Glossary - exWitch Australia (formerly 'Born Again Pagan')

FETCH

A mysterious phenomenon which frequently appears in Irish and British folklore. A fetch can be a spirit, double, or an apparition. Sometimes it is referred to as a wraith. It can be an apparition or vision of the person of whom it is supposed to presage death in almost every detail but appears as a ghostly, shadowy figure.

It may be seen by more than one person at a time, and may even be seen by the person which it represents. Belief has it that if the fetch is seen in the morning, its original is expected to enjoy a long life; but, if the fetch is seen at night, then a speedy death awaits the person.

Originally fetches appeared in folklore, but modern sophisticated writers are increasingly beginning to use them in stories because it is very gruesome for a person to be spoke by his double.

PLEASE NOTE:
One of the major problems with 'defining' Paganism and/or its beliefs and practices is that it is an 'organic' movement, in that it is undergoing constant change and re-evaluation from within, and as such any 'one-size-fits-all' approach to understanding Paganism will be found wanting.

Due to the very 'organic' nature of Paganism, and the many differing Paths and Traditions within it, in many cases no one definition may be universally accepted by all Pagans. Therefore, where such cases of possible conflicting and/or contradictory meanings of certain terms occur I have endevoured to give not only the generally accepted meaning, but also any major 'variations' in belief and/or practice.

Christians who believe this difference in meaning of certain key terms, beliefs and practices to be unique to Paganism need to remember that such conflicts also arise within the Body of Christ - the Church. Take for instance the differing practices amongst Christians concerning Baptism and the different attitudes towards women in the clergy.

- Jean-Luc