Poisoner's Apothecary
I have had an affinity for witches since I can remember. The first memories I have of witches as a child were watching The Witches with Angelica Houston, and going to see Hocus Pocus in theatres with my parents. I wanted to dress up as the wicked witch of the west every year for Halloween, even though I had a year round cauldron and witch hat that I wore. I even remember making “potions” at a very young age at my grandparent’s house; granted I was just mixing random ingredients together in a pot. Mixing ingredients in a seething cauldron has always held a special magic for me. As a child, Hollywood and children’s books influenced my first ideas about witches. Even though they were portrayed as evil, warty old women, there was still something that drew me to magic.
When I was a young boy, before I discovered real magic, I loved stage magic. My father was a great sleight of hand magician, and had lots of old magic tricks that inspired me to start my own collection. My grandma took me to see David Copperfield twice. I remember watching magic trick revealed on television, and reading books on how to perform magic tricks. Of course like every young magician, I was always putting on magic shows for family and friends.
When I was a little older, around nine or ten, I became best friends with my would be step cousin. He and I shared similar interests, scary movies, video games, and witchcraft. These were some of my very first moments of exposure to the idea that witchcraft was real. At such a young age the only resources for such an obscure topic was television. I grew up in the era of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Charmed. I was in my early teens when charmed started and I watched it religiously.
A lot of my occult knowledge during this time came from television, movies, and fantasy books. It wasn’t until the Internet started to become more and more prominent that I discovered the world of real witches. This began many years of online research from age 12 to 16, after this point I was better able to buy my own books, since I had to keep it a secret. During these first teenage years I did lots of reading online and took tons of notes. There were a few times over the years that I have gotten rid of all of my research for one reason or another, and had to start over each time. However, my insatiable thirst for more knowledge made it easy to keep going.
When I was a teenager, a lot of the spells I knew came from fantasy novels and television. The Internet provided a resource for even more spells and correspondences. I recorded all of my research in multiple books over the years. I have started and restarted my Grimoires more times than I remember. Many of the online spells were written by inexperienced practitioners and it can be difficult for a new person to determine the credibility of information. This I describe as my Halliwell stage.
I adored Charmed while it was airing, and the show will always have a special place in my heart. If I were to watch the show now, I would find it incredibly cheesy. Many of the witchcraft 101 sites that I frequented were similarly novice looking back. Also of what was available online was usually done by a solitary eclectic practitioner, drawing from Wiccan practices and folk magic. For me, many of the spells were missing that primal aura of ancient magic that I sought.
As as the years went by, I continued my studies and honed my discernment. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was searching for practical spells that would help in daily life, that had that feeling of old world witchery. This desire led me away from the New Age new-pagan groups that have become the pagan mainstream, into the world of folk magic.
For me, folk magic, specifically Rootwork had a lot of the things that I was looking for. The use of herbs in oils, philtres and other preparations called out to my affinity with green magic. The second part that attracted me was that rootworkers often work with both hands. There is not a law of three in Rootwork and practitioners heal as well as harm and they aren’t afraid to dominate for their desires.
Even though my study of folk magic filled in a lot of the missing spots, I still felt something was lacking. I needed a traditional practice that also resonated with my European heritage. It was through my study of hoodoo and Rootwork that I stumbled upon the concept of Traditional Witchcraft.
The traditional witchcraft practitioner works with various tools of the arte, including various herbs, fetishes, and charms. The traditional tools that are used maintain a magical atmosphere. The use of mineral, botanical, and zoological curios echoes the traditions of Rootwork. Traditional witches draw on the myths and lore of Western Europe, which is where my ancestors are from. We aren’t afraid to work with our left hand, we use baneful herbs, and trance enduring ointments. The magic we practice is dark and ancient, led by the Elder Gods of magic and witchcraft.
Today, the portrayal of witches in the media still has a long way to go, but more and more directors are making it a point to portray them witch historical accuracy. The best and most recent example of this representation is in the television show Salem.
The producers and directors of the show really did their research. Everything on the set was hand made using traditional methods to maintain authenticity. The occult concepts are also historically accurate. They do an impeccable job depicting the witchcraft of the late medieval and early modern period. This is also the time period when Traditional Witchcraft emerged due to multiple factors.
The factors of this period that would influence the definition of traditional witchcraft practices were from multiple sources. Remnants of old pagan religion could still be found among some rural communities, folk magic and folk medicine was prominent during this time and many wort canners have contributed to this body of lore. During this period, the religious ideas of the Inquisition and trial accounts of the witches sabbath would also come to effect what traditional witchcraft would become.
So today I sit here, fifteen years later. I am no longer a Halliwell. New Age witchcraft holds no appeal for me. I much prefer the old world feel of Traditional Witchcraft to inspire my magic. I have evolved into a Mary Sibley, who walks the crooked path between light and dark.
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