3
At the Loom: Thread the warp strong, and spin and dye your weft in preparation to weave your work. Choose the colors that are yours alone.
Liminally Minded: In here, everything is breath: held, taken in, blown out, stolen, and given all at once. We own it, and it
owns us.
Now we’re going to get down to the business of defining your own path. When it comes to Witchcraft, authenticity has nothing to do with age. Rather, the focus should be on answering the question Does this work—for me? How do you determine what will work best for you? In this chapter we’ll take into consideration some key information that will assist you in crafting an authentic path of Witchcraft that will do exactly that. There are four overall areas to consider: yourself, inspiration, location, and schedule. In each of these larger topics, we will investigate the nuances that can bring everything into alignment.
Questioning Authenticity
I think it’s best that we get the authenticity debate out of the way. Wondering where one falls on someone else’s “real Witchcraft” measuring stick causes unnecessary stress. Their stick doesn’t matter—yours does. To be authentic means “to be real, genuine, verified, representing one’s true nature or beliefs, to be true to oneself.” Notice the lack of “the oldest” or “the most cool” or “having the greatest number of altar decoration” there.
Read again the last five words of the definition. Authenticity is being true to oneself in what one does. That means the search of authenticity is a quest to find what’s real, what works, and what is true for that specific person.
Authenticity is not about trying to forge a link to a distant or imagined past to justify your system. Some people struggle so hard to cling to an aura of mystery and ancient connections to achieve a sense of validation for what they’re doing. There’s a weight that comes with that facade that holds back growth and prevents them from finding truth. Those same people often push against and try to tear down others in order to feel some sense of superiority—like that really matters for anything truly affecting what we do. We can’t recreate the past, nor can we relive it. Instead, we can learn from the past and be inspired by it, whether it’s something that happened five minutes or five years or five centuries ago. If there are connections from the past that interest you, that’s great. But your tradition doesn’t have to be three hundred years old to be effective or “real.”Authenticity is about doing what works best for you with what you have available.
Whom do you need to prove your path to if it works for you? If you strive to maintain balance, to know yourself, and to take responsibility for your actions, it doesn’t matter how old or new the tradition is or who may approve or disapprove of it. That stuff really doesn’t matter in the big picture. Instead, when you decide to be authentic and truly live your own tradition, the universe opens up in new ways—or old ones you may have not seen before. Again I will remind you: the authentic path of Witchcraft is the one that works.
rites: Defining Your Path
Now that we’ve kicked the authenticity worries to the curb, let’s get to work on the elements you need to focus on. I have found that there are five essential areas to consider when developing and expanding your path. To make it all easier to remember, I’ve organized them into the handy acronym of RITES.
Here are the words that make up RITES:
Roots
Inspiration
Time
Environment
Star
Like the five points of a pentagram or a hand, with its four fingers and thumb, RITES gives you a foundation to build upon, presents ideas to grasp and grow, and instills a sense of how and where to direct what you build and put it into action. Roots is about exploring the origins and makeup of you. Inspiration delves into what inspires and influences you. Time asks you to think about your schedule and overall calendar of the year. Environment is an examination of location, particularly where you live. Star helps you craft a system to guide your path.
The word rite itself invokes a sense of ceremony, ritual, or customary procedure. Rites can be handed down or they can be crafted anew, depending on what needs to be done. We do both with Modern Traditional Witchcraft, integrating the old and incorporating the new to design our paths. Keep that in mind as we look carefully at RITES.
Roots: The Call of Blood
A seed doesn’t become a living, active entity until it sends down its first taproot. Once it does that, it gains traction, gathers nourishment, and starts to expand, building outward in all directions, flowering and spreading its own seeds. With roots, we’re going to consider you and where you come from, looking at the generations that have taken root, blossomed, and seeded, and eventually created you. These past roots in turn help give you a basis to build and grow upon.
When someone becomes interested in Witchcraft, it’s not uncommon for them to go looking outside of themselves for answers. There is an urge to find outside reassurance, to be drawn to paths that are more defined, firmly structured, or easily available, or just to find more information. There’s nothing wrong with any of these motives as long as you come back to the foundation of you.
Much of what you need in terms of guidance and insight is waiting right there in your blood. No, I’m not talking about the possibility of having some sort of extra-special DNA thanks to elves, angels, demons, aliens, or cats. I’m talking about where you and your ancestors come from. (Note: For my readers who don’t know their family history for whatever reason, please bear with me. There are ideas for you, too. I know it can be frustrating and painful not to know your precise origins.)
Of course, the matter of ancestors is rarely simple and is prone to complication and obfuscation. What happens when your family did not come from the place where you now live? There’s the reality of being separated from the “homeland,” as well as the likelihood that your relatives may have mingled with people from other places. Even if they settled in a new place for several generations, what if they moved from one end of the country to the other? People like to talk about lineage and how they’re “from” countries they’ve never even been to, but how does that really work out? Particularly here in the United States, we get hung up on the idea of being from someplace else, looking for this mythical home an ocean or two away.
When we stop to think about history, we realize that human beings have always been on the move, for thousands upon thousands of years. From following prey and adapting to climate shifts to opening up trade routes across deserts, seas, and mountains, we’ve constantly been in motion from our earliest days. From economic opportunities, natural disasters, war, and other humanmade disasters to adventure and exploration, we continue to follow in the steps of our ancestors and keep on the move. Of course, everywhere we have gone, we have taken our ideas, practices, and beliefs with us. These have met and merged (or conflicted) with others and have been biologically and culturally augmented to account for the topography, weather, seasons, and animals we have found ourselves surrounded by. We have added new practices and beliefs as our world demands, and similarly discarded those that no longer work for us. Humanity and culture are amalgamations—a fact to keep in mind as your consider your own roots.
It’s rare nowadays to have a continuous hereditary line tracing back to one country (like all Irish or all Japanese), and even then, what does that mean? Unless your family history has a long line of inbreeding to preserve royal lines, your roots are probably far more diverse than you can imagine. When I was a Witchlet, there was a lot of talk about where your tradition came from, with a sense that that’s what made it valid. There were books popping up on Irish, Scottish, Italian, German, and other country-specific brews of Witchcraft and other paths, which is nice if that’s what you closely identify with. But I come from a long line of people who apparently liked to sleep with people from other countries. I couldn’t take just one type or kind and say, “Okay, this is me. This is the dress of Witchcraft I need to put on.” If you’re from a similar melting pot, you don’t have to subscribe to just one place of origin. It’s wise anyway to consider all the options.
Your DNA is not the be-all and end-all, but it is definitely a good place to start from. It’s a twofold consideration: what cultures are a part of you, and what family practices have been handed down, most likely because of those cultures? A common first response may be, “But there’s no Witchcraft in those cultures, and my family isn’t Pagan!” First of all, every single culture on this planet has their own myths, folklore, and what might be called magical or “superstitious” practices. Second, there are a lot of things that can be done and passed down through a family that contain those magical and mythical elements without them being called Witchcraft. We tend to overlook those practices because they are so close and familiar to us, especially when we feel that what we’re looking for isn’t immediately adjacent to us. So it’s time to lift that veil and look a little more closely at those roots.
The first consideration is where you come from. What do you know about your family tree, either from stories, family research, or perhaps DNA testing? Of course, family stories aren’t always terribly accurate. Details can be misremembered and stories drastically embellished or changed for a wide variety of reasons. Sometimes the truth was covered up to hide something that may have been considered socially embarrassing during that era, such as an unwed or unplanned pregnancy, hidden sexual orientation, an unsavory reputation due to crime or abusive behavior, or prejudice based on skin color or class. Back then, some people would go a long way to cover up something that would surprise us now. (Well, it hopefully would surprise us—our society still has a lot of issues it needs to get over.) Consider family stories a kind of folklore: the details may not always be correct, but what’s the spirit of the story?
If you have only a general idea of your family origins, luckily there’s the internet and a wide variety of ancestry websites that range in price from free to a fair amount of money. Ancestry is a pretty common question that sparks the human imagination, so that curiosity has made for an abundance of resources. Even if no one in your immediate family has done any research, there’s a good chance that a cousin a few times removed has! There’s also a plethora of DNA tests you can do that will give you a peek into your background. Results can vary depending on what they’re testing for. It’s also important to remember that results can vary from sibling to sibling. Technically you are most closely related to your siblings (if you have any) than you are to your parents, since your DNA is a combination of both. But every time an egg and a sperm combine, it’s sort of like scooping from a giant cauldron of chromosome soup. Your sister could look just like your mother, but you might look more like your father because you are each different combinations of the same soup. (You can argue about who is made of more meatballs than noodles or vegetables at the next family dinner.)
