Today’s post is about what it takes to be a witch.

I’ll tell ya, being a witch takes a lot of work. When you read those books and they have the warning “If you are looking for an easy ride, close this book and find a different spirituality” they are not lying. 
 
People really don’t like this idea though. Whenever I bring up the subject, loads of people chime in with “I’m a witch and I never cast spells and rituals, but whenever I’m outside I think of goddess and pray to her sometimes.” This is the response I get 95% of the time. Whenever I suggest that you can’t be a witch unless you are actually actively practicing witchcraft, people get really upset. “But of course I’m a witch!” they say. “How dare you try to tell me otherwise! You don’t have to practice practical witchcraft all the time to be a witch!”
 
I rather think you do though. Do you call a chap who thinks about violin a lot and picks it up for ten minutes every month or so a violinist? Thought not.
 
There’s a word for people who believe in the sacredness of the earth – pagan. Maybe goddess worshiper if you are into that. I reckon you could probably get away with calling yourself Wiccan, as that’s the pop basis for a lotta stuff the non-practicing witches work with, though I’m sure most people would disagree with me there. But I don’t think you get to call yourself a witch unless you are actively working with the magic of the universe most days and living your life by it, whether it’s ritual or spells or songs or prayer or whatever. You gotta be practicing it to be in it. You gotta be living it.

Maybe we just aren’t used to (or can’t be arsed to be) working hard for stuff, or maybe the love of the idea is just more compelling or easier to work in than all the action But to me, Witch is and always will be a doing word.

(Me? I’m getting there, puttin’ a little more Witch in every day. Call me a part-time enchantress!)