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 folk familial practices that are not from Abrahamic faiths. It's also used as a weapon against women especially those who are midwives and healers. 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 demystifying 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, Votaress, 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 and nature-based spirituality 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(This is what we define it as and we reject the dictionary definition as it's outdated and shaped by Abrahamic religions that villainize the term.)

It often describes a person with a nature-based spiritual practice whose rituals and beliefs are rooted in folk or ancestral spirituality. Practices vary widely, some work with spirits or deities directly, some don't but all generally use physical tools and/or ingredients to manipulate, communicate with, or influence energy to manifest a desired result.

It's also what Wiccans call themselves. Wicca is a modern religion built on a hybrid of European pagan beliefs through a western esoteric lens that also incorporates various forms of witchcraft.

Many modern practitioners use titles like "Green Witch," "Kitchen Witch," or "Hellenic Witch" so other nature-based spiritual practitioners know what kinds of spirits, ingredients, religious frameworks, or tools they work with.

There's some confusion about whether "Witch" can apply to male practitioners. It's a gender-neutral term. The confusion comes from how it was translated and transliterated over time. The oldest record we have of someone who works with spirits appears in the Bible in the story of the Witch of Endor and a passage that villainizes witchcraft.

Here's how each reference etymologically evolved through the various translations of that story:

Hebrew — For witch, baʿălaṯ-'ōḇ describes a mistress (from Endor) who speaks with the dead using a special bowl for divination. For witchcraft, mekhashēfah referred to sorcery, enchantment, and magic.

Greek — For witch, engastrimythos means "one who speaks from the belly." The Greeks believed necromancers/mediums channeled spirits through their body. For witchcraft, pharmakous meant drug, potion, or spell, and was used in other contexts for poisoning and magic.

Latin — For witch, mulier habens pythonem means "woman having a python spirit." "Speaking from the belly" didn't land with Latin authors, but the Greeks had slang for engastrimythos derived from Pythia, a High Priestess at a temple of Apollo. In Greek mythology, Apollo destroyed a serpent (python), and she was named for that act. Because serpents were coded as evil (think: the snake in Eden) and witches as wicked, Latin authors went with something that reflected their interpretation. The word for witchcraft became maleficos meaning "evil-doer" and in Roman law it specifically referred to practitioners of harmful magic.

Old English — Wicce (sounds like "witch") was used for the Witch of Endor, and wiccan (sounds like "witchan") appeared in the passage "thou shalt not let the witch live." Old English didn't have an equivalent word for someone who speaks to spirits or makes magic potions, and serpents weren't a negative symbol in that culture so "pythoness" or "speaks from the belly" didn't translate to anything meaningful. The closest equivalent was a "wise person," used for those who made herbal remedies and worked with unseen ailments. Many non-Christian communities don't view spirits as sinister (or even as sentient humanoids) but as archetypes of energy, consciousness ecosystems, or simply as family. From that lens, using a villainizing term for something central to your own identity would have been strange.

Modern English — "A woman that hath a familiar spirit," basically calling her a medium, alongside witch (transliterated from wicce) in "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live." The feminine form stuck despite the word's gender neutrality, largely because Bible commentary of the era used "witch" and "witchcraft" consistently. We also know it's gender-neutral because of the Malleus Maleficarum, a guide for witch hunters. Maleficarum translates to "evil-doer." Malefica was the feminine form, maleficus the masculine, both used to persecute people who worked with spirits or practiced harmful magic.

Before the Latin translations, none of this was derogatory. It was a normal practice that the Church outlawed and looked down on, primarily because practitioners were working with spirits that weren't the Abrahamic God. Because of that history many men and women in western culture who practice witchcraft today identify as "witch," especially if their practice isn't tied to a specific pagan or indigenous religion, or blends western and non-western spiritual traditions.

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 (because western culture does not view women equal to men, and viewed them as property and lesser humans) 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 of it.

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 | MAGUS | MAGI

The etymological origin of a magician and the word 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 Persian revivalist traditions. Today, Mage and Magus refer to someone who teaches spirituality and positions themself as an authority on the topic

Outside of nature-based spiritual communities, It's usually used by fantasy writers for someone who practices magic, but does so because they learned it, not necessarily because it was innately within them.

You may cross the word "Magistus" in this space as well because of a well known educator on the topic, while this is not a historical title and isn't standard latin, it functions as a coined or psuedo-latin term deliberately blending magister and magus to represent themselves as a "master-mage" representing themself as one who may be all knowing within their particular discipline.

