QUESTION - I know this may sound odd but the other day I asked a special tree to gift me a branch so I could utilize its energy.

Two days later there it was... Today ( 2-3 days later) two bones were placed outside my home., One of the bones is a vertebrae placed on the rail and the other a longer bone.

A week previously there was a jaw piece on the other rail.

Do you think the universe gifts us these things ??? I know it may sound odd but it truly does not seem like a coincidence. 

ANSWER - There's an old saying that the "universe provides" and I'm not entirely sure of the origins of this but it seems clear that opportunities often present themselves in quite obvious ways and we just don't notice them until we feel the need to look.

Whether that is job opportunities, tools to work with or relationships - these opportunities are always there, we just tend to notice more when it's relevant to us, which is why I feel it is important to always keep your eyes, ears, mind and heart open; so that you can always be available for the opportunities that come knocking.

​

QUESTION - I have been struggling with two paths in the last few months. I am a Christian who believes that Jesus Christ is my Lord and savior. But I have been feeling a strong pull towards witchcraft. Witchcraft runs in my family. They just don't recognize it as that. My grandmother and her mom and my grandmothers cousin and her mom and so forth practiced things that they didn't see as witchcraft because they did it in the name of Jesus Christ. I know that it's possible to be a Christan witch as long as I practice craft that doesn't interfere with the rules of Christianity. I guess my question is how do I know if I'm a natural witch? I'm so drawn to witchcraft and crystals and nature. I'm a very intuitive person and at first I though that I was an empath because of how I can read people and sense their energy. I can even see auras sometimes. I'm trying to figure out what I am. Could I be a witch? or am I just a empath? Sometimes I can feel energy In my hands. More on my left then on my right. I don't know what that's about. I'm a very open minded Person who loves knowledge and believes that there is always more than meets the eye. So with that all being said what are your thoughts about these two paths and my gifts? 

ANSWER - First of all, I'd just like to point out that I think your open mind does you and your family credit. The fact that you're not only willing, but seem to be happy, to accept that more than one path is open to you is something that many people will never consider and they cut themselves off from so many opportunities because of it.

There are many types of witch but I feel that the type you're envisaging is the typical Celtic variety - In which case, did you know that in the Highlands, in Wales and other Celtic places, most of what people now call Witchcraft was just seen as a woman's heritage? A woman who had what we would now call supernatural gifts, was considered to be a descendant of the Auld Ones, the Ancients, the Ancestors, and was respected for her skills. she saw over deaths, births, marriages, courtships, sicknesses and crop blessings! For at least a thousand years of this, these women were Christians!

Whether you believe in the One, Almighty God or you believe in a pantheon of Supreme Beings, these gifts are just that; gifts and your label doesn't alter that in any way. You just do you! You do what feels natural and let your guides be the soft feelings in the deep of night, the brush of the wind as it caresses your skin.
If you feel the call of nature, if you hear the songs of the trees and the rivers... Nature is in your soul... And calling yourself a Witch, a Christian or a Flying Fish... The label isn't what matters, what's in your heart and soul is key.

I wish you well on your journey and hope that you find a purpose for your gifts, no matter who you choose to thank for them.

xXx Debi xXx

QUESTION - Is it possible for a boy to  become a nature witch? Is there anyone who can teach in dreams? Do writing spells, symbols and text on paper help in future and learning?

ANSWER - I'm not entirely sure of everything you're asking but I am sure that witches can be male or female, there is no gender. Wizards and Warlocks are an invention of Hollywood and fairy tales, not nature so, if you're a male witch then that's what you are! :)

As to spells etc, spells need only one thing, not candles, not texts, not rhymes and incense and magical fairy dust; they need intent. So, whether you're a boy, a girl or a donkey, intent is all you need. 

I'd be wary of anyone offering to "teach" you anything, especially at a cost. Here on this website there are lists of resources that you can access that enable you to read and think for yourself. This is the only true way to learn, especially if you're Pagan. It's your path and you determine it and where it goes... So, my advice to you would be to read as much as you can but with an open mind, don't let the author sway you, go with what feels right and see where it takes you.