When researching your ancestry, you can really find yourself going down a rabbit hole. However, our main focus here is to pinpoint some possible places of origin, whether that’s a township, county, state, region, or country. This approach gives you somewhere specific to look at when it comes to folklore and anthropology. While it is possible that there are good books in the New Age/occult section that may cover a certain area or country, I’m going to advise you to head to a different section of the bookstore and look for books focusing on art, anthropology, regional history, and cultural mythology. Why is that? Always start with the source. How a culture has grown and changed, its customs, its artwork, and most especially its stories in the form of myth and folklore can provide a wealth of material for you to work with. These books may not have “Witchcraft” in the title, but history, art, and mythology can certainly have a powerful impact on your practice.
My favorite places to look for resources are at used bookstores and the library. Many small press, academic, or scholarly works can be hard to find and/or expensive, but your local library system may have them available to check out or at least read in the reference section. There are also ebooks and PDFs that are available for viewing online, especially those containing older material. It just takes a little time to do the research, and you can uncover a treasure trove!
What’s the big deal about folklore and myths? It’s foolhardy to dismiss myths as fictional stories or fairy tales to amuse children. Story-telling is one of the oldest forms of communicative art we have. We’ve been using it for countless generations to educate, entertain, advise, and commemorate. Why do we love movies, games, plays, and TV shows so much? They are all varieties of folklore that help us explore the human condition and the mysteries of the world. Modern media just happens to be the newest form of myth making and sharing. Ingrained in those stories are kernels of wisdom about the nature of the seen and unseen worlds: gods and goddesses, life and death, how things work, how to behave in certain situations—or how not to! By connecting to the folklore of a people/place, you can find deeper connections to your own roots—and yourself. There is something about how a culture builds and propagates myths that can give you a real flavor for how those people interact with life.
The second consideration reveals meaning in practices you might have thought of as just everyday or family quirks. The older I get, the more I think about certain things my grandparents did when I was little, as well as other people in my family. Often without much fanfare, perceptions, opinions, and how-tos are passed from generation to generation. Sometimes there’s a reason or explanation for why something is done a certain way, and other times the practice is carried on because “it’s what Grandmom did.” Amulets that are worn or given for good luck, talismans to ward off the evil eye, scrolls and pictures to make a space sacred, coins and eggs used for divination: nearly every household has some variety of charm, with its related belief or purpose.
There’s something wonderful about finding the hidden magic that is essentially in plain sight and already a part of you. Far too often we can feel like we need official “Witchcraft” practices laid out by others in books in order to “do it right.” It can definitely be fun to pick up new and different ways of doing things, but don’t be afraid to look in your own proverbial family broom closet first. When possible, take the time to listen to the older members of your family, ask questions about how or why things are done certain ways, and make notes.
Of course, not every family situation is ideal. We may have a tumultuous or nonexistent relationship with our immediate family or be totally disconnected from our roots. Maybe a generation was cut out, causing a gap of information. Or there may be practices we personally don’t agree with or find comforting. As we’ll explore next, there are other ways to build a foundation that you can feel comfortable with. In chapter 5 we’ll explore how knowledge can be passed down through a family, even if they’re physically no longer on this plane.
Research Suggestion: If possible, make a family tree that includes the places or general locations that your family is from. Start with one that appeals to you most and research the history, mythology, and folklore of that area. You can craft it out of images from those places, be it landscapes, landmarks, artwork, food, or people.
Inspiration: The Pull of Spirit
Looking at your heritage and family practices is definitely a strong foundation to start with, but it’s not the only influence to consider. What are you most interested in when it comes to Witchcraft, and why? Is there a particular area that calls to you, such as herbalism, divination, the bardic arts, etc.? Are there particular stories, myths, themes, and deities that keep appearing in your life? We are often drawn to certain things for a reason. Sometimes it’s because of our heritage, but often it can come seemingly out of left field—from a culture or place you’re not familiar with but that keeps repeating in your life. How do we explain that and what do you do about it?
I’m not one to fixate on the concept of past lives—I’d rather focus on the present. Yet the idea that we live many times in numerous incarnations and places does strike a chord with many people. Maybe we cycle from life to life, changing genders, roles, cultures, and places so that we can experience life from many angles. Perhaps every time we die, our spirit returns to a primordial soup bowl, and parts of us get ladled into newly combined spirits. We could even be our own ancestors, following those theories. So perhaps something we’ve been fascinated with from a young age or unexpectedly drawn to later in life comes from a memory or preference in a previous life. Or they could be markers we set into our own thread before coming into this life. Even little things that seem incongruous can have a big effect down the line.
I remember a time around age six or seven when I was working on drawings in the living room by myself and my mom walked in from the adjacent kitchen. I was drawing in there because it was the quiet room, with no television or loud distractions, so I could concentrate. For no particular reason, I announced to her that one day I would marry someone who played the violin. I don’t quite remember what she said in response, probably something like, “You can marry whomever you want when you’re old enough.” I never was interested in learning to play the violin myself, but I found its sound incredibly beautiful and still do. Ironically, my first marriage was to someone who claimed to me early on he wanted to learn to play the violin, yet he would never follow through on it. When I got into dance, I felt an even deeper connection to the sound of the violin powerfully through my body. That pull would lead me to a certain song played by a particular band. While on tour, I happened to dance to that song without knowing that the musician who had created the part I loved the most—the violin—was attending that performance. That encounter would spark a successful professional relationship that eventually evolved into something more when our lives allowed it. So as it happened, I did actually come to marry a violinist.
There is also the concept of genetic memory, which I find very interesting. 10 From the field of psychology, genetic memory is the idea that powerful physical and emotional experiences can be incorporated into the genome and passed down the line. But is it happening at the cellular level, perhaps hiding out in our mitochondria. There’s also the whole nature versus nurture discussion, but what about when you know things that you were never taught? If we’re drawn to Witchcraft because there’s a rumor that someone in our family was a Witch, does it mean that there’s genetic memory being passed down? Or perhaps the fact that you’re exposed to the idea because it’s part of your family lore means that it becomes a product of your nurturing environment. I think we’re a combination of many things, both in our genes and in our spirits, which is why “inspiration by spirit” is definitely something worth considering.
Sometimes you can be drawn to a specific deity, myth, or practice that is completely outside of your family or cultural background. Maybe from an early age you had dreams of a certain place or traveled somewhere you’d never been to previously but it felt so familiar.
So what do you do in this situation? Do you say no to that goddess who keeps visiting you because you’re from one background and she from another? How does that even happen? If you are sincere in finding out more, then investigating more deeply is definitely a valid choice. You can avoid the downfall of cultural appropriation by doing cultural appreciation through proper research and careful study. Cultural appropriation is definitely a hot button topic right now. However, fear of being accused of it should not be something holding you back from digging deeper. There is a wide world of difference between cherry-picking things without ever attempting an in-depth study of them (especially with the goal of profiting off those ideas) and sincerely wanting to learn something through proper cultural exchange to make it part of your personal practice. Practice respect and you’ll avoid the pitfalls.
Books, film, music, art, and other cultural material can definitely be helpful on your quest to understand something outside of your cultural wheelhouse. However, nothing replaces being able to actually talk to and work with practitioners of that path/culture. Even better, investing the time and money into traveling to a place that has inspired you can be an amazing, worthwhile experience. But you have to make connections and do the research first. Just showing up somewhere and expecting to be taught isn’t respectful or considerate. It’s important to take the time to examine these things and build a study program for yourself. Realistically, the same is true for any area of practice, whether it’s in your blood or not.
Note: In chapter 5 we’ll talk about working with deities directly. At this stage I just want to make it clear that googling “Kali Ma” and reading one Wikipedia article is not doing your homework or being responsible. Exploring a deity involves reading their myths from a variety of angles, seeking to understand their imagery, familiarizing yourself with spiritual practices associated with them, and taking the time to understand more about the people and place that deity comes from. This process takes time and effort that can’t be measured by the number of articles one has read or statues bought on Amazon. Rather, you’ll find it to be a lifelong experience that will continue to morph as you walk your path.
Research Suggestion: Make a list of inspirations and practices that appeal to you. Start with your childhood and work your way to the present day. Are there connecting threads? Can you pinpoint how you got interested in these things? Mark the ones that particularly stand out to you, prioritize them by how much they pull your attention, brainstorm what you know about them already, and start to investigate how to learn more.
Time: The Schedule of Person, Practice, and Place
Where you originate from and what inspires you are important things to evaluate in formulating your path, but many people fail to factor in the next vital column in our path building: schedule. We grow up with our schedules being dictated to us by our parents and family, teachers and educators, religion and government, jobs and duties, transportation, and possibly even partners and children. We get so sucked into having our itineraries charted out to us that we often disconnect from the world around us and even our own bodies. From there we can suffer from many physical, emotional, and even spiritual ailments brought on by a lack of proper rest and sleep, an unhealthy diet, and other stress-related factors. It’s so easy to feel obligated to do everything and to satisfy everyone else’s needs. All the while, we neglect our own needs until the whole system crashes like an overheated hard drive.
