Spill The Tea With Nikkie
Today I will discussing what it means to be a Witch. This is a very large topic and I will undoubtedly be writing more on this. But this is a broad overview to try and dispel some myths and misunderstandings. As always, my aim is to educate and these are my opinions based on years of research, practice and understanding of the craft.
Spill The Tea With Nikkie - Witchcraft Edition
Episode 6 - What Is A Witch?
Today I will discussing what it means to be a Witch.
This is a very large topic and I will undoubtedly be writing more on this. But this is a broad overview to try and dispel some myths and misunderstandings. As always, my aim is to educate and these are my opinions based on years of research, practice and understanding of the craft.
The Witch
Firstly, let us discuss the actual person that is ‘the Witch’. I say person because a Witch has no gender requirements. Although it is largely associated with women, this is simply not the case. A Witch can be Sis or Trans male, female or non-binary. We do not discriminate in the Witch community, or at least, we shouldn’t.
So let me give you a few definitions of a Witch, there are many, so don’t take these as the definitive.
Laurie Cabot, states in her book ‘Power of the Witch’, the word Witch itself has evolved through many centuries and cultures. There are many different opinions about its origins. But essentially she states that, A Witch, bends the energies of nature and humanity to promote healing, growth and life.
From this, my understanding is that we are healers. Witches are people that were the midwives, medicine men and medicine women of the day. They were wise women and men who had knowledge that was seemingly other-worldly.
This is my main go-to explanation of what a Witch is:
A Witch is a healer, they do no harm to others. A Witch has the intention to help, heal and grow.
There is more to it than that, but this usually serves as a good quick explanation.
A Witch is also a person who is usually on the fringes of society. An activist, a free-thinker, a person who abides by their own rules. A Witch is a person who respects nature and will fight against the injustices in the world. They seek knowledge, understanding and realisation of self. A Witch does not accept things on face value, but will test and push the boundaries. They are connected to more than just their mobile phone. As such, a Witch has always been viewed as a threat.
In The Library Of Esoterica - Witchcraft, Jessica Hundley writes, ‘The Witch, after all, is a shape-shifter, continually transforming and evolving.’ When discussing what a Witch is in this day and age.
Witches and Religion
Being a Witch is not a religion. Practicing The Art of Witchcraft is not a religion. There are Witches of all religions. You can be Christian, Muslim, Kabbalist, Wiccan, Buddhist, Pagan, Satanist or any other religion, you can also be an atheist and believe there are no Deities and follow no religion at all.
You don’t have to be Wiccan or Pagan to be a Witch either. You don’t have to belong to a Coven, you can be a Solitary Witch, as I am. A High Priestess or High Priest is usually someone who has been initiated as such through a Wiccan practicing coven. But, they are always someone who has been initiated, you can’t just declare yourself as High Priest or Priestess, in my opinion anyway.
Wiccan’s believe you have to practice for a year and a day before you can be initiated as a witch, this is, as far as I’m aware, exclusive to that particular path. There are many paths into Witchcraft and you should do your homework and decide which works best for you.
Some Witches are born into a Witch family, making them Hereditary Witches. Some come to the practice themselves. Neither is better than the other. Anyone can be a Witch, you just need to learn about the Craft and practice the Art with respect.
Of course, organised religions will usually say that Witches are evil, that they are bad and they work with the devil. This is nonsense, but it stems from fear, misunderstanding and a need to control humans. What people don’t understand, they fear, what they fear they lash out against. It really is that simple. It isn’t right, but it is, unfortunately, a fact of life.
The funny thing is, Satanists are some of the most accepting and lovely people and they don’t ‘worship the devil’. Well not the construct that is the Christian devil anyway. The Christian devil was created to spread fear and control the masses, they used the image of the Pagan Horned God to further undermine and spread more fear. But, that is a whole other topic. So I will leave organised religion here.
Good and Bad Witches
There are good and bad people in all walks of life. Every community, group, every area has good and bad in it. Witches are no different. There are some who will not hesitate to do harm, but the majority abide by the ‘do no harm and for the good of all’ rule, even if they don’t adhere to the rule of three. (Rule of 3 = whatever you send out comes back to you threefold.)
