Greetings from Maryland!

[marsha]

@Wolf_Witch

I come from a long line of Christian-based zealots who believe they mean well but judge and condemn in reality. Any advice that would prepare me?

Hello @Wolf_Witch

I have hidden being a witch most of my life. The one exception was Halloween when I was always a witch!

Even today, I avoid using the term: witch! I describe some of the things I do as, ‘Distant Healing’, ‘Prayer List’, Astrology, etc. I have created a Magick Garden but I just say “yard.” One of my neighbors suggested I call the newspaper and have them do a story with pictures, but I would never do that.

My mother was one of the worst Christians I ever met, she lied and stole money from the church, and the woman who cleaned the church got blamed and fired. I really think my mother was mentally ill. My experiences with Christianity were not always good, so I quit going when I was old enough to make my own decisions. On the other hand, I know there are many good-hearted Christians, unlike my mother!

I have always, been quiet and shy, so I mostly don’t tell anyone much about myself. No one has ever asked me if I’m a witch!

I am the Matriarch of my family, my mother and father and their parents have all passed. I did keep it hidden because my dad thought it was so evil. I am strong-willed and determined to follow my path, and I learned to keep things hidden from my dad. Looking back I do wish I could have shared more with my family…

If it were me, I would approach it softly, maybe dancing around the topic because the word Witch comes with some interesting myths that can scare people. However, I don’t feel this is the right approach for you.

If you are determined to tell them, then you must also be prepared for the fallout! You may quickly become the Black Sheep of the family! Are you prepared for this?

I wish I had a better answer for you, Bonnie. And I hope you find the answer that you’re looking for.

With Love and Magick

[Wolf_Witch]

It is a pleasure to meet you, Siofra! Thank you for sharing your story. I appreciate the honesty and am incredulous of the fact that in a time where everything is to be accepted, there are still forbidden boundaries that are not crossed. I, too, practice mostly in my bedroom, on the back deck out of view of prying eyes, and at times of the day when my children are not here. They are, however, loving the herbs that are growing all over our deck and the drying bundles hanging all over our dining room, living room, and kitchen. I appreciate your candor and will take it to heart. Thank you, again.

[Susurrus]

@Wolf_Witch now that we have a garden with added herbs growing, my daughter claims all the flowers, plants, vegetables… it’s her garden. I hate to tell her that my hands that still have dirt waaayyyy under my nails beg to differ after 4 straight weeks of doing work all over the yard while she was with her friends

It’s an incredibly different time than even I was raised in, because of that & growing up… there are things my father (he raised me from birth) & my younger brother don’t know about me because why bring it up if I am going to be basically defending myself against a person who was brought up technically 2 generations before me & raised a son who in his own way emulates the father in the way his train of thought is… they are very head centered & I am heart-centered… 2 completely different views of the world we are in… my brother has an advantage though, he went into the Army, so he got to interact with so many people, every day, with varying backgrounds. So he isn’t as rigid with his thinking & views. My father was born in the early 40s though… a completely different frame of mind concerning ways of life, right/wrong, moral/immoral… you name it. Actually my grandmother was more accepting than he was really to a point though. Some things you weren’t going to change.

She was married in the church & when she divorced my grandfather, she never dated or married again. It had something to do with the church & being divorced because it was just about forever before she stepped foot in a church again. I remember her meeting with the church before she went to the first mass when she moved in with us when I was 15. The Roman Catholic church was engrained in her from a time that had long since passed even at that time.

I have a tendency to ramble, but you are very welcome. If you have any questions about anything though, feel free to ask & someone will be around to help you out as soon as they can.

[Wolf_Witch]

Mod Edit possible trigger warning contained

Good morning, Marsha. Again, it’s like looking into a mirror, our lives are so similar.

I appreciate your honesty. Hearing a part of your life story, I, too, wish you had more resolution before your family passed on. My heart hurts that that was a missed opportunity. Condolences to you.

My parents were steeped in our church very heavily, which was fine by me as I loved church, but they are different people outside the walls of the church. TW Beatings from my dad were a normal occurrence to the point that my brothers began picking up on the habit. But because he was a Deacon in the church (my mom a Deaconess), worked with youth, and well known in town, there was nobody who would take a kid like me seriously. I was the Black Sheep in the family and remain still, so that will be nothing new.

I, too, am quiet. When out I prefer to sit with my back against a wall to view people, avoid gatherings, and have come to find happiness being invisible.

The truth of my invisibility within my family came to light last year when I went to visit my parents. We were out to breakfast in the small town I grew up in and a man came over to talk to them. I sat and listened until the man looked at me and introduced himself. My parents apologized to him and said I was their daughter, to which he said in the most shocked voice I have ever heard uttered from another human being, “I did not know you had a daughter!”…I have 3 children ranging from 17-22, and this man did not know I existed…I think it is safe to say there is no love lost within this family dynamic.

But I will take your advice to heart. As you walked this path previously, I know there is wisdom in your words. Thank you!

