Pagan Super Powers And The Theory Of Gravity

 Over the years, I've noticed  two reactions that I get from people when they first learn that I am pagan.  There are those folks that think  because I use the term witch, that I perform ritual sacrifice in my backyard and lead wayward christians astray ... The second is a weird romanticized view of witches where some folks think I wiggle my nose and  *POOF*  we're all on a tropical beach somewhere drinking a fruity alcoholic beverage with a little umbrella in it and they fail to take into account that there's a little thing called physics. I know it sounds strange but people have the oddest ideas of what exactly a witch is. 

To illustrate this, I was in the local grocery store a few years ago, just standing in the express checkout line with twelve items or less in my basket when I got this overwhelming feeling that I was being watched. I turned my gaze from the tabloid magazine rack to the gentleman (and I use that term loosely) behind me...I can't even begin to describe the look on his face...(it was somewhere between horror and repulsion) and out of his mouth comes "Are you A good witch or a bad witch?"  as he's staring directly at my double pentacle necklace with the flower border.

 Needless to say, I was truly at a loss for words. Who did I look like, Margaret Hamilton from the Wizard of Oz? So I  just looked at him and raised an eyebrow and turned around to face forward as the line began moving and then from behind me I hear.."So, do you put spells on people ?" and  "I hear you people dance around naked in the moonlight.."  I knew he was trying to make me look foolish, but I had enough of it at that point so I turned back around and quickly replied, "Why yes,  and If you ask me one more silly question, I'll put a real good whammy on you!"  The audible gasp and resulting silence was almost too much and I dearly wanted to start laughing  but I stifled my giggle and payed for my groceries and left.

The other type of folks look at witchcraft as a novelty. These are the people that like to hang around and be your friend because they feel it's cool to say my friend "so and so" is a witch. Which comes with it's own set of grief when these people take it upon themselves to shove you right out of the broom closet and onto center stage. I hate when this happens, it's almost like that dream we all have about showing up to high school naked...talk about mortifying! 

Not too long ago, one of these types dropped by to visit one day. I had recruited my kids to help me sweep the pine needles out of the driveway so we were all standing there, having just finished, when she pulled in. Looking at the brooms resting against the garage door  she looks at me and asks..."Which one is yours?" Of course trying to be a smart ass I replied, "Oh, mine is actually in the house," and went inside grab my besom. When I came back out with broom in hand to show her she remarked "Oh, do you really fly that?" 

 All I could do is shake my head. "No..." I said, "Gravity doesn't work that way." The look on her face was priceless because it suddenly dawned on her just how ludicrous her question was. She didn't hang out too long to talk. I would like to think that people are more informed in this world, I mean it's 2009 for crying out loud!  But every now and then, another person comes along and I realize just how deep the myths and misunderstandings go.

* Thank you Fire Lyte for giving me the idea for this post's title!*

“Witches”

I got this today in my inbox and watched each video on YouTube.  It was such a great series of videos, I just had to share...I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.




The Biography Channel special “Witches” will be re-aired again this Monday and Tuesday. The show features interviews with Llewellyn authors Christopher Penczak and Silver RavenWolf.

Original airdate was 10/08; it is re-airing 4 times this fall.

Biography Channel: “Witches”

Original airdate: 10/30/08

2009 Airdates:
Friday 10/30/09
Saturday 10/31/09
Monday 11/16/09, 8 pm (upcoming)
Tuesday 11/17/09, midnight (upcoming)

You can also watch the Biography Channel’s “Witches” episode on our YouTube channel!

Part 1 includes interviews and early comments from Silver RavenWolf and Christopher Penczak, then discusses the European witch hunts.

Part 2 focuses primarily on the details of the Salem witch hysteria/trials.

Part 3 covers the end of 17th century through modern times, evolution of Halloween, and Hollywood witches; the segment ends with an early biography of Laurie Cabot.

Part 4 begins with Laurie Cabot; Christopher Penczak appears at about 2:20 in this clip.

Part 5 starts with Silver RavenWolf; this segment focuses on Silver and Wicca.

Part 6 features an interview with Roberta Stewart, the Wiccan widow who won the VA Pentacle suit, and more comments from Silver RavenWolf.

Today In History...

Bridget Bishop was one of nineteen people executed for witchcraft in Salem, Massachussetts, in 1692. Born some time in the 1630s, Bishop had was on her third marriage by the time the witch craze began. Bridget had one daughter, Christian Oliver, by her second husband in 1667, and married Edward Bishop, a lumber worker, in 1685.

Bridget was well-known in her neighborhood. She publicly fought with all of her husbands, dressed flamboyantly (although for Puritans, that just meant she liked to wear big hats and a red bodice with her black dress), and was the mistress not one but two taverns. She developed a reputation for entertaining into the wee hours of the night, playing forbidden games such as shuffle board, and generally being the target of much speculation and gossip. In other words, Bridget Bishop didn't seem to care what society thought of her - and because of that, she became a likely target when the accusations began.

In April, 1692, a warrant was issued for Bishop's arrest on charges of performing witchcraft and consorting with the devil himself. When she entered the courthouse, a number of the "afflicted" girls, including Mercy Lewis and Ann Putnam, howled that she was causing them pain. Bishop denied any wrongdoing, swearing that she was "innocent as the child unborn."

