Quietly an Earth Witch

I choose to call myself an Earth Witch because it reflects what is most important to me in my feeling about life and living: the planet we live on and the traditions we keep.

The Earth is, of course the planet. It's the air we breathe, literally. We are far more dependent on the Earth than it on us. So, of all things, the Earth should be respected and cared for.

Witch, is the oldest and most commonly known name for the women who were midwives, wise women, herbalists and so on through history. So, Earth Witch suits me. Traditions for me include all the families, the history and the people who have built up our cultures, arts, and sciences.

The name was my choice and it is fairly personal. I don't tell people about being an Earth Witch in every simple introduction. Religion (I don't really think of it as a religion or a faith or spirituality) is a personal choice and something you may not share with just anyone.

Keeping being a Witch to yourself is not about past history with Witch burnings and all of that. People will use that as a way to puff themselves up or connect themselves to a tragic part of history. I don't feel that way about it. Being a Witch is personal for me. I don't need to prove myself, prove how much of a Witch I am to anyone but me. So, I'm quietly an Earth Witch and I'm a solitary, quiet Earth Witch.

Guide Books for Solitary Witches

Everyone needs a place to begin. If you have questions about what a Witch is or what a Witch does/ believes/ etc do some research and find out.

A Solitary Earth Witch

Discovering your own Path and Exploring in Your own Way Being a Solitary Witch (or Pagan or Wiccan or which ever name you give yourself) is not a lonely thing. It does not mean you are not really a Pagan or Witch or Wiccan. It often means you could not find another group or path which suited you.

For instance, I don't believe in any god or goddess. I could be an Atheist but I do believe there is something out there. Everything had to begin at some point of origin. However, I don't think there is any god looking over us, looking out for us or guiding us. We are on our own and responsible for our own actions - a god is not going to step in and save us from the mess we create on our planet.

Almost every last group of Pagans I have discovered have beliefs in some form of god or goddess. I don't believe in any god or goddess who asks for or requires worship. This is why I stopped believing in gods. If you were a god, all powerful, how arrogant you would be to require worship and followers. Isn't needing worship and praise and thanks a big sign that you really aren't all powerful at all?

This is how I see it. I'm not asking anyone else to think the same way. Being a Solitary Witch works for me because my beliefs, thoughts and ideas are my own and I don't need to defend or explain to anyone because I'm the only one on my path.

In essense, being a Solitary Witch (or Pagan or Wiccan) is discovering your own path and deciding what makes sense and matters to you and then you follow your path without waiting for anyone else to give you their permission. However, you still need to do no harm to others. Following your own path is not about thumbing your nose at other religions. It is about doing right for yourself - for your self.

Do No Harm to Others

Magic Comes from Within Yourself I have deep beliefs in doing no harm to others.

For me this means I don't like the spells and spellcraft most people write about as Witchcraft. At some level they are all doing harm as they take away the free choice of others and assume we (personally) are right in all our choices and should now enforce them on others or cause change for others. I just don't think we have that right.

Everyone has their own destiny and their own path to get there. The only person you have a right to change is yourself.

Magic comes from within yourself. A spell is only a tool to help you focus on what you are changing within yourself. So, work from within first. Change yourself and you will change the world around you without having to touch a thing or cast any spells on anyone or any thing.

Exploring Religion and Paganism

I began exploring other religions and beliefs when I was in my early 20's. It started when I read about Catholic women not being allowed to attend church after giving birth. The women had to be "churched" as they were seen as unclean and unfit after having a baby. This was deeply not right to me.

I began to see how much of the accepted religions were based on gender and especially how often women were kept out or put down in some way. Being a woman myself I did not see how I could participate in any religion which did not fully value me.

So I explored. I love exploring!

I found out a lot of background for all the standard religions. I would not say I did in depth research. Once I found out enough I would begin looking elsewhere for a religion which did not let me down. I did not find anything I could accept until I began exploring Paganism, modern Pagans.

Of course, part of the reason it is fairly easy to find Paganism acceptable is the freedom to choose from among so many beliefs and never find yourself pigeon holed by rules and expectations. Don't think this means there are no rules or standards or snobbery. Of course there are. People are people. We bring out snobbery and our expectations to everything.

What Do You Think About Pagan Beliefs? - I've had some very aggressive attacks based on my beliefs. However, most people enjoy a good discussion. Whether or not you have ever researched a religion, what do you think about the Pagan religions or beliefs?

When I was about 20 I decided to look into religions. I knew the traditional Christian ways were not for me. I didn't like they way these religions viewed women. I had just read a book where the women were put into isolation after having their period or giving birth, they were "unclean". This was on top of growing up with the Adam and Eve mythology. From that point the Bible (written and rewritten by men) just goes on to look down on women, and worse. If I were a male, I would probably never have become Pagan. I would never have begun researching other religions and beliefs and looked deeper than the surface. Most likely I would have put religion behind me as not being all that important.

