Are modern witches still living amid Adversity? Should the words witch and witchcraft only be said with a whisper?
Witches on Social Media
@witchcraftspellsmagick is the Instagram account associated with this website. A hybrid of #witchessupportingwitches and content linked to this website. All featured small witchy businesses are predominately from Etsy.com. The featured stores are selected on an editorial basis. Small businesses don’t have money to spend on promotions. Creative businesses need time to create and be creative.
Coming from over two decades working in editorial publishing the author of this blog post (me) only publishes what this witch supports and NOT from a monetary perspective.
#witchessupportingwitches
Each small witch business before being featured on Instagram page @witchcraftspellsmagick is asked whether they wish to be. 99% of features are greeted with a mix of gratitude and “Yes absolutely, what a kind and generous offer, I would be blessed to feature on your page.”
Another response; “When I first opened this message I thought it was another spam. But then I checked Instagram and I saw that this was not sent from a fake account and it made me very happy and grateful!
Thank you so much for featuring my work. It is tough for small businesses, especially before the holidays. So this really means so much to me!”
Permission before Publishing
Here comes the clincher, recently I received a message that said... I won’t quote in the interest of privacy. The message was along the lines of… every part of me wants to say Yes to being featured. But I can’t!
With all due respect, this is why I ask first. Call me old-fashioned respecting people’s right to use their content. But I do.
Why did this small and what I considered to be witch business NOT want to be featured and promoted for free to an 18k witch niche Instagram audience?
As most people know, Instagram is known as the No 1 social media platform for small businesses to attract an audience, create brand awareness and make sales!
This Etsy business I messaged sells hand-drawn and handmade arts and crafts. All of which most witches would be attracted towards purchasing. Content subjects such as the moon, goddesses, folklore, nature, stars, bats, wolves, poisonous plants and watching trees. Yep, watching trees are included in the arts and crafts - pure magick!
Permission Denied
So why did this message request the store NOT to be featured? Why did they wish not to be associated with - the drum roll ‘Witchcraft’.
Maybe the artist as it turns out did not consider themselves a Witch. Fine, but the content is highly relevant and lucrative to witches.
There was nothing asked for in return, the featured was free. This particular store is not egoic with a proud but humble 1000 sales.
The message was very politely responded too. Simply they did not want to be associated with witchcraft.
I feel it does not breach privacy to say the store is located in Poland. A country with a long history of all of prosecution for being anything less than that which; family, government, society, and the country’s majority - decides.
The choice to not be featured is well respected. No hard feelings of course. All conversations were courteous and contained polite and kind words.
Fear of Association
The crux of the issue was in the why? Not a witch fine and maybe - but the nature of the content is very appealing to witches. Witches would be interested in shopping and supporting this business.
The fear of ‘witch’ and ‘witchcraft’ being such bad words that even association was a problem - is a big deal.
The fear of being associated with witchcraft was deemed a greater threat to this small business owner than the success of their business!
A business dedicated to handmade items, meticulously created with love and care.
What artist would trump fear of association over and potentially selling their creations?
Witches and Adversary
When I started the @witchcraftspellsmsgick Instagram account, a flow of discriminative and annoying (often complete nonsense) comments flowed. Many from Christian advocates. In the mix, grew an incredible fabric of well-intended comments. When someone responds properly in a comment section it makes the effort of posting worthwhile.
Some of the negative and offensive comments I deleted, some I reported and some I blacklisted. They have reduced in number and frequency substantially. They seemed to have been repeated offenders.
Harm None
Did those comments make me feel sad, annoyed and attacked?
Yes, a couple did for sure. But it was on social and honestly, some were downright ridiculous.
The entire experience in my opinion; someone feeling the need to project commenting in this fashion, is the result of their lack of knowledge. A lack of knowledge of what witchcraft is at the fault and failure of the person commenting. Lack of access to knowledge and instead believing what is told to you - is dangerous. Do your own research.
Aside from this, my concern lies in the shadows of such comments. Those that are witchy, or want to be are still facing adversity at being associated with witchcraft.
Those that have no interest in hurting, judging or harming anyone or anything - are being judged themselves.
Creators who are gentle, loving people with mystic and magickal interests are scared to be associated with witchcraft. For fear of what that might mean.
Still today there are far too many people scared to even be associated with words like ‘witch’ or ‘witchcraft’
Nature Worship
A witch is a person who is open to the forces of nature and honoring the divine. A witch does not control energy but rather bends it. Similar to water which can be guided through an alternative path. Energy can be guided by witches.
Witches don’t let ego transform power, that would be naive. Witches use knowledge, experience and respect.
To use ego to fuel witchcraft would result in a seriously detrimental lack of power and energy.
Ego causes magick to become empty, whither, decline and possibly create a terminal result. That is never allowing you to reach what you seek. A real witch knows this!
Witchcraft is part of a nature-based archaic Pagan religion. Worship to nature and divine energies which include more than one ‘male’ entity or God.
Question; Why do some main religions focus on one true God - who is ‘male’ - so gender specific!
Tap into these questions and you start to unravel ideologies that have been strategically placed to control, indoctrinate and make you serve.
Witchcraft is never about controlling you!
To deceive people in the name of witchcraft is not witchcraft. It’s deceit, and fraudulent and a scam.
There are many fake social accounts. I have had @witchcraftspellsmagick Instagram copied more times than I can count.
Why? Money; people are claiming quick fixes, readings and spells to bring love back, money, to hurt others. None of that is witchcraft.
It’s fake. It’s spam. It’s the lowest of lows.
Archaic Roots
Calling someone a witch in a bad way, singling them out as different, wrong, a criminal? Can we not grow past this?
Witches are Pagans, Paganism is the oldest religion in the world. Pre-dating every other and this is historical and factually documented if you take the time to look.
All religions have their origins in the archaic roots of Paganism. This is the core to which the idealistic male-dominated, male-gender-specific religions were born. They took what they saw useful and prosecuted, hunted, killed and slandered what was not.
Return to the old ways, and our archaic roots and bring them into the future with love and acceptance for all!
Share the following hashtag where you can; #witchessupportingwitches
Spread love and kindness.
Be honest and true to yourself. Magick will then follow you.
Blessed Be,
🖤 Bec Black
Further reading;
Witchcraft History - Origins, Values, Myth + Magick
The Darkening Age: The Christian Destruction of the Classical World by Catherine Nixey