Are You a Trained Witch?

Behind the scenes of a Witch’s Broomstick ride...

Symbols, messages and visits from the Other Side happen with startling yet inescapable irregularity for a Witch on a book tour. This feeling of riding a mysterious wave of Magick is like being blindfolded on a roller coaster. I must practice mindfulness with the Four Directions and Elements and all Dimensions during all manner of unexpected twists.

I chose this wild Magickal life and I wouldn’t want it any other way, even on the onset of Mercury Retrograde. Every event during this Northern California tour for the Book of Spells began with an introduction to my altar. For each event I truly invoke Magick. I am listening hard and leaning into the Spirit World when I hold sacred space. I want to carry everyone present on the zephyrs of the East, the flames of the South, the waves of the West and the lands of the North.

In the 20 years I have been out of the Broom Closet I have learned that being a public Witch takes courage. I won’t lie about that. I am listening for my inner voice and the Spirits to guide me – while standing alone at the front of the room. All eyes on me, I breathe into my dream of standing in my most actualized, complete and Magickal self. I don’t know how I will transform into a Goddess incarnate at my book events, but that is my intention. I must trust the Mystery, like a molting snake who goes blind while it sloughs off its skin. The blindness comes up again because being a Witch takes Faith in the Unseen. Trust in the Mystery. We must Trust the Mystery. I am learning as I teach what I most need to learn.

As a human being having a Divinely mundane experience, I can occasionally feel myself stumbling in the dark. That’s when I turn to my Magick for guidance and nourishment. I chose a series of tarot readings for this tour. The Suit of Wands and my High Priestess have spoken.

First, the Queen, Page and Four of Wands from the Ryder Waitt deck appeared in my lovely reading at Serpent’s Kiss. I pulled the Shaman of Wands from Vicki Noble’s Motherpeace deck to set the tone for the day and ride from Santa Cruz to Berkeley. Then after my book signing event, Felix my publicist, pulled cards for me from his Prisma Visions Deck and we saw Ace of Wands at my center and present moment. Is that appearance of wands over and over again just coincidence? Was it just some wyrd quirk that Matt could see the vision of Connie deMasters who appeared in my reading to say, I want to come on tour?

Was it fate that I would stay at Yvonne’s place in Berkeley with a view of redwoods? Within minutes I quickly discovered that Yvonne is an epic storyteller and the granddaughter of a Mexican prostitute from Salt Lake City. She too is descendant and friend of Wild, unfuckwithable women. She was like meeting the Mirror of my Soul in the World. Isn’t that what we do every day if our eyes are truly open?

During a little shopping spree in Berkeley this morning, I met Nan who wanted to come to the signing last night but didn’t make it. I implore her to ask anything of me. Nan asks me if I was trained to create spells. I didn’t quite understand. Are you a trained Witch? She asked. Oh, that’s a good question! I am looking forward to sharing my training and some candle magick tonight at Many Rivers in Sebastopol and will write on this soon. Stay tuned friends.