Monday, October 11, 2010

Witchcraft, Politics, and the Press: How to Not Repeat History




Witches.  We’re not just for Halloween anymore.  But are we ready for the political spotlight?  Or the media frenzy that seems to be churning?

As a group, Wiccans, Pagans, and Witches tend to hide our identities, and rightly so.  We’ve been mis-portrayed in just about every way.  And now Christine O’Donnell spreads those lies a bit further, dragging us into the spotlight.  The world is changing, fellow Witches.  We need to grab the future.  We need to bring ourselves into the light of day and let people know who we are and what we believe.  But is now the time?  How can we quietly start a revolution that will enfold us in society as a welcome participant, not some devil-worshiping freak looking to steal children?

We do this in one simple way: we be truthful. 

I’m not asking everyone to grab their besom and cauldron to meet me at the Mall in Washington DC for a spell-in or anything.  Start quietly.  A letter to your local newspaper to dispel the rumors.  Get the word out about who we, as a group, are, not what the press wants to make of us.  We need to quietly stand up, and acknowledge that we do exist. 

Personally, I’m offended by Christine O’Donnell dragging us through the mud so that she can get in office.  I’m offended by her advertisement, “I am not a Witch. I’m you.”  My first thought was really?  I AM a Witch.  I am an intelligent Witch who knows how to vote.  I am a Witch who knows that the word “Witch” is not an insult to be flung around unwisely.  Pride swelled in me when Stephanie Miller, a well known radio personality, had to eat her words, as a High Priest explained what we really believe when he called in to her show, live, on air. 

I may be new on my current path, but I’ve always been a Witch.  I’m proud of who and what I am.  While I would never pull a brother or sister Witch into the spotlight, I myself will not stand in the shadows and allow another Burning Times to come to pass, even if it is only metaphorical.

Stand up and be counted!

Blessed be and keep your cauldron swirling!

~Lady Lina

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