{"id":804,"date":"2017-09-11T12:13:17","date_gmt":"2017-09-11T20:13:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/tempest\/?p=804"},"modified":"2017-09-11T17:12:55","modified_gmt":"2017-09-12T01:12:55","slug":"witch-not-victim","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/tempest\/2017\/09\/witch-not-victim.html","title":{"rendered":"The Witch Is Not a Victim"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\"victim-banner\"Some time over the summer tour, I was scrolling through Instagram on my phone when I saw something that tripped me up. \u00a0I\u2019m a relative latecomer<\/a> to it for a variety of reasons, but I generally like it. Especially as an artist, I like to look at images, see what folks are up to, get inspired. \u00a0(I am also currently trying to figure out tumblr\u2026<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Me + technology aside, the image I was looking at was a display of handmade jewelry. \u00a0Really neat design-wise, then I looked closer to see what was written on it. \u00a0Words like damaged<\/em> and broken<\/em>. \u00a0Huh, I thought. That\u2019s bold. \u00a0I looked at the comments, which were enthusiastic. Then later that day, I came across clothing with similar words. \u00a0Hmmm. That\u2019s a thing. \u00a0That\u2019s a step beyond using that word to describe yourself vocally \u2013 it\u2019s a definitive, visual label.<\/p>\n

I suppose you could say displaying these words on yourself is brave, possibly even empowering. \u00a0Demanding the\u00a0world to accept that you\u2019re not perfect. \u00a0To warn people to not have certain expectations of you. \u00a0To both challenge and celebrate one\u2019s identity. I totally get that.<\/p>\n

But there are two\u00a0important things to keep in mind:<\/p>\n

Words have power<\/a>.<\/p>\n

We are all <\/em>wandering around\u00a0in human suits.<\/p>\n

First let\u2019s tackle the magick of words. I\u2019m not going to argue the power of \u201cnegative\u201d vs. \u201cpositive\u201d thinking here. Too many buzzwords and hairpin curves. \u00a0Instead, let\u2019s look at metaphysics. \u00a0A great deal of spellcraft is based on the principals of sympathetic magick. \u00a0That is, \u201clike affects or draws like\u201d and \u201cthe part can affect the whole.\u201d \u00a0We chose certain oils, colors, stones, and herbs because they are said to have\u00a0properties in line with what we wish to accomplish. \u00a0Poppets made with hair or clothing from someone \u2013 or made to look like them, is believed to be able to cause change with that individual.<\/p>\n

\"the
the plants have their powers<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The same can apply to the words we use to describe ourselves. \u00a0What happens if you describe or label yourself ultimately as damaged<\/em> or broken<\/em> as your normal state, as the flag you choose to fly? \u00a0It gives you very little room to maneuver past that the longer you hang on to these words as descriptors. \u00a0There\u2019s a lot of slang and nuance for these words, but let\u2019s look at the definitions provided by google:
\nDamage: <\/strong>inflict physical harm on (something) so as to impair its value, usefulness, or normal function
\nBroken:<\/strong>\u00a0having been fractured or damaged and no longer in one piece or in working order.<\/p>\n

Who says you don\u2019t have value when you choose that label? (Hint: You.) What is normal<\/em> function anyway? What is working order? Who defines usefulness? Are you saying you are incapable of repair, change, or growth? Who\u2019s in charge here anyway? Do those words make you different or special? (Hint: No, we\u2019re all bumbling around making mistakes.) And to pull the title of this post in, are you also in a sense defining yourself as a victim? Is that something you\u2019re looking for? Why?<\/p>\n

I\u2019m not saying there\u2019s anything wrong with admitting you\u2019ve been hit hard by life in one way or another. \u00a0Rather, I think it\u2019s vitally important to address challenges, losses, gains, and changes. \u00a0The problem with taking on a solid association with these words is that you\u2019re buying into the false pretense of perfection, at the same time you\u2019re trying to buck against it. \u00a0You\u2019re buying into a flawed dichotomy of good and bad, right and wrong, normal and abnormal.<\/p>\n

To which I have to say: Fuck that noise.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re born into this world a swarming mess of cells and fluids \u2013 influenced by our parents\u2019 DNA and the\u00a0physical and emotional environment of the womb. There is no perfect pregnancy or birth, simply a collection of experiences \u2013 shaped by how we enter the world. \u00a0From there we are exposed to all kinds of organisms, ingest new foods, run into contact with all manners of matter (gases, liquids, solids, plasma, etc), and ideas that shape our brains, spirits, and bodies. \u00a0From our earliest moments, we are constantly in a flux, changing and being changed by the world around us.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s good to acknowledge when we have been hurt \u2013 either physically, emotionally, or spiritually, and take the time to heal. \u00a0It\u2019s healthy to be aware of tendencies that can impair our growth, of what we\u2019re addicted to, have habits that are hard to break, or patterns we weave often unintentionally. \u00a0It is powerful to take stock of the impact, but at the same time, to not let yourself be defined by the effects. \u00a0It\u2019s also important to realize that everyone else is in the same mess, whether they show it or not. \u00a0Which is where compassion comes in, and learning to look beyond our hurts and damages to see others.<\/p>\n

\"An
An old old tree in Providence<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Choose\u00a0words that inspire and ignite you. Choose words that connect and grow you. Be more than those words.<\/p>\n

A tree is similarly shaped by the world. \u00a0Its DNA determines what kind of tree it is, but where the tree grows will have a large part in how it grows. \u00a0The soil and water content will affect nutrients, its neighbors may help determine how tall it grows, the winds may shape how it grows, at times snapping off limbs and tearing leaves. When faced with loss and change, it\u00a0grows new roots and branches to balance itself. \u00a0It attunes to the seasons and those around it. \u00a0No matter what happens, the tree is still a tree, until it dies and becomes part of the cycle in a new way.<\/p>\n

You can look around the world and see that everything has gains and losses \u2013 plants, animals, civilizations, and landscapes. The mountain grows and it also crumbles. \u00a0Seas flourish but also dry up. \u00a0Everything is animated. Everything is connected.<\/p>\n

As Witches, it\u2019s our job to connect the unseen, to recognize the spirit. The Witch is the one who changes, shifts, weaves, and bends. A Witch is not one moment in time or one instance or event, but rather all of the moments spiraled upon each other. \u00a0We are more than our parts and pieces \u2013 we can lose these things, but we don\u2019t lose us. We acknowledge and embrace the potential for growth and change. \u00a0No matter what happens to us, the Witch remains. \u00a0We can be damaged and at times broken, but underneath and overall \u2013 we still survive, persist, and overcome. We move forward.<\/p>\n

We are the weavers, the creatrixes, the makers and the changers. We put that aside when we choose to dwell too long on a word that isn\u2019t us, that isn\u2019t who we are. \u00a0We deny ourselves and our power when we do that. Witches are not society\u2019s small, frail flawed idea of perfection, we are nature itself.<\/p>\n

We are the ferocious raw beauty that is all the blessings and all of the curses that is Life combined.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with admitting you’ve been hit hard by life in one way or another. Rather, I think it’s vitally important to address challenges, losses, gains, and changes. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2676,"featured_media":807,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15,12,13],"tags":[52,51,54,107,7,4,128,50],"class_list":["post-804","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-metaphysics","category-modernpractice","category-myth-and-folklore","tag-magick","tag-power","tag-spellcraft","tag-traditional-witchcraft","tag-witch","tag-witchcraft","tag-witchpower","tag-words"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Witch Is Not a Victim<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"I'm not saying there's anything wrong with admitting you've been hit hard by life in one way or another. 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