troublemakers

So You’re a Witch, Now What?

{Photo: churchofhalloween.com}

{Photo: churchofhalloween.com}

 

For so long I didn’t want to be different.

The different ones stand out, draw attention — sometimes, a lot of times, unwanted attention. They get cast out. Put under a microscope. Stoned. Burnt at the stake. They are subject to fear, judgement and ridicule. To be different, through the eye of the masses, brings about suspicion.

One day they are idolized, the next, vilified.

But I was born different. I can’t run with the herd. I have so often wished I could. What I’ve learned is as soon as you stop fighting your differences  and learn to celebrate them, you really start to live.

Maybe you’re like this too, especially if you are one of the many who responded to the article I last wrote for Rebelle Society, “13 Signs You’re a Witch.” You might have been one of those who responded with a little worry and hesitation.

You might have been one who said, “All the things you said resonated with me, but now what? What do I do about it?”

Well, let’s get into that.

But first, I missed two crucial signs.

14. You Have a Familiar. You have that special animal that slinks around your legs, never leaving your side, and is the furry, feathered, or scaled version of you.

The black cat, the friend of the witch. The wolf, the companion of the wise woman. The raven, the friend of the seer. The rabbit, the messenger from the grandmother. Or any other animal friend that has found its way to you, to keep you company in the oft-alone times, to bring you messages and keep you safe.

15. You Have a Connection to the Spirit World. There have been times you’ve thought, or someone else has accused you, of communicating better with spirits than you do with the living. The other world, the mystical world, is only a veil away, and some days, for you, that veil ceases to exist at all.

If someone wants to know if a house is haunted, or how to communicate or with spirits… who are they gonna call? You.

 

One More Thing:

I did not explicitly include men. Of course I meant to. A few called me a Feminazi; I stopped reading responses after that. We have all suffered at the hands of Patriarchal rule. Men, and women. And I love a man who is safe and secure in his feminine, who loves the Moon and has the Goddess in his eyes; I love those kinds of men like no one’s business. Apologies if you felt slighted.

That said, You Know You’re a Witch. Now What?

Right. This can be totally terrifying. I’m sorry if I came off blasé, as if it isn’t a big deal. For claiming yourself as one is a huge vulnerable moment of self-discovery. I had to walk that path myself.

And parts of me have forgotten the trials of that, of losing some friends, of being the butt of a lot of jokes, of my father hoping this was just a phase. It can definitely be a lonely path. I was freaked out, honestly. I had lived a life of wanting to feel normal, like I belonged.

I threw tantrums about never quite fitting in. I finally had to give that up. But, the day I broke up with normal, for good, was the first day of my magical life.

I had a very earthy awakening —
I was drawn to study nature as a map
To myself
It seemed that within Her patterns
Were the secrets to life.
I felt a deep desire to align myself with the moon’s phases. I felt like the Earth’s child. I was welcomed home into Her wild arms.

I felt as if
Powers were unlocking inside of myself
And ancient memories
Of who I really was
Came flooding back.
That freaked me out. Made me dance along the lines of what I had previously believed to be ‘sane’. And I fell off the edge a few times, wondered if I would ever come back.

During this thunderous awakening I had, I went to a healer in the Berkshires, who immediately recognized me for what I was.

I remember shaking as I said to him, “I feel a little spooky. And I feel as if people are a little spooked by me.”
And he said, “Well, you are a little spooky.”

And that didn’t go over very well. You know how sometimes…

When we aren’t ready for the truth, we shoot the messenger. That very word — Witch — seemed to condemn me to strangeness forever.

It had become so stigmatized by patriarchal culture, I could only picture wart-nosed women over boiling cauldrons of green smoke, despite the truth, the inner beauty that was waking up in me. A spirit as wild, free, and beautiful as nature herself.

I did my own research — who were the witches that had whipped Europe and America into such a frenzied hysteria anyway? Just even a small amount of digging led to the discovery that most witches were wise women, earth healers, single women and women with coveted land.

Often, the judges who sentenced them to death waxed poetic about the power and beauty of the women, even as they sent them to the gallows. No, they didn’t like the feelings stirred in their soul by these wild women.

It made them feel… out of control, and this was a time of strict, enforced, control over women and nature. It was a deeply, stridently Patriarchal time, and a witch, a woman of the Earth, had no place in it. So they were cast out or expunged.

A big part of the work I do is reclaiming the word Witch, the wise one, helping herald the re-rising of the feminine. What is the Divine Feminine movement? I like to say it’s unearthing the Feminine heart from beneath the Patriarchal concrete.

It’s like opening a mummified tomb of magic that’s been waiting be opened at a crucial time, a crossroads in our planet’s history. Unleashing healing feminine magic. Your healing magic.