Image https://www.deviantart.com/art/The-Boy-Witch-641547805

QUESTION - Kinda a long story. Ill be surprised if you answer this honestly. I've been looking for a way out of witchcraft for a while. About 8 years ago I got introduced to witchcraft by a lady working at a gas station. She repeatedly tried to get me and another girl I worked with into the craft. The other chick was a diagnosed borderline personality disorder and a borderline sociopath, bi-polar etc.

The other girl didn't get into it (thank God) but I did. I'm bi-polar (my father was abusive - not my fault) among other things. As soon as I entered witchcraft I had problems. Basic new witch problems. I asked the lady to help but she would only laugh. She never gave me advice on anything. Just gave me a book and was pretty much like good luck. So I had no idea what I was doing. Eventually after several years of being in witchcraft things starting taking a bad turn and I wanted to leave.

Right after I left I got attacked by a co-worker who assaulted me. She was a Haitian who was into Voodoo. Maybe this has something to do with things. I doubt it though. She basically tried to kill me. I had bruises all over my neck for her trying to strangle me. This co-worker was known to be a little psychotic. Both of us got fired from our jobs. There was a silver lining to this sort of. I got into manufacturing where I'm making good money. Only problem is everything is still messed up 4 years later. About 3 and a half years ago (not too long after I left witchcraft) random problems with me would literally just start out of thin air. I cant make eye contact with anyone because it freaks them out. I cant pass by someone because it freaks them out and cant have someone approach me out of the corner of my eye it, freaks them out. I usually give females the worst vibes. (I don't know why because before witchcraft I always got along with women the best.) I give off a ridiculous bad vibes. Like as if you smelt something putrid face usually happens to people or they'll literally stand back away from me with their hands out, avoiding eye contact, petrified.

I've been hearing Medusa. So I'm like the real life Medusa. But it's like that for everything that moves. Even my cat from time to time. I'm a serious emotional vampire even when I'm happy (tho that's gotten better). I also am constantly getting laughed at. People usually laugh at me when they walk by or when I make eye contact with them I can see them trying to hold back a laugh. I had 8 jobs last year. I quit several of them because I was being laughed at so bad I couldn't take it and I have been fired from 4 jobs in a row. 2 of the jobs I was there for 4 days, never said anything to anyone and they fired me. Another one after less than 2 months after the guy I was working with kept making up things to get me fired because he didn't like me.

I've been called a psycho though have never talked to anyone or started shit with anyone. I've been told I'm the worst person to be around, tho before witchcraft everyone would tell me how happy I made them. I used to love joking and telling stores now I can hardly say two words. I had a fire at my apartment that left me homeless at the beginning of the year. My landlord came after me for 5,000 dollars. I stayed with my parents for two months before they pushed me out. I then rented a studio apartment for 2 months where the lady lied and kept my security deposit after charging me about 4500 dollars to stay there. My new job is horrible. I'm constantly getting laughed at and everyone's talking shit about me. I hide in the bathrooms on my breaks.

Anyway, when I got involved into witchcraft I opened some type or portal I cant seem to close. Something attached itself to me. I don't know if it's a negative entity, I think it's something worse. I've contacted Shamans, they haven't been able to help. I've talked to other people who are into witchcraft, they haven't been able to help. I hoping you can offer some advice because I don't know what to do. I'm not kidding you. This is no joke. My vibes are something you'd see in a horror movie. How do I remove this entity? I've asked it to leave. Not working. I've tried ignoring it. It's not working. I've tried asking for help. No response. I've tried dwelling on happy things like funny stories from my past. Not working.
 
ANSWER - I think there are some concerns here which we will address but I don't think you are helping yourself by pinning so many labels on yourself. You need to focus on the problem rather than trying to define it by saying you are an x, y z. Most of the problems you are describing here can be explained in a far less sensationalist way than likening yourself to Medusa and I think you would feel more settled in your own mind if you changed some of the language you are using to describe these issues.

It is good that when you discovered witchcraft was not for you that you had the strength of character to leave. Walking away from something that is a poor fit for you is always a sign of strength rather than weakness. I do not however feel that stepping away from witchcraft is the cause of the bad vibes you are experiencing. I am not saying it is impossible that you have attracted the attention of an unpleasant entity but from the symptoms you are describing it is unlikely.

