I have posted this already in a comment of one of the blogs but since it pertains to this thread here it is again. This has been on my mind for a while, so please excuse my ranting

Now-a-days Witches are mostly trying to change the popular image of the witch as
"wicked" to that of a "healer" - someone working to make a better world for all. If others see "negative" spells that focus on hate, then they are
liable to get the idea that witches are, indeed, self focused and worship evil.
This is a common perception these days and
I'd like to answer this by saying that few in the African Traditional Religions (over 50 million devotees) have little if any respect for Wiccans simply because of their constant campaigning that all they do is 'goodness and light', they have given away any power they may have had in older times.
So what if they think I worship evil. Do you honestly think their campaigns mean anything to me? They will believe whatever they want. Does it take any skin off my nose if they do? No! Laws are in place in civilized nations that protect most practitioners. Here in the US for example Satanists are protected and given the right to worship the 'Lord of Lies and Evil'. Truth be told the majority of avowed Satanists are about on par with Wiccans in temperment and actions.
By telling the world that Witches do not do any evil, the Wiccans tell the world, "We're sitting ducks - come and take your best shot!". No fear equals little to no respect. You have to have some fear to keep that element of surprise in tact which ensures you will be respected. If you know all about your enemy and know that they do not do any evil nor have any weapons, then you not only do not have to fear them but you do not have to respect them and you can do to them whatever you wish to them.
In my opinion, Wiccans give away their power by keeping this modern Rede in place and buying into the 'silly belief' (my opinion) of karma. Not all Witches buy into Karma and 3 Fold Rules nor are all Witches healers and it's a misguided attempt at white-washing the whole with a little bit of soap. They do not use Black Magic, I turn around and tell them, "I only use it to protect myself and mine from potential harm" which makes it more believable. Tell a Xian you, as a Witch/Wiccan ,do not do any Black Magic and they'll not believe you; tell them you only use it as a last resort, and it becomes far more believable.
Santeros and Santeras, Paleros and Paleras, Houngans, Manbos, Hoodoos, Root Workers, Curanderos and so on, do not get as much crap and backlash from their communities because there's always the chance they'll ask their Spirits to punish someone for interfering in their life. Wiccans think that's evil when it is not; it's simply a way of punishing someone for their unwanted transgressions against you.
Case-In-Point: A Wiccan mother who loses her children to social workers will not use any Magic to help her situation because she fears 'karmic fallout' or some other imagined punishment; yet the Santera whose children are taken by the social worker will ask her Ancestors and her Spiritguide on who to manipulate with Magic to get her children back.

Most Wiccan would want somebody to believe that this type of magic in the hands of the inexperienced magical practitioner could go quite wrong, wreaking karmic
fallout that was never intended. The temptation to use this when in an emotional state might be way too great, according to them...
Karmic Fallout??? Who came up with that rubbish? In the hands of an inexperienced fool, maybe! The expirienced practitioner knows what to do.
Look folks, when your back is against the wall, you use Magic to help yourself and your situation.
Know how to protect yourself and if that includes using some good ol' Black Magic then so be it!
Peace, Romana

I strongly agree.

I'll use what I need to to get done what I need done. No regret, no remorse, no fear.

ROMANA wrote:
I have posted this already in a comment of one of the blogs but since it pertains to this thread here it is again. This has been on my mind for a while, so please excuse my ranting

Now-a-days Witches are mostly trying to change the popular image of the witch as
"wicked" to that of a "healer" - someone working to make a better world for all. If others see "negative" spells that focus on hate, then they are
liable to get the idea that witches are, indeed, self focused and worship evil.

OK. This post deserves some serious consideration.

Clearly there is a large, well funded, and active fundamentalist lobby in many countries who see all paths that are not their own as evil deceptions of Satan. This motivates them to work against the well being, and sometimes safety of minority faiths as these are easier to attack and suppress than larger competing faiths (after all, they reason, you have to start somewhere).


This is a common perception these days and
I'd like to answer this by saying that few in the African Traditional Religions (over 50 million devotees) have little if any respect for Wiccans simply because of their constant campaigning that all they do is 'goodness and light', they have given away any power they may have had in older times.


