Difference in Labels

Are male witches called magicians, wiccans, warlocks, wizards, or sorcerers? What's the difference?

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Males who practice magic are usually refered to as witches.

• Wiccans are followers of Wicca. Wicca is a religion while magic is a practice.
• Warlock is an insult, meaning someone who has broken an oath.
• Magicans do "stage" magic, which is just for entertainment and isn't "real" magick.
• Wizards & sorcerers are generally names used by hollywood, but some practioners prefered to be called these. (Mage is also another)

I think it depends on who you talk to, and people's personal beliefs. My guy friends who practice witchcraft usually just call themselves witches, unless they're aligned with a particular religion that gives them another label to draw on (ie: Wicca), or practice within a set of pre established cultural beliefs that come with their own labels (ie: shamanism)

Magician: A practitioner of ceremonial magic, or an illusionist
Wiccan: A modern pagan who practices Wicca; there's some debate on whether or not it is a title that should be reserved solely for those who are initiated into established covens/circles; doesn't necessarily mean they practice witchcraft; NOT interchangeable with "witch", but people still do it anyways
Warlock: Seems to be the most interchangeable with "male witch", but tends to have negative connotations...and heavily associated now with D&D and RP
Wizard: Kind of an outdated term...mostly linked with Harry Potter and LotR now...but someone who is highly skilled in magic, and operates within some kind of ranking system
Sorcerer: Interchangeable with "Wizard" I think, but also outdated.

But that's just my view of things, but hope it helps ease the confusion some :)

Thanks both Raincaller and hobbitpat!

I've heard that sorcerer can also mean someone who practices necromancy. Is that true?

These are really poorly defined actually, I suggest looking into the history of these words. I refer to myself as a warlock because of it's history, and it's the one I know the best.

I'm female, I use magic, I don't see gods as useful, and i'm a warlock.

The history of warlock, is that it originally meant pact breaker, referring to breaking the pact with a god for humans to not use magic.

I use the term, because I use magic in defiance of any Devine being. I do not worship gods, because I see them as silly and useless to me. Until I have a deity who worships and serves me, I will never use a single one in my magic. In this I break the same pact that the word was originally intended for, and in fact, I blatantly do so.