And, no we can't zap magic through our fingers like Sabrina the Teenage Witch. But, we do unite within covens and dive into the metaphysical forces of the universe like in the modern remix of the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. So what is a witch? Well, we are actually pretty much the same as everyone — except we see situations with a dimensional lens that helps us to understand the world on a deeper level.
First thing's first: Anyone can be a witch. Some people are born into mystical families while others have natural abilities. Some join covens and houses to be intimated into a certain branch of Magic.
But, we are all magical at heart. Being a witch also requires a few things: being one with nature, seeing matters with an open mind, and healing others. We are seers of truths and givers of wisdom, and nurturers of Earth and those who inhabit it.
We are high-vibe peeps who want to make the world a better place — not cauldron-stirring trouble makers like the infamous Sanderson sisters. As a magic practitioner, I find it important to align and harmonize with nature. Using the elements fire, earth, air, and water that make up the Earth can help us to create and elevate our own innate power. Understanding that the world isn't as it seems and is composed of many dimensions is important, as is being able to let your mind and body feel their way through different realms and synergize with those frequencies.
This allows us witches to be open to receiving downloads and information from domains that remain hidden to the common eye. The person we glorify the most is Mother Earth and we never take her for granted. That means showing love for all living things — flowers, plants, animals, and other humans. The Sun and the Moon give us our power to lean into our cast spells and alchemy to see through the darkness with the intention of illuminating truths that have been kept secret.
As a witch, it's important to connect with one's personal ancestors. These are blood relatives who have passed away and whose DNA runs through our bodies. Honoring them by celebrating their birthdays and commemorating the anniversary of their passing helps our post-mortem energy flow through us and around us. Not only that, but they can protect us, guide us, and bring things to our awareness which we hadn't seen before.
Like many other communities, the occult world has problematic members who insist that to be a witch, you have to come from a magickal bloodline. Remember how messed up beliefs about "Purebloods" are in the Harry Potter series?
It's not OK to shame or exclude based on lineage in our world, either. Some people do have witches in their families, and when you're looking for spirits to work with, magickal ancestors are a powerful choice — but so are any ancestors. If you come from a non-magickal family, aren't close with your family, or have severed ties with them out of necessity, that has nothing to do with whether or not you can be a witch. Sorry if this scares you, but hexes, cast to inflict misfortune on others, are indeed real.
You may have heard of "the rule of threes," or the belief that performing magick with ill intent will come back to you three times, turning the ill intent on you. The neo-pagan religion Wicca holds that "three times what thou givest returns to thee," which can be applied to positive magick as well. But the rule of threes doesn't simply mean, for example, that if you cast a spell to steal someone's man and you and said man get together, he'll cheat on you exactly three times.
Hexes like this usually entail bigger blowback: If you're performing magick to cause harm to someone, you're probably in a pretty nasty, dark place. You likely aren't exuding positive, loving vibes, but swampy, malicious ones. And it doesn't feel good to be a mean troll. Performing magick to release yourself of anger so you can move on after you've been harmed can be healing. Using your craft to hurt someone, meanwhile, often just ends up making you feel bad, not to mention that positive energy is simply more powerful.
Work with the universe, not against it. Speaking of hexes, you've probably heard about "black magick" and "white magick. To start, they have racist undertones: Rituals that are mistakenly believed to be "bad" and therefore labeled "black magick" often come from traditions such as Hoodoo, which is traditional African folk magick. Generally speaking, magick itself isn't simply "good" or "evil": It's a tool. We can all act selfish, jealous, and petty from time to time and, honestly, that's OK.
We have good sides that are loving, too. Often, the best way to get in touch with your loving side and then inject it into your magick is to recognize that you're human.
Negative thoughts are normal. Instead of acting on them, perform a cleansing ritual, dance around, go to the gym , or take a long, hot bath to soothe yourself. All such acts can be magickal rituals. A coven is a group of witches that meets regularly to perform magick and rituals. A coven can be traditional, with 13 members and a highly organized initiation process, or it can be more laid-back and designed by you and your witchy friends.
As witchcraft has become mainstream, covens have become more casual. Some people enjoy the responsibility and framework of performing magick with a structured group, while other people perform better as solo artists. By all means, form a coven if it's appealing to you. Witches are condemned in the Old Testament.
Ancient Norse and Roman laws forbade magic for nefarious purposes. The rise of Christianity prompted vigorous prohibitions against witchcraft and many denominations continue to denounce it. Historians estimate that at least 50, people were tried and either imprisoned or executed for witchcraft in Western Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries.
In a span of about 15 months, starting in February, , 15 women and four men were hanged after accusations of witchcraft reached a frenzied pitch in the town of Salem. In recent years, people who brand themselves as witches have had an easier go of it — especially in Southern California, where they have joined a thriving community of empaths, energy workers and other healers. In some cases this has prompted accusations of cultural appropriation.
In addition to being the targets of skeptics, cynics, atheists and certain religious denominations, people who promote themselves as magical practitioners sometimes attract the attention of law enforcement. She was told not to open the bag for two days. When she finally did, all she had was a bag full of newspaper. On a recent Wednesday, the witch and spirit medium Aja Daashuur was preparing her home for a magical workshop that would be attended by 10 women, including her assistant.
The candles were lit. Dozens of long-stemmed pink roses were arranged in a circle in the center of the room. Meditative music played softly in the background. Her final task? Sweep the negative energy out of her year-old A-frame house high in the hills of northeast Los Angeles. Daashuur is a former musician and celebrity stylist who now earns her living channeling spirits and sharing their insights with her clients.
Over the past two years she has seen private clients several times a week in a small pyramid-shaped space on the grounds of her home.
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