Are you a witch?

I was out and about today looking for a gift for my eldest daughter who will be 25 tomorrow.
(Unbelievable how time flies.)

I encountered one over friendly shop lady in a store who once she’d dispensed with all the usual pleasantries peered at my necklace and gushed…
“Oh what a lovely, unusual necklace, I love it!”
I was wearing this…

“What does that symbol mean?” asked the gushy woman.

“It’s a Witches claw. It symbolises protection of friends and family.” I told her.

“Oh that’s lovely…it’s so nice.” said she.

There was a moment’s pause as she busied yourself putting my items in a bag and then she just couldn’t help herself….

“So… do you practise the craft?” she asked, almost timidly, and I could tell “timid” was not this woman’s usual persona.
What did she think I’d do?
Whip out my wand and turn her into a toad?

I must admit, I faltered  for a second or two.
“What should I say?” I thought.
“Yes, I’m a practising witch. I have a cast iron cauldron at home filled with eyes of newts and warts of toads that’s always on the boil. I stand naked under the full moon casting spells and my broom has it’s own saddle, and I frequently practise putting curses on particularly annoying shop employee’s who ask too many questions!”

But I didn’t say that.
I just said…

“Oh no, not really….I just like the mystical jewelry and stuff….”

She bantered on asking where I’d bought it, etc….and eventually I prised myself free of her and left the store.

Afterwards I got to thinking though.
I wasn’t entirely comfortable with my answer.
“I just like the jewelry.”

I mean, I do, of course I do, but something wasn’t sitting well with me.
I felt as though I had lied to her, even though, I know I didn’t.

I can’t tell you the amount of people who have called me a witch. Witches have called me a witch!
Now, honestly, most people would be quite insulted by that. I’m not even sure if I am or not.
I certainly have witchy hair…I just do 😦  Bloody horrible hair, but it’s better than NO hair.
Adding to the witchy appearance I suppose is that sometimes I wear kind of hippy shop clothing. Flowy pants and skirts, loads of purples (my favourite colour) and of course the jewelry…but it depends on my mood really.
I never follow current trends, that’s for sure!

But am I a witch?
What a dilemma?

Do I love nature, do I feel at peace within nature, do I rejoice at the beauty of nature, full moons and stars, the wind…?
Have I stood before a raging storm with my arms outstretched inhaling deeply, smiling, laughing in the electric energy?
Do I revel in the magic of twilight, the hypnotic stillness of the night…?
Am I drawn to all things mystical, ancient symbols and pictures of windswept Goddesses in full length dresses standing on the edge of glistening lakes with fog swirling round their feet?
Do I believe in natural healing with plants and foods and herbs and do I own a long dark cape, a wand, and a silver chalice….?
Do I feel like I am not “of this world” and wish that I could be in a world of gypsy caravans and raging campfires, amongst fortune tellers and wise old men with long white beards reading from leather bound books with ornately decorated covers…. and rhythmic drummers hypnotically drumming, under the magnificence of a full orange moon rising slowly over the horizon?
Do I believe in “intent” when focusing my energy on something?
Do I believe that my thoughts are powerful things that have the ability to change things in my life, if I focus on the right thoughts and BELIEVE?
Do I have a deeper level of intuition and the ability to sense things, sometimes, that others may not? (especially my husband.)
Do I call upon powers greater than myself for guidance, protection and wisdom?
Do I believe in the rule of threefold…that if I send negative energy towards someone, it will return to me three times (or more) powerfully?

Yes, to all those things!
But that doesn’t make a person a witch.

Do I believe in “casting spells” , like on the silly TV shows…?
Not at all. It’s rubbish. Bollocks!

But, a prayer works the same way, doesn’t it?
It’s the intent.
It’s the focusing of energy on a thing, or a person and wishing for “good”.
Asking God, is the same to me, as asking “the universe….and all the forces out there greater than us here, us mere mortals.”

When I pray, I pray to God, to the Goddesses and to the universe. (got all bases covered see.)
The truth is, I don’t REALLY know who’s out there listening.
None of us do.

To be quite frank, I don’t like labels, or conforming to any sort of group mentality that says you are a……….

I am nothing but a human being, is what I am!

I believe in being a good person. Trying to be a good person. (I’m not always.)
Trying to be kind, and thoughtful, and having empathy, having respect, being nonjudgmental  (that’s a hard one.)
Trying to not be too selfish, too critical. Trying to understand when others are different?
Respecting nature, loving nature, appreciating our world – the natural world.
I believe in a good belly laugh. I believe in being silly sometimes.
I want to embrace life, without insecurities, or anxieties.
I’m a deep thinker, and a deep carer.
Totally WAY too emotional and sometimes a bit crazy.
That’s who I am.

My most favourite thing of all, and if ever I could be accused of having a ritual, it is to simply go outside and look at the moon when it’s full.
Ok, so I admit, I have moonbaked, naked, once or twice.
It’s such a beautiful light, and I don’t think it’s flaky to be drawn to it…After all, it affects the tides, affects women’s cycles, it does send some people, and animals a bit crazy, but really, it is just the most beautiful and amazing thing, to me.

If there is magic anywhere, it can be found in the moonlight.

Here is a song I wrote, and a video I made to it some years ago now.
It’s called “Drawing down the moon.”….which IS a witchy kind of ritual.

So what. Burn me at the stake. I like it 🙂

Drawing down the moon. from Tracy Lundgren on Vimeo.

Now excuse me while I go stir the cauldron and sacrifice a few children (who should be doing their after school jobs!)