The feminine qualities, among them — creativity, compassion, intuitiveness, emotion, receptivity, nurturing, healing and rebirth — are what will save the world.

So what do you do if you’re a witch? First, celebrate.

What a blessed ancient and  eternal path you’ve found yourself on. It’s one of great self-empowerment and alignment with nature. It is a true homecoming. Spend time in nature.

Align yourself with the Great Mother — Her earth seasons and moon phases. That’s what this whole Sorceress thing is about. You’re waking up to the truth that the same Source that runs through Mother Earth surges through your veins. You’re a Source-eress.

Create a ritual to honor yourself and the Goddess. Get naked and dance under the moon, skinny dip in a moonlit sea. Dance with lit candles. A more simple way to start, even if it is all you ever do, is to practice sending earth healing to your body, the earth’s body and those in need.

Put your healing hands on yourself and the earth. Be patient with your unfolding and know it doesn’t have to look any certain way. Your path is yours alone, it will not look like anyone else’s.

Also, thank you. You are helping re-birth the so sorely needed Feminine back to Earth, to bring the planet back into healing, harmony, and balance.

Second, pick up some books.

My starter reading list includes, Power of the Witch by Laurie Cabot, Judika Illes’ Encyclopedia of 5,000 Spells, Moon Magick by DJ Conway, the Witches’ Almanac, and  Earth Power by Scott Cunningham. But trust your big beautiful internal crystal ball — your Witchtuition. What you need will come to you.

Feel it out. There are great websites like Lucy Cavendish and Amythyst Raine. Go to your local or online magic stores and see what you are called to take into your home. You’ll find it makes being an adult a lot more fun. The wonder you felt as a child returns.

Candles to call in love, protection, abundance? Sage to clear the house of old energy? Crystals to clear your mind?  If you want a community, look up the local pagan gatherings and start to attend events, like Sabbats and celebrations.

If you’re walking the Priestess path, start up a moon circle on new or full moons, or join one if there’s one in your area.

But — a lot of witches are solitary, not joiners. And it doesn’t have to take up your whole life. Yes, aligning with nature and having Goddess on speed dial will change your life, but Witch is just one of your archetypes to welcome into your fold. You’re still a mother, sister, brother, lover, artist, activist, etc.

You don’t have to bust out of the broom closet singing — although you certainly can if you want to, as it’s a huge moment in self-discovery, where things start to fall into place. Welcome home.

But the truth is, many people are still leery of the word. I’m programmed to destigmatize it at every chance I get. But if you’re not comfortable with that, be safe about it. Tell only people who deserve to know your deep truth, or who are loving, non-judgmental, curious and broad-minded.

Or keep it to yourself until you’re really at one with it. Some people might think it’s weird. Well, what’s weird? Outside the norm? And what’s the norm? This society?

“It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society.” ~ Jiddu Krishnamurti

Clearly this world needs a change. And guess what, you’re it. You’ve been tagged by the Goddess. Live your gift.

“I think one of the reasons why people fear the word ‘witch’ so much is it brings up ideas about women’s power, and for five thousand years or longer we have beeen propagandized, really, to see it as something negative. To fear female power. To see it as something to be afraid of, something destructive, evil. Naturally, we have all those associations that come up with the word. Which is why for me it’s important to use that word, to bring it up, to bring it out into the light and say ‘let’s look at all of this stuff.’ Let’s look at it clearly to realize we dont have to fear it.” ~ Starhawk

If I could add something else, I would tell you, ‘You’ have power. Having power but not owning it can be like drunkenly holding a loaded gun. Be careful what you wish for. Be careful of your thoughts, be careful to not leak your enormous energy.

It’s like they say, with great power come great responsibility. You will find your way. Make sure what you are saying, thinking, doing, is aligned with your heart. Walk consciously.

You actually might be surprised how turning your priestess light turns on the light of others. I know I was.

“Thank you for waking something up inside of me,” is something I get a lot. I also get, “Damn you for waking this voice up inside of me that won’t go back to sleep, now I have to change my life.”

I know they mean it with love! Going back to sleep can be tempting, but it’s not an option.

“The first time I called myself a ‘Witch’ was the most magical moment of my life.” ~ Margot Adler

Really, here’s the thing. You don’t have to tell anyone. You can keep it to yourself. Witches are made of magic and mystery. Take the mystery part to heart and be one. Are you or aren’t you?

Wouldn’t they like to know!

(Insert magical, mystical, mysterious wink here.)

***

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Sarah Durham Wilson

Sarah Durham Wilson

Sarah Durham Wilson is a woman in the world who writes about being a woman in the world. She teaches workshops, courses, and retreats on awakening to one’s inner Divine Feminine nature. You can find her on Facebook and her blog.
Sarah Durham Wilson
Sarah Durham Wilson