My Early Pagan Experience

I started with Witchcraft and Wicca because I found a book written in the 70's. It's a book I wouldn't choose to read now but parts of it were enough to send me looking for more information from more reliable sources. I found a Pagan bookstore referred to in a book. I made the hour long bus trip to downtown Toronto and found the place. Entering for that first time was not easy. I felt daring and yet I also felt I was walking into a place I didn't fully belong and might not be welcome. I wondered if they could see inside of me, my mind and my thoughts. Would they know what I was thinking, could they see my future and my past, my aura...? That was creepy.

The first thing that really happened was the smell. Ever since then I have noticed the same smell, strongly of incense over time, in every Pagan bookstore. I like pulling out a book I bought in a Pagan store. Even a couple of decades later I can smell it in the pages. If the smell ever goes away I don't know. So far it hasn't.

My adventure in that first Pagan store was intimidating. If I were less determined or less curious I doubt I would have tried another Pagan store. The people there did watch me and yet said nothing. Maybe they thought I was going to walk off with something, maybe they were just curious too, I won't know and I didn't ask then. I was already the shy type. I bought a book and a couple of polished rocks and I left, glad to be out of there. I was left with the feeling of not belonging and I never did go back to that store. Luckily there were others and more came along later.

Finding Where and How I Fit In

A few years more and the Internet came along too. By that time I was making my own decisions about what I believed and how I believed it. I didn't accept Wicca as it came. I took what felt right to me and put it together with how I felt about the world and it's people. I still believe this way; I'm very much an eclectic solitary type of Pagan. I gave myself the label of Earth Witch and I've stuck with that, to keep the explanation simple. To me an Earth Witch means I focus on the Earth, the natural and I don't feel influenced by deities or magick. I believe we each create our own magick from ourselves and it is up to each of us to choose how to use it, or not use it.

I have written about my Pagan beliefs before but not shared much of my actual experience. I used to get email from young women who wanted to know more about being Pagan. The main thing they wanted to know was how to hide it from their parents. I was never behind this. For one thing, if you have to hide it, maybe you should rethink the whole thing.

I do understand that some families are very Christian and close minded or even afraid of Pagan ideas and Pagan ways. If that is the case and you are living at home, this is not the time for you to explore being Pagan. Wait until you can do it openly. In the meantime, there is no reason you can't do simple things like have a collection of rocks, maybe some shells and feathers, keep a journal about your observations of nature, history and people. These are things you can do without upsetting your parents and family. You can be Pagan without having to prove you're Pagan. Know it yourself and start there.

Nowadays...

For me, being Pagan is a personal thing. I mainly keep it to myself. I've found a local group with weekly meetings but I have yet to venture out and attend one. I think I will. Each time I have stepped out and met other Pagans I have enjoyed the experience and learned new things about history, religion and beliefs. But, I'm comfortable with what I believe now, the way my feelings about being an Earth Witch have evolved. So I'm not as eager to stir myself up as I was when I was younger and just starting to explore and discover.

I like old fashioned things for young women. I'm also a history buff, a bit traditional with a cultural slant. So, charm bracelets are one of the things I have always liked. I have one.

My Mother bought me the bracelet and gave me the first few charms which I added to the chain. Later, my Dad brought me back a few more charms from his business travels. I have one which came as an oval picture frame and we had a photo of my sisters and myself inside the charm. But, that photo faded to almost nothing and now I can only see an outline of my sisters and I really. But, I know it's there.

That's another aspect to the charm bracelet. Each charm is a preserved memory. Something representing a moment in your life. An event, like a wedding or your first big trip overseas. A person, like the charm your Grandmother gave you one Christmas with the thistles of Scotland, her home country. Or, something just special to yourself, like a flying saucer charm because you really love science fiction and hope all your dreams of aliens from space aren't just wishful thinking.

Some Charming History

Charm bracelets may have started as an amulet to ward off bad luck or evil spirits.

In prehistoric times charms were made from clay, shells, and animal-bones. Gems, rocks and wood would have been used later, as tools evolved. As people and charms evolved they were also protection from spirits and in battle. Charms were also used to identify affiliation with religious and other types of groups.

The first charm bracelets (versus charms kept individually or worn in other ways) appeared 600 – 400 BC.with the Babylonians and some time later the Assyrians, Persians, and Hittites.

Queen Victoria brought new popularity to charm bracelets when she designed her own charm bracelet to mourn the death of her husband, Albert.

The Industrial Revolution brought changes all over but it meant items like jewelry became easier and cheaper to produce, thus they became available for the common people, not just those who were able to afford the more exclusive and valuable jewels.

In 1889, at the Paris Exposition, Tiffany & Co launched a chain link bracelet with a single dangling heart pendent. The charm bracelet became fashionable.

