As a small child I was raised Catholic, but had family members who were witches. My mom dabbled in the craft, and taught me some things, but encouraged me to stay away from it. As an adult I tried a few different types of church’s, from Pentecostal to Non-Denominational. But, I never found what I was seeking until now. I am very aware that my way of spirituality is not for everyone. I figured I’d share anyways for those out there looking for a better understanding.
As a child I had visions. I remember as far back as about age 4 or 5, and seeing people that were not physically there. I had full on conversations with these people. I know I wasn’t scared. It was more comforting like they had just always been there. I know some religions teach that this is evil. Once, when I was honest with a pastor about it, he insisted on praying over me to rid me of this curse. But, honestly his prayers did nothing. These spirits just looked at him with sad eyes for his lack of understanding. You see these spirits, I now know, are my guides. They have always been with me. Even when I chose to ignore them, for fear that I was going crazy. But, my peace of mind never came. Not until I realized that I was not crazy. They are here with me. Always.
How do I know they are not evil? Well they have never once told me to do anything to harm myself or anyone else. They simple teach me. If I am in a room filled with people, and start to feel anxious, they will point out to me who in the room is feeling anxious. Or any emotion really. They show me small mannerisms to pick up on when someone is near me. They help me discern when someone is lying, or just being boastful. If someone is seeking attention, or want to hide. My guides help me to determine my energy versus the energy I’m picking up from my surroundings. But most of all, they teach me to question everything. To find my own truth. They encourage me to be my true authentic self, and to have an open mind. To always be willing to learn. They tell me to lead with my heart, and be loving, but take no shit. To know my worth, and leave any situations that are not good for me. So, why is what I believe so taboo in this culture?
The bible does speak about the gift of discernment. The ability to understand or know something through the power of the Spirit. But, let’s be honest, this makes people uncomfortable. Most religions believe that only very special people have this ability. But choose to only support certain people, then wonder where all the miracles went. Why not anyone? Well I think it’s a matter of control. If you look back through history, you’ll see that anyone believing a different way than what was deemed appropriate was killed. And not just killed, but tortured. You have events like the Spanish Inquisition, where they tortured and persecuted Jews, Muslims, and basically anybody who thought different. If you believed in progress and science…..you too. Witches….most definitely. Then you have the Crusades. 1.7 million put to death due to the hate filled sermons from the Pope. Religion in the past did not want progress. They did not want any thinking outside the box. They hated science so much that they didn’t even approve of eye glasses, because you were altering your God given body. Now yes, things have changed since then. Well, sort of. We still see religious wars going on today, but at least science can continue. But, it definitely seems as if religion was set up by political people in power to control the masses. If not, then why not include all the writings? And if you don’t believe in ancient text and you only believe in the Bible, then why not have all the dead sea scrolls included? Or at least what was written by all the apostles that followed Jesus. Me being me, I view it as Jesus had 12 buddies. If you want to know his story wouldn’t you find out what they all said? Not just 4 of them. But, if you read the other stories it doesn’t fit the narrative.
I know some of you are die hard Christians. I get it. It is what you know. It is what you were taught. It’s what your parents were taught and their parents before them. But, did you ever question why? It might just be because there was a time when if you didn’t it meant death. So, yeah I would of taught my kids to believe if it meant saving them too. Now, I think Christianity is just “normal”. So, if you are looking for guidance, you find a church. There are good people in churches. People who really want to help their communities, and be apart of something bigger. I have no doubt about that. I have lots of friends and family who are Christian. But, maybe what people think is taboo, isn’t so crazy after all.
So, as a witch, what is it that I believe? I believe in nature. I believe in spirits, and an afterlife. I believe in reincarnation. I believe in energy and science. I believe in doing no harm. The term “witch” is so taboo, but if you ask a witch their rules. Most will tell you just one. Do no harm. Being a Witch is all about being true to yourself. To tapping in to your potential and being open to learn. Most witches love nature. You can learn a lot from just taking a stroll through a wooded area, and being alone with your thoughts. We believe that everything is connected. So, yes we tend to be “tree huggers”, because we feel them as souls. We feel their energy. I know it sounds woo woo, but for the most part, we are harmless. Some witches belong to covens (groups), and others choose to practice as an individual. Witches are considered pagan, because Paganism is just an umbrella term for someone who is a non Christian. Do we worship Gods? Some do. Some believe in different actual Gods, and some believe the Gods are more of an archetype. But, I guess the biggest difference between paganism and Christians, is we don’t believe in a savior or worshipping. We believe in saving ourselves and we stand with our Gods, not bowed to them. No judgement, I’m just trying to convey the differences for understanding. I know some of you reading this may have no idea what witches believe, and I understand the curiosity. I’m happy to answer questions, but of course I can only give my perspective.
Now if you are a Christian then you believe in Judaism. At least to an extent. That’s the whole first part of the Bible. Judaism is where the Old Testament comes from. And that religion dates back to over 3,000 years old. They have a lot of other scrolls that they include in they’re religion. If you are interested in reading more to understand their beliefs, and where the first part of the Bible comes from. Now Christianity is dated back 2,000 years. Christianity started because of the teachings of Jesus. But, like I said, it leaves out a lot of scrolls from his apostles. I do believe in Jesus. Just not the version you read about in the Bible. But, I also believe in Shamanism. I’m Hispanic and my ancestry can be traced back to indigenous tribes. Tribes like the Aztecs. We’re talking 30,000 years of culture.
Now I don’t know everything that was taught in my culture, and I am sure a lot has changed in all of ours. I just feel like maybe it’s time to question our beliefs. Especially if those beliefs are causing you to choose war over humanity. Maybe it’s time to stop judging people just because they believe something different than you. Maybe we all don’t know everything, and have a lot to learn still. I know I do. Maybe I’m the only one who sees a world where there is no judgment. No fighting. No jealousy. Just existing in peace. Living your life enjoying your family, and the little time we get to experience this round of life. It’s sad how disconnected everyone has become. If you could see the world as I do, you would see we are all the same. We may look different. We may believe different things. We may be educated or not. But, we are all humans in a massive universe. Trying our best to enjoy our lives. The very least we could do is be kind.
With love and kindness, The Awakened Bruja
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