature-based spiritual practitioner."

Do you know which you prefer? There is a lot of history with various titles surrounding witchcraft as it pertains to Western culture and I think its really important to understand which you identify as and when its appropriate to use those titles, especially when interacting with the greater westernized spiritual communities. So let's dive in to it ...

WITCH

The modern definition is an umbrella term for someone who does witchcraft.

(This is what we define it as, we reject the dictionary definition as it is outdated and is influenced by Abrahamic religions that villainize the term)

It often represents a person who has a nature-based spiritual practice who's rituals and beliefs are influenced by one's own folk or ancestral spirituality. Their spiritual practices vastly vary, some may or may not work with spirits or deities directly but all generally use physical tools and/or ingredients to manipulate, communicate, or influence energy to manifest a desired result.

It is also what Wiccan's call themselves. Wicca is a modern religion that was created on the foundations of hybridizing European Pagan beliefs, and also do various forms of witchcraft.

Many modern practitioners will use a title like "Green Witch," "Kitchen Witch," "Hellenic" so that other nature-based spiritual practitioners know what kind of spirits, ingredients, religious frameworks, or tools they prefer to use in their practice.

Many are confused on whether "Witch" can be used for a male practitioner. It is a gender neutral term but the confusion comes from how it was translated. The oldest record we have referring to someone who works with spirits is referenced in the bible in the story of the Witch of Endor and a passage that villainizes witchcraft.

This is how it evolved overtime:

Hebrew - baʿălaṯ-’ōḇ basically describes a mistress (from Endor) who speaks with the dead using a special bowl for divination and mekhashēfah as someone who practices sorcery, enchantment, and magic.

Greek - engastrimythos basically means someone "who speaks from the belly" the Greeks believed necromancers/mediums channeled spirits through their body and pharmakous a word meaning to drug, potion, spell and has been used in other contexts of poisoning and magic.

Latin - mulier habens pythonem basically a "woman having a python spirit" the reason for this is "speaking from the belly" didn't make sense to Latin authors, but Greeks had a slang term used to describe "engastrimythos" the word derived from a High Priestess named Pythia who lived at a temple for Apollo. In Greek mythology Apollo destroyed a snake (python) and she was named after this act. Because they viewed snakes as "evil" (think the adam and eve story and the snake) and witches "bad" they went with something that reflected their interpretation better. Which is why the other word used is translated to maleficos meaning an "evil-doer" and in Roman laws its context is used for practitioners of harmful magic.

Old English - wicce (sounds like witch) to describe the witch of endor, and wiccan used in the passage "though shalt not let the witch live" when it was translated to Old English, they didn't have a word that was equivalent to someone who speaks to spirits or a necromancer, nor did they have something for magic potion making. They did not see serpents as a negative symbol so labeling her as a "pythoness" or that she "speaks from the belly" didn't make sense to anything they had. The closest equavlent was a "wise person" as that was used for people who made herbal remedies and worked with unseen ailments. Many non-christian communities don't view spirits as sentient humanoids, but rather archetypes of energy, consciousness ecosystems, or as family so it was difficult to villainize aspects of themself.

Modern English - they use "a woman that hath a familiar spirit" basically referring to her as a medium and using witch (which was transliterated to spell the word as it sounded) to say "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live." with the feminine gendered form sticking despite its gender neutrality. This is mainly because bibles that include scholarly commentary describe it as "witch" and "witchcraft" But we also know its gender neutral because of the book "Malleus Maleficarum" this book basically was a guide on how to hunt witches. Maleficarum translates to an "evil doer" as we know from the Latin translation. Malefica was for a woman, and maleficus was for a man, both terms used to persecute those who worked with spirits and did "acts of harmful magic."

Prior to the Latin translations it wasn't necessarily bad in the sense of villainization, it was moreso a normal act that was outlawed by the church and was looked down on due to folks working with spirits that weren't the Abrahamic god.

PAGAN

Originally used in western culture as a slur for people outside of the cities that still practiced their familial or indigenous spiritual beliefs and traditions. At the time, Abrahamic faiths were only dominant in major cities especially with the Nobility. This is why when you look at it's etymology it means "country" it's derogatory use was used similarly to the way American's today would call someone a "hick" or a "hillbilly."

It has since been reclaimed as a title for neopagans. A pagan dedicates their practice to a specific religion that is essentially a modernized revival of religions that predate Abrahamic faiths, and were practiced in geographical proximity to Abrahamic religions and the areas that they colonized.

