what Does it Take to be a Witch?
Posted: Mon Jul 18, 2016 7:30 pm
Gawd help us, but I've been doing a lot of thinking and reading lately, seeking a consensus of the basic foundations of being a witch. It's not an extensive, organized study but a personal search of Craft teachings available on the market. These ideas are gleaned from stacks of books consulted & assorted web sites browsed, both traditional and Wiccan. It's not surprising that no one agrees on a core foundation, whether it's Learnable skills, natural abilities or personal character traits.
Learnable skills were seen as things like raising & directing energy, meditation, etc., natural abilities ranged from discerning energies, psychic abilities etc., and personal character traits were like a strong will, self discipline.
The only things that came up frequently (but not consistently) in my search were:
KNOW YOURSELF, and
BUILD A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE SPIRIT (energy essence, not ghost) OF WHATEVER YOU USE IN YOUR CRAFT.
And I nod along and agree with that. But, is that all it takes?
I was really surprised that I found only a few references to a having a relationship with the Earth, Nature, and/or Deity, but when these were viewed as foundation essentials it was always with eloquence and deep feeling, which only makes sense to me.
A couple times I came across a list of five skills that are generally accepted, in no particular order of importance: herbalism, divination, mediumship or spirit work, mystic quality to access other worlds, and magic using.
So,what else do you think it takes to be a witch?
Learnable skills were seen as things like raising & directing energy, meditation, etc., natural abilities ranged from discerning energies, psychic abilities etc., and personal character traits were like a strong will, self discipline.
The only things that came up frequently (but not consistently) in my search were:
KNOW YOURSELF, and
BUILD A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE SPIRIT (energy essence, not ghost) OF WHATEVER YOU USE IN YOUR CRAFT.
And I nod along and agree with that. But, is that all it takes?
I was really surprised that I found only a few references to a having a relationship with the Earth, Nature, and/or Deity, but when these were viewed as foundation essentials it was always with eloquence and deep feeling, which only makes sense to me.
A couple times I came across a list of five skills that are generally accepted, in no particular order of importance: herbalism, divination, mediumship or spirit work, mystic quality to access other worlds, and magic using.
So,what else do you think it takes to be a witch?