I've never found it too much trouble telling people I'm Wiccan. Generally, people don't have any preconceived notion about it and so I can fairly easily explain that it's a nature-based religion and polytheistic in my case. What I do find a bit of a struggle is explaining that I'm a witch.
Witching Hour on Female First
Telling people I'm a witch usually evokes sceptical looks, especially when I reveal that I perform spells. It really doesn't help that I'm a huge Harry Potter fan. To some people, they think that I think I can turn myself invisible or levitate or bring dead birds back to life. Alas, I can't do any of those things.
I can, however, make the universe bend to my will if it's in the realm of possibility. There is nothing supernatural about witchcraft. We work with nature to manifest certain goals by directing the energy that is in everything; in particular, the energies of the four classical elements: Earth, Air, Fire and Water.
All human beings manipulate energy on a daily basis. We manipulate the energies of nature to bake bread, start fires and use electrical equipment. We manipulate our own energy in order to move around, to think, to feel. We manipulate other people's energy by using language and action to make them laugh, smile, cry, scowl, flinch etc. or incite them into action. But we also know that our intentions play a key part in manifesting this energy. For example, you can affectionately tease a friend without upsetting them because of the lack of harmful intent behind your words, but you may hurt their feelings if that's what your intentions are.
That's what a spell is in very basic terms; using words and intention to change the energies within ourselves and within nature. Magic is different to social and physical/chemical reactions though. Because there are infinite possibilities when it comes to the things that could happen to us in our future, we have to be very specific about what it is that we are trying to manifest.
In order to better focus our intentions, we use different coloured candles, herbs, crystals and other materials to cast spells. These things help us to use the energies of nature by tapping into their magical properties. For example, a love spell might utilise a red candle, rose petals and a rose quartz crystal because these are things that have been associated with love for hundreds of years.
We also tap into cosmic energy by performing spells during certain moon phases and certain seasons, as we believe that celestial bodies affect energies on Earth on a mystical level as well as a physical one.
Perhaps the most important part of casting a spell, however, is the use of visualisation. This involves utilising our own intent and focus to create a picture in our mind's eye of our goal already manifested. It ties in with the idea of the Law of Attraction, which is the belief that our experiences are determined by positive or negative thoughts, and that's exactly how it works. Just as you are much more likely to want to engage in conversation with someone who is smiling rather than someone who looks angry, so too are we more likely to attract positive change through the projection of positive energy into the universe.
On the other hand, positive change cannot come about through positive thought alone. All spells require positive action in order to manifest. You can't cast a spell for weight-loss and then not bother dieting or exercising. The spell is there to help you along, not do the work for you. In order for a spell to be successful, you need to make sure you are doing everything within your power to manifest your goal, and then use the power of the universe to attract positive effects.
It is possible to bring about results even in a negative state of mind. However, those results may not arrive in the way you might hope. Perhaps you do a weight-loss spell and then suddenly become violently ill; you may lose weight, but at quite an unpleasant cost. That's why all good spellbooks out there remind us that we must make sure we are in the right frame of mind to do spellwork.
Spells are not quick-fixes for all our problems. They require a great deal of focus, study and practise to be effective. On the other hand, they don't require a special gene or mysterious ability. Everyone has the capacity to perform magic, as long as they have enough trust in the process.
The Author
Holly Mosley is a Wiccan witch who has been practising consistently for three years, enjoys monthly meet-ups in the Pagan community and spends her time studying Tarot which she first discovered at the age of 10. She publishes weekly Tarot readings on Female First, alongside her informative Witching Hour series about all things esoteric, and recently set up her own Tarot reading service under the moniker Mistress Wyrd.
Tagged in Wicca witchcraft