Eclectic
Witchcraft: Mixed Blessings
Author: Lady
Abigail
I am extraordinarily thankful for the blessing my Great
Grandmother gave me. That even in difficult times she held true to her beliefs
and knowledge in raising me as a Witch. Even when it had to be hidden from the
world. You dared not tell anyone, friends or family, that you were a Witch. At
that time, most people maintained extremely negative beliefs toward anyone who
might call themselves a Witch, especially in the South where the ideas of
Witchcraft or Witch still meant evil as well as damnation to hell.
As a
child growing up, I would never hear any names or terms for Witch or Witchcraft.
Witch was not a word defined by terms or traditions, it was just a part of who
you were. It was that element from deep within your spirit. That part that lends
energy unto all by the powers of the Earth, Sky, Water, and Fire. If you allowed
yourself to share within it, that gift from our Mother Earth.
My Great
Grandmother was a Witch, raised as a Witch, or Wise Woman, by her mother, who
was, in turn, raised within the knowledge by both her mother and father, as it
continued back through the generations of my family. It was not a question of
what kind of Witch you were. Because that would have been a simply ridiculous
question. You were either a Witch or one of the outworlders. (Outworlders are
those people who, for whatever reason will not, or cannot, see the magick all
around them).
As a Witch, you might, and most likely would, have
knowledge from your direct family histories and traditions. Yet, you would have
also gathered knowledge from the area you lived within and the cultures you were
around, while sharing the old knowledge and new learned understandings with the
next generations. You would be a Witch of both the Old and New Worlds. In
present day terms, an Eclectic Witch, a varied combination of family history,
ethnic beliefs, training, knowledge, and traditions.
Recently, during a
conversation with someone who did not realize I am an Eclectic Witch, the
comment was made that she didn't respect those Witches who called themselves
"Eclectic." Because, as far as she was concerned, it was a term used by Witches
who didn't really have any idea what they were. I have also heard it argued that
Eclecticism is simply an excuse for those who do not have any traditions of
their own. "I don't think so!"
I am an Eclectic Witch. That does not mean
that I do not have a good grasp on the Craft or that I can't make up my mind. It
means that I choose from within all the extraordinary elements of the many
aspects and beliefs that make up my faith; that, as a Witch, I have chosen from
within my life and wisdom therein to blend together all the many understandings
that make up my own personal and spiritual path.
The idea that the reason
someone is Eclectic is a lack of knowledge or that they are somehow less within
the Craft is a wretchedly incorrect misconception. The truth is, most Eclectic
Witches are extremely knowledgeable and well studied within many differing
aspects and traditions of their Craft. They have not one, but many traditions
that they work within.
I cannot imagine anyone telling my Great
Grandmother that because she was a blending of many traditions, she was somehow
less of a Witch. Or, that because she didn't call herself by any name or title,
she couldn't have a clear understanding of the Craft. My Great Grandmother was
unmistakably and most truly a Witch. Her diverse heritage came from living in
the Ozarks, being Southern, Cajun, French, Native American, and Irish. She was
beyond doubt an Eclectic Witch.
I have personally had the honor of
working with and learning from various traditions. All of them have amazing
history and customary backgrounds. With not one receiving, or giving, any less
respect because of differing points of belief. With all sharing their blessings
and knowledge freely, so that we might learn and grow in understanding, one for
the other. I have found that it does not actually matter what name we give our
spiritual beliefs. We are all a mix of cultures, time, history, and traditions,
all equal. Seldom will you find any two Witches who believe exactly the same
thing in exactly the same way, no matter what the tradition they may practice
within.
For myself personally, to be Eclectic means that I have the
freedom to choose, selecting and utilizing individual elements from a variety of
sources. There is an intensity I have found when you decide for yourself what
you truly believe in, allowing no others to tell you what you should believe.
You know inside your own heart what is true; it is that which makes you feel
spiritually complete within your own personal devotion.
But whatever we
call ourselves, be it Eclectic, Wiccan, Celtic, or one of the hundred other
wonderful names, let us all stand together as one powerful force within this
universe. We must look beyond our titles and join as one encircling influence
for all. (I cannot tell you how many times I have heard other Witches
nit-picking on each others' beliefs with the playground antics of, "I'm better
than you are, " for whatever reason they may feel is appropriate.
We are Witches; it is not
important what tradition we call ourselves. We are all part of a spiritual world
that can be seen far beyond any black and white reality. My path may differ from
yours, but it is our differences, as well as our similarities, that shall allow
us to walk together across the veils of existence, through all time.
Eclectic Witchcraft: Mixed Blessings
Author: Lady Abigail
Copyright ©
02062005
Artwork by unknown artist
Copyright © 2009-2010 Sages
Corner
