I have practiced witchcraft since I was a teen, but I have spent many moons and years and years feeling weird, isolated, and indifferent with myself. I no longer hide because I no longer care. Living and working in the woods reclusively has set me free from all of that per se. I am weird, highly influenced by the moon, emotional, dark, haunted, and unique, quite magickal indeed… for I am a witch, and I no longer hide.
My practice began in high school, I was a regular at the farmers market to buy my herbs from Marcy, a total earth mother white witch who sold the most beautiful herbs I’ve ever seen. I bought from her for years. She’d pack up my herbs, and with them would always slip in the “How to-grow-your-herbs” info sheet, which in my case was actually some green witch recipes and spells she knew I’d dig. We’d smile a crooked smile at each other, say our farewells, and hide what we were. I also frequented the occult sections of all the local libraries, having a big black fringe bag, and plenty of book covers to hide what I was reading. At home, I had a beautiful wooden antique box that I hid under my bed containing dreadfully witchy things, and I was thrilled back then when I found an occult store hidden in plain sight downtown. Even more thrilled was I, when I eventually found “Ark Angel Herb Shop.” A delightfully creepy little herb shop that in time I worked at, and that hid the fact it also housed a coven I belonged to…but that was then.
Now things differ quite a bit. My body is tattooed with planetary symbols, runes, sigils of the Devil’s forest, and the poisonous plants I work with. I wear moon moth necklaces, a crow skull, and I live in black. When you come to my abode the first thing that greets you is my rather large gargoyle…and a skeleton that resides in my bed of aconite. My back door leads into my bone and plant room, with my ancestor altar and spirit houses right by the door.
I guess what I’m trying to say is this, I have come to realize that since I no longer hide what and who I am, I feel better. I mean the indifference is gone, the demons in my head are at bay and no longer second guess what I do, feel, or wear… I’m free. There is no more judgment, I am at peace… and I highly recommend it.
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