This page covers a brief introduction to the craft, defining the terms "Witch", "Wiccan" and "Pagan", forms of Magick, Initiations, Magick and History. Magic is alive and strong even in today's society.  However it is not the same kind of magic as Hollywood would have you believe.  Pulling rabbits out of hats and creating cities by a wiggle of the nose is not the reality of Magic.  Hollywood would have you believe that a Witch is either an old wrinkly woman with a wart on her nose or a younger woman who can change her hair colour just by wishing it so.  All real Witches know that this is not so.  If I wish to change the colour of my hair, I buy a bottle of hair dye like everyone else.

Let's take a look at the definition of "Priest"......

1).  One whose office is to perform religious rites, and esp. to make sacrificial offerings.
(Taken from the Macquarie Encyclopaedic dictionary 1998 edition)

A Priest or Priestess is usually what witches in a coven are called.  But, by the definition given in the dictionary, all members of the Pagan religion (and any other religion where all members are allowed to perform rites themselves) are Priests or Priestesses (depending on gender, the Priestess is the feminine form of Priest)

The leaders of the coven, usually a male and a female,  often "life partners", are called the High Priest and High Priestess.  These titles are not in indication of how "In tune" with the Goddess and God a person is.  Nor is it defined by the length of time spent working in a coven.  This title can be applied to any leader of the group, even if the leaders of that group change with each rite.

Goddess Worship
Some Pagans chose to worship only the Goddess.  I personally think this is a reversal of the Christian God only worshipping that has been forced upon us.  I worship both the Goddess and the God, and have done for years, even before I became a Wiccan (Although I feel that I did not 'become' a wiccan, I feel that I Realised it :)

I Belly dance, and it used to be a dance as a Goddess worship.  It was not done to make men happy.  Men weren't even allowed to watch.  It was a thank you to the Goddess for the wonderful gift of creating life that us women have, and it was before women knew the role men played in the conception, so they believed that it was a gift from the Goddess.  The movements are said to mimic childbirth, and the dance was done by women, for women in the Goddess temples.  As the years went by, women were allowed to dance at home, then their husbands were allowed to watch, then finally it went to the street where women would dance for the money that was to become their dowry.  But it's origins were Goddess worship.

I concentrate on the Goddess more than the God, which I try not to do, but it is hard, as I feel closer to the female aspect, the Goddess, than I do the male aspect, God.  The Goddess is called the triple Goddess by some as she has three different aspects.  She is the Maiden, sweet and pure.  The Mother, nurturing and loving.  The Crone, the wise old one.  I see the Maiden as my friend.  If I need a friend to talk to, that is the aspect I call upon.  The mother is my mother.  Whenever I need a mother to love and nurture me, I call her in this aspect.  And the Crone, this is the Goddess in her Grandmother aspect.  When I need advice, wisdom and counselling, this is the aspect that I chose.  Though I admit, as I get older and am now a mother myself, the roles are changing.  So I see the Goddess as my friend, my mother and my grandmother.  The God, I see as a youngish man, around 35.  He hasn't got horns like many other Pagans see the God.  He is a hunter though.  He is gentle, but strong.  He is my father, he is also my friend.  He is my protector.

Doctrine
Paganism has no doctrine (set beliefs).  There is no Pagan Bible.  Paganism" and "Witchcraft" are very broad terms, and this covers a huge range of different beliefs, partly because there is no strict rule on what a Pagan must believe in.

Generally Paganism covers a few standard beliefs though.  

• The belief in a Divine entity (be that a God, Goddess, God & Goddess, several Gods and Goddesses or an undefined force)
• The belief in Magick - that there are energies that can be bent/shifted/moulded/worked into producing a desired result
• The belief that the Earth is more special than just a big planet that we all live on (be that from an environmental aspect, or the belief that the Deity is the Earth, or that the Earth has Magickal power itself or other reasons)

Some forms of Paganism do have more strict beliefs.  Wicca, for example, has certain standard beliefs. Wicca has the Wiccan Rede, which is seen to be like "the 10 commandments" of Wicca.  Basically it is "White Witchcraft" if you like (although I dislike that term, as I believe nothing is "black and white" - only shades of grey).  The standard beliefs are centred around a Goddess and God as the Divine,  Absence of any evil personified (no Devil) the 5 Elements of Nature having their own energies and personification (Earth, Air, Fire, Water & Spirit),  and more..