WARLOCK

Originally used as a derogatory term for someone who is an "Oathbreaker" or con-artist. This term was later adopted as a derogatory word that was used in the same manner as "witch" When it was used to slander, it would be a huge insult to call a man a witch - a woman, since back in the day women were viewed as property, this was an elevated "for men" insult.

Because of this history, most male witches will not call themselves this. Anecdotally, you will see it from time to time, usually by young people just getting into magic and they are trying to be edgy and are claiming the title less for the spirituality and more of the anti-mainstream aspect.

MAGICIAN

This title can fall under 3 definitions. Its either:

Adopted by male witch's as they prefer to use it over "witch." But don't want to be tied to the feminine identity of its etymological predecessor so male nature based spiritual practitioners prefer this title.

Adopted by people who have done rigorous study to learn how to communicate with spirits. The ability is not innately with them or naturally developed from a young age. It is typically learned through a scholarly path and is fairly commonly used by occult practitioners, those who follow Left-hand path, or occult practices

Also used by stage magic performer not tied to a spiritual practice.

MAGE | MAGI

The etymological origin of a magician and magic. Mage comes from the word "Magi" an ancient Persian title used for their cultural priests. Spiritual communities do not use this as a title, as they are not initiated through ancient Persian or revivalist traditions. It's usually used by fantasy writers for someone who practices magic, but does so because they learned it, not because it was innately within them.

OCCULTIST

This is someone who is similar to a magician in the respect that they have done rigorous study to learn how to communicate with spirits and manifest their intentions by using magic. However, they specifically look at it through the lens of Western Esoteric traditions.

ALCHEMIST

A western practitioner that focuses on their inner transformation and not practical witchcraft. Essentially transmuting the base parts of themselves like fear, ego, and trauma into wisdom, self awareness, and spiritual enlightenment.

SEER

Someone who has to actively enter an altered state of consciousness in order to navigate spiritual experiences whether that is future predicting, communicating with spirits, or astral travel.

This is also often used by practitioners who only do future telling through visons and do not have a witchcraft practice.

It's origins are also from the bible. its original hebrew word,  ro’eh, literally means "one who sees" and was used in the context of prophets having visions. After the bible was translated Old French used seër, Middle english used sēer, and modern english uses "seer."

MYSTIC

Someone who innately and naturally can communicate or see spirits and see spiritual energy. In many cultures this is nurtured, however, its not uncommon for those who are removed from these practices to convince themselves its all in their mind and made up.

SORCERER | SORCERESS

Not typically used in western magical practices its more of a term used by bible scholars to differentiate the people they villainized who worked with spirits and did witchcraft, and the people they hailed a prophets who worked with church approved spirits. It basically suggests that its someone who can innately do magic without using witchcraft methods. They typically do not work with spirits or communicate with spirits.

Its etymological origins simply means "lot" or "fate" and later used in the 13th century to refer to witchcraft, magic or enchantment which is why its often conflated with witchcraft.

If someone does use it today, its not a personal label, but more of a term that one calls another when they are impressed by someone's natural ability. These people are the kind of people who may not be into spirituality but everything seems to go their way and they naturally know what's going to happen before it does, since they naturally have the ability to future predict.

Outside of spiritual communities this title is often used in fantasy story telling for someone who can telekinetically do magic like moving stuff around or creating something out of nothing.

NECROMANCER | MEDIUM

This is someone who only communicates with the dead. Necromancers is more of a title used in the past and is used to describe older techniques to get into the right altered state of consciousness to achieve this. Mediums typically use modern techniques. Where necromancers would fall into a trance like state or use forms of divination to interpret the energy. Mediums typically get into a meditative state and practice with their own dead loved ones or work in groups with each other's past loved ones to create a system or network to gain evidence with who they are talking to on the other side. How the interpret it varies their personal clairsenses/psychic ability.

Important Note: There are many people who pose as mediums and witches to scam people. A true medium or witch who communicates with the dead will not randomly get a message from a loved one of yours. There is a process that allows us to do this they don't just pop up like you see in the tv show Ghosts. If you are being reached out to"with a message" do not engage.

HEALER

Within the western spiritual practitioner context, this is someone who may use a combination of folk medicine/herbalism, spirituality, and rituals to address physical and emotional well-being. The title "healer" is also commonly used interchangeably with "shaman" in Latin America as the English word for a traditional Curandero.

