Witches and Pagans: An Overview

Witchcraft is very much real, and it can be found everywhere: in mothers and their intuitions, and in anyone open enough to feel the world to their very cores. After trial and punishment, this practice prevails, and it exists in more than mere cauldrons and broomsticks.

Modern Paganism is rooted in the presenting of offerings and the hosting of celebratory gatherings in thanks for good fortunes and to counteract the bad. The history of Pagan traditions stem far beyond the origins of our modernity: they are predecessors to the Roman Empire entirely. Before Christmas, we had Yule, and before Easter, we had Ostara. These are two of the eight Pagan Sabbats. 

Now, Sabbats are what compose the wheel of the year with four solar events and their midpoints. Many people are aware of the solstices and equinoxes, but what rests in between is scarcely spoken of today. Of course, these occasions still exist and are celebrated, but the concept that such practices were the norm feels impossible in today’s world. The Sabbats are about gratitude. They are about forging a genuine connection to this planet and all it has to offer. I find it to be such a peaceful and grounding way of life with these soft, ritualistic moments amidst an endless sea of destructive chaos.

Mother Earth and Her Delicate Strength

Our sacred planet has breathed life for millions of years. Through a meteorite, an ice age, and world wars, Earth has continued to thrive, regenerating and shifting herself, painting new pictures of what each landscape will be. There is no beauty standard or trend—just fields, fresh air, and flowing streams. Technological evolution is all well and good, but even city-folk are searching for glimpses of green between skyscrapers and the shutters in their office blocks. Earth finds a way to give it to them: vines through the cracks of walls, flowers flourishing upon rooftops, a rainbow’s prismatic magic in the air. These small moments of our planet’s beauty serve as constant reminders of her presence, and of her persistence despite the damage inflicted by humanity.

Spellbound: Notes On Intention, Altars, and Incantation

When it comes to Neo-Pagan practices, I need look no further than my mum.

A woman with the most radiant of souls and the most intuitive mother’s instinct, she has always defined to me what it means to be a witch—a green witch, she would have me say. 

It is in intention: a power of potential and manifestation that believes wholly in the matter at hand. It is also in appreciation, thanking the skies for rain so crops can grow, praising the sun for warming up our winters, honouring each phase in the lunar cycle.

Altars are central to this acknowledgement. They are curated with crystals, candles, and the season’s corresponding herbs and natural materials, all of which that change at each Sabbat. Each element of the altar bears significance regarding the witch’s intentions and the Sabbat in question, and it makes an altar a truly treasured space.

Alongside the presence of altars, the elements within them can be used for potent incantations. The sacred power of spells runs beyond mere thoughts: actions put into practice carry a valued weight. Words and energy can be put into the universe, and with the assistance of crystals and candles, this can become even more powerful. It’s about committing to your intention, and that subsequent awareness of your own being not only allows for such beautiful energy, but also a wonderful sense of self and peace—something I think many of us are short of today.

The Divinity of the Spiritual Earth

Ancient tales in mythologies across the globe speak of the Sky Father and the Earth Mother, yet it seems that today only the Father is acknowledged as a creator of this world and life.

This ignorance of the Mother is reflective of the inequality and imbalance within our society, and it’s saddening to see the impact this has had for centuries, and it is heartbreaking to feel the weight of this when it comes to the respect we as humans have for our planet.

Perhaps this is some feminist reach, but there really does seem to be a correlation between the femininity of Earth and her poor treatment.

Despite this, Mother Earth has not simply ceased being so sacred. In witchcraft and Paganism, she is the giver of life, the most divine of symbols. She is representative of the rhythms of nature, and the embodiment of the divine feminine. A witch’s Earthly connection reveals more layers within their personal mythologies, finding solace in understanding themselves in relation to our Earth. To some, she is Gaia, or another mystic deity; to others, she is our physical planet. Whichever your preference, her spirituality is there for all to seeand experience if they so wish.

These Earthly Delights

With every tree comes whispers, and if we learn to listen carefully, a whole new world and way of life is revealed. A revelation to some; generational reality to others.

With every insect comes the cycle of life repeating, burgeoning, constantly evolving to become something greater and stronger to keep up with nature’s shifts.

With every sunrise comes a new day, and a new beginning. A new warmth can settle over fields, capturing each blade of grass in magnetic light.

With every rainfall comes the promise of replenishment—life restored on a hot Summer’s day. 

Imagine a world where we couldn’t smell petrichor, or see dew drops, or even feel the cloudburst.

It saddens me that we ever lost touch with it all.

Perhaps, with our world as it is, this is the perfect opportunity for more of us to get in touch with our roots as human beings: lovers and nurturers of each other and this planet. In thisworld filled with fear and uncertainty, it should be commonplace to pause, and to admire this haven. 

It is our Eden, after all.

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