Natural Witches All
 

I have often found myself in the precarious position of defining what I believe witchcraft is and how I personally fit into that definition. Though I consider myself to be a serious witch, I very rarely cast spells, I am not a vegetarian, I sometimes forget to recycle and I always smush the ants that crawl around on my computer-desk top. In a religion that glorifies all life, the sanctity of the Earth and the power of magick, how am I truly a witch? What really is a witch?

When we talk about being a witch, we are overwhelmed with images of candles, circles, cats, herbs, tarot, etc. We are immediately curious as to the degree of the witch, their specialty or their lineage. But none of these things makes the witch what they are. A witch is the caretaker of the Earth, a teacher of the Craft (either through example or lecture), a conduit of energy and a self-recognized manifestation of the Goddess. As witches, we assume these roles almost without thinking about them and they become so ingrained into our lifestyles that we take them for granted. While perfecting our magickal or occult arts and amidst the strain to realize our mystical goals, we forget the hard work that went into building our souls and making them suitable for carrying out the work of the Goddess, when this is the real craft of the witch. If this is true, why do we ask whether witches are born or made? Can we not be born witches and still be completely one hundred percent natural?

I would have to say YES, absolutely one thousand percent, we CAN.

Witchcraft ( or if you prefer, Wiccan Witchcraft) is a way of life. It is a mentality, a spirituality, a philosophy and a code of ethics. It is a method of thinking, believing, feeling and acting that incorporates and integrates body, soul and mind to the energy flows of the Earth, the Cosmos and those beings around us. When a person learns, either through study, practice or coincidence, to feel the energy around them, to direct that energy, flow with it and accord their actions with the most positive use of that energy, they have become a witch. They have become able to respect life, to live peacefully, to make sound judgments (most of the time) and to respect the Earth.

How we come to be this person is something of a mystery. Some of us seem to be born with it; others of us seem to grapple with these notions constantly, never really sure if we've made peace with the Goddess or not. Many people have called the first group of people natural witches. I, for one, think the term is laughable. After all, have you ever heard of an unnatural witch? A synthetic witch, perhaps?

Because of the world we live in, we have glamorized and completely dramatized what it is to be a witch. Even those of us that should know better still think of the spell-caster, the great diviner, the powerful wizard or sorcerer. We still expect witches to have powers beyond reality. We neglect the mundane but still terribly important aspects of real witches: caring, giving, teaching and guiding. It is almost as if these properties are meaningless unless they work right along side the more mystical aspects of the witch. If we understood that these aspects are just as crucial to being a witch as the magickal aspects, then we would never have to ask the question, Are there any natural witches? A better question might be, Are there any natural magicians? for it seems that it is the magick aspect that we are questioning. But when we recognize witchcraft as a lifestyle and philosophy, we have to understand though we grow into it and develop it, it is always a part of us and therefore always natural.

The power of the witch is something that is found deep within ourselves, but how we learn to manifest that power is different in each person. The Goddess grants us the power but it is up to us to learn to develop it. A true witch is neither born nor made, it is something that we evolve into through a lifetime (or several) of experience. We do not make ourselves witches, but we allow the Goddess to lead us into it. We, through our own free will, become witches through realizing our natural ability. Becoming a witch is not difficult, but it is hard work. It requires personal experience, study, dedication and discipline. It requires us to look into ourselves, to master our talents and to use them to benefit others. It requires us to conquer the beasts inside us that tell us, You will never amount to anything.

Well none of us are born witches. We do not pop out of the womb with athame in hand, or Book of Shadows in the backpack. But we all are born with the potential though many choose not to use it. Perhaps it scares them. Perhaps they don't want the responsibility that witches take upon themselves. Perhaps they do not believe. Either way, it is not the ability that hinders them, it is the lack of desire, it is the lack of passion.

Not all witches have the same talents. There are witches that cast terrible circles and there are witches that are lousy diviners and there are witches that never learn to get the spell right. Some of us are Teaching Witches. Others of us may be Healing Witches. But regardless of what labels we give ourselves, we earn the title witch because we studied, we loved, we learned, we sacrificed and we grew. Because we did those things and because we lived up to our best possible human potential, we are all natural witches. Because when we are dealing with the Craft and the Goddess, trying to make ourselves the best we can be is the most natural thing in the world.