Definitions
I’d like to define the terms “Pagan”  “Wicca” and “Witchcraft”.  These terms are often confused, and sometimes used interchangeably, but they have different meanings.  Having said that, some people have a different opinion of what a Pagan, Wiccan and Witch is.

Most dictionaries define Paganism as any religion that is not Christian, Islam or Judaism.  Most Pagans define it as a nature worshipping religion of some kind.  Some people consider that religions such as Buddhism, Taoism and Satanism are Pagan religions, and some people do not.  My dictionary (The Macquarie Encyclopaedic dictionary 1998 edition) defines it as this:
 

Pagan - “1. One of a people or community professing some other than the Christian religion (Applied to the Ancient Romans, Greeks, etc., and sometimes the Jews).  2. One who is not a Christian, a Jew or a Muslim.  3.  An irreligious or heathenish person.”  (There was more along the same lines as this)

Witch - “1.  A person, now esp. a woman, who professes or is supposed to practice magic, esp. black magic or the black art; a sorceress.  2.  An ugly or malignant old woman; a hag.”  (Again, there were more along the same lines)

You will find that different dictionaries will say different things, depending on when they were written (Older dictionaries have the funniest definitions), and by whom (Christian influenced or not)
 

Paganism
The word Pagan actually comes from the Latin word “Pagus” which means  "Country Dweller.  The meaning of "non-Christian religion", probably relates to when the Christians were converting people into Christianity, the people who lived in the rural areas were the last people to be ministered to, and thus they were the last people to be converted.  Many of them kept up their old religion, which is what we now call Paganism.

Many people believe Pagans are non-religious people, but this is not so, we are just not the Christian form of “religious”.  The Pagan religions tend to be centred around fertility, as fertility (for people and for the land) was very important to survival.   The first rituals would probably have consisted of acting out hunting scenes.  Some of the men would dress up in animal skins and pretend to be the animal they wanted to hunt, and others would dress up as the hunters.  They would then act out the hunt - where they were successful.  This is done symbolically, in the hope that real life would mirror this success. This type of magick is what we call “Sympathetic Magick”.  A simple way to explain this is to think of a Voodoo Doll.  The idea behind a Voodoo Doll is that you take a doll which is going to represent the person, and then anything you do to the doll, you are doing to the person.

Wicca
Wicca (pronounced "Why-ka" or "Wick-a" - depending on who you ask)  gets its name from the word “Wicce” meaning “wise” or “to bend”.  According to a Celtic Linguist friend of mine, it's pronunciation is like "Witch-e", so you can see how it is easy to get the word "Witch" from that pronunciation (also he says "Wicca" should be "Witch-a").

Wicca is a form of Paganism.  Paganism is a broad term, encompassing a multitude of different beliefs and religions.  Paganism itself has no set of beliefs, which makes it hard to define, but each branch of Paganism has its own beliefs.  There is a saying that goes:  "Every Wiccan is a Pagan, but not every Pagan is Wiccan” This means that a Wiccan (Someone who follows the religion of Wicca) is a Pagan as well as being a Wiccan, but a Pagan may or may not necessarily be Wiccan.

Wicca is seen to be the more “ethical” form of Paganism, as it has as its core beliefs “And it harm none, do what ye will”.  (found in the Wiccan Rede)Which means that a Wiccan cannot do any Magick that will bring harm to someone (Physical, emotional or spiritual) or change his or her free will.  (You can't “make” someone do something).   Wiccans believe in a Goddess and God, whereas some Pagans do not believe in a God, some do not believe in a Goddess, and some don't think of it as being a Goddess and/or God at all.

The ethical side is influenced by the "Law of three", "The law of return" or the "Threefold law".  Which is also a belief of many Pagans as well.  It is often written as "Ever mind the rule of three, for what you give out returns to thee".  It is basically like the concept of Karma, that what you send out will come back to you.  But followers of the threefold law believe it comes back 3 times as strong.  In Wicca there is no Hell.  Heaven is called the “Summerlands” and there is no such thing as Satan or any evil personified.