A thorough search of world media will find occasional reports of what are actually common incidents in many areas of Africa where people murder those they think may have, or may in future, curse them


So what if they think I worship evil. Do you honestly think their campaigns mean anything to me? They will believe whatever they want. Does it take any skin off my nose if they do? No! Laws are in place in civilized nations that protect most practitioners. Here in the US for example Satanists are protected and given the right to worship the 'Lord of Lies and Evil'. Truth be told the majority of avowed Satanists are about on par with Wiccans in temperment and actions.
By telling the world that Witches do not do any evil, the Wiccans tell the world, "We're sitting ducks - come and take your best shot!". No fear equals little to no respect. You have to have some fear to keep that element of surprise in tact which ensures you will be respected. If you know all about your enemy and know that they do not do any evil nor have any weapons, then you not only do not have to fear them but you do not have to respect them and you can do to them whatever you wish to them.

In the UK there was a serious attempt to reintroduce witchcraft laws a few years ago, laws which could jail a lot of people for 5 years. Fear helped promote this campaign to the level of a serious threat, rather than the joke it should have been. Feed that fear and risk similar elsewhere. During this campaign, a woman was beaten and put in intensive care by neighbours who were afraid of her because she was a witch. This is just one case amongst many which demonstrates why the opinions and campaigns of fundamentalists are very important.

Read the Frost's account in the US of an automatic pistol being emptied through their kitchen window to see what fear is capable of. Sure, it's illegal, and no doubt if someone had been killed, prosecutions would have followed. So much for the protection of the law.

And it's right - fear will create a kind of respect in many people. Misjudge it though, and you risk driving people into the primitive states of mind where fear of someone equals someone to be destroyed. Move people far enough (and it doesn't take much with some folk who if they think they've irked you will interpret EVERYTHING that goes wrong in their life from then on as your fault) and they will be functioning in the lower mammal/reptilian brain where action will be violent, energetic, and free of fear of consequence.

Fear. like all weapons, is truly a double edged sword.


In my opinion, Wiccans give away their power by keeping this modern Rede in place and buying into the 'silly belief' (my opinion) of karma. Not all Witches buy into Karma and 3 Fold Rules nor are all Witches healers and it's a misguided attempt at white-washing the whole with a little bit of soap. They do not use Black Magic, I turn around and tell them, "I only use it to protect myself and mine from potential harm" which makes it more believable. Tell a Xian you, as a Witch/Wiccan ,do not do any Black Magic and they'll not believe you; tell them you only use it as a last resort, and it becomes far more believable.
Santeros and Santeras, Paleros and Paleras, Houngans, Manbos, Hoodoos, Root Workers, Curanderos and so on, do not get as much crap and backlash from their communities because there's always the chance they'll ask their Spirits to punish someone for interfering in their life. Wiccans think that's evil when it is not; it's simply a way of punishing someone for their unwanted transgressions against you.

And, believing you will only use it as a last resort will drive many fearful folk to get their retaliation in first.


Case-In-Point: A Wiccan mother who loses her children to social workers will not use any Magic to help her situation because she fears 'karmic fallout' or some other imagined punishment; yet the Santera whose children are taken by the social worker will ask her Ancestors and her Spiritguide on who to manipulate with Magic to get her children back.

Now we're talking. Consider though, that magically educated officials may anticipate this, and take appropriate measures, if you have made yourself look capable in advance (one example comes to mind of the european head of the police in Ghana who hired a local sorcerer on retainer to protect him in the 1950's I think it was). How much easier would this situation be to deal with if you look like a harmless new ager, but are actually capable? Camouflage can be extremely useful.


Most Wiccan would want somebody to believe that this type of magic in the hands of the inexperienced magical practitioner could go quite wrong, wreaking karmic
fallout that was never intended. The temptation to use this when in an emotional state might be way too great, according to them...

Emotions paralise judgment by inhibiting higher mental functions. Many an angry punch, gunshot, curse, magical retaliation, has been used when not thinking clearly, and often when better solutions are available to calmer heads. Magic needs emotions to work, but you have to keep them out of your assessments - especially if you are using divination.


