The Nearest Kin of the Moon: Irish Pagan Witchcraft, Magic(k), and the Celtic Twilight

Abstract

Based on ethnographic research conducted among the Irish Pagan community, this chapter explores Wicca and other forms of modern Pagan witchcraft in the Irish context. The Wiccan community in Ireland is diverse but connects in many ways with Ireland and Irish culture, whether through its landscape, mythology, folklore, or the Irish language. The discussion includes an examination of the ways in which folk magic, charms, cures, and other practices have influenced practitioners of contemporary Pagan witchcraft and the means by which these two cultural forms—traditional Irish culture and modern Irish Pagan culture—intersect. It explores how the notion of the Celtic has influenced Irish Pagan witchcraft, discusses why the culture of the historical Celtic peoples is so important to many practitioners, and details the ways in which modern witches incorporate these cultural aspects into their contemporary identities.