This can be a very touchy subject for some, but the most widely held opinion is that a witch is a witch, regardless of gender. A female practitioner of magick is a witch, a male practitioner is a witch, a practitioner of any other gender identity is a witch too.

By traditional definition, a warlock is a traitor or liar, someone who has betrayed their coven or the rules of their path. It’s not a title you want to get, and it can apply to a person of any gender. It has long been held as a derogatory term. Traditionally, a warlock is cast out of their coven, and is not readily trusted ever again.

Various theories exist on why this term is being used differently in recent times. One such theory is that somewhere along the line, some males started trying to take on the title of warlock to differentiate themselves from women. Another thought is that much like women calling themselves “bitch” to “take power” from those who use it against them, male practitioners have taken the term warlock. It’s not a popular movement in the Pagan community. Warlock is also a class of magickal practitioner in fantasy games, so this adds to its incorrect use by those new to Paganism, who may mix fantasy with reality.

As I said, this is a hot-button topic, so it’s a good general practice to simply call someone who practices magick a witch, unless they ask you to do otherwise. Of course, some take offense to the term witch as well, but that’s a topic for another time.

*Disclaimer: I no longer practice Paganism, but I’ve left these Pagan Myths articles active because I believe they’re still valuable in helping people to understand Paganism and reduce negative stereotypes.*

Briana Blair

Briana Blair is an author and artisan. She has published more then 30 books and thousands of articles across multiple sites. After practicing Paganism and witchcraft for 25 years, she's now on a journey as an atheist and skeptic. She's eclectic, unpredictable, and always evolving. Facebook - Twitter