[Susurrus]

@marsha

Even today, I avoid using the term: witch!

I actually shy away from the word witch outside the forum & choose empath, energy work, pagan, or break it down by an interest I have like I enjoy working with crystals or I love this type of jewelry, I like to look at the sky at night to watch the stars & the moon. Things like that… but that’s because of my own upbringing, shadows, etc… also not a walk in the park. Plus, we have Salem here so the surrounding feelings of witches are mixed & confused based on that history

I mean if we’re being honest, I feel like I wasn’t necessarily meant to be rich in the sense of money or houses or item. I definitely feel like I am here to help others & possibly heal them once I am able to work with my energies outside of myself. Work in progress, but I think I have made some great progress this past 6 months. I just had to find myself & sense of identity because it got lost with all of the faces I was wearing to keep what happens in the house, in the house; so to speak. I didn’t open up to anyone, my husband literally waited over 20 years to finally find out about “me” more than what is outwardly shown… he said if I wanted to talk about it I would if I didn’t, he wasn’t going to make me, but that for a little while, it was like relearning who your wife is… I was the queen of putting on a good face. Our relationship now, we are reconfiguring but it involves a lot more of being on the same page with the kids, talking about things as they come up in the day to day, spending time together & actually paying attention to each other & not our phones or other electronics.

Again rambling, I am going to head over to my daily post that I have been very flighty with the last few weeks while going through some things & get that done! I hope to talk to you soon!

[marsha]

@Wolf_Witch

I am so sorry about your family relationship with your mother and father, Bonnie. My dad would tell me, “I’m disappointed in you!” I heard that so many times, I had no self-worth whatsoever. I have struggled with depression most of my life and it’s taken years to find any kind of self-worth!

I felt black inside with holes in my soul, and my favorite color was black, most of my clothes were black. Years later, I was listening to a meditation by Caroline Myss, and she guided me to find a small flame in my heart. That meditation changed my life, not overnight, it took years of nurturing that small flame.

Thankfully I am in a much better place now, I have found so many answers inside myself. I know who I am and what my purpose is. It was not an easy path to walk. I sometimes think if I could have just done something differently… but my journey has made me who I am today.

Please let me know how things are going for you, and if you have any questions please ask.

With Love and Magick
The Other Marsha

[Garnet]

@Wolf_Witch

@Wolf_Witch

I have come to acknowledge I am to be alone,

IF I may again say, welcome. Here, no one is alone, we’ve managed to form a cohesive if abstract family.
Some of us need encouragement and it is given. Depression? we give empathy, Magical Questions? One of us will either give you an answer or lead you in the right direction. If someone needs healing energy and love we send it. (Lots of love flies out our doors.)
You will find on your journey that everyone is different and has different needs. I’m an Eclectic Solitary Practitioner. I grew up in the 60’s and have issues with authority (ha, ha).
Seriously Bonnie, there are no set rules except to be nice, learn all you can and If you don’t understand something, or it troubles you, go to forum and throw out your questions. I think in another life, we all were teachers. We love questions.
I really need you to read what I’m going to say.
These are the rules that are not written but understood.

Spells8 has become a place of refuge, a sanctuary
for us, here we feel safe.
.
NO one has the right to bully you.
No one can belittle or shame you, ever!
No one has the right to push their belief’s onto you.
(Like the church people we discussed?)
Treat everyone as you want to be treated.
Should you have any issues of the sort,
contact any one of us and the problem will be resolved.

As with every thing in your life, Magick is a choice.
What kind of Witch do you want to be?
There are many kinds, see: How do you know what type of witch you are?.
Ethics are important BUT again, the choices are yours. I personally have 2 beliefs, I. If you hurt no one, do what you will. Sounds simple? It is and it isn’t.
Say, you want the obnoxious dog next door to shut up! So you do a spell silencing the animal. What if it dies and all your neighbors think you hurt it. The owner is inconsolable. You feel guilty. And you earned some bad karma. But the dog…is quiet.
Consequences are sometimes hard to see.
2. Whatever you do comes back to your X3. Think of the dog, enough said.
Now remember what I said, these are the rules I follow as for anyone else? It’s a choice.
I hope this hasn’t scared you away. This is a wonderful place to learn about Magick, Learn easy spells and have fun.
Grab a cup of tea, put up your feet and let’s learn something.
Blessed be,
Your new friend
Garnet

[Sammi86]

Merry Meet @Wolf_Witch .
You will find this a safe place and full of like minded individuals as we are all on our own personal journeys. It is so wonderful that your family supports you on your new path. Hopefully, you will learn a lot of new things here in the forum that will benefit you. So welcome and blessed be!

[Wolf_Witch]

Hello again, Garnet!

Apologies for the time delay responding back.

I’m still becoming used to jargon such as Merry Meet, so, please forgive me. Although I understand its origins, it continues to sound foreign to me. Coven, however, is sitting right fine!

Your kind words of encouragement are aligning with what I am experiencing. As I become deeper into my craft, the more at ease I feel. It has become a part of my every day life and it is astonishing how natural everything is! I am different in a positive way and my family notices.

