Why I Call Myself a Witch

What is a witch? It seems nowadays a lot of people are self-proclaimed witches. Odd as it seems, I am actually one of those people; the white womb witch. This came to me not necessarily by choice but through a meditation, I did in July, that I won't share here. I will share that the meditation was profound enough to motivate me to step into a new role to guide women and call myself "a witch".

Over the past few months, I have been wondering, "what does it mean to be a witch" and "what is a witch?" and for me, "what is a white womb witch?"

According to the History website, as early as the 1200's witches were women who used witchcraft, cast spells, and called upon spirits for help. Most witches were thought to be doing the "Devil's work." I imagine these women were not married and often kept to themselves, adding to the curiosity and fear around who these women were and what they did.

Which hysteria started in about the 1400's with the increased movement of Christian doctrine. There is an Old Testament passage that states, “thou shalt not suffer a witch to live” (Exodus 22:18). It was often under extreme torture that women would "admit" to their "wicked" behaviors they were being accused of. Most of them were single, widowed, or marginalized, They were often burned alive or hung. Between 1500 and 1660 it is estimated 80,000 women were put to death in Europe alone. These women were "in cahoots with the Devil and filled with lust".

As the hunt for witches died down in Europe, it increased in the United Sates. There was the Salem Witch Trials in 1692, and the story of Grace Sherwood who was accused of a witch when she did not sink in water when thrown in with legs and arms bound.

Every time I read over this history I feel a pit in my gut. Really? This is how we treated women who were "lustful", widowed, and marginalized. We threw them bound in water, we burned them alive, and we stored them in prisons for years. It is no wonder there is a deep pain in women when we feel we don't "belong" or are "different" than other people. It is also no wonder there are so many fears and judgments about calling yourself a witch.

Witch comes from the word "wic" which means to bend or shape. Witches today, shape and bend energy and consciousness. Some still cast spells, practice chants, participate in rituals, and ask spirits, guides, plants, and animals for help. Most witches do this as a way to help others, harm no one, and bring peace. Witches are healers, shamans, and openly explore ideas that do not fit in the traditional systems. Some or all of this may be "scary" or "wrong" to those who perceive it differently.

Powerful, smart women can be a threat to any system and perceived as "dangerous". So we paint pictures that they fly around on broomsticks, cause harm, worship the Devil, and cast hexes. These are all fear-based beliefs. Beliefs are there to protect us from other people who behave differently than us.

"Until we confront the fears and stereotypes evoked by the word, we cannot contact the powers that are also embedded there". This word "witch" honors that all things are living and speaking, that there is a sacredness in ritual, a time when healing was done with the self and nature vs. a mechanical system. To be a witch is to make a commitment to the protection, preservation, processing, and healing of the great powers of life and death in every being.

To me this is all witches are. Women who behave differently. Women who work with the subconscious. Women who are not scared to learn the knowledge of the plants and animals, and speak of lust. Women who commune with rocks, spirits, and guides. Women who study the stars and dance under the moon. Women who teach rituals and magic. Women who are committed to the healing and wellness of others and Mother Earth.

And yes, I do all of these things. Therefore, I call myself a Witch even though it might strike fear or judgment in you. My hope is that as you read this, you realize there are parts of you that are a witch too. Or the very least, a place of curiosity has been sparked inside you and the walls of your beliefs can start to be broken down.