The Scarlet Letter: Witch Watching in the Witch City

ISSUE #3, MAY, 2005

Witch Watching in the Witch City: The Magic of the Witch
By Trish Reynolds
Contributing Writer

So here you are hat in hand, standing on Pickering Warf in Historic Salem. You breathe in the sea air deeply, feeling as much as smelling the tang of salt on the breeze. Then you decide to walk around and see what it is you’ve come to see; the Salem Witches of course; but what is a witch? Does he or she look different from anyone else walking the cobbled pavements? And if you do meet one, what then? Will she put a spell on you and turn you into a toad? Probably not. Salem’s Witches tend to be people, perhaps more flamboyantly dressed than most, and definitely with a certain dramatic flair, but people nonetheless. So what is it about them that makes them witches? Well that depends. The definition of the word witch, and the place in society of the flesh and blood variety bears some examination.

Witchcraft Then
In the pre-modern era the classical witches were not the village elders though they were frequently old. They were not priests or wizards (those people were called priests or wizards). And, while the classical witch may share a common ancestor with the shaman, she was not considered one. The classical witch is probably the one most of modern day practitioners feel an emotional connection with.

The word witch in this sense would be an ambivalent term encompassing both respect and contempt. She was generally an older woman who either never married or had outlived her family. She existed on the edges of the local society both physically and metaphorically. Having reached advanced old age for the times, she would have acquired a goodly share of information, which she would have used to her best advantage. Herb lore, husbandry, psychology, and a fair bit of magic would likely have been within her capabilities. Her clients would come from all walks of life when they had a problem they didn’t want generally known.

The local witch was there to dispense an aborficant, a prophylactic, a sedative, a love potion, a repellent and cures for common ills not discussed in polite society. Sometimes she would even concoct a poison. She could curse with a look and cure with a gesture and see truths hidden around corners. She could blight crops as easily as bless them, deliver at a difficult lambing and assist the occasional human birth for those too poor to have a more qualified attendant. More than that she also had the ability to bend or twist reality to her own will.

Frequently associated with weather-working for good or ill, and being a diviner at least, if not an active engineer of future events, the witch’s services could be bartered for. By and large these witches lived and worked alone, guarding their recipes from any who might have become competition, rarely passing down useful information…but it did happen occasionally in families especially if there was an unmarriageable daughter. The idea of a group or coven of witches getting together to swap recipes, trade stories and truck with the devil was a much later invention by the Roman Church.

The magic of the classical witch was not tied to theology. The witch would probably (at least marginally) have been considered a member of whatever religion was prevalent.

The Witch as Alchemist:
While she wasn’t seeking to turn base metals into precious ones, her knowledge of practical botanical alchemy was thorough. The local witch would be intimately acquainted with every useful plant within her area. Her knowledge of the properties of each flower, leaf, stem, branch, twig and root would be comprehensive based on a lifetime of experimentation and experience both her own and that which was handed down. The fact that she was still alive was testament to her skill. She could cure an ill or cause one with a herbal concoction of one form or another. In addition to the plants, she would also know where to find minerals such as salt and saltpetre, sulphur and other useful ingredients for potions and medicines. These would have been closely guarded secrets.

The Witch as Thaumaturgist:
The art of weather-working was another area where the witch was a useful ally. This was a specialty for some witches and took many years to get it right. Learning to call rain or stop it at need was the height of energy work for the times. Being able to recognise the right conditions and then manipulate the energy over the vast distances necessary to affect the weather was not a common talent. The ability to weave reality would also have been useful for cursing and blessing, both of which would have been done dat distance.

The Witch as Necromancer:
The local witch would also have been a conduit to the dead. She may well have had spirit helpers, relatives and other witches or teachers who had passed beyond to aid in her magic. She may also have acted as a medium for the local bereaved in sending and receiving messages.

The Witch as Diviner:
The local witch with a talent for prognostication would have been highly sought after. For water witching or foretelling the future the diviner was often an integral, if underappreciated member of the country village. Whether reading the cards, stones, bones, sticks, runes or entrails, one who could accurately foretell the future would have been generally recognised as an asset.
Almost certainly, any local witch would have had high levels of what Isaac Bonewits has termed the claire or “paranormal” senses. She would also have been an astute and shrewd judge of character. These women would have depended on their wits and their magic for their very survival.
It was in the fifteenth century when the Roman church was running out of heretics to burn and needed a scapegoat on which to blame all the ills of man that witchcraft became a heretical crime punishable by death…and it was nearly the end of it.

Witchcraft Now
In 1951 the last of the archaic “Witchcraft Laws” was repealed in England. Almost immediately three branches of the modern craft emerged. The Traditional Village Witchcraft of Robert Cochrane, the genteel middle class magical study of Louise Leek’s Pentagram Club and Gerald Gardner’s reinvention of the Old Religion, all vied for a place in the renaissance of western occultism.

When Gerald Gardner published “Witchcraft Today”, he claimed to have been initiated into an ancient form of witchcraft in the New Forest of Hampshire, England. We now know that he largely invented what has come to be the fastest growing religion in the west today, Wicca, and in so doing kick-started the neo-pagan movement. Today witches come in all genders, races and colours!