Karmic Fallout??? Who came up with that rubbish? In the hands of an inexperienced fool, maybe! The expirienced practitioner knows what to do.


Quite. The idea of Karma is seriously misrepresented in most literature.


Look folks, when your back is against the wall, you use Magic to help yourself and your situation.
Know how to protect yourself and if that includes using some good ol' Black Magic then so be it!
Peace, Romana

Yes, of course you do - use ALL your resources when your back is against the wall. Try getting the aid of your local community if they respect (i.e. fear) you though. Remember, in a tight situation you use everything, not just magic. And you may just want the sympathy of the jury in that child care case, not their "respect".

Now, I'm not hostile to your point of view, but I do think that there are too many potentially dangerous people out there to be whipping up motivations for them to do us harm. And I did think this post needed an alternative opinion for readers to consider. Finally, I'm a bit too long in the tooth to want to be indulging needlessly in magical fisticuffs with people when it usually isn't needed.

Julien, you also make a valid point. I read my "rantings" again and maybe I just have generalizes it to much. As you may know I live in a rual part of the southern U.S. and things work different here then in Europe etc.
That said, I have to say some words of caution about coming out of the broom closet. What works for me might not be right for you and therefore I want to say this.....(mainly to our youth on this site)

Many of you may wonder what are the advantages of coming forth and telling the world that you're either Pagan, Wiccan or a Witch. Some just want to jump on the bandwagon because others have done it and they feel there's strength in numbers. This may sound good but there is limitations on this, folks, because your other Metaphysical co-horts coming forth will not be disowned by your family, co-workers, neighbors etc.. Only YOU will have to deal with that.

This is a strong consideration you should think hard on before you just start wearing a pentacle around your neck on the outside of your clothing. Now I'm not suggesting that you be disrespectful of your beliefs but just remember that you can lose your job, family support (sometimes communication), ostracized from your neighborhood and so on all to have you principles.

Or you can elect to keep your mouth shut and be smug in the satisfaction that you are a Witch, a practitioner of the Grand Old Ways of Witchery and the Craft. You are a powerful individual who knows secrets of herbs, roots, stones, crystals and various other things. You have power by being quiet and discrete.(I guess that was one of Julien's points)

Some folks get a kick out of the idea of shocking others. Think of the parents who flip out when their kids sport piercings, tattoos, wild hair cuts, or who identify themselves with fringe element groups like Goths, Bikers and others. Are these groups bad? Nope. And I'm NOT saying that there is anything wrong with them. What I'm trying to get across to you is that MANY parents, grand-parents, aunts, uncles and authority figures have low opinions of these fringe elements and many people get kicks out of shocking Grandma Ethel or Aunt Petunia and Uncle Justice.

If you're considering coming out and telling the world
that you're a witch because you just want to shock Mom and Dad, then you're doing it for the WRONG reasons. Period!

BUT, if you're sincere and feel that everyone knowing who you are and what you do is worth their scrutiny (and believe you me, you WILL be scrutinized in minute detail!) then sure, go ahead and tell everyone you're a Pagan or Wiccan or New Age Fluff Bunny.
My whole point was that one should use what is necessary at that point in time and not roll over and play dead. Also it has to do with the fact that most New Age practitioners believe that we (and I mean other practitioners then the New Age Wiccan) only do "dark" magic. I guess I just had my feathers ruffeled.
Peace....

ROMANA wrote:
Julien, you also make a valid point. I read my "rantings" again and maybe I just have generalizes it to much. As you may know I live in a rual part of the southern U.S. and things work different here then in Europe etc.

Thanks Romana. I understand entirely where you are coming from, and am not fundamentally opposed to what you said in that sometimes you have to come from a posture of strength to stand any hope of winning in what may be extremely difficult situations.

The judgment of when to do this, and how to avoid filling people with unreasoning fear is a difficult and dangerous path to tread, and so I felt an alternative view was needed.

I think I have come to truely understand the saying " to dare, to know,to keep silent" lately. I suppose that is what they meant.
We do what we have to and never say anything about what we can or will do.