The Craft, Charmed, Hocus Pocus, Practical Magic. I could go on and on. Shows and movies have centralized on popular witch folklore, superstition, mysticism, and magic. There is little that is fact or believable, although I wish I could change my appearance with a wave of my hand or twitch my nose to clean my house. So then, you might ask, what does it mean to be a Witch?
The beauty and, perhaps, the disadvantage, is that there is no clear concise answer to this question. You could ask five witches what it means to be a witch and you could get five very distinct answers. With that in mind, I can only tell you my belief.
I am a Wiccan Witch and follow fundamental laws or rules, the main one being: Do as ye will but harm ye none. Put simply, I can do whatever I want as long as I don’t befall harm on anyone. I don’t think this is too outside the realm of how most people should live their lives. I follow the ebbs and flows of the seasons, the changing of the moon and, above all else, respect Gaia, Mother Nature, the Earth for what we are granted: air, water, earth, fire and spirit. I do perform spells or rituals, invocations, chants, and meditations. I also believe that through performing these acts I can change the course of my life. There are clearly people that do not believe in my way of life, which is fine with me; I will never begrudge anyone their own beliefs or way of living. I simply ask that I am respected for mine.
Growing up, I was baptized Roman Catholic and went to Catholic school throughout the entirety of my education. I found my calling, myself, at fourteen when my Grandmother gave me a set of Tarot cards for Christmas. That day started a shift in my thinking and the research began. I had always been a bookworm and loved to learn, however, this was the time before the internet. I’ve been a practicing Witch now for almost twenty-eight years, so I’ll let you do the math. With all the money I could gather, I would head down to the only bookstore in my hometown and check out their New-Age section as often as I could. I learned about Neo-paganism, the Salem Witch Trials, Witchcraft and the Occult. I also learned about ostracization, bullying and torment.
Taking public transportation to get to and from school daily, I spent my time reading and, when you’re passionate about something and want to learn, what do you read? Well, in my experience, you read books on your interests. I didn’t have a coverless tablet or cell phone in which to read and learn, I had lots and lots of books. Hardcover, paperback, rune stones, tarot cards, a little bit of everything and I did not hide them. I started to feel like a misfit, which is a bit of an understatement when a dare at school consisted of touching me to see if the person's skin would start to burn. My grade eleven yearbook is filled with pentagrams and people calling me Satan and the Devil rather than the obligatory ‘Have a good summer’ comments. I was extremely shy and became withdrawn throughout high school, so much so that I didn’t want to attend my graduation. I had a very small group of friends and did not want to be the centre of attention.
Years have passed since then and when people say they wish they could relive their high school years I laugh to myself. ‘Not me,’ I say. Let me rephrase though. Yes, I would relive my high school years if I was the person I am today. I don’t shy away from comments about myself and my beliefs. I am outspoken, confident, and strong. I tell people all the time that I used to be an introvert, afraid of my own shadow, and people don’t believe me. I understand their disbelief because it’s hard for me to remember that person too.
I still think I’m a little odd, an outcast on the edge of a streamlined society, a misfit in my way of thinking. I embrace it. If I had one regret it would be that it took me so long to be comfortable with the person I am today, unafraid to face people’s opinions of me. I no longer hide in the shadows or keep my mouth shut; I welcome the fierce warrior I am. After all, we’re all a little different, aren’t we?
I am: The Wiccan Witch
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