Witchcraft
Witchcraft is harder to define, as  it means different things to different people.  I see Witchcraft in 2 ways....as a religion on it's own and also  as more of the practical side of the Pagan/Wiccan religion.  So I believe that you can consider your religion to be "Witchcraft" and I also believe that in the other use,  the Wiccan/Pagan part is the religious beliefs (Goddess worship etc.) and the Witchcraft part is the hands on aspect (spells, herbal healing etc.), and that you can combine the two.. into a Wiccan Witch etc. (But I don't consider that you have to call yourself that, A Witch or Wiccan is fine.).

I know some people who don't do magick or rituals, they are Wiccan or Pagan simply for the beliefs.  On the other hand, I have no problem with people calling themselves a Witch when they never do spells/rituals or Magickal workings.

The following are some of the definitions I have heard of  (over the Internet).  Some of these are not correct, and I'll say why:

• A witch (lower case w) is someone who follows Witchcraft.
• A Witch (capital W) is someone who follows Witchcraft, but is in a coven

• A Witch is someone who believes in Witchcraft and is in a coven
• A Wiccan is someone who believes in Witchcraft but is not in a coven

• A Witch is a "black" or bad Witch
• A Wiccan is a "white" or good Witch

• A Wiccan is someone who follows Witchcraft, but doesn't cast spells
• A Witch is someone who follows Witchcraft and casts spells.

• A Witch is someone who was born into the craft and taught by their parents/Grandparents.  (called a "hereditary witch")
• A Wiccan is someone who has learned Witchcraft from books etc.  Who was  not born into the craft.

• A Witch is someone who practices Witchcraft, Wicca or Paganism.

• A Witch is someone who practices Witchcraft.
• A Wiccan is someone who practices Wicca.
• A Pagan is someone who practices Paganism.

• A Witch is someone who is a Pagan.

• A Witch is someone who follows Wicca, everyone else is called a Pagan

• Wicca is another name for Witchcraft

• A Witch is someone who practices Witchcraft, a Pagan practices Paganism and a Wiccan practices Wicca.
• Witchcraft is the act of performing Magick/Herbal Healing etc. and a religion in its own right.
• Paganism is any Earth based/Nature worshipping religion.
• Pagans and Wiccans can be called Witches, Wiccans and Witches can be called Pagans.

Paganism, Witchcraft and Wicca are slowly being recognized as “proper” religions. I think part of the problem is that Paganism has too broad beliefs, and I believe that is why people find it hard to recognise Paganism and Pagan religions as being real religions.

Forms of Witchcraft/Paganism/Wicca
There are different forms of Witchcraft, ranging from the Dianic tradition, a female/Goddess centred tradition, to the Solitary Wiccan, who works by his/herself and doesn't belong to a coven.   Almost every country has it's own form of Witchcraft; Celtic, Norse and Italian being the most popular.  I will give a brief bit of information on some of the forms:
 

Gardnerian Wicca
Founded by Gerald  Gardner. He basically took the Wicca he had been taught and added to it, starting his own tradition, which is referred to today as “Gardnerian”.  They strictly follow the Book Of Shadows handed down from generation of Gardnerian Witch to the next.  They must work skyclad (Clad only in the sky - i.e.. Naked), practice binding and scourging during initiation, have a coven hierarchy and are very secretive.  They follow the Wiccan  rede, and covens  usually consist of male/female pairs for energy  balance and polarity. Gardnerian Wicca has 3 levels, called degrees.  1st, 2nd and 3rd.  Covens are lead by a High Priestess, who has a High Priest as a more secondary role.  The High Priestess must have been a 3rd degree initiate before she can head a coven of her own.  Raymond Buckland and Doreen Valiente are well known Gardnerian Witches.

Alexandrian Wicca
Alex Saunders (and his wife Maxine) founded the Alexandrian tradition, which is almost the same as Gardnerian, with a few exceptions.  One being that Alexandrian covens have the Athame symbolising Fire, whereas Gardnerian ones use it as a symbol of Air.  The rituals are also said to be more ceremonial.  The Holly and Oak King tradition is said to come from Alexandrian Wicca.  One article I read says Alex was initiated by his grandmother in 1933, other ones I have read say that he was a student of Gardner and that he later admitted the claim of him being initiated by his Grandmother was untrue.  Alexandrian Wicca is said to be more eclectic, and things such as working skyclad are optional.  Janet and Stewart Farrar are Alexandran Witches.