I think you need to consider rationally whether seeing a counsellor would benefit you. Believing everybody you meet is laughing at you can be an area where therapy can help. We can't overlook the fact that they may genuinely be laughing at you but the first option is the more likely and should be eliminated before exploring other options. As witches we are not averse to magical dilemmas and solutions but we also acknowledge that it is usually worth trying more mundane practical solutions first.

You also need to be clear when you are the source of the problem and when somebody else is. Your voodoo
lady didn't attack you for any other reason than she was quite clearly a nut job. Your colleague who refused to get on with you was very likely an unpleasant person who found it hard to engage socially. If you allow the inadequacies of other people to sit on your shoulders they will wear you down. 

I think what you are not doing is giving yourself a break from all the awful things that have happened to you and allowing yourself the right to understand that possibly you are not yourself, you are stressed and tired and withdrawn and it is this that is causing people to react to you differently. Give yourself some credit for being tough enough to get through your troubles but also accept that you may need a little bit of help in getting your emotional equilibrium back.

I honestly think the best thing you can do is to ask your doctor for a referral to a counsellor and sit and talk some of this stuff through. If at the end of that you still  feel there is definitely a craft related core to your problems then we can explore that further down the line. But at the moment you sound to me like somebody who has had a lot of burdens on their back this year and who could do with some support to offload some of that baggage. Try it, you have nothing to lose. At the very least you will have eliminated one possibility. I'm a fan of the balance of probabilities and  though as I say I'd never rule out a less credible cause I'd always want to explore the likely causes first.

QUESTION - I don't know if I'd call myself a 'witch' or not. I have only been walking this Pagan path for a couple years and I am still very much exploring and learning and suspect I always will. I like my crystals, I have a fascination and knack for sigils, and I quietly observe the Sabbats without openly celebrating them. My altar tends to be spread out in my head. I've been drawn to Cernunnos, and the Archangel Michael. All that being said, I don't know where else to post this query and I am wondering if anybody has faced a similar situation and what they've done about it.

When my daughter was born nearly twenty three years ago, something told me back then that I needed to protect her a bit more than my first three offspring. I got a strong and early sense of foreboding upon her reaching adulthood that I didn't get with my others. I've also had a few dreams where she vanishes and is just GONE, and instinctively in the dream, I'll know she is really gone from this plane, and I am just utterly devastated.

I had one of these dreams recently which had me quite shaken. She found me all upset in the morning and I finally told her my concerns after hugging on her for a solid five minutes. Turns out during a family budget meeting---of all things, my husband and her older sister have also had similar dreams where she is concerned, but they didn't want to tell me for fear of worrying me. So now, we're all wondering: what the heck is up with all this? I'm highly concerned, because it would be one thing if it were just neurotic me having these---even though the dreams are rare, they're quite potent; but to now know my husband and her sister are also having these is a whole other ballgame. Where do I go from here? What do I do with this? I feel like we've been charged with protecting her somehow and I have the sense it's from a very dark person(s) in the future.

We have not exactly been 'encouraging' her to get 'out there' and she is quite content here at home for the moment. In her dealings with other people, I have seen there is almost always an odd urge in people to protect/shield or outright possess her somehow, but they don't know what to do with that energy (or what it is) and it can turn some people away, or it leads to these odd obsessive behaviours in others with her. We don't know what that's about either, her included. She's not a 'needy' personality and is quite comfortable in her own skin.

I should also add that I've had a few precog dreams about others in my life, and 'visitation' from deceased relatives whom I didn't know in life, but again, these are rare.

What do you think? Has anybody else ever dealt with this kind of thing? I want to protect her! I apologize for the length of this, but thank you for listening to me.

ANSWER - I think it is important in the context of this question to have a strong understanding of the difference between seeing THE future and seeing A future. As witches I believe we always work with the possibilities of the future world. We can use methods of divination which take us on the spectrum from likely to near certainty but the one thing we cannot do is predict the future as an absolute. This is because the future has many variables which affect the path any of us take and make it which impossible to say any one path has a inevitable outcome.

Before I get into your specifics I'm going to point out that it is the fortune telling "This will happen" attitude that annoys me about the Tarot. I (and most other witches) use the Tarot as a guide to the future, an indication of what current path may bring and a heads up to understand what changes need to be made to alter that path if it is going away from my direction of choice. What the Tarot does not do is predict events that cannot be affected or changed. And frankly if it  did it wouldn't be worth the cards it is printed on.

