Witch | House M -

Happy International Witches’ Day!

The word “witch” comes from the Old English word “wiċċe” (wise woman or female shaman) In current colloquial English witch is typically applied to women. Contemporary dictionaries currently distinguish four meanings of the noun witch, including: a person (especially a woman) credited with malignant supernatural powers; a practitioner of neo-pagan tradition or religion (such as Wicca); a mean or ugly old woman: hag crone; or, a charming or alluring girl or woman. Figurative use to refer to a bewitching young girl begins in the 18th century.

They say that I’m a witch
And that I weave a spell.
Well…
I use my eyes to invite you,
My lips to delight you
And all the charms of the feminine wiles to excite you.
– Eartha Kitt (“I’d Rather Be Burned As A Witch”)

I recently stumbled across some interesting historical witches…

Agnes Waterhouse
1503-1566: In Chelmsford, England, Agnes Waterhouse was an accused witch hanged for the death of her husband, her neighbor William Fynne, and some assorted livestock. Her daughter, Joan, testified against her mom to save herself from the same fate. (Now THAT’S what I’d call a “Bitch”.) Agnes was one of the first women executed under the Witchcraft Act 1562 in England.
Nanny of the Maroons
1686-1760: A Jamaican revolutionary and leader of the Jamaican Maroons who led a community of formerly-enslaved escapees, the majority of them West African in descent, called the Windward Maroons, along with their children and families. Many in her community attributed Nanny’s leadership skills to her Obeah powers. According to Maroon oral history, Nanny’s success in defending her people against the colonial forces was often attributed to her mysterious supernatural powers. In 1975, the government of Jamaica declared Queen Nanny a National Hero.
Mary Hallet
1690-1751: The legendary “Black Sam” Bellamy’s lover from Cape Cod, was locally called “The Witch of Wellfleet” because people believed she was responsible for what happened on April 26th 1717: Black Sam’s ship the Whydah Galley crashed off the coast of Wellfleet, Massachusetts. It’s said that Mary turned to witchcraft out of a broken heart and, thinking he abandoned her and was never coming back, made the Whydah crash.

There are as many types of witches as there are spells. Like myself, some are solitary, meaning we work alone. Others prefer to be a part of a coven. (I’ve never been much of a joiner.) Some witches follow organized beliefs and practices (such as Alexandrian, Gardnerian, Dianic, etc), while others pick and choose what works for them. We are called Eclectic Witches.

electic
adj. Selecting a mixture of what appears to be best of various doctrines, methods or styles.

Electic Witches’ practices can include elements of Shamanism, Reiki, Yoga and Eastern philosophy, Buddhism, any of the many types of magickal practices, occult practices such as ceremonial magick, psychism, mediumship, and any form of divination (Such as Tarot.)

I make my own rules (which aligns pefectly with my Aries personality) – such as not having a dedicated altar. My desk is where I work. It’s filled with my energy.

Magic is a kind of energy.
It is given shape by human thoughts and emotions,
by imagination.
– Fool Moon

Speaking of Aries, Hekate is associated with that sign – and today just so happens to be the Night of Hekate. Coincidentally, Hekate is the Goddess of witchcraft and magick and is the Patroness of Witches. So I’ll be lighting some candles, burning Dragon’s Blood, offering up Lemon Balm (One of her sacred herbs.), and sipping red wine while honoring my Dark Goddess to Call.

Every other song of mine celebrates the Goddess. She is Mother Nature. And we have been placed in this extraordinary position, almost on the edge of extinction, by this totally, overly male view that every resource, every river, every breeze, every cloud, every metal in the land should be raped and pillaged and sold as a commodity. – Donovan (Musician, songwriter, and Pagan)

Video courtesy of Music City Roots.