Dianic Wicca
Although most people only know of the Feminist form of the Dianic tradition, there are apparently 2 branches, one that honours a God as well as the Goddess, and allows males in the Coven.  The other is a more Female orientated branch, which allows female only covens and do not worship a God.  This is sometimes referred to as “Lesbian Wicca” because the strong Feminine aspect tends to draw lesbians to it.  (Which is not to say that it only includes lesbians)

Ceremonial Magic
Ceremonial Magick is a form of high magick that was developed by Occultists in the late 1800s.  A.W. Waite (Of Rider Waite Tarot fame) and  Aleister Crowley are 2 well known Ceremonial Witches.  Ceremonial Magick groups include the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, Qabalists, Freemasons, Theosophists and Rosicrucians.  Ceremonial rituals are extremely formal and usually complex.  It combines esoteric teachings with the Judeo-Christian Qabalah-Archangel systems.

Hermetic Magick
This tradition is basically the opposite to Ceremonial Magick, in that it tries to do away with robes, candles and all the "trimmings" and focuses on mental ability and spiritual development.

Solitary
Solitaries are also known as "Kitchen", "Hedge", "Eclectic" or "Green" Witches. They all basically refer to a Witch who does not work in a coven or follow a specific tradition.  Some people further define "Kitchen" Witches to be ones who work with the tools, and items they have around the home, their spells are mostly performed using normal kitchen herbs such as Rosemary, Thyme, Basil, Oregano and Basil rather than herbs such as Angelica, Elder, Spikenard and Mugwort.  A Kitchen Witch may use a saucepan as a cauldron, a vegetable knife as their Athame, and a "normal" kitchen broom as their besom.  A green Witch may be further classified as being one who practices magick more in tune with nature, maybe believing in and working with fairies, elves and other nature spirits.  They might be very interested in herbs and herbal healings, the Earth and nature in general.  Working as a Solitary has both it's advantages and disadvantages.  As a member of a coven, you have the contact with other Witches, for both social and magickal purposes.  You can usually raise more power as a group than you can on your own.  However, in a coven, you may find members that you do not get along with, and you will have to sort out those differences before each circle, even if you agree to leave any negativity outside the circle.  In a coven you also lose the freedom you have as a Solitary.  When you work in a coven, you must attend the circles when the rest of the coven do, invoke the Deity they wish to invoke etc. Whereas as a Solitary, you can chose the time and place you wish to worship, the Deity and perform the ritual in the way you feel comfortable.  Sometimes you do not have a choice, and you must work alone, if you cannot find a coven to join.

A Witch who is a member of a coven might tell you that a Solitary is less powerful than a Witch in a coven.  This is not the case.  I have met Solitaries that are extremely powerful, and coven Witches that are extremely inept.  Being a solitary practitioner of the craft doesn't mean you are less powerful than someone who belongs to a coven.  I work as a Solitary some times, I've also been in covens, so I have had the benefit of both sides, I work alone, but I also work with other people.  Each has different energies.

Eclectic 
Eclectic means "Selective", So being an Eclectic Witch basically means you look at all the different forms of Paganism, and take from each those the beliefs that you feel are right for you, and form your own beliefs system based on that. Some Eclectic Pagans take various beliefs and customs from other religions (Like Christianity), and blend them with their Pagan beliefs.  

If you believe some people, you are not technically a Witch unless you have been initiated into a coven. That is why some people look upon Solitaries as being less powerful as an Initiated Witch, but this isn't so.  There is a large number of people who argue: "who initiated the first Witch?"    Not all covens require initiation, and some have less formal initiations.  Initiations are usually only valid in the coven you are initiated into, and most covens will require you to be initiated into their covens even if you have been in a coven before. There is a difference between being initiated into the craft, and initiated into a coven.  When you are initiated into the craft (which can also be done as a self-dedication if you are a solitary), you declare that you are going to follow the Pagan/Wiccan path.  When you are initiated into a coven, it basically means you are accepted as a member of their "family" By being initiated into a coven, you are being taught valuable magick lessons, that you might not have access to as a solitary.  But that doesn't make Solitaries any less powerful than coven Witches. I will briefly explain initiation.