The Tarot is used as a guide, a warning if you like. As a simple analogy it works in the same way as pain. If you touch a hot plate and it burns you the pain is a warning not to grab it and hold onto it because it will burn you. You change your behaviour due to the warning to change the outcome. That is exactly how divination should be used. You see the likely outcome of the current path and look for the ways to change that path to alter the outcome.

I think this view of the future is very relevant to your question. You are getting a lot of suggestion that your daughter may possibly have something negative and dangerous in her future. The fact that your husband and other daughter are experiencing something similar adds even more credibility to the threat. But what it doesn't prove is that this negative outcome will ever necessarily come to fruition. What you have here is a warning, an intuition that there may be danger ahead for your daughter. But the very fact that you are aware of this will  change your behaviour. You will be more  aware of protecting her, quicker  to suggest she avoids the very things that may hurt her. What you are experiencing is not a glimpse into an inevitable future but an opportunity to keep your daughter safe throughout her life.

My advice is to keep on listening to that inner voice. You've done well so far by working with your intuition and there is no reason to suppose you will not continue to protect your daughter until she no longer needs it. I think the fact that you are willing to listen to these dreams, that you understand the significance of them and that you are able to reach out and ask for help are all good indicators that you will recognise any dangers you encounter. Keep up the good spiritual practises, keep the bonds between you and your daughter strong and keep the focus on your intuition. And always remember that the future is not written in stone. It is yours and your daughter's to change every step of the way. 

Image ​http://www.deviantart.com/art/DSC06247-Crystal-Ball-3-397475752

​QUESTION  I have been going to Catechism Classes at St.Mark Catholic Church. Because I want to become a Catholic. I also want to become a Witch. Is this wrongful for me to do? I do believe in both. Thank you for your time and many Blessings to you. 

ANSWER - I think this is a tricky one. Catholicism and witchcraft have been at opposition throughout history. At times Catholicism has denied witches actually exist and at other times has considered them such a threat that they burned them. It is hard to see how you can reconcile the two very different belief systems. 

It isn't so much the fundamentals of Christianity that are the issue - I see no reason a witch cannot believe in Jesus Christ being the son of God - it is the culture that has developed round the attitude towards witches which is usually negative where Catholicism is concerned. I found a couple of examples from a Catholic website to illustrate the point:

To try to discover the future through palm reading, tarot cards, or some other form of fortunetelling, or to try to control the future through black magic, witchcraft, or sorcery violates the first commandment.  Sacred Scripture has many condemnations of these activities:  In the Old Testament we find, “You shall not let a sorceress live” (Exodus 22:17), “Whoever sacrifices to any god, except to the Lord alone, shall be doomed” (Exodus 22:19), “A man or a woman who acts as a medium or fortuneteller shall be put to death by stoning:  they have no one but themselves to blame for their death” (Leviticus 20:27), and “Let there not be found among you anyone who immolates his son or daughter in the fire, nor a fortuneteller, soothsayer, charmer, diviner, or caster of spells, nor one who consults ghosts and spirits or seeks oracles from the dead.  Anyone who does such things is an abomination to the Lord…” (Deuteronomy 18:10-12).

The New Testament also addresses this issue:  St. Paul condemned sorcery (Galatians 5:19).  In Acts of the Apostles, St. Paul rebuked Elymas, the magician, calling him “son of Satan and enemy of all that is right” (Acts 13:8ff), and St. Peter rebuked Simon Magus, a magician, who wanted to buy the powers of the Holy Spirit to make himself more powerful (Acts 8:9ff).  In the Book of Revelation, Jesus declared, “As for the cowards and traitors to the faith, the depraved and murderers, the fornicators and sorcerers, the idol-worshippers and deceivers of every sort– their lot is the fiery pool of burning sulphur– the second death” (Revelation 21:8).

I think it is hard to see how that doctrine fits with the practise of witchcraft.

What I think would be the hardest thing would be the problem of actualising yourself to your full potential as a Catholic or a Witch. One would suffer at the expense of the other and the danger is that by fully committing to neither spiritual path it would hold you back and stunt your spiritual growth and your growth as a person. 