It’s vital that we actively foster a daily and yearly practice that matters to us. All too often, when I start to walk people through the first two steps of RITES, there is a tendency to get overwhelmed or push back with excuses like “I don’t think I have time to do it right” or “Maybe later when I finish doing _____.” Following the path of the Witch should empower you to take hold of your own schedule. Time is much more fluid than we think, and so is the practice of Witchcraft. You’re not running a race to become the perfect Witch or playing a video game where you have to uncover all the treasures before time runs out. You really can go at your own pace—once you give yourself permission to figure out what that means for you.
In order to help you accomplish this task, we’re going to look at several different facets of scheduling:
• The social schedule (school, work, family, friends)
• Your body’s clock
• The lunar cycle
• The solar seasons
• Schedule of feast days (memory, celebration, anniversaries)
Take time to think about how these facets can play out in your life and in your practice. In setting up a practice, you need to consider your availability, your sleep patterns, the seasons, and what has personal significance for you. The combination of these areas will be fairly unique to you and therefore will be vital in figuring out what works best for you. Consider what makes you feel like you’re part of a pattern and helps you acknowledge the passing of time. What you observe should be integrated into your practice because it calls to you, not because you feel obligated to follow a system manufactured by someone else.
The Social Schedule
Whether you go to school, have a career, are raising a family, or have family obligations, as well as what you do with friends—these are all things that are expectations that affect your daily schedule. Sometimes these various factors all flow easily into practicing Witchcraft, and other times they seem to be in opposition or a barrier to your practice. Regardless, they all affect how your days and evenings are scheduled. When do you work? When do you play? Look at your average week and analyze which hours get devoted to where and whom. The reason for laying out your social schedule is so you can concretely see how much of your time is obligated to something or someone, along with how and why.
Another thing to consider is that your job may be directly related to your practice, even if your official title isn’t “Supervising Witch.” I know many people in the healthcare industry, including doctors, nurses, pharmacists, therapists, scientists, and hospice workers, who are able to find that what they do correlates to their personal practice. They heal, administer treatments, and tend to all aspects of the life cycle through the eyes of a Witch. There are Witches who are lawyers, teachers, stay-at-home parents, and business administrators—all putting things in order with a side of magick. Musicians, artists, actors, writers, and dancers also often find that they weave Witchcraft into their craft. This manifestation of your Witchcraft through your job may not seem to fit the classic image of the Witch, but that does not invalidate your work in any way. You may already be busy “doing the work” without realizing it.
Research Suggestion: Map out your average week. About how much time on average is devoted daily to work, family, schooling, hobbies, friends, etc.? When does free time occur for you?
Your Body’s Clock
Although many people are not consciously aware of it, every body has a preference for how and when it functions best. Your body has its own internal clock. My partner is a morning person. He can pop out of bed at an ungodly early hour (5:00–6:00 a.m.) and get most of his work accomplished before noon, regardless of the weather or season. Then he starts to shut down around 9:00 p.m. My body prefers to get up a few hours later (8:00–9:00 a.m.), and does so much more easily when the sun is visible. I get the majority of my work done in the middle of the day, with an occasional second burst of energy for more work after dinner. I start to shut down around 11:00 p.m. and am usually in bed by midnight, so I’m not exactly a night owl. Those people function best in the late hours of the night and prefer to sleep late into the day.
Why is understanding your body’s schedule important for Witchcraft? Knowing when you work best means you can plan your practice for those times. If you are a morning person, then plotting out some time in the morning to go for a walk outside or commune at your altar can help you create a meaningful daily practice that deepens your connection to everything. Just because there’s a stereotype of Witches doing work late at night doesn’t mean you’re a failure because you fall asleep by 10:00 p.m. Listen to your body.
The social schedule has a heavy impact on your body’s clock as well. In the best-case scenario, the social schedule is in line with what works best for you, so you spend less time fighting against your body’s natural flow. When the social schedule works in opposition to your body, it tends to wreak havoc with your overall well-being. Sometimes you simply can’t avoid this conflict and have to make do. However, being aware of it means you can try to take extra steps to care for your body.
Research Suggestion: Examine the map you made for your social schedule. How does this line up with sleeping, eating, and general rest/relaxation? What are you doing to keep your body and overall health in balance?
The Lunar Cycle
Once you start paying attention to your body’s daily schedule, you will most likely start to notice another pattern involving the moon that occurs roughly on a monthly basis. The moon’s position in orbit around the earth and the earth’s orbital position around the sun affect how much of the moon is in shadow and how much is illuminated, causing the lunar phases. Approximately every twenty-eight days, the moon is new, waxes until full, and wanes back to new again, which makes up the lunar month. Since the lunar month is slightly shorter than a calendar month, it’s always shifting—not matching up with the start and end of each calendar month.
The moon has an effect on the oceans and other large bodies of water, creating shifts in high and low tides. The most extreme tidal marks happen during the full moon. Our bodies, being largely made up of water, are similarly affected by the cycles of the moon. We tend to experience an upsurge in activity during the full moon, hence the word lunatic—from Old French lunatique, from Late Latin lunaticus (“moonstruck”), derived from Latin luna (“moon”). Remember that werewolves and other supernatural beasts are said to undergo transformation by the light of the full moon. Many people report having a harder time falling and staying asleep during the full moon and feeling restless, whether or not the moonlight illuminates their sleeping quarters. Some people feel this as a boost of energy and others feel more anxious, sometimes causing them to act irrationally. Even law enforcement officers are aware of the phenomenon, and schedule more personnel to be on duty during the full moon.
By contrast, many people feel sluggish around the time of the new moon. The new moon tends to be a time of introspection. For some people this means it feels like an incubating period where they slow down comfortably and then start to generate new ideas. For others, this time can mean spiraling into depression, feeling stuck, or thinking more negative thoughts than normal.
Witchcraft has long been associated with the moon and its powers and effects. In folklore, Witches have been said to gather under the light of the full moon, and much of modern practice has followed suit. While the full moon could definitely align with the surge of energy that many people feel, the most logical correlation is that if you’re gathering outside at night, the full moon is really bright (as long as there isn’t a thick cloud cover)—which is handy for seeing your way in the dark and saving money on candles or batteries. But don’t worry, I’m not out to ruin all of the mystery and fun of Witchcraft. I do subscribe to the theory that the lunar phases can affect us emotionally, spiritually, mentally, and physically. Therefore, there are definitely applications for ritual and metaphysical purposes for them, which we will focus on in the next chapter.
The main point in bringing up the lunar cycle in the context of time is for contemplating how your body reacts to the moon phases. You don’t have to hold a ritual just because the moon is full or new or somewhere in between. A monthly lunar ritual is not an obligatory thing, unless of course you have mandated such a thing for yourself or made an agreement of some sort. Maybe you are drawn to do something specific at a certain stage of the waxing moon or the new moon because of how it makes you feel, or maybe you just don’t feel the need to mark a lunar connection at all.
Research Suggestion: Consult a lunar calendar and mark out the cycle over the next month in a journal, datebook, or notepad. Twice a day—upon waking up and before you go to bed—write down a word or phrase that describes how you are feeling (calm, anxious, stressed, depressed, excited, etc.). Once you reach the end of the first month, look back and see if you notice any correlations between the phase of the moon and how you felt at that time. It may take several months to start noticing a larger pattern.
The Solar Seasons
Moving outside of your body’s schedule and the daily requirements of work, friends, and family and past the effects of the lunar month, we come to the solar seasons. The solar season, as the name implies, is directly determined by the proximity of the earth’s elliptical orbit to the sun over the course of a year. For locations north and south of the equator, the solstices mark the longest and shortest days/nights (when the earth is closest and farthest from the sun), and the equinoxes in between them mark when day and night are equal. Due to the tilt of the earth’s axis, while those in the Northern Hemisphere observe the Winter Solstice, those in the Southern Hemisphere are celebrating the Summer Solstice.
Early humanity recognized the correlation of the apparent movement of the sun and other celestial bodies with the changing of the seasons. Many ancient monoliths, earthen humanmade mounds, and other structures accurately mark the solstices and equinoxes. Many festivals across the planet have been scheduled according to these solar occurrences for thousands of years.
Since the changing of the seasons repeats in a relatively reliable cycle,11 with definitive “spokes,” the solar season can be imagined as a wheel. The term Wheel of the Year is prevalent in modern Paganism to describe a repeating circle of sabbats, or celebrations. The Wheel of the Year has become a commonly accepted schedule in the last several decades, but it’s hardly ancient or applicable for all regions and practices. Where did it come from? Some point to the late 1950s when two older British men were hanging out at their naturist (nudist) club, comparing notes on their burgeoning spiritual paths. Between them, they realized they had a nice sort of evenly spaced schedule of sabbats, or festivals—all they had to do was embellish or recreate some practices and they had an eight-spoked wheel of sacred days. Brilliant! Those two men were Gerald Gardner (the father of modern Wicca) and Ross Nichols (the founder of the Order of Bards, Ovates & Druids, or OBOD).