The term ‘White Witch’ is not one that I would ever use. Most Witches that I know, or know of, would not use this term either. I’m not sure where it stems from, but it isn’t a good term to use. It is used to describe a ‘Good Witch’. This again is a bit of a misnomer. For even someone who is perceived as a ‘Bad Witch’ may not actually be a bad person. They may just use some of the practices that others find uncomfortable or are afraid of.
We do not go around cursing or hexing people willy nilly. If a curse or a hex is used, then the Witch doing it will usually have a very good reason to do so. It is not my place to judge these individuals as I don’t know their reasons. But a good person may find themselves in a position where they feel they have no choice, just as a bad person may decide to do it just to be mean or get revenge.
Personally I don’t interfere with other people’s energy at all. I won’t perform love spells for the same reason. But, that is my personal choice and I am not going to condemn another just because it is not my practice. I am also not going to say that it is something I would never do, because I don’t know. I may find myself needing to, for some reason, in the future. But, I would think very carefully before doing so as, 1) It takes a great deal of energy from the Witch casting the spell and 2) I don’t want that bad karma coming back on me or my loved ones. There are other reasons, including my own moral code, but those are the two big ones.
Jumping On The Witch Trend
Juliet Diaz has this to say, ‘Being a Witch isn’t about hocus-pocus. And it isn’t about what you buy, wear or post on social media, or how you act. Being a Witch gives you the power to heal yourself, change your life, change the world, and conjure your every dream.’ (From her book, Witchery)
I agree with this sentiment massively. It isn’t a trend, it isn’t something to jump on the bandwagon of because it looks cool. There is a responsibility that comes with being a Witch, a responsibility to yourself, Mother Earth (Gaia) and all living things.
Owning a bunch of pretty rocks does not make you a Witch. Dressing in black, wearing black lipstick and having skulls incorporated in your decor does not make you a Witch. Enjoying the aesthetics of Witchcraft does not make you a Witch. But, if this is where you start your journey, then welcome. Just remember that there is more to it than you see in the movies or on social media.
Practicing the Art of Witchcraft, reading, learning and respecting the history and culture make you a Witch. Respecting all living things and caring for the planet is being a Witch. There is more, but this is the least you should do before you call yourself a Witch.
Saying spells you’ve learnt off TikTok, or from movies doesn’t make you a Witch either. You can cast all the spells you want, but if you don’t understand what you are doing and you don’t have the intention behind them, they won’t do anything other than look and sound cool. Well, actually they could backfire massively and cause you a lot of problems, but to be fair, they usually just won’t work. Please read ‘Before You Cast A Spell’ by Carl McColeman. It is mainly from a Wiccan perspective, but it holds true for all paths and he doesn’t pull his punches.
But, if you are truly interested in becoming a Witch and you are prepared to read, read and read some more. To learn, to listen, to grow and understand what you are getting into, then you are welcome. Everyone is welcome to call themselves a Witch. It is an empowering term and we are a welcoming bunch. Just be respectful and don’t enter into it because you think it’s trendy or cool right now.
Why do I say this? Well, simply because witches have been persecuted for hundreds of years. We have been misunderstood, vilified, burned, drowned, murdered, raped, tortured and shunned. There is a history here of people wanting The Witch one minute and turning on them the next. Persecution of witches still happens today, in some places you can still be executed for being a witch. So this is not a path to take lightly, but it is a worthy and an empowering one.
It is a calling, so if you feel the call, answer it and see where it leads you. Always trust your own intuition and instincts. Do not listen to someone you see on social media because they have thousands of followers, that doesn’t mean they are good. Do your homework, check the information you hear via multiple sources. If you want to know more, or want a teacher, then find someone that you trust, someone who can guide you but won’t dictate. No-one should be telling you that this is the way it is done and that is it. There are many many ways to practice witchcraft and you don’t have to do them all, know them all or buy into them all.
Above all, be safe, do no harm, be kind and know that you are powerful with or without witchcraft.