Which Witch? (Part Five)

Other Witchy Wonderings

Do you see a rabbit, a man or a woman in the moon?

I see a woman's face. Sometimes happy, sometimes distressed.

Do you own a cat?

Several cats own me!

When you meditate what does your sacred place look like?

A cottage garden.

Do you believe in soul mates?

I believe our souls are connected to one another through shared experiences, past or present. I therefore believe that some souls are more drawn to one another than others. This doesn’t have to lead to a ‘relationship’, but I have felt connections with souls who I have gone on to become great friends with. 

Is it always love and light?

No, as I said earlier, the light cannot exist without the dark. And there are a million shades of grey in between. I try my hardest to live my life giving out love and light, but there are times when I feel the need to isolate myself from people because I feel so much of the opposite all around me.

***

So there you have it!

You should now all know me a little bit better.

Brightest blessings.

Which Witch? (Part Four)

Spells

What was the first spell you did?

I would say it was more of a ritual than a spell, but it was for healing and improving self-esteem, at a time when I was battling depression. You can find it here.

What was the latest?

A protective charm to guard against negative emotional influences. 

Ever done a love spell?

Absolutely not. The individual’s right to free will should not be meddled with. I did a wonderful spell to attract positivity to my life last year and I was blessed that that came in the form of love, with B, but that was not a specified outcome. 

A job spell?

No. Again, I would not like to influence others. What I would do is a ritual or spell which improves self-belief or confidence, or to calm nerves. 

A healing spell?

Healing is what I do most often. 

Cryptozoology

Flight of the Phoenix by Shut up and Whisper

Do you believe in Vampires?

Energy-vampires, yes. 

Werewolves?

Hmmm I’d say no, but then all mythology comes from somewhere. I believe they exist as a projection of something within all humanity. The ability to turn into an ‘animal’ or ‘monster’ is present within everyone – just not in the literal sense.

Shape shifters?

Not in the literal sense, although I think energies around us are able to take on many forms. I also believe in shifting astrally.

Elves? Faeries? Dragons? Nymphs? Sprites? Mermaids? Sirens? Satyrs?

Why not?

Ghosts/Spirits?

Yes

Ever "seen" any of the above?

Yes

Do you have one of them as a personal guardian?

We all have guardians. Some people just ‘see’ or sense them in different ways.

Which Witch? (Part Three)

Wheel of the Year

What are your favourite holidays?

Samhain and Imbolc.

What if your least favourite holiday?

I don’t have a least ‘favourite’ but I suppose the one I feel least moved by is Litha (Summer Solstice).

Have you ever held a ritual on a holiday?

Of some sort – these are usually blessings or thanksgivings. I save spellwork for the moon cycle and treat sabbats as a day of celebration instead.

Ever taken a day off work to celebrate a pagan holiday?

No, but as the teaching year tends to follow the old seasonal cycles, I am fortunate that I am often on holiday for the sabbats anyway.

Do you celebrate Yule on the 21 rather than the 25?

I celebrate Yule on 21st with those friends and family who wish to join me. The 25th is a day with my whole extended family who aren’t pagan, when we have a Christmas celebration.

Have you ever felt the Veil thin?

More so with each passing year. At Beltane and Samhain particularly and whenever I’m near a hawthorn or willow tree.

Ever danced the Maypole?

When I was little but not properly in many years. Something I would love to do. 

How do you usually celebrate the pagan holidays?

Bath, meditation, sometimes a small private ritual, offerings to the gods and goddesses and usually some sort of feast!

Divination

Do you use Tarot?

No but I’m absolutely dying to learn. I used to read standard playing cards when I was younger. They can be read in a similar way. 

Do you use runes?

Yes, I have a beautiful set of amethyst runes given to me by a hedgewitch friend. I use them often when I am struggling for clarity with thoughts, questions and decisions. 

Do you use astrology?

It is something I have studied and been fascinated with since a very early age. I am not solely guided by it but I do take it into consideration.

Any other form of divination?

Sticks and twigs occasionally. I used to use the I-Ching daily but haven’t for years. 

Which Witch? (Part Two)

Gods and Goddess

Who are your patron Gods?

I'm really not sure at this point – I always considered Cronus (Saturn) to be a figure of guidance for me. However, taking into account more recent events, I would have to say Pan. 

Who are your patron Goddesses?

Again, I wouldn’t like to say one with certainty although I work with Selene (Luna) more often than most. 

Which Gods/Goddess' do you worship?

