Before Laurie Cabot was the “Official Witch of Salem”, there was Sybil Leek, “Britain’s most famous witch”. Sybil Fawcett Leek (1917-1982) was called “Dame Sybil” by some and “That Damn Sybil” by others. A colorful character by any stretch of the imagination, she was a Witch, psychic, and occultist. She grew up in the New…
I am an amateur priestess. I serve the Pagan community out of love, and have been in some capacity or another since 2011. There was a time when I dreamed of monetizing my spiritual skills – I think every witch goes through this phase – but I learned through hard experience that the professional witch…
I learned the Craft of the Wise in a few different ways. I first learned on my own by reading and experimentation. Then I found a community group that led me to a training circle led by a high priestess and learned through weekly study sessions, complete with handouts and homework assignments. My advanced training…
One of the first spells I learned as a young witch was the Triple Ring. When my teacher, a spry old crone named Susan, realized that my go-to shielding spell was making me oblivious to all sorts of things in my surroundings — which made perfect sense as I was visualizing a thick, red brick…
“Don’t just do something, stand there!” I credit Deacon Pierce Hewlett (1916-2005) in my childhood Episcopal congregation for teaching me this wise play on words as a reminder to slow down and think things through before acting. My mother often reiterated it to me as well. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve ignored…
Jesus wasn’t the first teacher to ever use stories to teach moral or spiritual concepts. Aesop – famous for his fables – lived in Greece six hundred years earlier. Before him, in the 8th Century BCE, Homer wrote down orally-transmitted epic poetry, including the Iliad and the Odyssey, that illustrated spiritual themes while also entertaining…
Sound has been on my mind a lot lately. I’m teaching my students about the power of recitation, vibration, intonation, and resonation in magick through the use of the Qabalistic Cross, the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram, and the Middle Pillar exercise. These ceremonial magick operations are part of our tradition’s spiritual heritage, and…
As the wheel turns to Samhain, the Witches’ New Year, you may feel the pull toward making some witchy new year’s resolutions. To do more witchy stuff. To be more witchy. To enhance your personal practice and live the witchy life. Yes! You can do it! Harness the power of the season of the witch…
I let the Harvest Moon pass by unmarked. Same with Lughnasadh. Same with a handful of other holidays. It wasn’t because it wasn’t on my calendar. It was there, taunting me with its very presence. But I didn’t have the energy or inclination to celebrate. I barely had energy to get up that morning and…
In my tradition, the titles of priestess and priest refer to offices rather than genders. Each role has specific duties, and every dedicant is expected to be able to perform the basic duties of each office before they are initiated. There is a relationship between office and a person’s natural energy flow, and a lot…