There are people who do blend Christianity and Witchcraft so I am not saying it isn't possible. Witchcraft is not a religion so it is not a direct conflict with your chosen faith. But I do think you will struggle with the conflict between one community telling you the practise of magic is immoral and another community believing it a key element of their craft. 

I think it is great you have asked a witch this question and it would be a very good idea to ask your Catholic priest too so you have a clear view from both sides of the fence. From my point of view I would certainly accept and respect a witch who chose to practise Catholicism. I'd be interested to hear if your priest is willing to be equally tolerant about you choosing to practise witchcraft...

I've added a few other links from the site below as they touch on a similar subject:

How can I go back to being a Christian?
New Age V Christianity
I don't belong in Christianity, how can I become a witch?

Quotation source http://catholicstraightanswers.com/what-does-the-church-teach-about-fortunetellers-psychic-counselors-and-witches/

Image ​http://www.deviantart.com/art/Catholic-kitsch-cross-102243087

QUESTION - I just watched a witch movie from the 80's and during a scene where a witch cast a spell she recited the following:

Witch: Barbayith. Farady. Garyso. Sanighla. Carnarvon. Bilious. Here me. Conjured me. Astra. Avatar. Malmon. Ball. Leviathan. Bell. Asmodeus. Celsius. Chido. Porous. Nervous. Osborne. Satanaga. Pana. Purseless. Batien. Nobruce. Nagas. Sebulawn. Persa. Sarthavanus. Valuthar. Botiche. Catepulas.

Note: I guessed (obviously wrong) at the spelling of the words.
Can you and/or anyone in your organisation tell me what she's doing or saying?
And/or where I can find the proper spelling for what she is saying?

Answer - This looks total gibberish to me. There are a few words in there that are not made up - Leviathan is a biblical sea monster, Asmodeus is the name of a demon, ball, porous, bilious, bell, avatar and nervous are common words. The spelling of others hints at some names of figures in Paganism but the cohesive whole doesn't mean anything.  

The structure doesn't suggest a spell either. The whole point of a spell is to actualise intent so just reading out a string of words wouldn't cut it. - That was my big problem with Bedknobs and Broomsticks ;)

Strongly suspect this is just a series of random words that sound good and have been strung together for the sake of a bit of light entertainment.

QUESTION - I have been practising as an eclectic pagan with leanings toward Wicca now for about 4 years. I don't do a lot of spells, but occasionally one is necessary to set things back into balance. 

As I read and study, I see many spells that call for the spell remnants or some other object to be buried "off your property".

I live in a rural community, so it isn't much of a problem to drive a few miles out of town, take a side road and bury something in a roadside ditch. 

I'm wondering though, how practitioners in a more urban setting handle this. If one lives in a large city, places to bury something off your property probably are not plentiful and even then using one of them to bury spell remnants will likely invite hard questions and might even get one arrested for the act.

Is there a suitable substitute for burying something off one's property?
 
ANSWER – There are quite a few alternatives to burying that are often employed. Depending on the nature of the working burying is not always the most environmentally friendly option even to those not in an urban environment.  The most commonly used alternative is usually burning and for me this is also a preference as there is always the danger that something buried (of a non biodegradable nature) will be unearthed by an unsuspecting stranger.

Used up workings can be dissolved, broken up or ground down depending on the substances used. This has the advantage that it is easier to dispose of. Scattering ashes off your property will draw a lot less attention than wandering around public places with a spade and a package for burial.

As a side note burying off the property is usually more to do with destruction of the working than it is with the spell itself. It is common for protection and home defence spells to involve burial on the premises but burial off the premises is more to do with getting an ended working out of your immediate environment, hence why changing the nature through burning etc doesn’t present an issue in my book.

The other rather obvious method is to put the spell into waste destined for landfill. This may not necessarily seem as intuitively magical as burying at the crossroads at midnight but it gets the job done which is the main thing.

Image - Please advise of artist for credit

QUESTION - I want to heal. Do good for people. I had a couple books and a few crystals, but everything I had was stolen... Where i live, i have no clue where to go to get everything back... And funds are very limited right now.. Is there any info you can give?

ANSWER – I honestly do not believe you need anything special to do good for people. The most precious commodity you have is your time. Give what you can spare to food banks, volunteer at a soup kitchen. Get talking to people and offer your time and companionship. Healing begins with the mind and one of the most powerful ways to put both healing and magic back into the world is to show kindness and respect to people so through their own self worth they can begin the healing process on themselves.

