Submitted questions covered in this blog:
"Did you sell your soul in order to become a witch?"
What!?! No!!! Whom would I even sell it too? LOL
Seriously though, Thank you to whom submitted this question -- This is perhaps one of those misconceptions that there are about witches in general.
It should be mentioned that there is no devil in witchcraft, or Wicca. In fact, in my practice, Gods and Goddesses are voewed as representations to aspects of our own human nature and as well, do not control me. I do devote myself to my intentions and humanistic beliefs. However, the choice is all mine and have sold nothing to be who I am. In fact, I’d say the opposite, I have grown as an individual person because of being a practitioner of magick.
I believe that free will is our own and can never be controlled. Even with witchcraft. No one can control another person, not with spells, not with hexes, not with fear. There is only influence, and if the influences are followed through with ...by choice! I think this question could be interpreted differently More so, perhaps this person who asked this question may be wondering, “How did I become a witch?” Or maybe even “what makes me a wiccan?”, ...maybe? And so, I’ll take this moment to talk a little bit about that.
...Sooo, rather... I titled this blog as... "How did I become a witch" instead.
In-a-nutshell: It's not that I 'became' a witch. I've been expressing myself in the ways of the craft almost my whole life. It's just who I've always been. Casting my intention to be manifested has always come natural to me from a young age. The earliest spell I can remember casting was from when I was about four years old, discreetly drawing symbolic images with a wax crayon on the back of my parents furniture with intention to bring peace and calm to the disruptive household and the disfunctional family enviroment that I was raised in. To my recollection, it worked and I remember re-charging them to continue their positive influence. Even, to my surprise - I didn't feel in as much trouble as expected when the drawings were eventually found by my parents.
Due to knowing the Hollywood fairytales, Catholic imagery and stereotypical view of witches in society, I did not always think of myself as a growing up witch. Not being old, not owning a pointy hat, nore having warts, and even the fact that I am male, I myself was taught all the mistruths about witches and did not associated the workings that I was crafting as witchcraft -- even though it absolutely was -- looking back. If you look it up in the dictionary the meaning of the word 'witchcraft', it is rather skewed:
From Merriam-Webster Dictionary https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/witchcraft:
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"Witchcraft definitions:
1.
a: the use of sorcery or magic b: communication with the devil or with a familiar
2. :an irresistible influence or fascination
3.
a: rituals and practices that incorporate belief in magic and that are associated especially with neo-pagan traditions and religions (such as Wicca) Practitioners of Wicca … use the tools … such as the broom (a purifying symbol), the wand, candles, crystals and the knife …. They refer to their practices as witchcraft …— Lesley Wright
b: (less commonly used) a tradition or religion that involves the practice of Feminist witchcraft sees women's oppression and environmental abuse, which they argue are intimately linked, as firmly rooted in patriarchal religions.— Wendy GriffinWicca, which emerged in the 1940s in England, is the original form of modern Pagan Witchcraft.— Meg Yardley"
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No wonder I was confused growing up!
Even though I grew up in a Catholic home, my beleifs remained Pagan and nature oriented as I developed as a coming citizen. Celebrating pagan holidays and occasions myself euphorically as I became a teenager, I also taught myself the basics of traditional Wicca. As an adult, coming to terms with the true nature of my craft, the balancing of energies that I was doing, and realizing the misunderstandings that have existed for centuries, I began to identify as a magickal practitioner of Witchcraft. Thereby since call myself a witch.
So then, what makes me a Wiccan?
Also many years into my adulthood, I did become Wiccan officially. As mentioned in a previous post [https://www.askagreywitch.com/post/why-start-this-blog-channel] witchcraft and Wicca are not the same thing. I've been Wiccan since 2016. I completed an initiatory process of learning as a Seax Gesith (Anglo Saxon tradition) in 2019. My initiation process basically consisted of 3 stages of development: For the first year and one day, I was taught, researched and studied/learned as much as I could about Wicca and it's history and evolution as a religion, Anglo Saxon deity representations, working tools, rituals, ceremonies, etc. whilst worked at expanding my practice into new areas of energy and magick. For another year and a day, I implemented what I've learned and by this point I had formed a daily practice around my magick, rituals, and traditions. During so, also recognizing relationships with spirit and aspects of my own human nature. Building from my spiritual expressions and religious beleifs, I continue to celebrating the wiccan holidays and rituals, etc. in my own unique ways.
Then, for the third year and a day, while continuing my practice and traditions through out each complete turn of the wheel of the year, others began to present themselves to me whom where starting their own journeys in their own craft on a Wiccan path, or in witchcraft, and began reaching out to me with questions, or giving me opportunity to share my points of view. This really seemed to help others with all the positive feedback that I received. By sharing information from my own perspective, or helping others to find the information that they were looking for, I found a way for me to support other practitioners of magick in a way that was meaningful for them, and also to myself. (I have never really stopped helping others it ways of the craft since.) After the three year and three day full cycle of initiation I had my initiation ceremony which was one of the most personal and magickal evenings of my life. That moment of completing my initiation still inspires me today and makes me proud to be me and the wiccan man that I am. I have continued to live a magickal life as a witch in the Seax Wiccan way since.
Over the years, I have met so many interesting people who also identify as a witch with very different practices and rituals than my own. Learning about others' traditions and individual ways of the craft has really expanded my own practice by confirming for me that my path is right for myself, and that it's totally ok to be different. It's ok to be on seperate paths in life. Because, we can still learn from eachother, with acceptance.
Thank you for reading my blog! It is my hope that this has helped to clear up some misunderstanding for whom asked this question, and maybe for others as well.
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Stay tuned for more answers (from my personal perspective) to some upcoming questions submitted by viewers like you. Some questions have started coming in and it should be mentioned that ONLY questions related to my practice and craft as a male grey witch will be acknowledged. Also, let's please keep comments respectful with the sharing of opinions, shall we? Take good care always, and blessed be.
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