Witches - The reality and the stereotype

 Over the years, I've gotten to know a lot of people who classify themselves as witches, some for lack of a better term.  Some are religious folk, holding with the tenents of Wicca, Strega, Asatru, or other religions.  Some are atheists, believing that witchcraft is totally dissassociated from religion, because it is a practice.  These witches come from every walk of life; doctors, postal employees, IT specialists, oil rig engineers, college professors, historical interpreters, auto mechanics, florists, librarians, teachers, moms, dads, aunts, uncles, grandparents.  You name a career, there is likely a witch who has chosen that career.

The stereotypes are hard to die though - too many people subscribe to the old witch hunt days view that all witches are evil, ugly,hermits that hate people. they live in baked good houses and eat small children. they worship the devil.  Modern stereotypes have come about surrounding Wicca - that Wiccans are losers, fat, can't get dates, live in their parents basements and play video games and D&D. Also untrue.  Reality is, you wouldn't know a witch if you tripped over one lying on your livingroom floor. And realistically, whether they were a witch or not  would be one of your last concerns.

What all witches have in common is a belief in the practice of magic. And that's about it.  Get ten witches in a room and ask them about what magic means, and you will get at least 10 different answers.  the most common answer you will get is the use of ambient energies in a focused manner to achieve goals.  Sounds pretty vague, doesn't it? It is.

How to get to the use of the energies is a different thing for everyone.  For some, witchcraft is intertwined with religious practice, heavily imbued with ceremony and ritual.   For others, magic is a daily part of every day life, something instilled in every movement, thought, action of the day.

The only common factors I have found in people who have dedicated themselves to witchcraft is that they are highly educated, not only in religion, but in history, archeology, sciences, crafts - any number of things. They have a drive to learn, because all of life is about learning, and they find joy in process of learning.  The other common factor is trying to get rid of the stereotypes, and sometimes those are awfully hard to defeat.  Those who speak against witches only know the misinformation spread on the internet, and sadly, the scads of books that take advantage of the young and impressionable.

All the witch community of the world can say to this is for every mall witch who buys every book and tool and faddish thing involved with Wicca, for every teenager who dresses as a goth and claims to  "curse" people, for every faddish Wiccan who spouts "Harm none" and espouses a back to the earth lifestyle while wearing their IPod, there are three serious, quiet practitioners whose intent is not evil, is to be the best person they can be, and for whom magic is an intregal part of the world; a science that has yet to be proven in a labratory.

So, take the time to get to know a witch - you'll find that they are remarkably similar to you.