Circe – A Witch Guide

Circe has been called the first witch. In reality she wasn’t the first witch, but she is one of the oldest that we have written stories about. The Ancient Greeks told her tales. Stories and myth of her magick are the stuff of legends. I’ve recently been reading the book Circe by Madeline Miller and it has reminded me why she was one of my first loves and one of my first teachers. Thanks to this book, I am reminded why Circe is an excellent witch guide.

Although many Greek deities have origin tales that conflict or contradict each other, Circe’s origins are clear. Her father is the Titan Helios, who once ruled the sky before the Olympian God Apollo took over. Her mother is an oceanid nymph called Perse. From these two Circe had several siblings, all of them known for their special kind of magick.

The tales of Circe remind me that no matter the time, the culture, or the people, witches were (and are) believed to be trouble, dangerous, evil, or worse. Circe knows the magick of herbs. She knows how to work with the magick of the loom, knots, weaving, and possess the skill of spinning magick. These are some of the oldest forms of magick we know of. She knows the power of transformation. She is a true Goddess of mystery and magick.

As with many tales of witches, she has been made into a terror. The Greek tales are ridiculously full of patriarchal overtones, so we can’t really know Circe’s true powers before this influence, but we can see how powerful she was by how fearful they were of her. In the Greek tales she has been painted as an evil being, jealous and hostile, ready to take any actions that will bring her more power. She is a temptress, leading men astray – whatever the hell that means.

Being a Witch

And just like all the Goddesses that are painted with the brush of being too much, too strong, too powerful, too dangerous; we need her. We need her now. Now is the time for us to reclaim the power of the Witch (note the capital W). “Well behaved women rarely make history”, these words were coined by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich in the 1970s and these words are still true now. Circe is these words.

Circe’s message is this: be bold witches, be brave. Make history. Let those first witches be your guide. Use your powers to reveal the true monsters in this world. Allow your skills to heal yourself, so that you may help heal others. Own your powers and guide others to find theirs. Step into your lineage. Become the witch you were born to be. Remember who you are.

Circe, an ancient witch with a modern message.