The Wheel of the Year was eagerly embraced early on for several reasons. First, most people were under the impression that Wicca, Druidry, and similar paths were ancient in origin instead of recently and largely constructed (with good intentions). Second, people love a festival, and eight sure beats the traditional Christian big two of Easter (the Sunday following the first full moon that occurs after the Spring Equinox) and Christmas (close proximity to the Winter Solstice). And, what luck! The sabbats actually can overlap those nicely, so everyone can celebrate something together.
The Wheel of the Year is made up of the four solstices and equinoxes and the four cross-quarter days of Celtic origin spaced between them. As I mentioned earlier, celebration and marking of the solstices can be found around the world, in modern and ancient times. The Wheel of the Year has the Winter Solstice (or Yule), Imbolc (or Candlemas), the Spring Equinox (or Ostara), Beltane (or Walpurgisnacht), the Summer Solstice (or Litha), Lugnassadh (or Lammas), the Fall Equinox (or Mabon), and Samhain (or Halloween). The names for these days come from a variety of sources, cobbled from a mix of Celtic, Christian, Germanic, Norse, and other systems.
In recent years, folks have started to go, “Hey, wait a minute. Where did that name come from and how does that correlate with my practice?” The sabbats tend to be associated with agricultural observances, so depending on where you live and how the seasons occur there (if they do at all), the sabbats may feel disconnected to you. The Celtic, German, or Christian names for these dates also may not make sense to you if you come from a different background. Additionally, since the seasons in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres are flipped, the Wheel of the Year cannot be observed universally, like the standard calendar year. Last but not least, the focus on the spokes tends to get people in the frame of mind of observing a single day rather than looking at the larger picture of a season. Aside from the astronomically precise moments of the solstices and equinoxes (which can occur anywhere from the 19th to the 23rd day of their given months of June and December, March and September, respectively), the points on any solar wheel are more about marking the space in between the spokes. Realistically, the Wheel of the Year is not a terrible idea, but I think it works best as an inspirational guideline.
Other complications related to following the Wheel of the Year arise if you just can’t find yourself following an agriculturally based system or don’t feel included, with the recurring, often heterosexually focused fertility themes. Keep in mind that not everything has to focus on physical fertility of the plants, animals, and the continuation of humanity physically. If you have a hard time feeling personally connected to the sabbats, try a different perspective. Instead of field crops or literal fertility, ponder the inner symbolism of the sabbat for yourself: What do you wish to bring forth in yourself? What do you wish to grow in your home, your community, and your country? Whom do you support and who supports you? How would you change where you’re at right now? What do you wish to leave behind? What would give you new inspiration and invigorate your life? Does the sabbat call for cleansing, purification, fostering, harvesting, balance, etc.? Relate that back to your own life and needs and you may find new meaning.
Research Suggestion: Starting with the equinoxes and solstices, consider how these solar events impact your life, whether seasonally, spiritually, mentally, etc. Then look at the cross-quarter days and other solar-oriented festivals. Do you feel like they have a place in your practice? Why or why not?
Schedule of Feast Days
Not all special occasions have to do with marking the seasons or recognizing solar events. Birthdays, death days, and anniversaries all honor certain dates that have meaning in our lives. A feast day can be in celebration or memory of someone in your life or family, or it could commemorate someone you admire, respect, or are inspired by. (If they are deceased, they are often referred to as the “Mighty Dead.”) Perhaps a deity or spirit you work with has a specific historic date on the calendar reserved for them. These various kinds of observances do tend to focus on a specific day, marking a significant date or moment in history, and involve some sort of action of acknowledgment. The ritual treatment can be as simple as setting up a special altar (if you don’t already have a permanent one) and lighting a candle, or it could be complex as a large gathering, complete with feasting and elaborate rituals.
Sometimes a certain day will have a multitude of overlapping occurrences, creating an interesting effect of layered meaning. For example, I share my birthday with Gerald Gardner, which has caused me to have an interesting relationship with his work and memory. It is also the feast day of St. Anthony, the patron saint of lost things. Coming from a Sicilian/Italian Catholic background, I have a soft spot for him, and oddly I have quite the knack for locating lost items for people. Other special days for me include my wedding anniversary and the birthdays of my maternal grandparents, who have both passed on.
A remarkable, significant, or unusual event in your life may spawn a new day of devotion. For example, let’s say someone is battling an illness like cancer and petitions a spirit or deity for aid. On the day they get a clean bill of health, they may decide that every year after on that date, they will perform a ritual of thanksgiving. Or maybe you’re working with a certain deity and want to give them a feast day but can’t find a historic date on record for them. You might use a system of divination to determine what date works best and build upon that. Or you may remember the month or actual date you first encountered them and make that the feast day for your practice.
Another way of considering meaningful celebrations is by looking around you. The place where you live may celebrate certain days by holding events and festivals. As you’ll see in the “Environment” section later in this chapter, where you live greatly influences your practice. From Mardi Gras in New Orleans to the Mummers Parade in Philadelphia and the Okra Strut Festival in Irmo, South Carolina, people in cities and towns the world over love a celebration. Many of these events have deeper roots worth exploring.
Research Suggestion: Consider what dates, people, events, spirits, and/or deities are important in your life. If you feel the need to honor them in some way, write them down in a list, noting dates and what form of observation you believe is appropriate. Be sure to look for inspiration in your hometown as well.
Turning the Wheel of You
I encourage you to craft your own wheel. You may like the construction of the Wheel of the Year, or you may find it has too few or too many days that don’t make sense for you. If you have only two or three real seasons where you live, then marking those times will feel more important than a set of four. If the solstices and equinoxes are really powerful symbolically for you, then those can be essential for developing your practice.
Once you have researched your roots, you may also discover different names and variations that describe the solar seasons better for you than the modernly assigned ones. In terms of inspiration, is there a time of year that is most important to you? For example, if you feel more connected emotionally and mentally to fall, then the celebration of it will have more significance to you. You may also want to figure out special ways to mark that season throughout it, versus acknowledging just one date. One point that is rarely made is that not everything has to be given the same amount of weight or importance. You can also experiment if you’re unsure how you feel about a certain point on the wheel. Try some traditional methods and make note of what happens during and after them. Don’t be afraid of changing, adding, or removing points as your practice evolves. As time goes by or if you move to a different place, you may find your relationship to the seasons changing drastically. This is completely natural.
If you’re unsure where to start, I recommend using the Wheel of the Year for beginning inspiration. Create a timeline and evaluate the sabbats and their meanings and relevance to you and how you would observe them. Overlay them with the actual seasonal timeline of where you live. Do they make sense for you? Mark the ones that have the greatest significance to you. Incorporate your roots and time research if you found celebrations that appeal to you, and see where and how they can fit in. When you look at the overall chart, is there a sense of flow to it that reflects your needs and acknowledges what is happening around you?
To give you an example, this is currently what my personal wheel is like. Since wheels do not have a definitive start and end, I don’t have a beginning or finish to my year. Besides the traditional calendar year, there is not a specific time that I recognize as my “new year.” I tend not to hold some sort of ritual to observe a specific changing of the season unless I feel called to.
Winter Solstice: The transition from the longest night of the year to the beginning of the returning of the light is psychologically very powerful to me. Since we’re often home at this time (versus the rest of the year, when we’re often traveling on the road), it is definitely a time of fellowship, reconnecting, gathering, feasting with friends, and decorating with lights. I focus on making our home aromatically welcoming with simmer pots.12
The Wild Hunt and Imbolc: From the Winter Solstice onward, I focus on clearing out clutter, physically and metaphysically. Health and emotional well-being are especially attended to. The clearing and preparation help me focus on what I want to have take root and grow in the spring.
Spring Equinox to Beltane: I don’t celebrate the day of the Spring Equinox, but I use this time of year to begin new projects and work outside, preparing the gardens as the weather permits.
Beltane/Walpurgisnacht to the Summer Solstice: I have a long-standing tradition of celebrating May Day in some significant way. There is definitely a special spark to the energy that is excellent for ritual workings and divination. The energy push during this time period is for manifestation and progressive growth. I don’t focus too closely on the Summer Solstice because in the back of my head I know the days are slowly going to get darker. I try to absorb as much daylight as possible.
Summer onward to the Fall Equinox: I exercise caution in August and conserve energy. The combination of heat and the slow compression of days tends to bring about an uptick in recklessness, violence, and natural disasters.
Autumn to Samhain: Fall is a special time of year for me. I feel a second wave of awakening and invigoration. I am likely to attend other folks’ rituals and gatherings, as well as focus on the gardens, preparing them for winter.