There are 2 main Traditions in Wicca, Gardenarian and Alexandrian.  Because they are branches of Witchcraft, they are strict as to what you can and can't believe in if you want to consider that you follow that set of beliefs), and they insist that you have to be initiated to be a "proper Witch". When you are initiated into a coven, you must go through stages, depending on the particular tradition of the coven.  I will explain briefly the usual method for initiation.  The actual ceremony changes from coven to coven, but basically the idea is to symbolise the isolation you feel before you join, and then emphasize the feeling of "belonging" and "togetherness" you feel in the coven.  Most initiation rites have you sky-clad and usually blindfolded, and your hands tied behind your back.  You use usually left in a room, or if outside an area away from the others, for a certain amount of time, during which you should meditate on why you want to join the coven.  You will then be brought to the circle, where you will be asked if you are ready.  When you answer affirmative, you will be admitted into the circle.  There may be “tests” you must pass in order to be initiated, such as knowing certain magickal information, or you may be given an emotional test (which is sometimes referred to as the “Ordeal”)

Covens usually have levels called "Degrees", 1st degree, 2nd degree and 3rd degree. Each coven will have a slightly different process.  Some Covens will have you work with them for a period of time (Usually a year and a day) before you are initiated into the 1st degree, and some covens will initiate you into the 1st degree basically straight away.   When you first join a coven, you are like a "temporary member".  You may be allowed to watch rituals, usually from outside the circle, but you will not be allowed to participate in it.  You must dedicate your time to study, with help from other members of the coven.  When you are ready to become a "proper" coven member you will be given a first-degree initiation.  As a First-degree witch, you can now perform small tasks in the rituals (such as being present in the circle, and aiding in the chanting/raising of energy).  A year and a day after this, after more in depth study, you will be initiated into the second degree. A second degree Witch is allowed to perform bigger tasks in the ritual, perhaps aiding in spells and rituals, invoking an element.  And you guessed it, a year and a day later, you will be initiated into the 3rd degree. As a third degree Witch, you are now capable of breaking off on your own, and starting a new coven, or staying around as an "elder" if you wish.   The year and a day time frame seems to come from the belief that life-death-rebirth follows a cycle of a year and 1 day.  Some covens do not use the degree system, and have all the coveners as equals (with the exception Of the High Priestess and High Priest).  A priestess or Priest is the name for anyone who follows Paganism or Wicca (some say anyone in a coven).  The High Priestess and Priest are the leaders of the coven.  (Priestess of course being the female, and Priest being the male)
 

I believe that there is no such thing as "Black magic" and "White magic".  I believe magic is neutral, it is energy, neither good nor bad, so I believe Witches are just “Witches” not “Black Witches” or “White Witches”.    I believe that each witch has the ability to do either magick, and that the "ethical" ones only perform magick for good, and those who are "unethical" perform magick to harm/control others. I think that magick is like electricity, you can use it to turn on a light, to heat food, to keep you warm.  You can use the same energy to bake a cake, or electrocute someone.  You chose how to use that energy, the energy itself has no direction, no purpose...other than that which you give to it.  That is the way I view magick.  It is there, all around us, in us, and we can chose the way we harness and use that energy.  Almost like "The Force" in Starwars ?

“Black Magick” is negative magick, and “White Magick” is magick done for good.  These can be hard to define in some cases though, as magick to bind someone from doing harm is actually harming them, but helping others.  I believe that the magick itself has no good or bad, it is the intent that defines if it is Good or Bad.  Most people use the term  "White Witch" so they do not scare people, Much the same as some people use the term "Wiccan" so that they do not get the negative stereotypes associated with the term "Witch”. All male Witches are called Witches, there are no "Warlocks" or "Wizards" although many men I am sure would love to be called a Wizard (And some invariably do).  Warlock actually means "Oath Breaker" and many male Witches would rather not be referred to as such.  Wizard is usually a term for a sorcerer or magician rather than a Witch.  But male Witches are called "Witches".

Magick has it's origins in many places, Almost every culture has it's own "shamans", "medicine people", "witches" and every other name you can think of for someone gifted with "magick".  When I say magick I am not referring to the "watch me pull a rabbit out of my hat" type of magic (Or Illusion as it is technically called), but rather earth magick. (Usually spelled Magick, Majik or Magik to distinguish it from the illusion magic, and possibly to look more occult) Magick is usually defined as "causing a change in an object, person, or situation".  Real magick is a natural thing; it is not wiggling your nose, or pointing a finger to zap something.  A simple prayer to the God or Goddess for help, is a form of magick.  (Wouldn’t Christian ministers shudder to hear me say they are performing magick spells each time they pray, but they are ?)  Magick is energy; energy that you can direct into a specific goal in a process called a spell.  You send the energy out into the universe, the Astral, Heaven whatever you call it, (like Praying to God), directed for a desired goal (Obtaining your wish), in order to cause a change (to get that wish).  Magic therefore may be used for healing, protection, love, success, banishing fear or any other energy you send out, in the hope of achieving your desired effect.