From a magical healing point of view the items you use do not have to be expensive ones purchased from shops. I know one witch who collects rocks from nature and infuses them with her desire to heal and help and then gives them to people who need to absorb her positive energies. She gets good results from this, it is free and more importantly her actions show people that she cares which again has a massive boost in the psychology of self healing.

It would be a real shame to see someone with your positive attitude and compassion hold themselves back because of a lack of money. Instead of focusing on what you don’t have, focus on what you do have and go out into the world and work to do good with it.

Image - see watermark for credit

​QUESTION - How can I manipulate someone to get my way? I recently moved in with my Aunt. She does not know I am a witch but is very suspicious of them and when I accidentally left my favourite pentacle necklace out she threw it away. She started preaching left and right about how she wouldn't accept anyone or anything "satanic" in the house. Because of her I have been forced to hide everything that is even remotely witch or Halloween related. She is also getting on me for wearing black clothes and seems to be sticking her nose in just about anywhere when she doesn't "approve." Unfortunately I have to live with her while i finish my schooling but I've only been here two weeks and I'm already going crazy having to hide such a vital part of me away. is there anything I can do to have her leave me alone or just not care about what I do?

ANSWER- There are a few things I can suggest but the first is to have a full on frank conversation about what it is that you do in an attempt to put her mind at rest. It is sad that our press as witches seems to still be more associated with Satanism than the genuine practise of the craft but this won’t change unless people are prepared to stand up and be honest and transparent about what being a witch really involves.
That said I think sometimes using the word “witch” can raise hackles among those with predefined notions of witches. Rather than announcing what you are, I’d suggest you go along the lines of more what it is you do. It’s a good opportunity to think about what being a witch means to you as an individual and then working out how you can express this in language that your aunt will understand and relate to. In my opinion you’d get a lot further with “I like to work closely with nature,” or “I see my path as Earth centric rather than deity focused” than you will with “I’m a witch.”

(Incidentally this is no criticism of Satanism. I’m sure reputable Satanists are just as annoyed at the incorrect perception of the cross over between Satanism/Witchcraft.).

I’d also suggest that you ask your aunt to treat you with the courtesy any human being deserves. Tell her that if she wants to discuss one of your possessions with you then you are willing and open to that discussion but you do not believe it appropriate she bin things you own without consent. But be prepared to compromise. It is your aunt’s house and she has the right to make the rules relating to what happens in her house. She does not however have the right to dictate the path you follow. If the two of you cannot find a harmony then I think you need to find a way to practise your craft in an environment that isn’t her home. (I remember one young witch finding a compromise where she borrowed a friend’s garage for ritual. Possibly something like that might work for you.)

From a magical perspective there are a couple of spells that would work in this situation. You need to be clear about what you want to achieve. Do you want to focus on hiding yourself or on influencing your aunt either to not see or not react to what it is you want to do.

If the former I would suggest a shielding spell. Something simple such as wrapping up a depiction of yourself practising the craft (say a picture or an item that symbolises to you your path as a witch) in some tin foil and visualising your aunt’s prejudices and preconceptions bouncing back off you whenever she tries to interfere with your work. You could adapt this slightly by using dark cloth or black paper to hide your work from your aunt. The success of this spell would be getting the visualisation strong enough relating to your aunt’s mind being wiped of all curiosity relating to your craft.

If you’d rather work directly against your aunt then I think a binding spell focused on binding her influence over your path is probably the way to go. You could get a bit more creative and look to influence her core belief but that might be a bit ambitious at this stage. I’ll include a link on binding spells below. Think about adapting the basic idea so she is powerless to act upon her dislike of your chosen path.

But in all honesty good old upfront conversation is the best place to start. Find some good articles about witchcraft that may help explain the basics and reinforce to your aunt that you are not some blood sacrificing creature of the night (lol). People tend to be more amenable to any point of view when they have the education and knowledge that takes away the fear and when it comes to portraying modern witchcraft in a positive light I think you will find most of the internet is on your side!

Binding spells

​Image ​http://www.deviantart.com/art/She-s-a-Witch-290124245