Samhain to the Winter Solstice: For me this is a time of remembering and honoring the deceased, and working with root energy and what lies beneath. I am often involved in both leading and attending rituals to facilitate change.
Feast Day: Hekate Night (November 16): On this day I perform a personal ritual to honor Hekate.
Environment: The World Around You
Another equally important part of crafting your path is the location where you live. Far too many people have placed more importance on the places where their blood came from and not given enough attention to the land upon which they actually live now. This oversight breeds a profound sense of disconnect that is the antithesis of Witchcraft. Pushing that origin precedence is like trying to make the proverbial square peg fit in a round hole. The environment is a cauldron in which the ingredients of roots, inspiration, and time all get mixed in, giving your practice form and providing a place for it.
I was born and grew up in the Delaware Valley of Philadelphia and have lived in Columbia, South Carolina; Providence, Rhode Island; the Bay Area of California; and Seattle, Washington. I have toured extensively throughout the United States for the last decade, and mainly through work have traveled to England, Germany, Greece, the Czech Republic, Hong Kong, China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Mexico, and Costa Rica. Every single place I have visited has had an energy of its very own. There is the land itself, the bodies of water that may surround it, and the weather patterns that shape the land, flora, and fauna, as well as what gets built upon the land and who makes their home there. In the span of only a few miles, the nature and feel of the land can shift dramatically.
That spirit or personality of the land is often referred to as the genius loci. You will find other names for it in mythology and folklore from all over the world. Whether you recognize the genius loci as a distinct individual spirit of place or a larger, more vague sense of energy present in the land around you, it can have a profound effect on your practice. There are the latitude and longitude coordinates that have a hand in determining climate. Location determines how the solar season will affect the land and its inhabitants—including you. The temperatures and seasonal changes in turn affect the flora and fauna, which are directly influenced by the landscape and vice versa. Every landscape has unique characteristics: the kinds of soil and rocks that make up its bones and the plants and animals that live upon and within it, forming its skin and blood.
How does your environment factor into how you practice? Temperature and humidity may determine whether you conduct rituals and other work, indoors or out. If you’re working with plants (whether you are growing your own or wildcrafting), what you can grow or find at a beach or in a desert will vary greatly from what you can gather from a rainforest or an alpine meadow.
Similarly, the kinds of animals and insects you encounter in the city will probably be very different from the ones that make their home thirty miles away in the deep woods. In the city, you will have humanmade monoliths and structures that give a distinct flavor to the energy of the land in a much different way than boulders left behind by glaciers do.
Look at where you live. Where are you physically located? What is the land like? Is it flat or mountainous or somewhere in between? What are the major bodies of water around you (streams, rivers, lakes, seas, oceans, etc.)? What is the habitat and nature of the plant and animal life around you (desert, tropical, open plains, marshland, temperate, beach, jungle, alpine forest, etc.)? Are you in the city or the suburbs or far away from civilization? There’s nothing more powerful and engaging than to connect to the land you actually live on, and even the concrete jungle has its own spirit and energy to it. Take time to connect to it, to identify the flow of the seasons, the plants, the animals, and the people. It’s so much easier to be in tune with the hum of the land where you live. This means that if you move to different places, your practice will change accordingly to reflect the nature of where you live, but the places where you have lived previously will continue to influence you as well in the form of tools and inspiration.
Research Suggestion: Evaluate your local landscape, identifying natural and humanmade landmarks. What are the major geological features that surround you (north, east, west, south, and center)? Familiarize yourself with the local flora and fauna as well as the changing of the weather and its effects.
Star: Illuminating Your Path
The fifth element of RITES is the star. If we have gathered roots, inspiration, and time in the cauldron of environment, the star is the guiding principles that invigorate our brew and transform it into a functioning path of Witchcraft. You could look at the star as your compass and formula for your code of ethics. I am not going to feed you some sort of scary-sounding mandate about how you should or shouldn’t behave. My best words of wisdom in this department are to be responsible—and to remind you of the three keys from chapter 1: know thyself, maintain balance, and accept responsibility. In Modern Traditional Witchcraft, there is no rede, no central code of morality or ethics. Instead, we have an understanding that all of our actions have a multitude of reactions, with both positive and negative interpretations subject to one’s perspective.
So we must consider our words and actions and the effects we can perceive them to have, then take action and accept responsibility for all that we can perceive—as well as those we can’t. Balance is always shifting. Sometimes it calls for extreme action, and other times it requires minute, delicate adjustments.
The thing is, the star isn’t some outside influence, some guiding spirit sitting on your shoulder. It’s you: your internal guidance system. The star is the motor that keeps you running, so it’s up to you to do the maintenance and problem solving. There is no one else to blame, which means you have to be very honest with yourself if you wish to follow the path of the Witch. You have to take into account your strengths and weaknesses. Are you looking to be a practitioner forging ahead on your own, or are you better off as a participant following along? Who or what are you seeking power over?
Being a Witch means being realistic about who you are, who you’ve been up until this point, and where you want to go. You need to acknowledge both your talents and your failures and always be willing to learn more. See Witchcraft as part of everything you do, versus something that’s a side compartment, a hobby, or an attempt to avoid reality. This path is never the easy way out, and it spits out the lazy. Witchcraft demands that you be honest with yourself, your practice, and your calling.
Another important thing to remember for your star is the element of change, which is the pulse of Witchcraft. Be ever thinking, always considering, fluid and growing. Think outside the box, beyond the books, and exercise critical thinking. The Witch doesn’t assume; the Witch knows. Evaluate your path and your ideas regularly. Things we believe at one point in our lives may not work later on, and vice versa. Discard what is unneeded and strengthen what works. If you are flexible enough to respond to the world around you, then you will be actively practicing and working. Sometimes we are the rock and sometimes we are the water that swirls around the rock—and often we are both.
A Witch’s Manifesto
I struggled a bit with the title for this section. Is manifesto the word needed? What do you call a collection of goals and aspirations for a personal path with the hope that it will influence and guide the larger culture? Who am I to issue a list of commandments or rules? That’s not my intention. I must confess that I have tended to connect manifesto with fervent young adults passing out their xeroxed visions in goth clubs. But manifest is right there in the word—to make something known, to give it form, to bring it into being.
I look at the churning, bubbling cauldron that the world is right now with quite a mixture of thoughts and feelings. I can’t shake the feeling that we’re on the verge of a massive breakdown and cultural collapse. But I also feel there are immense possibilities in store for a new Époque of Emergence—with greater understanding, compassion, and luminous vision. I have great hope, but at the same time, humanity’s been at this game for centuries. We have done worse and we have done better. A fresh start doesn’t guarantee success.
Then I remember that we’re all here now. These are the times we were made for. There is a resurgence in Witchcraft in the midst of all of this turmoil. We are here to help with the shifting, changing, and reforming of reality. So I am sharing with you this list of possibilities and ideas ripe for manifestation. These are things that should apply to all people, but I feel Witches should help lead the way. You may find them to be made of star-stuff.
All bodies are autonomous. If we wish to be respected, we must respect both ourselves and others, regardless of color, gender, age, ability, sexual orientation, etc. Respect includes acknowledging a person’s right to live their life and make healthy choices. Respect does not include violating others’ rights through our actions or words.
The Other is us. We are all “other” to someone else. We all have our tribes, and then there are those outside of it. To recognize that the mirror works both ways is a bridge to understanding that we are all not so different fundamentally.
All actions are an exchange of energy. Everything we do involves movement in some way. We can exchange energy in a reciprocal manner (giving to those who give to us) or pass the energy along in a daisy chain (receiving and giving down the line). The circle of life (birth, life, death, rebirth) is a constant exchange of energy.
No one is entitled. We are not owed anything by the world, regardless of who we are, where we come from, or what we have done.
We are connected to the world. We are not separate from the land, the environment, the planet, the universe. We belong to it; it does not belong to us. We are made of the same particles. We must conserve and protect our natural resources. We must participate in the cycle of life and death in a way that is mindful and honoring of plants, animals, and all things—consuming and disposing of them with honor.
We are responsible for our personal power. Our power comes from within and recognizing it for ourselves. From there, it is our duty to learn, guide, observe, listen, act, and do what we can to help others as well.
Life is a collection of points, not one definitive mark. Part of being human is making mistakes, learning from them, and granting opportunities for change. If we shame or punish without granting an opportunity for change and redirection, then we fail to respect ourselves and others.
You are the summary of your words and deeds. The measure of who you are is expressly defined by what you do and say and how you do it. Act with integrity and grace, and you will always act with true power.
Choosing Your Threads
Now that we’ve covered RITES, we’re going to look at some important areas that are often points of confusion. You may be wondering what tools you may or may not need, whether you should work by yourself or with a group, and whether you should do a rite of initiation or dedication. We’ll touch once more on the importance of myth and how it can guide us. These areas are like choosing the color and texture of the threads before sitting down in front of the loom. After you have gotten these threads properly aligned, you’ll be ready to get down to weaving them together in the pattern that is the Witch’s Craft.
