What is a witch?
This is the second article in a series on the Ethics in Witchcraft, so let’s jump in with a working definition of Witch so we’re all on the same page. A witch is a person who manipulates energy to effect her/his surroundings.
You can find the Introduction to the Series here: Being a Good Witch
That’s it. That’s all we need right now. I know its rather vague and that’s okay. There are many ways to be a witch and many ways to practice witchcraft. We’ll get into those details in another post. Right now we need to agree that the definition of a witch is someone who practices magic by manipulating energy.
This post may contain affiliate links. This means if you follow a link I might make a small percentage from any purchases you make however, you won’t pay more. Thanks for supporting Green Witch Farm! See our full disclosure for details.
Quick History of the Word
Why is the idea of a witch so scary?
In order to understand why witchcraft is a taboo subject in some circles, and why the witch is the monster in many horror stories we have to have a small history lesson. This is my version and I guarantee it’s not complete.
Most people in America will agree that the Salem witch trials had nothing to do with witches. The 200+ people accused unjustly were victims of a hysterical community. The 19 that were executed were most likely not witches, at least not according to our definition of witch.
Before Salem, across the pond in Europe, there was a serious power struggle between the hierarchy of the Holy Roman Church and peasants from the communities they invaded.
European Witch Hunts
Ya’ll can blame the patriarchy for that one. Witch became a scary word when the Church started accusing women (and some men) of evil deeds and being in cahoots with the Devil. The church came up with that definition of witch.
Women were blamed for disease, bad weather, unexpected deaths and all sorts of other bad things. Part of that was the Church’s desire to eliminate the competition. Women were often the healers; they knew the herbs and medicines of the day. They were held in high respect and the church couldn’t have that.
Some of the accused were the ones that disagreed with the people in power. Sometimes it was a disagreement with the church or its clergy and sometimes the disagreement was with city and town officials, the wealthy, or the leadership.
Some were accused because they did their own thing, they didn’t conform to the society or they were somehow ‘different’, i.e. the old, infirmed, disabled, disfigured. It really didn’t take much to be accused of witchcraft and punished for the accusation.
Its human nature to want to blame someone when things go wrong, so the common folk went along with it, demanding a biblical kind of justice and villified the accused. It’s also good to remember that the witch hunts of Europe happened during a time before science, reason, and logic was a thing. They also happened when the plague was running rampant and a global temperature dropped during the little ice age that affected the weather patterns and growing season.
The Witch Today.
Outside of Hollywood, the witch isn’t as scary or as offensive as it used to be. We can thank generations of mothers telling their children that there’s no such thing as a witch for that. They were wrong, but only slightly.
Witches don’t eat children, don’t turn people into frogs and don’t dance with the devil.
We do however dance under the moon. We do perform rituals and manipulate energy to change our reality.
“Most books on witchcraft will tell you that witches work naked. This is because most books on witchcraft are written by men.”
~Terry Pratchett, Good Omens
With all that negativity associated with the word, why would anyone want to call themselves a Witch?
I can’t speak for every witch but for me, the word itself was empowering. I also have a rebellious streak. To reclaim and redefine a word that’s been so misunderstood and misrepresented is in itself an act of rebellion.
The word Witch best describes who I am and what I do. I’ve tried on other titles, such as priestess or light worker, but they didn’t quite fit. Witch is flexible and fluid. It covers a variety of practices, many of which come naturally for me. It requires a curious mind, a brave heart and a willingness to accept certain responsibilities.
For a long time, I shied away from the title. I suppose I was afraid of backlash, concerned about people that still feared the word. I didn’t have an accurate definition of Witch so it was hard to explain it to others.
There was also the energy the fueled the word. It had a sense of power that I couldn’t explain in words and until I felt comfortable; until I could understand that power, I wasn’t comfortable taking on the title.
Many variations of the Witch
Some witches work with the old gods, honoring the Triple Goddess and her consort. Other’s work within the Christian pantheon. Some don’t believe in the Gods at all.
There are also witches who only work with earth energies and elements while others work with spirit energies.
Some witches follow a very precise practice; one that’s ceremonial in nature, structured and organized. Other witches allow their intuition to guide them, their practice is fluid and organic.
Some witches are new, they’ve taught themselves through books, websites and intuition. Some have been taught by elders and are carrying on traditions either through family or friends.
All of these are legitimate and valid. There’s no ‘one right way’ to be a witch.
The Nature of the Witch
They do, they act, they learn. They do not have time for frivolous nonsense and unnecessary drama. The more connected I am to my own power, the less time or interest I have in all the little day to day dramas that bubble up in my world.
I cared less about what people thought of me, avoided the latest gossip, and I focused more on what I could do to make life better and more peaceful (and less about how everything sucked).
According to Cyndi Brannen in her book, True Magic there are certain things all witches know and do:
1) They know they have power
2) They know they have solutions
3) They choose their way carefully. They don’t do knee jerk reactions
4) They are accepting of life and situations ‘As Is”
5) They throw away the Box by being inventive, resourceful, and creative in their problem solving
6) They get specific by crafting their own spells because it is far more effective
7) They see failures as a challenge not a defeat.
Don’t be discouraged
You may not possess all these qualities right now, nor will you always exhibit all of them at all times. Being a witch is something that you work on everyday. We’re still human after all.
Other things to define a Witch
Most witches also have a strong connection with nature. Not necessarily the hippie tree-hugging kind. A deep respect for the earth and all her inhabitants is necessary when forging a relationship with the energy of the various aspects of life on earth.
They collect random natural things such as rocks and feathers that they’ve found while stumbling through their day to day. They find solace and a sense of renewal in natural places like the woods or the shore.
Another quirky thing I’ve noticed is the witch’s affinity for the moon.
Recognizing and aligning with the energies of the earth and all its many places is an important part of being a witch. You can’t manipulate the energy if you can’t recognize it. In my opinion, this is what makes witches empathic, because most witches I’ve met are. Some are able to turn it off and on at will or at least with a little practice.
Library List:
Here’s a list of Books from my Library that’s helped me come up with my definition of Witch
“Witch: Unleashed. Untamed. Unapologetic.” by Lisa Lester
“True Magic: Unleashing your Inner Witch” by Cyndi Brannen
Some older publications that started my journey
“The Witch in Every Woman” by Laurie Cabot
“The Spiral Dance” By Starhawk
“Drawing Down the Moon” by Margot Adler
Journal Idea’s
In my last post I suggested you pick up a notebook or journal to help you record your own personal code of ethics. You can start here by writing down your own definition of Witch. Explain why you’ve come to your conclusion and how it makes you feel.
Feel free to share in the comments or on our social media channels.
