Stereotypes of Witches

All witches do not wear black! I don't always wear black, actually, I wear a lot of pinks and red. Which in due time I will address colors and what their meaning is and what effect it has on spells, daily life, others, etc. But, black is appropriate for ritual because it is a dark goddess color, and it attracts energy. Rituals are celebrated at night for the same reasons, though many take place during the day as well, depending on the tradition. Witches can feel empowered to wear black outside of the ritual space, but wearing black is not a requirement. Black and late evening rituals were also practical during the Burning Times. If you were afraid of getting caught, black cloaks would hide you at night in the forest from prospective witch hunters. Black is also the color of clergy, used by priests and rabbis. Perhaps they adopted that practice from witches...

Witches DO NOT perform animal sacrifices, thought it may have been a part of our distant history, as it was in Judaism and many other religions. Many Wiccans are animal right activists and environmentalists, subscribing to a theory of "harm ye none". Witches DO NOT abuse children in or our of ritual as part of their faith, nor do we perform curses or hexes. 

Witches and other pagans do believe in and practice magick. Magick is the art of making change, manifesting your dreams, and banishing the things that no longer serve you and hold you back. Though the effects can be quite startling and powerful, magick usually manifests in the form of  unusual coincidences and connections. The first time you have success with magick, and even the second or third time, you might dismiss it. After repeated successes, however, you know you are no longer working with the fabled "Law of Averages", and that some other forces, namely magic, is at work. Magick is usually spelled with a k by modern practitioners, to distinguish it from illusion and sleight of hand tricks. 

Spells, specific acts of magick, can be created through ritual or meditation. To a witch, spells are like prayers. They are simple acts of sending out an intention to the divine, asking it to manifest. The difference between spells and prayers is that witches study the nature of the universe to understand better how to create change. Many people who pray think it is a give and take process, where one has to give up something "sinful" to receive the boon of the prayer. Though there is always an exchange of energies, witches know that the universe is ever abundant. 

We do not label ourselves white or black witches, as was done in the Burning Times. Though the distinction of white and black magick can still be found in the initial lessons of high ritual magick, most modern witches do not subscribe to it. Magick is ruled by intention. 


*Credit to Christopher Penczak