I tend to define the word “witch” as someone who practices various forms of folk magic, and the word “Wicca” or “Wiccan” as a religion or an adherent to a religion which encourages the belief in and practice of magic. Not every single Wiccan is comfortable working magic. Many of those who do seem to gravitate towards the theurgical workings most closely associated with the concept of ‘prayer’. This may be a carry over from their former religious environment. While at the elementary level some people may feel more comfortable leaving the real decisions up to a divine power of some sort, the skilled theurgist would enlist the active aid of deity as a working partner. By invoking a specific and appropriate god/dess or aspect if you prefer, and requesting aid with your magical spell you are accepting the responsibility for your magic and not relinquishing your will to that of some divine unknown. Supplication to an omnipotent Divine who has the ultimate say in the matter is a distinctly Christian world-view. While paleo-pagans certainly offered sacrifices to the gods in order to placate them or gain favour, I like to believe that today’s Neopagan has grown into a working relationship with the gods who are happy to have our attention and our worship once more. Not every theurgical working need involve a material magical goal. A successful ‘drawing down’ can be a working of the most magical kind! Because of its nature, theurgy tends to be the most heavily ritualised of the more common magical styles.

Thaumaturgical workings require no divine intervention. The Thaumaturgist relies on the power within to affect change within their environment. Many of thaumaturgical spells are simple rituals which can involve working with the elements such as fire. Since most people have an astrologically predisposed affinity with an element they would tend to work well with that particular element. Some incorporate alchemical components to the working as well. While thaumaturgy is definitely the magical realm of the witch, you do not have to be of any particular theological persuasion to accomplish your goal. If, however, you are going to be a Christian-Witch you should check with a pastor of your particular denomination for their rules on the subject. Most (though not all) Christian denominations today frown on the actual practice of any magic other than theurgy and that only as performed by qualified clergy.

Many of today’s alchemists work in the botanical realm of herbs and tinctures, teas and potions. Understanding the properties, contraindications, growing needs and preparations of plants is only a part of the modern witch’s herb working. There are also the magical times, places and manner of harvesting, the incantations and other esoteric ingredients to master. It is no wonder that magical herbal alchemy is a lifetime commitment. But most witches have at least a rudimentary working relationship with a group of their favourite herbs which they use for magical purposes. The more skilled the witch, the more uses there are for the herbs. I strongly recommend a good class on medicinal herbalism before attempting to make any potions for ingestion!

I think necromancy is probably the most misunderstood of the magical practices. For many the word conjures up images of a mad magician summoning diabolical forces for dastardly purposes. While demonology may be the most dramatic, mediumship is also a form of necromancy, as is divination which employs the use of spirit guides. By speaking with or channelling spirits we can often gain a profound understanding of our own place in the cosmos. When a loved one passes beyond, it is only natural for those left behind to want some affirmation that they are “okay” in the afterlife. Sometimes spirits bring messages or offer advice in the form of dreams when we leave ourselves open.

Divination is often the most maligned of the arts, and for good reason. For years fakers and charlatans have cheated the gullible out of their money. Fortunetelling has been a lucrative scam which has hurt the serious practitioner of this ancient art. Today we have a responsibility to ourselves as well as our clients to be as honest in our prognostications as humanly possible. It will take years if not decades to repair the damage done by thieves who have robbed not only their customers, but us as well.

As should be apparent, there is invariably some cross over between the various forms of magic. Some theurgical workings will incorporate elements of thaumaturgy, and divination may include necromancy while today’s alchemist may bring in elements of all the other forms.

So, a witch is someone who works magic. He or she might be a religious witch or a secular witch, but either way they are certain to be interesting! How can you tell if someone is a good witch or a bad witch? Well that is a subject for another essay.

Happy witch watching!

- Trish Reynolds

Recommended reading for the beginning student of magic:
Real Magic, Isaac Bonewits
Modern Magick, Donald Michael Craig

One witch’s favourite quotes on magic:
Quantum physicist Fred Alan Wolf: "As smart as we are in the modern world, we apparently can never pass behind the veil which divides the seen from the unseen, except by engaging ourselves in the way appointed by the Ancients -- the Mysteries."

Paul A. Clark: "I describe it as the art of producing effects, initiated by changes in consciousness, by directing or aligning with the secret forces of the cosmos."

Gareth Knight: "Magic is the skilled and objective use of the imagination, both as an organ of perception and manifestation."

Trish Reynolds is the author of the popular Doctor and the Witch series of paranormal fiction ‘A Question of Balance’ and ‘A Matter of Perspective’.Published by Pagan World Press an imprint of Dubsar House Publishing, as well as a journalist and editor. Trish has been a practicing witch for more than 35 years and is also a Wiccan Elder. She wrote for New Moon Rising Magazine for the twelve years it was in print as Trish Reynolds, TarishAnu and Zyalia, the crone. You can find her books on Amazon.com, Barnesandnoble.com, WalMart.com sites and many fine book sellers. You can also visit Trish online at her web site at www.zyalia.com.