It's impossible to separate Magick and Witchcraft. Although not all Magick falls under the broad title of Witchcraft, all Witches practice Magick in one form or another. At the dawn of the human race, when people first came to understand cause and effect, they began trying to explain the mysteries of earth and the heavens. If a wind blew down a tree and hurt someone, the wind might be characterized as "angry" or considered to be a Spirit worthy of appeasement. In this manner, aspects of Nature were anthropomorphized and the first vestiges of magical thinking were born.

As civilizations developed, each brought a new flavor and tone to magical ideas. One of these ideas was that the universe is a web composed of all kinds of invisible interlocking strands of connections. If humans could learn to influence one of these connections, they could affect the whole web.

At first, these attempts to influence the world were very simple: one action to produce one result. The action usually corresponded symbolically to the desired result. For example, to bind an angry Spirit, a person might tie a knot in a piece of rope. If the action worked, or seemed to work, it was used again. Eventually a tradition developed.

Our ancestors delegated the tasks of influencing the universe to a few wise individuals, who were elevated to positions of authority in their community. These people existed in diverse cultures and under various names - shaman, Priest, Magus, or Witch. They all performed the same basic functions, though their specific actions and observances generally depended on their particular culture and era. 

Over time, attempts at influencing fate became more elaborate and included ritualistic attempts to coerce the ancestors, powerful Spirits, or gods into action. The community placed a few venerated people in charge of such sacred duties. In early Celtic communities, for example, the Druids who served as seers, healers, advisors, and spiritual leaders were second in power only to the Clan's chieftain.