Honor the witch within

Last summer a dream came true. I spent a couple of weeks with two incredible women in the magical island of Flores, located in the remote archipelago of the azore islands.  

We spent our days tending gardens, learning from trees, swimming in crystalline waters and sitting in sacred circle under the stars. We sang songs of joy and grief and we told each other stories…stories of where we come from and where we long to go. Stories of the Goddess and all of her manifestations. We listened to each other’s wisdom. We challenged each other in the most loving of ways. We listened to the earth, to the rescued kittens and the stormy winds. In a nutshell, we made magick. We experienced magick (as in harnessing internal and external energies to transform ourselves and our environments). And we took our seat as witches. 

I don’t write this last sentence lightly. In fact, there’s a million reasons why it’s a terrible idea to publicly claim this term. I might lose credibility or you might just hit the good old unsubscribe button. After all, we were burnt at the stake for the slightest suspicion of being an “evil witch” and we’ve learned to become overly suspicious of one another (sad sigh). Despite this, I feel called to take this risk and share this part of me with you. I’m committed to doing my piece in weaving our way out of patriarchy and reclaiming these “derogatory” (yet actually bloody sacred) terms is a necessary part of our feminine awakening. 

Here’s a little hi(her?)story: The etymology of  the word WITCH refers to wise, healer woman. In Lisa Lister’s words, “A witch is a wise woman aligned with the Earth, a healer. It’s a word that demands destigmatization at this crucial time in the planet’s history when we desperately need the medicine of the feminine to rise and rebalance humanity and the Earth” (Witch, 2018). 

I don’t know about you sister, but I’m tired of not fully claiming who I am and what I’m here to do. I’m done with pretending that I’m not wholeheartedly passionate about the dark mystery, the transpersonal…the divine.  I’m tired of dishonoring the deep stirrings that occur in my womb when I hear the words Witch, Goddess and Priestess. And I’m ready to explore this is community….the way we did it in Flores with my dear friends Deneha and Rebecca. 

So here’s to sharing our magick and living from the wise healer within. To awakening from the deeply rooted impulse to water down our passions and play it small to be “safe”. That’s the legacy of patriarchy and it’s time we break up with it...together.  Will you join me in this radical act Jennifer? 

This October, as the veils of the unseen world thin out and the darkness envelops you, I want to invite you to play with owning, stepping into and celebrating the parts of yourself that you’ve kept at bay. The parts that you’ve learned to judge and exile out of fear of not belonging and instead, lean into them knowing that you are held and loved in this courageous exploration. Welcome the wise one home.