A Christian Witch

I've made it incredibly clear throughout the site, but in case you haven't heard, I'm the Witch of Times Square. My practice is eclectic, which basically means that I pick and choose what I do and believe from a variety of sources and traditions. From the Dao De Jing to Dianetics, if there is any one thing that I have found, it is that wisdom can be found everywhere if you look for it (some places have it more than others).

To be clear, just because I take from a source does not mean that I am on board with the underlying religious organization or even that religion. It's why I don't really call myself a Mormon outside of very specific contexts despite wearing temple garments for over a year now.

Pictured: A Christian Pentacle, an original symbol you'll see me use in various contexts.

In addition to blending a cross and a pentacle, the symbol has a lot more built into it. Maybe I'll get into it some other blog post.

So what do I call myself? Well, I primarily call myself an eclectic Christian Witch. I do also use the term Eclectic Wiccan for more formal things since there is more governmental recognition of Wicca versus general witchcraft (Wicca is a whole other thing with its own pantheon, cosmology, etc. so I don't use the term much despite integrating some of these things into my personal practice). I also lean towards "Eclectic Wiccan" or "Eclectic Witch" when I find myself in places where people have been hurt by Christianity (I'm not ashamed of Christ when I do this; I'm ashamed of what has been done in their name).

Whenever I use the term Christian Witch, however, I will get pushback from both other Christians and other witches, both claiming that it's an impossibility. So, I'm going to write a short letter to each group as to why it's not only very possible, but illustrate how it works in my practice!

***

To My Sisters, Brothers and Fellows in Christ:

It has come to my attention that some see my explorations into the magical world as a sin or that it somehow detracts from my devotion to being a Christian. Here, we have a fundamental disagreement and, for the life of me, I cannot fully understand your position.

To begin, I don't understand how you can use the internet, fly to another city, or take prescribed medicines (aka pharmakia) and think you aren't doing magic (especially if you are applying norms from the biblical era). I see embracing witchcraft as embracing the magic that surrounds us every day in all of its forms, whether that's whipping up a chemical for use in the household cleaning, appreciating the biodiversity of this amazing planet and exploring the depths of one's own spirit. These are gifts from God that are magical, not mundane, and I'm tired of pretending the opposite.

I'd then point out that the Bible has many prohibitions and rules that we no longer follow because we now understand the underlying principles well enough to make informed decisions. For example, we eat bacon and don't keep kosher for a variety of reasons, but I believe one of them is because we now know enough about preventing foodborne illness that the old rules no longer need to be followed in a black-and-white fashion.

Indeed, I believe that the spirit of Acts 10 goes beyond simple rules about food. I see Christ as the great liberator of humanity, teaching us to first and foremost act in love and forgiveness. I see Jesus's sacrifice as freeing humanity from a prison of simple rules and teaching us to follow what our hearts and conscience tell us is right. The alternative is too existentially limiting to ring true.

This is where I feel my spirit is leading me and where I should be going. Ignoring that in favor of dogma, to me, is the greater sin. Learning more about the magical properties of the world is a way that my love for what has been made for us manifests.

It was once posed to me "Am I claiming the salvation of Christ but not following the rules that YHWH has given us as a guide for our own protection?" In short, yes. Yes I am. Because the rules were never the point.

Blessed Be,

Dewy

***

To My Sisters, Brothers and Fellows in the Craft:

I have had fellow witches call the combination of Christianity and witchcraft "impossible." If you agree, I have a question for you: Since when do you let what's "impossible" stop you from following your path? I'd also be remiss to not point out that you are almost certainly using a bit of Christian magic in your everyday practice and life: the calendar.

Sassiness aside, I do understand the hesitation. Some horrible things have been done in Christ's name and there are countless people who use the Bible to justify being a horrible person to others. While I'd argue they are missing the whole point of Christianity, the fact remains that much persecution throughout history has been committed under the cover of "being Christian."

I pray my practice is different. I strive to embody the radical love of all that Christ actually taught. To those who know me, I hope you can see that it is. If you ever see me stumble down a hateful path, please stop me.

If I've learned one thing through all my study of the Bible, it's that you can get it to say just about anything you want it to. You can certainly use it to justify atrocities (and we all know it has). It is a truly powerful magic that continues to shape civilization as we know it. I completely understand why some would want nothing to do with it. But I feel called to keep with it. And no person gets to tell me what I can and cannot believe in.

As all witches form their own pantheon, I would ask that you respect this part of mine.

Blessed Be,

Dewy