Bishop's wild ways were used as evidence against her. Certainly the town dyer's claim that she brought him yards lace to color was proof that she was up to something; after all, no sensible or respectable woman could need that much colored lace. In addition to this damning testimony, and the accusations of the teenage girls, Bishop's own brother-in-law swore he'd seen her "conversing with the Devil" who "came bodily into her." She was executed on June 10.

After Bishop's hanging, eighteen others were executed for the crime of witchcraft, and one man was pressed to death. Several others died in prison. Within months of Bridget Bishop's death, her husband remarried. Bridget's descendants through Christian Oliver still live in New England today, and her tavern, the Bishop House, still stands.

Article can be found at: About.com, written by: Patti Wigington

Monday Poem

It's a very blustery day here in my little corner of the world and after a leisurely weekend and egg hunts and family dinner on Sunday, I figured that I would start out the week with a poem. Usually Mondays are so hectic around here, it's a nice change to welcome the week on a slightly slower pace but refreshed and ready to go.


The Witch

Taking in the wind
The breeze blows
Upon her face
As she sits there
Eyes closed
Yet seeing the beauty of the world
Not the starlit sky
Or the flowing hills
She sees more
Than can be seen with just the eyes
The happiness of a flower
Who has just bloomed
The last wish of a fish
Just caught by a bear
All of nature’s hopes, dreams, and despairs
She stands up
Smelling the breeze
Picks up her wand
And falls to her knees
She sits for a minute
Lost in herself
Calmly she stands
Without further ado
She begins an enchanting dance
An energy flows out of her
Pulsing in the air
Lighting up the world
As the wind blows through her hair
Suddenly she stops
And opens her eyes
With one tear and one eye
One drop of water for the world
Falls to the ground
She walks away
Knowing someday
She will change our world.

Archaeology And Origins

Archaeological discoveries have revealed that people worshiped a hunter god and fertility goddess during the Paleolithic period. This has been proved by the discovery of cave paintings which are estimated to be 30,000 years old. There is a painting that depicts a man with the head of a stag. In yet another painting, there is a pregnant woman standing in a circle with eleven other people. These relics go to prove that witchcraft is one of the oldest religions in the world. Wiccan view of God and Goddess aspect of the supreme creative force predates thousands of years before Christianity

In the ancient times, Witchcraft was known as "craft of the wise" as the wise persons were those who followed the path of nature and were in tune with its forces, had the knowledge of herbs and medicines, gave wise counsel and were held in high esteem as Shamanic healers and leaders in the village and community. They understood that nature was superior to human beings and that human beings were simply one of the many parts of nature, both seen and unseen that combine to form one whole. As Chief Seattle said, “We do not own the earth; we are a part of it.” They understood that what we take from nature or use, we must return in kind to maintain the balance and equilibrium. The modern man has, however, forgotten this and has paid the price in form of many ecological and environmental disasters.

Modern witchcraft attracts believers from all walks of life and positions in society all over the world. They come together to understand the life, nature, evolution and mysteries of the universe through witchcraft. Witchcraft is the most democratic religion in the world. There is no rigid dogma and no hard-line regime except for a simple premise that we shall harm none and secondly that we should not misuse the gifts of nature by disturbing its balance.

Good Witch or Bad Witch.....

Often when people find out about my spirituality, at the top of all questions first asked is "Are you a good witch or a bad witch?" It never fails to give me a start no matter how many times I hear it, I don't know exactly why but as I'm hearing these words being spoken, my mind is instantly transported back to the age when I first saw "The Wizard of Oz" and Glenda asks Dorothy that very same question. To most folks I'm sure it's a very legitimate question in their minds and inwardly all the bad press down through the ages about witches and the craft makes me cringe. The craft does NOT fall into the categories of good or bad nor even black or white, the craft is an empowering; exhilarating and positive experience to those that choose this path and any other beliefs that classify themselves as anything else other than this definition in my opinion, are examples of attack magic and should be avoided. My main objective in starting this blog was to be an educational example of my everyday life as well as speak of the craft and how it weaves itself throughout my daily life so that maybe it can become clear that I'm really not so different after all, it may lay a few of these fears to rest. I like to explain it not as someone who lights candles; chants rituals makes charm bags (and occasionally participates in broom riding that results in reports of UFO encounters and general widespread hysteria because after all, we all know physics doesn't exactly work like that.) To me it's easier to just answer that it is simply a lifestyle or outlook on the world and how we interact within it and spells and rituals are how I approach the common practice of prayer that the "mainstream" religions follow. Lately, there has appeared an abundance of those who seek to remove the fear from terms like witchcraft; the craft; wicca and even paganism. The one I like the best is that of Ariel ( pronounced AH-ree-el) who moderates Ariel's Corner Discussion Forum. He has an excellent podcast titled "the Witches Primer" and can be found at this link: http://www.magic-craft.com/ and this one as well: http://www.thedcw.org/ They are chock full of wonderful info on just what the craft IS and so are the links on the right side of my page that will give you a glimpse of who we are and what we believe. I encourage those who read my blog to check out these links.

P.S.- I indeed DO own a rather handsome handmade broom (from an elderly gentleman in Oregon that made the brooms for movies like Harry Potter) but it flies above my door as a symbol of welcome and positive vibrations for those who enter my doorway.