Ask a Witch

[Midnight Rain]

Sounds like you have a religious pluralistic family.
I'm happy you're comfortable on your path.

Kind of. My mother and her family is very Christian and there is no "give" with them. Right now she pretends that I will eventually come back and one of the main reasons I left home was to get away from that kind of constant pressure. It was the final straw when she used my grandfather's death to try and guilt me back into Christianity.

 

[Awoon1]

Kind of. My mother and her family is very Christian and there is no "give" with them. Right now she pretends that I will eventually come back and one of the main reasons I left home was to get away from that kind of constant pressure. It was the final straw when she used my grandfather's death to try and guilt me back into Christianity.

Guilt and Fear seems to be the way of The Christians.

 

[ShivaFan]

I collect Tarot cards. The history and art behind them is fascinating. I am not a reader, certainly not on any regular or regulated manner but I can at a certain level and am usually (probably always) very accurate. But I am no way a witch, I am a Hindu and always had the idea of a specific Hindu representation (art design and elements of each specific card back to actual Hindu epics) for a Hindu theme deck.

Do you use Tarot cards? Is such use specific to "witchery" or can be universal to anyone witch or not?

Have you ever seen Faeries or a Goddess with your eyes or in a vision?

 

[Midnight Rain]

I collect Tarot cards. The history and art behind them is fascinating. I am not a reader, certainly not on any regular or regulated manner but I can at a certain level and am usually (probably always) very accurate. But I am no way a witch, I am a Hindu and always had the idea of a specific Hindu representation (art design and elements of each specific card back to actual Hindu epics) for a Hindu theme deck.

Do you use Tarot cards? Is such use specific to "witchery" or can be universal to anyone witch or not?

Have you ever seen Faeries or a Goddess with your eyes or in a vision?

Yes I use Tarot. Tarot is a form of magic so in a loose sense it is witchery but not in the common sense.

Tarot of all walks of life exist. You just have to search for them.

I have seen spirits in visions and with my eyes. Usually I feel entities more than I see them. The god/goddess I have only seen in visions.

 

[Midnight Rain]

Guilt and Fear seems to be the way of The Christians.

Not all Christians. My mother used it yes but I wouldn't go so far as to say all Christians are. The only problem I have with Christianity is its tenante that it is the one true religion.

 

[Gnostic Seeker]

How do you feel about other deities?

 

[Nada]

I am not offended. I was trying to use a tactic to help you understand why it is that I would practice magic. It is much for the same reason you pray. I didn't mean to come off as offended because I wasn't. Your question was in line.


By my definition of magic It would be. If you don't believe that then that is your choice. But through my eyes it is.

Cool.

 

[Midnight Rain]

How do you feel about other deities?

It depends on the deities. Which ones are you wanting to know about?

 

[Draupadi]

Hi there. Are you a witch as in occult practitioner? If yes then I will ask my question.

Is positive thinking really important for the success of a casting? I came across this concept in occult books and heard from people around me that positive thinking actually helps good things to happen to them. But in my case it always yields negative results. If I EVER have a positive hunch I am sure it will go bad even to a measly extent- as I have come to learn from my past experiences.

 

[Midnight Rain]

Is positive thinking really important for the success of a casting? I came across this concept in occult books and heard from people around me that positive thinking actually helps good things to happen to them. But in my case it always yields negative results. If I EVER have a positive hunch I am sure it will go bad even to a measly extent- as I have come to learn from my past experiences.

There is a misunderstanding that often occurs when people think of "positive" and "negative". Positive doesn't have to be "good" but simply progressive energy. Think of it like math. A "positive" number adds and a "negative" number takes away. I might get more flat tires and that would be a positive increase but it wouldn't be "positive" as in a good thing.

Positive thinking in regard to casting has to do with being in the right place spiritually and mentally to produce the energy needed. Some books have worded it as you have to "believe" that it will happen and this might be closer to helping people understand what we mean by "positive".

Another example that almost everyone can relate to would be that feeling you get in the pit of your stomach when you "know" you can do something. Everyone at some point in time in their lives will feel this "I can do it!" feeling. Sometimes its evoked by music or by revelation but everyone feels a surge of energy. This is positive. Another (all to common) feeling is anger. Everyone has felt that anger boil inside them and make them feel far more powerful than they are physically. This is also positive energy. Both energies can fuel a spell but "dark" or traditionally "negative" emotions such as anger and hate will meld into the intent of the spell and make it something evil.


What you are talking about with the positive thinking isn't positive thinking but heightened expectation that usually doesn't match up to reality. Then it seems like we have suddenly caused things to go wrong but in reality its just life and the only thing that had changed was our expectation. Next time try to focus on your own energy and have confidence and positive thinking in your own terms rather than things that are outside of yourself.