As my immediate family are the only ones who really know of my life change, aside from the wonderful sisterhood I have found here, I am easing into my new self. When sitting with my oldest today I acknowledged that I have never felt so at peace or happy as I have these past few months of searching. He commented that he also has seen a change in me. Coming from a family tree of negativity, it is wonderful to prune that away and begin new growth. My intent is that my new fruit will much more pleasing to those around me than what I originally produced. I am walking in faith that old roots can produce a new product.

As to what witch I am associating myself as being?..I am still searching. My research shows me as either a neopagan or an eclectic. I believe in Elementals and call to them when casting (my abbreviated term I use when spell casting). Coming from a Christian background I was incredibly surprised to find some believe certain archangels are in fact rulers/overseers of, or are the Elementals themselves. I always wondered why I was drawn to Elemental calling. Makes more sense to me now that I found this out within the last 48 hours.

I believe wholeheartedly in the Rule of Three with one exception: I do not practice positive/good casting with the expectation that something good will come my way. I practice my casting out of love for my immediate family and myself. I do not search for herbs or spells that would inflict harm on anyone or anything. Since I have made a life choice to separate myself from all things negative, casting with harmful intentions does not even come to mind. My new life outside my old self must be kept as clean and pure as possible.

There is one thing I incorporated when celebrating the Summer Solstice, which is a “take” from the Rule of Three: 3 grateful/already haves, 3 invitations of happiness into my life, 3 focuses on passions/talents/activities. One of my invitations of happiness is securing new friendships, which this coven is definitely covering! Another invitation of happiness and focus on passion is an increase of magickal knowledge grounded in herbs, as well as understanding how to tap more into my natural intuition. I just know things but am having difficulty finding spells to work with it. Any helpful hints in this area?

I look forward to learning all I can from anyone who is willing to take the time to spend with me. Tea-loving person I am (no kidding!), I am eager to grab a cup and learn from you!

Blessed day to you, friend!
Bonnie
(I did not know I was to come up with a pseudo name before entering into the forum. Should I change it or will this be ok?)

[Wolf_Witch]

Thank you! Apologies for not responding sooner. Life…'Nuff said.

Yes, this Coven is proving to be more than I have ever hoped for. The support and genuine warmth made it feel like home immediately.

It took some time to come to terms with my life change, but I have never been happier. The forum is an endless flow of affirmations, encouragement, and ideas. Thank you for your kindness. Hoping to learn as much as I can from whomever is willing to impart knowledge!

Blessed by your day!
Bonnie

[Susurrus]

You don’t have to change your name if you dont want to, if youre happy with it, then so are we!

[Wolf_Witch]

Aww! Thank you! I have come to love who I am. Being myself in the presence of others is awesome and liberating. I appreciate that and am greatful!

[marsha]

@Wolf_Witch

(I did not know I was to come up with a pseudo name before entering into the forum. Should I change it or will this be ok?)

Do you want to change your name? You do not have to use a pseudo name. Many people want to use their ‘witchy name’ but I personally like bonnie8!

The only reason I use @marsha is because it was available! And that doesn’t happen to me very often, usually, marsha is not available. Most everywhere else I use my name with the number 7!

With love and light

[Wolf_Witch]

Thank you for responding, Marsha! I love who I am, so I believe I’m going to stick with it. I have no idea where the 8 came from, though. If not in dedication to the name of this site, it was a typo on my part.

I have been doing very well lately. As I am now on summer break I am taking much needed time for myself. Getting my daily walks in on the local bike trail and indulging in my craft (up to 6 hours a day), life has been absolutely delightful! Of course, my new friends I am making here make this summer all the more sweet. To you all, I am truly grateful!

Blessed evening to you!
Bonnie

[Amaris_Bane]

@Wolf_Witch

I did not know I was to come up with a pseudo name before entering into the forum. Should I change it or will this be ok?

Not everyone adopts a “moniker” or pseudo name. I used my real name (Jessica) until I completed my self initiation. I then changed my forum name to my public witchy name (I didn’t have one before that). By all means, use whatever you are comfortable with using!

[Susurrus]

@Wolf_Witch the 8 is because there is probably others with an account using the name bonnie… they are randomly generated after there are others using the same text to differentiate between the members being interacted with or registered to the site in some way.

[Garnet]

@Wolf_Witch
Sweet pea? Anything you decide to do, want to be, who or want to worship is all good. We are not here in any way to judge you but give you our loving support.
Much love, sending you courage and peace.
Garnet
PS: My real name is Barbara and since I have no imagination, I Chose my birthstone.

[Mia.1]

Hello @Wolf_Witch! Welcome from your neighbor in central Va!

[Mistress_Of_Herbs]

Many blessings dear sister and welcome. Im from North Carolina. Im also not a Wiccan. U will love it here. There are so many different paths, everyone is so nice, encouraging, respectful, and courteous

[Mistress_Of_Herbs]

100% agree with u.