Reconsidering Tools and Aids
Often there is a tendency for folks to go, “Okay, I want to be a Witch. What tools do I need to buy in order to do Witchcraft?” Since you’re reading this book, I’m going to assume you’re a living, physically embodied being, which means you’ve already got all the tools you need already on you (yes, even if you’re reading this book while completely naked). Your mind, your breath, your heart, your hands, your feet—everything that is part of your body makes up your essential tools. Technically you don’t have to buy or collect a single thing to work magick, perform a ritual, or speak with gods and spirits.
That said, we sure do like things. Witches especially seem to have an affinity for shiny things and collecting stuff, much like our friends in the corvid family: crows, ravens, magpies, rooks, and jays. Similarly, these birds also utilize both tools and strategy to achieve their needs. Tools can be wonderful aids in helping us accomplish certain tasks, but they don’t necessarily make the Witch (or the bird). So if anyone tells you that you must have a wand or an athame or even a cauldron to be a “real” Witch, you have my permission to roll your eyes at them (not that you need my permission).
Tools are designed to assist us. The ability to use them comes from within us, not them. A wand can help you direct energy, but it is not where the power resides. A fancy handcrafted ritual blade can be a very beautiful thing, but investing in a good kitchen knife is a better move if cooking is how you do your work best. A pasta pot or saucepan may not look the traditional part, but it can just as easily work as a cauldron. A stang is a truly glorious and impressive thing, but if you live and work in the middle of a concrete city, there won’t be much opportunity to use it. A giant leather-bound book makes for a fantastic-looking grimoire, but it may not be the best thing to take out into the field with you to make notes. If the majority of the work you do involves plants, then having a trusty pair of gloves or a trowel that you can count on is worth more than some shiny crystals. That smooth rock with the hole in it that you found on the beach and fits perfectly in your hands will have more meaning than one you could buy.
Regardless of how you acquire them, your tools do not have to match the picture books. But they do need to fit the form and function of your needs! The majority of fancy tools that get featured in books on Witchcraft and Wicca tend to be more of a symbolic or ritual nature, drawing from a background of ceremonial and theatrical magic. They’re really not meant for getting down and dirty in the kitchen, garden, or studio. I’m not saying you shouldn’t have them or can’t use them on occasion. I love collecting beautiful ritual tools and paraphernalia, but they are objets d’art more than anything else.
The same is true of nontraditional methods of helping you focus and get to work. While there are an array of New Age practices that often get wrapped up in Witchcraft, you don’t have to be a yogi or a reiki master as well as a Witch (unless those things interest you). For some people, all it takes is a hot cup of tea or coffee to get them ready, while for others it’s that shower first thing in the morning or a bath after work. Some people get in the mood by listening to heavy metal, while others invigorate their bodies with some form of dance. These creature comforts help to connect us with our bodies. Trust that you know what works best for you—or if you don’t know, follow your inspiration and explore methods that pique your interest.
Consider which “unconventional” tools and aids you use that help you get things done. Maybe you have a favorite pen for writing or drawing, a go-to kitchen knife or a mortar and pestle for tackling herbs, or the beat-up drum you can take anywhere with you and get a great sound out of it. Maybe there’s a necklace or bracelet that you put on before leaving the house or starting a working. Think about what guides and informs you, making you feel confident and connected. Is that something part of your daily ritual, or does it hold special meaning for you? Asking yourself these questions will help you figure out what tools you need—or most likely already have.
Practicing Alone or Working in Groups
There is occasionally a stigma implied that a Witch who practices alone somehow isn’t as effective as one who is part of a coven. Sometimes that stigma is self-applied by the practitioner who hasn’t been able to join a group (usually due to being isolated in some way), and they feel that surely they’re somehow inadequate. Really, it all comes down to the person. I have met incredibly powerful Witches who practice mainly on their own, and I have met some really incompetent ones who have been long-term members of covens. I am not convinced that the coven is the natural organization of the Witch. To figure out what that means, as well as what may be right for you, let’s explore the nature of the Witch a bit.
The earliest Witches were those tapped to work directly with the realm of spirits. If we consider the possibilities hidden within cave paintings around the world, then we’ve been around for a long, long time. Be it gut instinct or the result of reading too many novels about prehistoric humanity, I get the feeling that even in close-quarter tribal living situations, the Witch probably occupied their own nook in the far back of the proverbial cave or forest.
Why? Working with spirits and deity alters you—or, as some would say, perhaps we’re differently wired from the start, which is why we do what we do. Although we may do a lot of work for the good of the community, that doesn’t necessarily mean we’re social creatures by nature. We’re already keeping a lot of company as it is, even if you can’t see them. Adding more people to the mix can get exhausting very quickly. Space, distance, and solitude provide mental and spiritual sanctity. But the communal distance isn’t just for the benefit of the Witch—most people are not comfortable with the concept of the Other, of spirits, gods, visions, and liminal spaces. They may respect it, be in awe of it, or even worship it, but they’re really just totes fine with it staying over there—along with the Witch.
Which brings me to the sticky topic of covens and what I feel is their somewhat unnatural nature. Before anybody has a conniption and spills wax on their cloak, I do understand that the coven structure is something that works for many. And as always, if it works for you, that’s wonderful. But I’m going to unravel why, in a long-term historical context, they don’t quite make sense to me.
In every society there is a certain order to things that can be seen in a repeating pattern for thousands of years all over the planet. You have those who work directly with the sacred/spiritual (priests, clergy, shamans, Witches, etc.), and then there is the rest of the community, who in varying degrees follow the beliefs and rules of the divine while going about their own business. They acknowledge the divine through various protocol, festivals, and rituals outlined by the clergy, while the latter deal directly with the spiritual realm—on their own, in temples, in sanctuaries, and in other places apart from the rest of society.
In various “witch-cult” theories, the idea is that pre-Christian beliefs had to go underground to survive, and covens were a way to keep the old gods alive. Other theories and systems believe that Christianity just got layered on top of the older practices and were practiced in covens or families. Either can make sense (and there are varying degrees of evidence supporting both, depending on who you ask), but where it gets a bit strange for me is the idea that everyone in the coven was a priest/priestess kind of Witch. That’s a lot of cooks for one cauldron (in a regular, daily sense).
If you consider the Witch in a professional sense, it’s highly unlikely that there were a slew of them in one area—just like there wouldn’t have been six shoemakers for a village of two hundred people, or nine blacksmiths. Add to the mix the reality that professionals of all kinds have very specific ways of doing their thing in their own way. They rarely combine forces unless the population or space requires it.
What I can see happening is a convening of Witches—or, in more modern terms, a convention—where Witches would travel to a certain location on a yearly or so basis to talk trade, exchange wisdom, and perhaps take care of some big issues by working together. (I doubt they had badges and ribbons, but perhaps they did have guests of honor, and I’m sure late-night room parties were probably part of the deal. I wonder if they covered travel expenses.)
And then they returned to where they lived, most likely alone, on the edge of the community (or, as some say, hedge). There, the Witch would continue to serve the needs of their area, working with the Other on their own terms—regardless of whether their services fit the currently acceptable communal spiritual context of society. Even if the town didn’t openly worship or claim to believe in the Other, they still respected it—and in many cases feared the unknown and unseen. If anything, the continuation of Witches throughout time has hedged on one major factor: we are the problem solvers. When humanity has been at its least educated or most oppressed, thwarted by greater forces, the Witch has been there. We heal, we charm, we cleanse, and we deal with the darker side of things as well. We get shit done (which is often a problematic thing for those in positions of authority).
We Witches do like our hedges, our little corners in the backs of caves, our cottages at the edge of the woods and civilization. We cherish our peace and quiet, and our autonomy. But we do know (or at least should know) when it’s time to combine forces, to convene, to raise energy together; to put aside differences and variations for the greater good. Even if we’re each doing it from our own little corner, it can have an impact. For sometimes edges are made of blades, and those blades are sharp enough to cut through the most troubling of times—that is, if we give ourselves the power to wield them.
So in summary, Witches can work in groups or alone. If you do choose to work in a group, I recommend finding people who are like-minded, with a temperament that complements yours. Mutual respect is an absolute necessity. If it’s a mixed group of solitaries working together occasionally, then everyone should be on equal footing. If you’re entering a kind of mentorship where you are learning a tradition from someone else, there should still be a sense of mutual respect, but you will be expected to follow their rules until you have “graduated.”
Do You Need a Teacher?
