Witchcraft is the flower of the Western Magical Tradition

Last updated on: September 5, 2025 at 10:28 am By Brandy Williams

I’m a Witch and a magician. Can I be both? If so what do I call myself? Witchcraft and Magick seem like different paths Here’s the problem. In the twentieth century Witchcraft and the Western Magical Tradition seemed largely unrelated. Witchcraft was presented as the revival of European Folk Religion, combining the remaining folkloric remnants of the Pagan past with informed reconstruction. It came from the countryside, the hedge Witches and cunning folk, the old families rooted to the land.... Read more

Witches Care for the World

Last updated on: May 15, 2025 at 7:04 pm By Brandy Williams

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Witches care for the world. We care for ourselves, we care for our people, we care for the planet. Witchcraft is a tremendous power and we are responsible to use it wisely, judiciously, and to help. Read more

Magical Work with White Ancestors

Last updated on: December 27, 2024 at 1:02 am By Brandy Williams

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It all started when my therapist recommended ancestor work. I was initially resistant. “My ancestors were racist. I don’t want to work with them,” I said. “Also they were Christian. Why would they want to talk to a Witch?” She assured me that she finds the ancestors want to be in relationship and are genuinely helpful. So I opened an Ancestry account. This turned into my new research obsession. If you’ve traced your own lineage you know what I’m talking... Read more

Instant Yule, A Last Minute Guide

Last updated on: December 20, 2024 at 11:12 am By Brandy Williams

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How did it get to be Yule already? It’s rather late to be decorating, pulling together ritual and making a solstice blog post. If like me the season has caught you off guard here are a few last minute tricks for instant Yule inspiration. Instant Books These little books are quick reads. I dip into them for ideas and they also make good last minute gifts. They’re all available as ebooks. There’s one idea from each of them in this... Read more

Weather Magic Review

Last updated on: August 5, 2024 at 9:10 am By Brandy Williams

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Debra Burris changed my mind about weather magic. I’ve been afraid to work with weather for fear I’ll do accidentally cause harm. Burris offers the reassurance that it’s just another way to do energy work. If you’ve ever wished for a storm to pass by that’s weather magic. So why not learn about it? That refreshingly commonsensical approach would be enough to recommend the book, but there’s a truly revolutionary thought hidden here in the practical spells. The genius of... Read more

The Real Arthur Avalon

Last updated on: June 11, 2024 at 11:52 am By Brandy Williams

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Arthur Avalon brought Tantra to the west. That is, westerners knew Tantra existed, but it was classified as a degenerate form of Hinduism involving black magick rituals and sex. The majestic Arthur Avalon books changed all that. They presented Tantra as a legitimate spiritual pursuit and established the whole field of Tantric studies in the western academy. That’s a tremendous accomplishment. So who was Arthur Avalon? For a century we’ve thought this was a pseudonym for John Woodroffe. The real... Read more

Are we afraid of our gods?

Last updated on: February 29, 2024 at 11:20 am By Brandy Williams

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Are we afraid of our gods? Should we be? Read more

The Winter of the Recluse

Last updated on: December 26, 2023 at 10:01 am By Brandy Williams

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This winter I’ve become a recluse. Everything is just hard. Here is what you do not want a person my age to say: I fell this summer and hurt my hip. I do the exercises I learned in physical therapy but it hasn’t been the same since. The focus of my magick these days is health. I give myself the affirmation that I move around as I wish in the world and chant the Mrityunjaya mantra faithfully every day for... Read more

Community Thelema at Babalon Rising

Last updated on: July 27, 2023 at 9:14 am By Brandy Williams

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At Patheos Star and Snake Brandy Williams reconnects with Thelemic community at Babalon Rising. Read more

Surprise and Consent in Initiation

Last updated on: May 11, 2023 at 10:19 am By Brandy Williams

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I’m not a big fan of surprise. I’ve developed a particular dislike of surprises in initiations. I define initiation as a ritual that inducts the candidate into something new. In magical communities initiations connect the candidate with a group or an organization. They can also impart an energy. For example Tantric initiations can unlock the energy of a particular mantra. Somehow we’ve developed the idea that an initiation has to be a surprise to be effective. We shouldn’t know what’s... Read more

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