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. These are often based on "secret knowledge" which in terms of its secrecy means it was either 1. unknown to others because of their personal journey doing the work, or 2. secret because it was the knowledge of pagan and indigenous practices but hidden and disguised for a Christian society to not understand to avoid being persecuted by the church. Because this is the western scholarly path, know, that there are a lot of egos in this space and its very hard to find a good mentor.

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. Originally, this was the culturally and socially accepted form of magical practitioner among Christian Communities in western culture, because their practice does nature magic without calling upon spirits, or if it does call on a spirit, its only the Christian God. Yup, ancient Christian priests did magic and this is the framework it was done under.

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 to Old French, it became the word seër, then later the 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 folk practice cultures (especially indigenous ones) this is nurtured when its discovered that someone has the natural ability. However, its not uncommon for regular none-religious/spiritual person to have the natural ability. Witches often will call someone who has the natural ability who has a natural ability but doesn't believe in the ability a Mystic. We also use it in a playful derogatory way for those who we see clearly sensing spiritual energy, entities, or past/future events and actively gaslighting themselves its all in their mind, made up, or "isn't real."

SORCERERESS | SORCER

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. Often depicted with a magical staff or wand.

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 (similar to Seer techniques) to achieve this, or uses divination. But it is not unheard of people using it in modern times if they only communicate to the dead with divination tools.

Mediums typically use modern techniques. Mediums typically get into a meditative state and practice with their own dead loved ones or practice with a working group with each other's past loved ones to validate their communication. How they interpret it varies based on 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 by someone claiming to be a witch, necromancer, or medium "with a message" do not engage its a scam. It's very exhausting to maintain a meditative mind-state to actively pick up someone's past loved one, and as a community we have all held each other accountable to NOT do this, this allows us as a whole to be able to identify scammers.

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 the title "Shaman" in Latin America as the English word for a traditional Curandero practitioner.

DEMONOLATRESS | DEMONOLATOR

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."

PRIESTESS | PRIEST

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 PRIESTESS | HIGH PRIEST

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, communicated clearly and impossible to ignore. From personal experience, and learning about the experiences from other High Priestess, 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 because things happen that directly counter physics and what we have been raised to believe is normal or unknown to science. Look, I'm not going to sugar coat it, shit gets supernatural AF when they know you are ready for it.

VOTARESS | VOTARY

This is more of an archaic title, not commonly used today. But is still used in a very specific type of deity relationship. It is someone who is dedicated to their vow of a belief or deity. I see this with those who do not work with a deity, but view an aspect of the world as a part of their identity, it's something they are passionate about and devoted to much in a way that they would a deity, but are not required to go through an initiation ritual to prove commitment. For example: A Votary of Science, or a Votaress of Freedom. In the context of a deity this is someone who commits a specific vow to a deity. Where a Priest or Priestess goes through an initiation process and a series of trials from their community to prove oneself, or a High Priest/ess who goes through a series of experiences with a deity to prove energetic alignment with their deity, a Votary or Votaress makes a vow of duty in the honor of one.

For example, I am a High Priestess to King Belial, we chose each other to commit to a specific cause and certain duties I agree to that Belial has asked of me, upon my ritual our energies merged. I am a Votaress to Hekate, while we chose each other, the choice is less in who we are energetically but more so in the cause we deeply care about and our shared goals where I am an acting body for her to achieve that specific goal. That means I am both a Votaress to Hekate, and a Votaress to magic.

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 and tends to go hand in hand with High Priest/Priestess callings)

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 or Mystic.

As an Oracle for King Belial and Hecate, 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.

GOD-SPOUSED

This is a title that is used for people that do a commitment ritual to a deity as an act of deep and intense devotion. Some practices due a marriage-like ritual and ceremony 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. The way I describe it the act of Votary/ess and High Priest/ess in one . The devotion aspect is defined by their Priestly duties and their commitment is defined by their Votary commitments.

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.

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

"Shaman" is an Evenki/Tungusic word. The modern English word is derived from the Russian šamán, It's speculated to mean "to know." It came to western Europe when Russian colonizers encountered Siberian peoples and started using the Evenki term themselves. Little by little it was used to refer to ritual specialists of the whole world, replacing terms like "sorcerer" "healer" and "soothsayer" Within the community its not really something that is used as a personal label its more so used by academics as

an umbrella term for people who communicate with spirits or function as a priest or healer from a non-western culture. These practitioners usually have a unique title based on their language and culture and is earned through initiation or cultural milestones. if one uses the title Shaman its usually used as a way to help a Western English speaker to understand their role within their own non-western community.

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.