Once I was teaching “The Authentic Witch: Crafting a Working Tradition” at my local Pagan Pride Day, and luckily we had some time for questions. One of those questions was “So do I even need to find a teacher in the Craft?” Part of what I love about this question is that it came from a mature adult who was taking lots of notes. Why does that matter? This particular workshop always draws a wide mix of people: young people just starting out as well as older folks who may be coming late to this path, or perhaps they’ve done years of other systems and still haven’t found exactly what they’re looking for. My read on this person was that they had been working on trying to figure out the answer for a while.
There are a couple ways of looking at this question. One is to ask, Are you looking to follow a specific tradition? Then yes, it would behoove you to find a teacher of that tradition to study with. The same is true for learning skills and technical crafts. For example, do you want to be an herbalist? Then you need to study with an herbalist (or, ideally, multiple herbalists, over time). Reading about it in a book isn’t going to give you the hands-on experience necessary, and you’ll want to be constantly updating your skills and knowledge over the years as well.
Another way to answer this question is a bit more elusive and less obvious. It involves abandoning the formal academic idea of the teacher-student relationship—and taking on a Witch’s perspective. That viewpoint is that the whole world is our teacher, if we’re paying close enough attention. Sometimes we enter into formal agreements, and the rest of the time we’re sloshing up against everything like jellyfish. The best kind of learning isn’t a one-way dictation or write and repeat, but rather an immersive experience.
I have a hard time seeing Witchcraft as something you learn in a set time frame: a year and a day, three years and three days, via a certification course, etc. I believe the same is true for dance and art. You can complete a course, but does that mean you really know what you’re doing? The course offers guidance and maybe a paper reward, but that doesn’t put someone above or below a person who chooses a different approach. Dance, painting, witchery—these things all require living experience in order to understand them, to truly be skilled and artful at them. The classroom format can definitely lend a sense of order and validation, but it’s just one way to learn.
Surrounding this topic, I am reminded of some advice I received nearly twenty years ago from very different sources:
(1) “Sure, you can go to grad school, but the world is a greater classroom.” I received this information from two teachers I had in college—who are both still present in my life today, long past that initial student-teacher relationship. One taught art and design, and the other history and language, with esoteric framing. I have yet to regret not going to grad school, and I can see the fortune of the life experience that has informed my art and practice. If I wish to learn another form of art, a technique of some sort, I can go and study that technique specifically, but there are a variety of options I can choose: apprenticeship, adult education classes, special programs, etc.
(2) “You can learn something from every dancer. Sometimes it’s what to do, and sometimes it’s what not to do.” I was given this unsolicited advice in a parking lot outside a restaurant. I had just seen a couple of bellydancers perform live for the very first time and was asked my opinion of them. Since I had been taking dance classes for only a few months at that point, I had been mesmerized by the beauty of both dancers—how they moved, the shiny, glitzy goodness of their costumes, the way they commanded the room. I was in love! I couldn’t wait to be like them.
That advice came from a more established dancer who was not my peer nor my teacher—and was not known for their tact either, I would discover later. Their words were jarring to my reverie of the moment, but in time I would understand what they meant. The advice also applies to more than just dance. We can learn something from every person we encounter, observing what works or what doesn’t work, and choosing what is best for our own path.
In retrospect, there was more to that moment than just those words. There is nothing wrong with falling in love with something. No, we’re not going to see the warts and all right away, but it draws our attention and gives us new focus. Nor is it our job to harsh anyone else’s high just because we’ve already seen it. We all figure it out at our own pace, and sometimes we learn the hard way too. We all have different needs, different ways of learning.
The universe has many ways of teaching us. There is the way the ocean teaches us, in the flow and pull of its waves, about the dangers of overestimating its power and our own footing, how the water easily gives and takes. There are the lessons of the trees: the cycles of blossoming, covering, and shedding, the patience of slow growth, and the interconnectivity of their roots and branches with other beings around them. There is the way that fire gives light and warmth but is also all-consuming—and how it dies without breath. There is also the whispering of the spirits and ancestors in our dreams and in our bones. Then there are the people in our lives—those we are born into, those we choose, and those we flow with and against.
So if you feel comfortable with an academic approach, there’s nothing wrong with that. Just realize it’s just one approach, and to get more in depth you’re going to need to get out “in the field” beyond that. Truly, you will never stop learning—as long as you’re open to seeing that everything is as an opportunity to learn, grow, and challenge ourselves.
So do you need a teacher in the Craft? Yes, you do. Many, in fact. But you don’t necessarily need to study with a certified Witch to become one. Open your eyes and heart—the teachers are all around you.
Initiation and Dedication
Do you need to be initiated to become a Witch? Can you initiate or dedicate yourself to your path? As I mentioned in the previous section and in chapter 2 in “Natural Witch vs. Made Witch,” if you’re looking to become part of a specific established tradition, then yes, generally there will be some sort of formal initiation. But what is initiation? Technically it is the formal admission or acceptance into a group or a rite or ceremony of admission. It symbolically bestows a title or brand on you, marking you as one of the group. However, the initiation into any group isn’t what makes you a Witch—it’s the path of study and working on your practice that does. The initiation is the process of acknowledging that you actively sought this path and have endeavored to achieve it successfully.
Then there is initiation by spirit, which is more akin to opening a gateway or font of knowledge than joining a group. This type of initiation happens in dreams or a trance state. Unlike the formal initiation of a tradition, the one by spirit might not be one you were looking for. You could be working on your own, then suddenly you start having these dreams of your favorite late aunt passing on tidbits of information that you remember upon waking. Suddenly you know and understand things you didn’t before and have a different kind of sight. This experience is an example of initiation of spirit—it’s often spontaneous and takes place in the realm of the liminal. The spirit could be your actual aunt or it could be a deity or other spirit taking that form to aid you. It’s a very personal experience that can feel awkward to explain, as special as it may be. Some might say the formal group initiation is like being enrolled at a private school, while the initiation by spirit is like home-schooling. But frankly, if they both get the Witch to where they need to be in their practice, then they are equally valid.
But even if you’re not looking to join a group, there’s often a desire to feel recognized or validated in some way that feels formalized. It’s a very human, very natural thing to do. I can tell you to suck it up and own being a Witch for yourself, but that’s not very helpful, is it?
Instead, I’m going to suggest some things you can do that will help you feel like things are indeed set in motion. One option is devising a rite of dedication. Dedication means that you are making a formal declaration that signifies your complete and wholehearted devotion to the path of the Witch. Another thing to consider is that if you’re going through this book with other people, you can do a ritual of initiation where you witness each other’s intent to follow your own path.
In devising a rite of initiation or dedication, consider what you are looking to accomplish. Is there a certain symbol or object that seems important or most relevant for what you wish to do? Most people choose to perform some sort of ritual in order to feel that they are marking a new point in their lives. An initiation is a promise to unlock the mysteries within you so that you can be more connected and in tune with the world around you. This rite could involve the lighting of a new white candle, the anointing of a special oil upon the body, and/or the blessing of a new piece of jewelry. A dedication can involve forming an agreement with ancestors, spirits, or deities to follow a certain path, exchanging work and focus for wisdom and guidance. If you’re focusing on herbalism, then the ritual might include the consecrating of special working tools, like a boline, in honor of the agreement. Follow your intuition here, but we’ll talk more about ritual in the next chapter.
The Truth of Myth
Much of the RITES process asks you to consider myth and folklore. We tend to think of myth as something that was forged long ago—and has remained static throughout time. But myths are fluid, changing with the cultures that tell them, constantly being created and recreated. Our ancestors edited and altered myths per their experiences. They eliminated or added characters, empowering or minimizing certain aspects, changing, adding, or erasing details to fit their modern-day narrative.
Similarly, some people may equate myths with fiction, but all myths have a root in reality. They explain our relationship with the universe, both the natural and the unnatural world around us—from creation and the nuances of life to the mysteries of death. Mythology imparts to us history, morals, ethics, protocol, and viewpoints.
Myths are forged in the heart of storytelling, the mind and body of defining and forming culture, and in the spirit of imagination. They are stories not just of the gods, such as “Persephone’s Journey to the Underworld” or “Coyote Brings Fire to the People,” but of the rise and fall of religions, cultures, governments, and plain old human beings as well. These are all myths:
• Your great-great-grandfather’s trek to the New World and building a new legacy for his descendants in Pittsburgh
• Gerald Gardner’s founding of Wicca (or the origin story and resulting legacy of any prominent occultist)
• Your interaction with that rude person in the grocery store yesterday that got applause from your fellow shoppers, which you posted on social media
• The surprising and uplifting encounter your friend just had with someone on the subway, which they called and told you about
These all combine elements of truth and real experiences, rolled up into something that is passed on verbally or in printed form. We take in details through all of our senses, and our minds unconsciously form versions of what we experience. That means that the person sitting next to us could see the same scene play out and remember it in a completely different way. Others purposely manipulate myths to recreate experiences in their own memories. Sometimes it’s done with the best of intentions, and sometimes it’s forged under a veil of manipulation.
