Welcome to Witchcraft

You may be like I was when I started on my magickal journey. I was raised in a fairly lenient Catholic home, and grew up watching Disney movies with princesses that needed rescuing, and evil witches after them. I always wondered what happened to those witches to make them so mean. Odd reasoning for a young child, right? Well, I got that point of view from watching Sabrina The Teenage Witch, The Wizard of Oz, and Charmed, just to name a couple shows that portrayed witches in a positive light.

I was fascinated with magick, witchcraft, and witches in general. I checked out any books at the school's library that had anything to do with witches. I remember trying my hardest to find answers from the time I was 9 years old, and I especially remember the responses my research brought about. One teacher told me one of the book was evil, and that I could get in trouble just for having it. "Then why is it available at the school library," was my smart ass response. The teacher had no viable answer, so I got to keep my book, until I had to return, at which point I still had the right to check it out again.

My search continued, with many bumps in the road, until one fateful day. My parents and I were in Hastings, and I was happily browsing the books, when somehow I ended up in the occult section. My 15 year old self was so amazed to find non-fiction books on the very thing my soul had been searching for my entire life! Witchcraft was real! And anyone could learn it! Holy cow, I thought I'd found paradise! I picked up book after book on the subject, and while I desperately wanted to run to the cash register with every book they had in that section, I knew my parents would not be okay with, or able to, spend the thousand dollars it would probably take to buy all those books. I also knew that even though I was vaguely interested in some of them, if I took those home with me they would just end up in a corner discarded and unfinished.

So, what's a girl to do? I stopped, closed my eyes, and ran my hand down the spines of each book until something told me to open my eyes. I opened them and ... disappointment cut deep into my soul. My hand had landed on a book that I had no interest in at all. Sighing, I decided to look through the books ahead of me, rather than starting from the beginning again. But, I must have done something right, because right beside the disappointing book was Teen Witch by Silver Ravenwolf. It had the coolest cover, which has been changed since my original copy, and the back professed that witchcraft was real, and it had nothing to do with the devil. I sat down and decided to read a couple of pages. In the front was a letter to my parents outlining what I was reading about, and easing their fears; and there was a letter to me, the reader, telling me about having the power to control my life and so much more, written in teen speak, something I could understand and relate to.

In that book, I learned about a religion that I could completely relate to. The religion, Wicca, was very ceremonial and ritualistic, which slightly mirrored things I saw at Sunday Mass. The priest ritually cleansed the sacred space with incense, holy water, prayer, and chanting. We had communion every Sunday at Mass which the priest ritually empowered before we took part in it, as did we during a Wiccan ritual. I learned so much about the things I saw in the Catholic church, and at the young age I was, I became so angry at the church because I learned about an all loving Mother Goddess, that these rituals were sacred to, and the church had basically beaten the beautiful Goddess and stolen her worship.

I had finally found a religion that made me fell whole, happy, as if I was coming home, and I'd been searching for a home for a long time. I found myself focusing more on the statue of Virgin Mary than what the priest was saying and doing. Eventually Mom got used to having to tap me to make me kneel or whatever was required at the time, because I could go into a trance like state listening to Her words. The first time that happened MOm asked me what was going on. I explained in complete honesty, and from then on she just understood what was going on, and to keep the congregation from trying to have me committed to the mental ward, Mom discreetly signaled when I needed to do something.

I've come a very long way from being that seeker, just looking for something to tell me I wasn't crazy, something to tell me what I was searching for was real and not something I'd just made up. I found that and so much more! While I am no longer Wiccan, the lessons I learned while studying that path have stayed with me in my current practice as an eclectic green witch. I found a religion that makes me feel whole, powerful, and more caring than ever. This is an amazing journey that I have never regretted, but this is also a journey that takes dedication, and it should not be taken lightly. There are much more resources available now than there was when I began my journey, but you still have to do the leg work.

Here at the blog, I will be going over the things I've learned and telling you what witchcraft is and is not to me, but in the end the only definition that truly matters is yours. There are many different forms of magick and witchcraft, each with their own sets of rules/guidelines and beliefs. I will do my best to discuss each one that I've studied, and if there is something you are interested in just let me know. I'll find online resources for you and possible books if I can. I'll do my best to point you in the most reputable direction possible. There is one thing I will not go over, and that is Satanism or Satanic magic. First off, I do not believe in Hell or Satan, and second off, while I'm not what people call a fluffy bunny, meaning I don't think you can just get by with positive thoughts and rainbows because life and nature aren't that way, I also believe that when there is no absolute need for negative energy, which we will go over later, it should not be used, and we learn that when you tap into total darkness, and what is perceived as evil, nothing good every comes out of it. Now there are certain exceptions, in certain situations, but we won't get into those in this post.

So, welcome to the amazing and fulfilling world of witchcraft! Yes magick is real, yes there is a religion out there more empowering than Christianity, and there is a loving Goddess that has been calling to you, if you are here and reading this. Welcome home seekers. In the next few posts I will be going over the basics of witchcraft. I will break it down in categories of witchcraft as a practice, and witchcraft as a religion because there are some differences there.We will go over the basics of spell work, and discuss the God and Goddess, and so much more! I hope you'll continue your journey here with me, and freely share your questions and opinions. This is a safe place, and while debate is always welcome, peer bashing is not. You are free to express your opinions and ask all genuine questions, without fear of judgement or ridicule. Please know that any and all questions will be answered with heartfelt honesty, and genuine caring.

So, tune in tomorrow for more about witchcraft and what it is, and how you can become a witch too! In the mean time, here's a little bit of homework for you, whether you are a seasoned witch, or just new to the scene. I want you to sit down and write out why you became interested in witchcraft, magick, Wicca, Paganism, or whatever you are interested in right now. You can do this in a notebook, as a document on your computer, here in the comments, or as a post at your blog if you have one. Share your blog link here if you like. Bright blessings to you on your journey, new or old, and I hope to see you here tomorrow for the next installment!