Finding solace and empowerment through witchcraft

I was fully absorbed in practicing witchcraft. It all started out as innocent curiosity, a desire to understand the mystical and the unknown. But as I delved deeper into the world of spells, potions, and rituals, I became completely immersed. Every spare moment of my time was dedicated to learning, studying, and experimenting with magic. I devoured books on witchcraft, searching for ancient incantations and the secrets of enchantments. I scoured the internet for articles, forums, and communities where I could connect with fellow practitioners.

R.E.L. Masters and Jean Houston in their book, The Varieties of Psychedelic Experience, described, “That the witches’ ointment already was known in the fifteenth century, and that it was thought to produce dreams or illusions of flying and attendance at the Sabbat, is clear from a case cited at the time. A Dominican priest had watched a woman rub herself with the ointment and fall into a “trance.” When she awakened, she claimed to have been transported to the Sabbat and to have joined in the revels there. The witches’ ointment was actually analyzed in the sixteenth century by Andreas de Laguna, physician to Pope Julius III. Of a tube taken from a witch, Laguna reported that the ointment was green in color and contained hemlock, salanum, mandragora, and henbane.”

Many of the medieval practitioners using these plants would likely have experienced extremely vivid hallucinations involving flying off to destinations where many emotional states and physical activities were experienced. By this I mean that it s not uncommon for a witch, particularly on the West Coast the Bay Area is the nucleus of American witchcraft , to find herself in more than one committed relationship at a time.

I scoured the internet for articles, forums, and communities where I could connect with fellow practitioners. The more I learned, the more I craved to know. I was captivated by the power and potential of spells, the idea that one could bend reality to their will.

9 Things You Never Knew About Real-Life American Witches

Witches do celebrate during Halloween season, but for them, it’s a very different holiday.

Witches are among us—and far more of them than you think. Today, when people talk about “witches” in this country, they are often talking about members of the pagan movement, a group of perhaps as many as 1 million Americans whose practices draw from a combination of pre-Christian European religions, Western occult and Masonic societies, and forms of witchcraft.

More and more people are identifying as pagan and/or Wiccan in the United States. (BTW, Wicca is a modern spiritual practice with roots in pagan traditions. As the blog Wicca Living explains, “Wicca is technically classified as a pagan religion, though not all Wiccans would identify as pagans—and plenty who identify as pagans are not Wiccans.”) According to Quartz, one Trinity College study found that 8,000 Americans identified as Wiccan in 1990, which increased to 342,000 in 2008. Additionally, 140,000 identified as pagan in 2001, increasing to 340,000 in 2008. In a survey published in 2019, sociologist Helen Berger found that approximately 800,000 Americans identify as Wiccan.

My room became a sanctuary, adorned with crystals, herbs, and candles. I spent hours on end mixing potions, reciting spells, and performing rituals. The feeling of casting a spell, of invoking the elemental forces of nature, was exhilarating. It was as if a dormant part of me had awakened, my senses heightened, and my intuition sharpened. As I devoted myself to witchcraft, the lines between fantasy and reality began to blur. I started noticing synchronicities and signs, seemingly confirming the efficacy of my rituals. I believed that I had tapped into a higher power, that I possessed the ability to shape my own destiny. I felt invincible, as if I had unraveled the secrets of the universe. But with time, doubts began to creep in. The more I practiced, the more I realized the weight of responsibility that came with wielding magic. Every spell had consequences, and not always the ones I intended. The universe has its own way of balancing energies, and my attempts to manipulate it often had unintended repercussions. I began questioning my motives, wondering if I was using witchcraft as a means of escape or control. Was I truly harnessing the power of the universe for the greater good? Or was I selfishly seeking to bend reality to my own desires? The realization hit me like a bolt of lightning – magic was not a tool to be wielded recklessly, but a sacred practice that required mindfulness and ethical consideration. It was then that I realized I needed to step back and reassess my relationship with witchcraft. I needed to find a balance between the mystical and the mundane, to integrate magic into my life without losing touch with reality. **I learned that true power lies not in controlling the external world, but in understanding and accepting oneself.** Today, I continue to engage with witchcraft, but with a newfound sense of reverence and humility. I am learning to approach magic as a spiritual practice, a means of connecting with nature and the divine. I understand that spells and rituals are not simply tools for personal gain, but expressions of gratitude, healing, and growth. And through it all, I strive to walk the path of a witch with integrity, kindness, and respect for the interconnectedness of all things..

Reviews for "Combating stigma and discrimination as a practicing witch"

1. John - 1 star

I was really disappointed with "I was fully absorbed in practicing witchcraft". I found the writing style to be very confusing and hard to follow. The author jumps around between different topics without any clear direction. Additionally, I felt like the book was lacking in substance. It seemed more like a collection of random thoughts rather than a cohesive story or guide on practicing witchcraft. Overall, I would not recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a well-written and informative read on the subject.

2. Emily - 2 stars

"I was fully absorbed in practicing witchcraft" left me feeling underwhelmed. While the book promised to delve into the world of witchcraft and provide insights into the practice, I found it to be quite shallow. The author touched on various topics without going into much detail or providing any practical advice. The narrative also felt disjointed and lacked a clear structure. I expected to gain a deeper understanding of witchcraft, but instead, I was left with more questions than answers. Overall, I was not impressed with this book.

3. Sarah - 1 star

Unfortunately, "I was fully absorbed in practicing witchcraft" did not meet my expectations. The writing style was pretentious and overly verbose, making it difficult to stay engaged with the material. The author seemed more interested in showcasing their knowledge of obscure occult references rather than providing practical guidance to readers. I also found the organization of the book to be confusing, with topics jumping from one to another without any clear progression. Overall, this book did not offer any valuable insights into witchcraft and I would not recommend it to others.

The intersection of feminism and witchcraft