A spell is a Magickal working where we can use various objects, such as candles, herbs and oils, to focus energy and our intent, into a certain situation.  The candles and other objects we use are symbolic of the effect we wish to achieve, and they are not strictly necessary.  Some people believe that Magick works because you are sending the energy to the Goddess and/or God, and asking them to make it happen (almost like placing an order in a restaurant). Other people believe that you give the situation energy, and that energy makes the desired wish happen (Manifest itself).  There is also the opinion that when you send the energy out, you are again placing your "order" (like I described above), you are saying to the Universe/Goddess/God that you are ready to receive your wish, and that the spell itself is making you open to receive it.  I do not know how magick works exactly...all I know is that it does.'
 

Pagan religions dated back about 25,000 years.  In England it became heretical to be a Witch in 1320, and Illegal in 1541.  In 1448 a document called the Malleus Malificarum was commissioned and was used as a sort of handbook for Witch-hunters for over 250 years.  It is estimated that between 1400 and 1700 100,000 people were executed for the crime of Witchcraft.  As horrible as the “Burning times”  (A term for the times in which Witches were put to death for their beliefs) were for Witches, I feel more sorry for the hundreds (Probably thousands) of people who were tried and executed for Witchcraft, who were not actually Witches.  A lot of the supposed Witches were simply people who had upset a neighbour or had coincidences which led to their prosecution for Witchcraft.  Apparently The Church and all the people associated with the trials got paid for each Witch caught, and the neighbours given first dibs on their land.  So it was in their best interests to accuse innocent people of Witchcraft.

I believe this was mostly due to fear on the part of the Christians.  Fear of the unknown.  Pagan religions tend to be very female centred.  They worship a Female deity, revere their women as sacred and wise.  Christians (Due to Eve) had a negative image of women, they considered women to be easily persuaded by the devil and to be unclean sinful creatures.  Surely finding religions which worshipped a female deity would have gone against the social norms of the Christians, and I believe this also aided the fear and persecution of Witches.  I have also heard that at the time of the start to the burning times, a lot of prominent figureheads were assassinated by poisoning.  As many of the Witches were healers and had herbal knowledge, they were among the first people to become suspects.

The phrase “Thou shalt not suffer a Witch to live” is apparently a misquote, as the Hebrew “witch” meant prisoner (I have heard Poisoner).  I have heard that the main reason for the beginning of the Witch Hunts was because a lot of influential people were being murdered, poisoned.... and the focus then went to anyone capable of creating herbal potions.... Witches.  This could explain the Witch-poisioner meaning.

Although Witches were thought to have formed an alliance with the Devil, in reality the Devil did not exist until the Christian Church created it.  The Pagan God “The Horned God” is a half man-half goat figure, but does not represent evil of any form.  Witches were said to have a mark, a Devil’s mark, so that the Devil could pick out his followers.  This mark was searched for during Witch trials.  But any wart, birthmark, mole or blemish could be considered to be a Devil’s Mark, and I do not know a person who does not have at least 1 blemish on their skin.   I won’t go into detail about the tests and torture methods used.  Suffice it to say, many people were tortured and killed because they chose to believe in the “old ways”.

When the Christians started converting people, they soon realised that one of the large parts of the Pagan religions was their celebrations.  So they adopted parts of the Pagan ceremonies into their own religious holidays.  Christmas for example is not the actual birth date for Jesus (If you believe he existed of course).  The Christians admit that they moved the date closer to the Pagan’s Yule celebrations.  You’ll also find Pagans have Ostara  and Christians have Easter, Pagans have All Hallow’s Eve (Samhain) and Christians have All Saint’s Eve, Pagans have Imbolc and Christians have Candlemas.  They formed their own religious holidays around Pagan ones to make the transition to Christianity a bit easier.