I believe that all gods and goddesses (of the numerous pantheons) are individual aspects of the great God and Goddess. I would say that I give thanks to the God and Goddess and celebrate them as they are the spirit which exists in everything in nature and the turners of the seasonal wheel. Rather than worshipping the individual gods and goddesses, I define my relationship with them as one of great respect: I call on them for assistance and give offerings and thanks for their particular work. 

Do you fear dark aspects of the Gods/Goddess, or rather, respect them?

I respect them and embrace them. Without darkness there exists no light.

Nature

Do you regularly commune with nature?

Absolutely and I think most pagans do.

Ever walked barefoot in the woods?

Yes. I love walking barefoot actually and should do it more often!

Describe the moment you felt closest to Mother Earth?

In the desert in Mongolia – I was on my own and away from all ‘civilisation’ – no technology, no buildings, nothing. I could see millions of stars that night and felt how insignificant one human is amidst the Universe. I also feel closest to Mother Earth when in stormy weather – a lightning storm always makes me feel how powerful she is. 

What is/are your power animal(s)?

Cats and crows. Crows have been coming to me, in visualisation (and sometimes physically!) for the past three years. 

Do you have a familiar?

There are several cats in my life who are the closest thing, but sadly my true familiar – a cat called Whiskers – passed away a couple of years ago.

Which Witch? (Part One)

I thought it would be fun to answer some questions about my chosen pagan path, as I have never really spoken about it outright on this blog. Hopefully this will give you a bit of an insight! I will answer the questions in stages so as not to bore you with ridiculously long posts. Feel free to take the questions and post answers of your own - it would be fun to learn a little more about your beliefs and practices.

Basics 

How did you find Witchcraft/Paganism?

From a young age I was conducting ‘rituals’ alone, not really understanding the meaning of what I was doing. As I grew up and read – and read, and read, and read – I started to realise my beliefs and practices had their roots in pagan practices. My journey into witchcraft wasn’t decided until I met a friend who told me she was a Hedgewitch and simply said that she felt comfortable telling me because she expected I would understand. I did and from that point I have trodden the path of a solitary witch. 

How long have you been practising?

I consider myself to be a very young practising witch – about three years as a wholehearted practitioner but, as I say, much of what I do I have been doing unknowingly for much longer. I continue to learn every day. 

Solitary or group practitioner?

Solitary, although I have recently been blessed to find someone who likes to practise as I do so we have conducted a few lovely rituals together. 

What is your path?

I would call myself a solitary hearth witch for the simple reason that, although I do conduct rituals outdoors in the wild, I practise magick more in the home and garden.

Are you out of the broom closet?

Yes, I would say I am. My faith and practice aren’t something I shout about to many people, but I will be open and honest if asked or if I wish to share it with someone special.

Pagan Enough?

Stumbling around the web, I have come across various sites hosted by pagans, many of which have contained manifesto-like posts stating what they feel is the most 'pagan' way to live one's life. Many of these sites caused me to question my own beliefs and practices.

For a long while I referred to myself as a 'hedgewitch', only to discover an increasing number of people out there in the ether making (often totally contradictory) statements about what a 'hedgewitch' must be/use/do/believe. Feeling like this no longer fitted with my practices and pathway, I dug deep within my psyche to consider where and with what my pagan practice is most comfortable. It was at this point that I realised the hearth, garden and home are my places of magick.

Simplicity and spirituality marry well for me: it is in the practicality of cooking, growing and tending herbs, watching the sunrise, lighting a candle or taking a bath that I find my moments of magick and they are about the least ritualised (and more often than not, most shambolic) instances I can imagine.

There have been moments on my path when people have stated how they feel a pagan should practise and it has caused me to feel insecure about my own ways. Yet, ironically, I have referred to myself as pagan or 'a witch' largely because of my belief that these terms encompass acceptance, tolerance of others and a life lived in harmony with the Earth and its seasons. If there was one 'tenet' I value above all others it is that the type of energy I put out into the world reflects the type of energy I will get back.

Whether you call this karma, the threefold law of return or 'doing unto others as you wish to be done by' the virtue at the heart of these professed belief systems is the same: tolerance. How is it, then, that pagans everywhere are not only criticising people of other religions; they are criticising people who share very similar beliefs and pathways? It seems incredulous to me.

And I am not alone in my concerns. While browsing through blogland, I came across Project Pagan Enough over at Inciting A Riot.

I encourage all of you to stop by for a visit - whether you are pagan or non-pagan - as I feel it is an all-encompassing issue. Whatever your beliefs, whatever your practices, my humble two-pennies worth would be that you should be true to yourself. Don't define yourself by another person's ideals and do not feel discouraged if they show intolerance of your beliefs. Know yourself: if you feel 'pagan' is what you are, you are pagan enough.