Wore my "Arts and Witchcrafts" t-shirt to work today
I got asked by a coworker, "Are you a witch?"
I enthusiastically said, "Yes!" with no hesitation.
He asked, "Do you practice witchcraft?"
I made an "eh" motion with my hand because my relationship to magic is kind of complex.
He then asked, "Do you have a coven?"
This one took me a but by surprise. No one has asked me that before. I said, "No. I'm an independent witch."
He asked if I had a cat, which I said do. I said I collect his whiskers. He asked if I made them into a stew. Lol I said, "No. He's my emotional support animal. I'd never do that." I understood the question. He wanted to know if my cat was my familiar. I have issues with the concept of familiars too.
He asked why I collected his whiskers. I said, "for a momento."
At that point, he seemed satisfied and walked away.
I have been into metaphysics since I was in my teens. I have been a pagan/witch since I was 19. My "practice" is never consistent, to be honest. I can't fully commit to it on the daily, but I've come to peace with my beliefs.
My best friend since the 4th grade asked me one day, "'What caused you so much pain that you turned awau from god?"
I used to be a very devout Christian. For most of my teen years. But it was depressing to me. God and Jesus were not sources of joy. They were sources of guilt and shame. That I was doomed to forever sin and ask for forgiveness, that seems so awful. To constantly feel guilty for living my life in a way that makes me feel happy and fulfilled because that is a sin was just too much. I also stopped believing in Satan and the devil long before I stopped being a Christian. It always seemed like a stupid boogie man created to force obedience. There was plenty to hate yourself over by just living than blame some made up bad man.
When I discovered witchcraft, I devoured every book I could get a hold of. I still have those books in my bookshelf, even though a few of them are now problematic. I learned all about the spiritual movement in the late 1800's-early 1900's, knowing that the majority of all that was a scam. I learned about The Order of the New Dawn. I learned about the cultural appropriation of Egyptian, Greek, Roman and Celtic gods and goddesses. I understood the foundations of the strains of paganism and witchcraft. I discovered that Wicca is pretty much Christian Lite for those who don't want to really let go of Christian structure but don't want to practice Christianity. I learned a lot about the whole spectrum.
And I still chose it because it felt right. It settled easily in my heart and gave me a feeling of belonging in this world, not just waiting till I die to be rewarded. That I can be rewarded everyday by simply existing in the world. That my life here has meaning being a part of it.
I can create rituals and traditions that have actual meaning to me. That ties me spiritually to this earth and my existence. That it is my own little part of myself that I am putting out into the universe in an attempt to make the world better for everyone. That the universe wants us to be happy and fulfilled and we can do that by pouring ourselves into it and letting it do what it will.
I found that when bad things happen, I'm not asking god to protect me. I'm not blaming some evil demon for it. I'm seeing what my actions have done or not done cause it. If that doesn't exist, then it is just a part of life and something that happens. That I'm not being tested. That I'm noton some weird trail of god. That life is just happening and I have choices on how to address these situations.
I don't feel funneled into a machine that only allows me to praise god and hate the devil. To give the credit to a god for all the good that happens to me and blame a demon for that which doesn't or is bad. It allows me the agency to take credit for my own work and resolve problems that happen. I get to take full accountability for my life and therefore, I give myself the best gift one can ever be given:
Freedom.
I enthusiastically said, "Yes!" with no hesitation.
He asked, "Do you practice witchcraft?"
I made an "eh" motion with my hand because my relationship to magic is kind of complex.
He then asked, "Do you have a coven?"
This one took me a but by surprise. No one has asked me that before. I said, "No. I'm an independent witch."
He asked if I had a cat, which I said do. I said I collect his whiskers. He asked if I made them into a stew. Lol I said, "No. He's my emotional support animal. I'd never do that." I understood the question. He wanted to know if my cat was my familiar. I have issues with the concept of familiars too.
He asked why I collected his whiskers. I said, "for a momento."
At that point, he seemed satisfied and walked away.
I have been into metaphysics since I was in my teens. I have been a pagan/witch since I was 19. My "practice" is never consistent, to be honest. I can't fully commit to it on the daily, but I've come to peace with my beliefs.
My best friend since the 4th grade asked me one day, "'What caused you so much pain that you turned awau from god?"
I used to be a very devout Christian. For most of my teen years. But it was depressing to me. God and Jesus were not sources of joy. They were sources of guilt and shame. That I was doomed to forever sin and ask for forgiveness, that seems so awful. To constantly feel guilty for living my life in a way that makes me feel happy and fulfilled because that is a sin was just too much. I also stopped believing in Satan and the devil long before I stopped being a Christian. It always seemed like a stupid boogie man created to force obedience. There was plenty to hate yourself over by just living than blame some made up bad man.
When I discovered witchcraft, I devoured every book I could get a hold of. I still have those books in my bookshelf, even though a few of them are now problematic. I learned all about the spiritual movement in the late 1800's-early 1900's, knowing that the majority of all that was a scam. I learned about The Order of the New Dawn. I learned about the cultural appropriation of Egyptian, Greek, Roman and Celtic gods and goddesses. I understood the foundations of the strains of paganism and witchcraft. I discovered that Wicca is pretty much Christian Lite for those who don't want to really let go of Christian structure but don't want to practice Christianity. I learned a lot about the whole spectrum.
And I still chose it because it felt right. It settled easily in my heart and gave me a feeling of belonging in this world, not just waiting till I die to be rewarded. That I can be rewarded everyday by simply existing in the world. That my life here has meaning being a part of it.
I can create rituals and traditions that have actual meaning to me. That ties me spiritually to this earth and my existence. That it is my own little part of myself that I am putting out into the universe in an attempt to make the world better for everyone. That the universe wants us to be happy and fulfilled and we can do that by pouring ourselves into it and letting it do what it will.
I found that when bad things happen, I'm not asking god to protect me. I'm not blaming some evil demon for it. I'm seeing what my actions have done or not done cause it. If that doesn't exist, then it is just a part of life and something that happens. That I'm not being tested. That I'm noton some weird trail of god. That life is just happening and I have choices on how to address these situations.
I don't feel funneled into a machine that only allows me to praise god and hate the devil. To give the credit to a god for all the good that happens to me and blame a demon for that which doesn't or is bad. It allows me the agency to take credit for my own work and resolve problems that happen. I get to take full accountability for my life and therefore, I give myself the best gift one can ever be given:
Freedom.
