What does Witch mean to you?

Well Witches a very close subject to me!

But first I don't normally enter these competitions as it normally takes my so long to write anything I just run out of time so have not started. I read to much on here and need to readjust my efforts to more content. But seeing as @alchemage named meI feel obliged too, and where better to start a new trend. The competition is from @naturalmedicine and is as follows: Week 1 Round Up: WHAT DOES WITCH MEAN TO YOU? 20 SBD of prizes!

Are you sitting comfortably ... then I shall begin!

Witch ... Well as I have said before I like to keep vaguely anonymous on here mainly due to work constraints but for this post I will have to reveal a little to aid this post. I live in a rather famous area in Lancashire England which is very closely connected with witches. But the area is famous for having a very high number witches in the 16th century who were subject to trials at Lancaster castle; so as you can imagine there is a lot of history to read and walks and buildings relating to witches. The woods you often seen me in are the woods where these witches would have wondered or practised. But these trials back in the day show how badly thought of they were it was something evil and sinister about what they were doing. In my view these were modern day western shaman, well the majority of them, some did jump on the band wagon as it were. If you read the history the problems came when the catholic church and Henry Viii, the area around Pendle hill was deemed by the authorities to be lawless and and wild; maybe thats why the universe placed my here to settle kind of a setting place for me.

What witch it mean to me then?

Years ago if you would have asked me I would have probably gone along with the typical narrative of witch being a crow nosed old hag who cast evil spells. But hey that's what they want us to think; as it is portrayed in the propaganda machines. Ask me now and i'd be the opposite!

Being a reiki healer I was attuned back in 2011 my perspective on the world has changed. I now try and use natural remedies where ever possible and will often head into the woods to collect some nettles (season permitting) and am currently researching about natural medicines and the like. I promoted as much of this as I can in my life to friend patients and who ever will take in on board. For obvious reason I can go to natural on my patients hence my big project but thats for another day! And I just had another thought about the universe bringing me back here (the back bit was not intended but feel it should stay now) to start my natural OT centre. Hold on wait a minute rewinded back to the 16th century in this very spot holy shit I would be deemed as a witch, hey that's kinda cool. As a nipper I alway thought a male witch was a wizard another propaganda issue but i now realise this in not the case males can be witches too!

So looking into what witches really were or are; we see their healers or should I say natural healers. These are your Shaman or witch doctors in other pastures. As many words and situations in modern days the reality has been twisted. A witch to me is a person who connects with natural healing and power, they know how to utilise it to both positive or negative means, but I think more than often its positive. This is something I'd like to investigate more, personally I think I am more of a Shaman and am looking to learn more from this aspect. Now I have learnt this through my meditations and the universe synchronicities, but thats another post.

Conclusion...

I feel I have ranted my way through this but I will try and conclude some sense from it! I think my point has come across witches to me are healer who use natural remedies and spells which could just be techniques that are not commonly know to the masses. All in all I guess i'm kinda a witch in training as I want to learn Shamanism and also natural remedies. The problem is again words have been tainted and made bad maybe you'd call a witch a homeopath, reiki healer, shaman or herbalist these days. But overall these all come under the umbrella term of alternative medicines which witches were said to practice! So there you go that my answer!