It is vital that we are constantly investigating and reconsidering not only the myths of ancient times but also those of the generation ahead of us and that of those behind us. Persephone’s story can indeed change in meaning and relevance depending on how our own lives go. How you saw the myth when you were eight should be different from when you were 16, 32, 48,or 70—because of your own experiences.
Similarly, as history uncovers new facts and other variations of myths, we must allow ourselves to be fluid enough to move with the myth, to see and accept (or reject) new versions of it. We should question what we think and what we believe—and why we think and believe that way.
For example, so much information has been brought to light about how Wicca as a religion came to be (and continues to come into being via Ronald Hutton, letters from Doreen Valiente, conjecture on Margaret Murray’s work, etc.) and similar P-word paths claiming long lineages and fantastic associations with occult celebrities—yet some folks are attached to the idea of it being “the ancient ways” despite the proof or logic. Over the last several decades, that connection to pre-Christian times gave a sense of validation and history to a budding movement.
But we know that age doesn’t grant validity to a path—practice does. It doesn’t matter how recently your spiritual path got pinned on the map or how it compares to someone else’s; what matters is that it works for you. Ask yourself, What does the myth do for you? What do you lose in releasing it? And what are the myths that society is feeding you right now?
Myth isn’t about the accurate representation of actual events backed up by original source materials. Mythology is designed to feed into our imagination, to inspire us, to explain the world in metaphor, to teach us ideas and concepts, and to entertain us, and at the root of all myth is the seed of truth. But truth doesn’t always mean “fact.” Truth is subjective; it’s a given perspective of an idea. It touches upon reality for a brief moment and then departs from there.
We’re supposed to know and understand that myths are steeped in metaphor. Relative age or newness has nothing to do with the power of a myth. Consider Neil Gaiman’s American Gods, Monica Furlong’s Juniper, Charles de Lint’s Moonheart, or Tom Robbins’s Jitterbug Perfume, purely fictional modern books that so eloquently provide insight into the divine and magic and our relationships with them. (They are also recommended reading.)
The point of myth is to inspire us to find our own truths and craft our own stories, build our own myths and practices, and give us principles to use as a guide. And that, dear folks, is no fiction.
Age, Experience, Secrets,
and the Fear of Missing Out
In this section I want to talk about some common issues that seekers often encounter when starting on their paths. There is the factor of age, relative experience, the natural progression of learning, the fascination (or obsession) with secrets and mysteries, and the fear that you might be missing out on something wonderful. All of these things are common, but you may feel deceptively alone as you experience them. A combination of them might make you feel pressured to make choices that may lead to more confusion than clarity. My goal here is to put your mind at ease and prepare you as well.
When I was much younger and finding my way on the path, I felt that surely there were secrets to be uncovered, protected by the initiated and handed out to the worthy; that if I found the right mystery, tradition, or gatekeeper, all the knowledge would be revealed.
Now? I believe that there are no secrets, but only revelations. That isn’t to say there aren’t any mysteries and that all of the answers are out there in plain sight. Rather, we learn things as we’re ready to receive them, and no one person or path has all the answers.
Growing up, we tend to think of our parents as infallible and believe they must know everything. But as we become adults ourselves, we realize that they are human, just like us. That means they can be equally as wrong as they are right, depending upon their experiences and choices. The same is true of an “elder” of any path or tradition. They are not all-knowing or always right. But it is important—with our parents as well as our elders—to give respect where it is deserved. And a true elder (as with a good parent) fosters relationships that allow respect to flow in both directions. What does that mean and look like?
In both dance and Witchcraft classes, I often talk about the stages of growth I’ve observed:
• The Neophyte/Beginner: Eager to learn everything, freely admits they know nothing
• The Acolyte/Beginner-Mediate: Staunchly dedicated to what they’re learning, full of fervor for their newfound passion, and quite vocal about everyone and everything else being wrong
• The Practitioner/Intermediate: A swinging pendulum of confidence and insecurity—trying to prove they know things while secretly worried they will be found out for not knowing
• The Elder/Advanced: Has forgotten more things than they can count, are still avid learners open to new ideas, and aren’t afraid to say they don’t know
I have been blessed to work with several wonderful mentors along my path up until this point, and what sets those individuals apart from other would-be teachers is that they are just as willing to seek advice from me as I am from them. Even though they are recognized masters of their respective fields and have been practicing for decades, they are not closed to hearing about other experiences and perspectives. They also find that their own paths are more fulfilled when they seek answers outside of themselves and what they already know. The biggest secret that is not a secret is this: The more we learn, the more we are open to grow and share, and the more we can understand what makes, connects, and expands us. And that power doesn’t come from hiding, gatekeeping, or taking from others, but from mastering ourselves—spiritually, mentally, and physically.
Anyone who tells you that they are the keepers of the secrets and that you must submit to them to discover them—well, they’re essentially telling you they don’t know any. A person who lauds “Don’t you know who I am?” over anyone else hasn’t reached the elder stage. They’re more concerned with what they know and what power they can hold over others. Some modern magical practices rely on a scarcity model focused on an exclusive club mentality. They imply that there are hidden, almost lost things that you can discover only through very specific gates. That is more about preserving power and a sense of hierarchy than about wisdom and safeguarding knowledge.
It’s human nature to be worried that we’re missing out on something, that even though we’re functioning just fine and coming across things in a decent progression, maybe, somewhere, somehow, somebody else has a secret knowledge of hidden wisdom that we’re missing—particularly because they’re telling us they have a big, delicious secret pie that is limited to only the chosen, the elite, the special. They may also have a bridge to sell you.
To all seekers: the answers are waiting within you, poised for the right time and place to be revealed. It won’t happen all at once, nor from one source, but if you seek, you shall find. Sometimes the best revelations aren’t the ones you think you are looking for. Look at your journey as nonstop: as you go along your path, you will pick up tools that help you uncover more clues, maps, and possibilities. It’s essentially a choose-your-own-adventure book that has infinite possibilities—all unique to you!
The wise Witch knows that in order to uncover the secrets within, they must be able to listen, to be kind, and to be bold. The whole universe is a free-for-all kitchen and buffet of wisdom. There are all sorts of pies out there, made by all kinds of people. All you need to do is choose wisely, eat your share, and do some work in the kitchen yourself.
The Dangers of Witchcraft
It’s been quite a fashionable topic to talk about how Witchcraft is truly dangerous, and the reasons for this trend are wide and varied. Some folks emphasize that they are putting the “teeth” back into Witchcraft. Others are more concerned about venturing into and working with the realm of the Other. Working with blood, dirt, bones, urine, nails, poisonous herbs, flight, and thorns. The evening out of odds, a dark power tapped into, rings of oaths and seals, laws, and deals. I get it. I really do. But that’s not really why I think Witchcraft is dangerous.
I once read a snippet of an interview somewhere with Doreen Valiente, who, when asked “Is Witchcraft dangerous?” replied along the lines of, “Sure it is, but so is crossing the street.” (#truth) She basically said, Yes, of course all of those things are dangerous, but what is danger? And to whom? Living life is the thing.
I think we need to dig deeper into history and ourselves to discover the danger—and, most importantly, to make use of it. The Witch is the ultimate wild one, yet the Witch is of the secret order of all things, the one with an eye on the pattern beneath and within all things. It is the undercurrent of hidden knowledge that has survived the death of lineages, the loss of leaders and guides, against the tides of persecution and torture, through rapids of governments and religions.
Witchcraft is dangerous because it makes us think critically. It asks us to consider all of the angles, to defy and dispel illusions—or create them. It is the tapping into the power within. It is the harnessing of the power without. It is a triumph of personal will and a celebration of essence.
Witchcraft is dangerous because it is the tool of the subversive, the downtrodden, the disillusioned, and the disenfranchised. It gives voice to those who have been silenced, eyes to the blinded, sound to those whose ears were covered, and hands and legs to those who could not move. Yes, it can be seen as a means for social reform, but Witchcraft starts first with the Witch. Change can happen from just one point of origin, with just one Witch, one idea put into motion.
They will tell you that the mob is powerful and can’t be changed, that society’s will is greater than yours. They will say let it go, accept it, don’t think, stop being Witches, play nice, conform.
They say that because they know the truth: that even one Witch has power; even just one can bring change and turn the tide. It takes just one Witch to light the cauldron’s fire and purify the drink.
Just one Witch can make a difference, and that’s why Witchcraft is dangerous. It is the crack in the wall of false castles, the rust in the armor of old ideas, the voice of truth and dissent against the chorus of those who would not have you think, fight, or even exist.
But you are not alone.
10. See https://futurism.com/memories-can-inherited-scientists-may-just-figured and https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/genetic-memory-how-we-know-things-we-never-learned.
11. Aside from the more frequently occurring anomalies caused by global warming.
12. See pages 224–226 of The Witch’s Cauldron for recipes.