Soldiers from World War II brought charms/ trinkets home as souvenirs from local craftspeople in the areas they had visited during the fighting.

In the 1950's and 1960's charm bracelets were created to reflect life events. Movie stars, like Elizabeth Taylor, wore charm bracelets which brought more interest for teenagers to have charm bracelets of their own.

Here in Canada and the US people plant flowers still, but the cemeteries don't like it any more. The groundskeepers want to keep it simple and no work. So people take artificial flowers instead. Plastic flowers last better in the rain but tend to blow away and then don't look nice for long. The silk flowers don't handle the weather very well and soon look pretty ragged.

Cut flowers are allowed. But cemeteries will not be responsible for anything like a vase, which the flowers come with. The simplest thing is cut flowers without any accessories. These will not need to be picked up and disposed of as they can usually be cut along with the grass and disposed of along with the grass clippings.

I've gone to the cemetery and collected artificial flowers which had blown away and still looked nice. I brought them back and put them on my kitchen table, in a vase. Some people would think that's in poor taste. But, the groundskeepers will collect the flowers too. Then he or she will throw them all away. I just see my gathering of the flowers as recycling.

Flowers for a Funeral

Typical flowers sent or given at funerals are:

• lilies
• carnations
• gladiolas
• chrysanthemums

Other flowers which work well and last as cut flowers are good choices:

• daisies
• iris
• tulips
• zinnias
• cosmos
• daylilies
• sunflowers
• marigolds

Picking Colours

White flowers are traditional mourning flowers in many countries. My older relatives all disliked white lilies because, for them, they were the flowers of funerals. So, you might not want to go with the traditional colour (or the traditional flower) in every case.

White carnations are pretty traditional too. They have the advantage of being durable, able to last well as a cut flower. Some will also smell nice. But, I've found most of the carnations sold in stores no longer have the cinnamon smell, as I remember it.

Red flowers are meant to show passion, even in death. You would pick red flowers for a husband or wife, or someone else you've been intimate with and don't mind having it known by all.

Purple was a royal colour and a mourning colour as well. In Spring, purple tulips would be suitable for just about anyone, men or women.

Conditioning Cut Flowers

Cut all stems at an angle. This helps them to get water up the stem while they are in the vase/ arrangement. Use sharp scissors or a knife so the cut is clean and you cut it without pinching the end closed. If possible, cut the stem under water.

Remove any foliage (leaves) which touches the water or lies below the waterline. Anything in the water will encourage algae and bacteria which will stink and cause the foliage to rot as well.

Florists will often provide cut flower water additives in a package with the flowers. If you are doing your own arrangement you can create the formula yourself. For every quart of water, add two aspirins, a teaspoon of sugar, and a few drops of bleach.

Check the water often - make sure the flower stems are covered. Change the water about every 5 days. You will probably need to trim your flowers too. Deadhead them and cut more off the stems - anything beginning to rot needs to be cut off.

Keep your flowers out of direct sunlight and avoid heat or cold from any other source. Heat will cause them to wilt sooner.

The best time to cut the flowers in your own garden is the early morning.

Some people add a copper penny to the bottom of the vase but there is so little copper in pennies now, I doubt this advice has the same value. The Canadian Mint stopped making pennies this year even.

There are few things as old fashioned and traditional as a wedding. Even though couples add their own touches with poetry, sky diving and Halloween themes, a wedding is still something self indulgent which we do to celebrate a life change. It isn’t actually necessary, only signing the paperwork for the government is really necessary. But having a wedding is important to people and families. Mine was important to me.

Something new I’ve been hearing about is a green, environmentally thoughtful, wedding. I like the idea. When I planned my own wedding the environment was on my mind. I read about bird seed versus rice or flower petals. Which do you think has the least impact on the environment? It’s complicated. The birdseed might seem the best option but, it causes wild grass and such to grow in the area it is tossed. That will cause the use of more lawn chemicals. I forget why rice wasn’t a good option. Flower petals weren’t favoured either. In the end the article I was reading suggested the best alternative were soap bubbles. Though, I’m sure there is an argument against them too. How safe is soap after all? How important are the small things like throwing rice and wedding favours?

If you look there are services offering green weddings and advice for keeping all the parts of your wedding ecologically polite/ sound. I found one which lets you used recycled gold to create your own wedding bands. I found another which offers to arrange the whole ceremony for you. But, there is more than the day itself to consider. It’s adding a lot to the bride’s to-do list. You might consider how important it is to be environmentally good one day which is already stress packed, instead you could put more effort into every day and give yourself a break on the one day you set aside to get married.

I’m adding this quote cause it’s just so sweet! It came from a furniture site.

“I dreamed of a wedding of elaborate elegance, A church filled with family and friends. I asked what kind of wedding he wished for, He said one that would make me his wife.” – Author Unknown