DEMONOLATOR | DEMONOLATRESS

These are practitioners from a modern religion/spiritual framework. That practice some of the oldest western traditions. They have kept ceremonial and ritual traditions through familial books and oral traditions. It is often deeply seeded in ceremonial magic, and self-transformation. But they specifically work with the epithets of spirits that the church studies through demonology. Practitioners will use these names to remove the stigma the church created. Demonolaters call these spirits "Infernal Divine"

PRIEST | PRIESTESS

Someone who goes through rigorous training, testing, and initiation through established traditions and rituals of a specific religion regardless of what deity they work with. In nature-based spirituality, there are many religions that use this title. Here is a quick list: Modern druidic orders that require rigorous study and initiation, African Traditional Religions when self identifying in English, modern New Age and syncretic movements , Kemetic (Egyptian), Hellenic (Greek), Roman, Some neo-pagan and Wiccan sects, ceremonial magic practitioners.

HIGH PRIEST | HIGH PRIESTESS

Similar to a Priest or Priestess (etymologically coming from a word meaning "elder") when it comes to rigorous training, testing and initiation, however, this is not tied to a religious framework but rather tied to a specific deity. One can be appointed by peers that worship the same deity, or can be deity appointed by the deity themself.

If a deity wants to appoint you, you will know! It will be incredibly obvious, and impossible to ignore. From personal experience, and shared experiences from other practitioners a common theme is physical interaction with our environments and ourselves. It's often this experience that changes the mindset of spirits being an aspect of the mind or ecosystem of consciousness into believing they are interdimensional beings.

ORACLE

Someone who can communicate with a specific deity, and is approved by that deity to speak as their representative. (Again, if a deity wants to appoint you as their oracle, you will know, it will be incredibly obvious)

It is also used as a way to describe someone (not a title) who can predict the future often by talking to spirits not an innate knowing like a sorcerer/ess.

As an Oracle for King Belial, it seems to me that I am doing the same thing that Christof does when he speaks for Sven in the movie Frozen while feeling like I'm in a meditative state. And on very rare occasions its more like I am an avatar like in Marvel's Moon Knight, but unlike Moon Knight, I do have free will if I do not want to act or speak on his behalf.

DRUID

This is a person who specifically works with Celtic Deities and/or spirits under oral traditions that originate in Celtic regions. (Although revivalist movements have published written works) They don't view themselves like a priest, and there isn't specific training or initiation required although some revivalist movements may require it. Usually "Druid" is used for people with ancestry from Brittany, Wales, Galicia, Asturias, Ireland, Cornwall, Spain, Isle of Man, Scotland, and England.

GOðI | GOðJA

A person who specifically works with the Norse Pantheon of deities. This title is uncommon to hear in America. Typically folks who work with the Norse Pantheon prefer to call themselves Norse Pagan. It's only currently adopted by the Icelandic neopagan group known as Ásatrúarfélagið.

SHAMAN

An umbrella term used for people who communicate with spirits or function as a priest or healer from a non-western culture. They typically do not call themselves shaman, they usually have a unique title based on their language and culture and is earned through initiation and cultural milestones.

GOD-SPOUSED

This is a title that is used for people that do a ritual to a deity as an act of deep and intense devotion. Some practices due a marriage-like ritual to form a union between the spirit of the practitioner and the deity's spirit. This can include a romantic aspect of the relationship, but traditionally it is an act of devotion followed by a change of lifestyle.

Historically, in ancient Mesopotamia it was used as a way to renew cosmic order and fertility. A really good modern example of this are nuns from Catholicism or Yumi in the book Yumi and the Nightmare painter by Brandon Sanderson.

WIZARD

This title is not used in nature based or magical practices. It is often used to represent a fictional person who has a combination of abilities of the titles above. Key characteristics are they are wise, master hidden knowledge, and can do magic often in non-traditional ways.

Although, sometimes people in witchcraft communities use it as a playful way to describe someone who is deeply engaged in personal spiritual transformation, and usually end up being an Alchemist.

SAGE

This title is not used in nature based or magical practices. However, anecdotally, I am seeing more male witches switching to the "Sage" title but at this time I haven't noticed any real traction. It is primarily found in fiction and it's origin suggest it was not used in the context of spirituality or magic.

In modern fantasy and pop culture, “sage” became synonymous with a wise elder who knows secret knowledge, philosophy, and sometimes magic. Unlike “wizard” (technical/magical) or “sorcerer” (mystical/powerful), “sage” implies guidance, teaching, and truth rather than just raw magical ability or even magic taken for themself.