Workshops in Witchery

The Witch

by Maia Toll

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Both feared and revered, made to seem silly and scary and sacred.  The Witch is a chamelion-like archetype.  The word witch itself is a gatekeeper for those who want to walk this path – learning the ways of the wild wisdom of the world – must dare to have themselves labeled as such.  Many turn back, scared of the judgement and derision that has, at various times in history, meant women who pursue a path of knowledge.  At its core, The Witch is a wisewoman archetype.  She is a seeker of knowledge, deeply exploring the natural world. 

The Witch is elemental.  She is engaged with the world around her.  She knows the turnings of the moon and the risings of the tide; she knows which plants poison and which heal, and thus both give life and take it away.  She knows which crystals store memory and which deflect harm; she has watched the ways of wolves and ravens, owls and snakes, and understands how human nature mirrors animal nature. 

The Witch lives on the fringes, meditating between the wild and the civilized.  She’s not wholly tamed, and so she scares those who bow to social norms instead of natural laws.  Like most of nature’s creatures, the Witch is neither good nor evil.  Her nature is to know the natural world – not just with her mind but with her whole being – and to explore the possibilities that come with that knowing.