If I were to cast a spell to help me at a job or a task one might expect things to suddenly start going right and simply fall into place. This isn't always so. I may have more problems than ever but the spell is still working. Instead of expecting life to be easier expect yourself to rise to those challenges and be greater than you ever thought you could be. That is the true magic.

 

[Smart_Guy]

What are the ingredients of love potions?

I want people to love me

 

[Midnight Rain]

What are the ingredients of love potions?

I want people to love me

A love potion requires a good demeanor, loveable heart and a receptive soul.

 

[Smart_Guy]

A love potion requires a good demeanor, loveable heart and a receptive soul.

Oh... I guess I don't have a chance then

 

[Quintessence]

Oh, I'm going to have to ask a real question this time. A penetrating, potentially controversial question which you are completely free to not address.

It is said by some that true witches don't shy away from malevolent spellcraft (popularly known by the misnomer of "black magick"). That is to say, they are creatures of power and don't pussyfoot around doing what must be done by whatever means are deemed wise and necessary for the situation. Contemporary popularized witchcraft has either downplayed or outright condemned these aspects. What are your thoughts on this?

 

[BSM1]

Can or do you ride a broom. My mother-in-law can, but she's been a witch for some time.

 

[Midnight Rain]

Oh, I'm going to have to ask a real question this time. A penetrating, potentially controversial question which you are completely free to not address.

It is said by some that true witches don't shy away from malevolent spellcraft (popularly known by the misnomer of "black magick"). That is to say, they are creatures of power and don't pussyfoot around doing what must be done by whatever means are deemed wise and necessary for the situation. Contemporary popularized witchcraft has either downplayed or outright condemned these aspects. What are your thoughts on this?

There is a subtle truth to this but I would not go so far as to say that this characterization is the best way to describe it. There is a dark side to magic as there is a dark side to life and ourselves. Delving into that darkness can even be a good thing in the long run if you learn the lessons you need to from it.

There is the aspect of "fluffy bunny" which is by no means a compliment. In fact its a pretty awful thing to so and one of the sites I go on actually has it banned. Main reason is because there has been a huge fad revolving around Wicca that burst into being around the mid to late 90's and didn't really start to go down till the late 2000's. It is still going on but with far less fervor than before. Mostly it was cultivated by pop culture and a media glorification/demonification. It was around this time that Silver Ravenwolf wrote her first books in both fiction and non-fiction that depicts the world of Wicca and Paganism in some kind of fairy tale land of wondrous freedom and rainbows and happy things everywhere. The reality of the situation is far different. Wiccans are people and magic is difficult. Magic can be dark and it needs to be respected. She is more responsible for a generation of "fully bunnies" than any other writer I have been able to isolate. I don't think there is anything wrong with having a bright view of the world but when it defaces the truth of the practice I find it disrespectful to practitioners who do study for years and do take it seriously. Usually though those people caught up in that fad either 1) left after a few years or 2) grew out of their "fluffy bunny" stage as they learned more about witchcraft.

Now for the actual question itself. The wiccan reed which was first published in the 1950's is famous for the line "An it harm none, do as thou wilt". One of the older women that I had hearned from has been practicing since the 40's and she used to say something similar. "By your will lent, only good intent". This means more or less the same thing. So there are rules for doing good and bad in the world but it has far more to do with the intent behind any spellcraft. If something is done for the wrong reason then it will come back on you. But hopefully people will be upstanding with their spellcraft. However it isn't a DC superhero movie where a witch will compromise themselves for their moral virtue. It is perfectly acceptable to defend oneself or do what is needed. But it would be looked down upon in the community to go to extreme lengths if there was a better way.

Does that answer your question?

 

[Midnight Rain]

Can or do you ride a broom. My mother-in-law can, but she's been a witch for some time.

The origin of "witches ride brooms" is actually a very interesting topic. The current theory is that there were drugs that would cause hallucinations but were toxic to eat. The only way to safely get the hallucinogenic effect was to apply it topically. The skin wouldn't be enough so there was a rumor made in the dark ages that female witches would use a broomstick smeared with the hallucinogenic material and "insert" the broom so as to absorb it topically through the lady parts. The hallucinations were their way of contacting the devil.

I don't know if any woman has ever done this but I can tell you I have not and it does not sound like a recommended pagan practice of any kind.

 

[Nada]

 

[Quintessence]

Does that answer your question?

Well enough, and you've a respectable approach to these things (as I've noticed in general from your responses to others' queries). I think I'll leave the response as it lays, as any commentary on my part would be better suited for a discussion-based forum, not someone's interview thread.

 

[Smart_Guy]

The origin of "witches ride brooms" is actually a very interesting topic.

Hmm, so it was not because of high fare rates of public transportation in the middle ages!