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| The Nine Powers of a Witch | |||||||||||||||
| By Fey, 1* | |||||||||||||||
| Banyan Tree Coven | |||||||||||||||
| Ft. Lauderdale, FL | |||||||||||||||
| Originally written 10/31/00, 6 months into Pagan Training. | |||||||||||||||
| We speak of circles so often. The cycle in everything, the beginning is the end is the beginning is the end, etc. In these nine powers I see a circle. To open something it must have been closed. To close it must have been open. To be silent, one would have had to be making noise, and to speak, one had to have been silent before. Even as I see this as a circle, I will start with The beginning: | |||||||||||||||
| To Open, To Close : Literally witches open and close the circle. We open and close the gates between the planes. We open and close the year with Sabbats. But I also think we open and close our minds to new ways of thinking and viewing the world around us. We open our minds to the concept of magic, and the wonder of the Goddess in our everyday life. In the past 6 months, my mind has been opened to so many different ways of looking at life. I open myself to ideas, to nature, to the spirits, and to a world that is more than mundane, more than brand names, corporate entities, and disposable everything. I have opened myself to other people who share these views, and allowed them to become part of my life. | |||||||||||||||
| On the other end (of the circle) I have attempted to close things out, despite the politics of life's pettiness, materialistic views, some self-conscious behavior, and to some egotistical pride. I realized that in the world I have opened up for myself, these things are not the most important. Learning to coexist with the natural world around me, and loving the Goddess, these are the important things. | |||||||||||||||
| To Bind and To Cut : Witches bind with spells, bind with cords, cut herbs, cut thru realms, and sometimes even cut themselves!! But I see this as not only being a physical act, but a mental one as well. As one learns more, experiences more, sees and hears more, one must learn and decide for oneself what to discard and what to retain. This goes hand in hand with opening and closing. What to accept into ones life as practice, and what to reject. While on this path we absorb much, are presented with much, and as we go on, we must decide for ourselves what and how to use the information, and how to pass it on. | |||||||||||||||
| To Change : To allow the Goddess into your life, to allow yourself to live in harmony with the elements, the spirits, and magic. This requires change in one?s life. To allow yourself to step into circle, seal it around you, and enter a primal, natural, and maybe supernatural state. This is to change you. To let in all the teachings of Wicca, and to lead a Pagan life, is to change you. It's also about realizing that within each of us is the ability to change the world around us. | |||||||||||||||
| To Know : To have knowledge. To acquire information from teachings and experience. To see things for what and how they truly are. Witches take knowledge and meditate on it, study it, and may eventually even act on it. | |||||||||||||||
| To Will : This is to make choices based on the acquired knowledge. To achieve what you wish or desire, you must first know exactly what your intent is, and what you are trying to achieve. It is one thing to know how to do a thing; it?s another to have the desire to act on that knowledge. Having strength of will and desire is a very brave act in itself. | |||||||||||||||
| To Dare : And it's another thing yet to ACT on that knowledge and will. It is the daring that finally gets us up and moving. To not shrink from doing what may be best for ourselves, or the greater good. To not shrink from the deities who aid us, and to not be afraid to invoke the powers of the elements, takes daring. This is a choice that should not be undertaken lightly, as there is usually no turning back. Which brings me to: | |||||||||||||||
| To Be Silent : Full circle. By being silent one builds and saves energy. But one may learn a lot. Not only by what is said, but also by what is NOT said. By actions, and in-actions. Some say I am quiet. I don't always ask a lot of questions, but I listen, and observe, and silently I see and hear much. When I am loud, its because what I have to say or express is that important. Knowing when to speak, and knowing when to let go. When to create power and magic and when to observe. When to open up and when to be closed. | |||||||||||||||
| Maybe the greatest power then for a witch is to keep the circle going, and together, and let it go on regardless of personal changes or disruptions. To allow the natural cycle of life to occur. To realize that no matter what our personal paths, we are all on THIS path together, and it is we as Witches that keep the wheel turning. | |||||||||||||||
| Blessed Be | |||||||||||||||