The negative connotations connected have a lot to do with propaganda which was perpetrated in past to cause people to 'fear' witches or witchcraft, and there's probably no sense in rehashing history cause most have done their homework on it. IOW, "Midwives" were witches, baby died it was witchcraft. You got a wart, the neighborhood elderly woman was to blame. This was because so much fear was perpetrated and it was a quick and surefire way to get back at someone. And probably for entertainment purposes, power, take someone's land, so forth. It was just a way to stigmatize, and unfortunately that stigma still hold true today. However, many who you do see going on that path, you have some who may be more orthodox (either something speficially likee Wicca, or dedicated to a specific deity like Diana). Some of it in the states began to emerge with feminism. They're both connected - that movement, and women looking for a religion which 'fit' them, because Christianity didn't anymore.
As far as witchcraft, sorcery, or shamanism even being the same, they may have similar, principles, but they're not, because witchcraft is still its own specific 'thing.' All wiccans are pagan, for examine, not all 'witches' are pagan. Not all people claiming to be shamans are really that (and that term is really exclusive to the siberian shamans). Like there are no Hopi shamans, for example. There may be 'medicine men' but there isnt a shaman. Or an Apache shaman. But there are medicine men who are healers. Witchcraft had its principles in healing, not all was negative, and sure, while many have their own 'justice' spells they can do (big in Africa, where the local witchdoctor may 'punish' someone for taking some locals daughter's virginity, make them pay for it with an illness, for example), they should still be respected as being unique to each other. Just as a ceremonial magician isnt like a wiccan, they're different.
How do they relate though? They all relate in that they all do work with energy or manipulate it in some form, or travel between 'worlds' however defined. That there is an individual, as well as group process like others may have. They have initiations - all of them to a degree. They all do affect one's subconscious self - that's really the 'worlds' and through their own sub self, can access those worlds.
They all do have risks because of that. I know there's been some talk about affecting the 'external world,' but like Dion Fortune said, most important 'magick' one will ever do, is on themselves.
The reason why people can fail on the path, is because there is trap doors. Why is it, like is there something designed so people dont make it or fall? I think so, if they see things like manipulating energy, or
power as a means to an end.
And even the moreso 'intellectuals' like say, the CM's, lots of them fell, in various ways. Course, many CM's mess with Kemetic magic, grafted it in, and Egyptian gods are really, particular who works with them. Once you stick deities into the mix of things, esp the exclusives (my own term), then it gets to be tricky. Course, just doing 'spirit' generically (my own term again), can still be trouble too.
Many of the practices in these two areas are similar to those practices by shamans esp. it seems those practiced by so called witches. There are obvious negative connotations connected to these titles but beyond the so called black magic into the so called white magic. What are the results of such practices and how do they relate to the shamanic path if at all?
