This Ask Black Witch answers questions from both March and April since I couldn’t do an ABW last month due to the Stuck in my Head series. Remember, good questions are appreciated, bad questions are eviscerated. Let’s get started!

I have been practicing for 20 years now and for the first time I have come upon a situation that has me completely baffled. I have people that despise me for no apparent reason. This wouldn’t be a problem but they are my in-laws. Because of them and extenuating circumstances I have step kids I have never got to meet. They have a temp guardianship from years ago (long story, but not anything to do with me or her) and we are too broke to hire a lawyer, but theirs is free. They make my wife’s life hell. They call and harass her every day but won’t ever let her talk to her kids unless they can make time for visitation with them supervising. Basically a bunch of legal crap which will get dealt with in time I do realize that but I know I can do something, magickly, but being my primary focus was never on such situations (as they are rare) I am totally stumped as to what I can and can’t do as far as Karma is concerned and even where to start looking for a solution via magick, yet I know it is there. Advice please on any spells that may help?

Thank you in advance.

– Andy M

Sorry it took so long to get to this question (and the most of the questions in here) so hopefully I’m not too late. Now, I think here I’m going to stick to my usual “no spells given out on BW” rule because it is what is it is. However, I can give tips in regard to magick and regular advice. I would highly recommend a pro-bono lawyer. If you do any magick, I recommend going for Saturday for it is the day of Saturn, which falls under time and justice. Bayberry leaves are good for luck and justice as well. Also, know that this case could take a long time, especially if these in-laws plan on being a major stick in the mud.

My family members who are Jehovahs Witnesses are very rude and hateful to me because I no longer acknowledge their faith anymore. I’m 47 yrs old and @ 40yrs old I decided I never want to be a part of this religion ever again. From birth I had attended. Now I’m yearning for something and it keeps me curious about witchcraft, and this has gone on for about 3yrs. and I don’t want to be afraid anymore, I want to embrace it, if it is meant to be. My dreams are mostly pleasant, but sometimes confusing. I want to belong to this religion so bad and yet I can’t share my happiness. Black Witch is there a way that I can confirm that I actually am a part of this beautiful religion?? One dream I had made me so happy when I awoke was in a huge church and congregation of people and one lady came up to me and said “Bridgett what are you doing here?” I had seen her in a previous dream before this one. Do you think I’m worthy of you??

– Bridgett H.

You can probably tell from my patchy posting, me and time are not exactly friends. This means, unless it’s a rare exception, I’m not taking on anyone.

Witchcraft isn’t a religion, it’s a practice. Paganism is a religion, Wicca is a religion. Witchcraft is not a religion. Now, the best thing I can suggest to you is to just read. I have plenty of books here on Black Witch where you can get started (I recommend that The Arts!: Samhain Editions are a good place to start). You don’t have to do anything special, just be very informed so you know what you’re doing. You’re free to do a self-initiation ritual (there is an example in Where to Park Your Broomstick by Lauren Manoy) but it is not necessary. (I’ve never done one and I’m fine.) Nothing major, just have to become very informed.

Dear Black Witch, How have you been? I had a very strange dream and I was hoping you could help me understand it. It was absolutely all over the place. First I was in a department store slash car shop. Trying to pick between 3 white vehicles to use at my wedding. One was a regular white car (like a 2008 Subaru or Honda Civic), the other looked like a cross between a horse drawn buggy and an old fashioned Rolls Royce, the another one was just as white and shiny as the other ones I just can’t remember the make. The sales person was helpful, but I could not decide.

Then I sat (on the floor) in the far corner adjacent to the vehicles, but closer to the other shops (I think they were eateries) with my mom, my friend from nursing school and some random person (I think she was a white girl I knew in my dream, but not in real life.) There my life coach or counselor sat down with me for a session. The session started off fine as we were talking about the wedding. I don’t know if this matters for dream interpretation my counselor was relatively good looking (kinda looked like an old friend’s boyfriend) and he was in good shape too. I could see his physique under his long sleeve t-shirt. Everyone in my dream was Black like me except for the white girl who seemed to be my friend/ pleasant acquaintance and the disruptive older white man.

Then out of nowhere this white man interrupted our conversation to show a presentation about how he designs bic mechanical pencils. He stood before use giving a video presentation (on one of the store’s flat screen TVs) about how he designed the bottom half and tip of a yellow mechanical pencil. He was very proud about how he made subtle changes to the instrument. We were polite, but very uninterested. Finally a group of friends joined him and I asked him to leave, so I could hear my counselor speak because they were too loud.

Finally my session began, but this time I was listening and looking at my counselor while he was outside an open window in a forest looking in at us from the same spot. Somehow this fool began saying the most ridiculous things like he doesn’t care to help people in need who mess up their own life. (tw: molestation rape) I gave the example of people who have been molested/ raped (and need help moving forward) and he said that it is their own fault and they should only blame themselves. I began passionately arguing with him. (Even though in my head I was trying to cool myself down and remember not to waste energy on people saying things like that because more often than not if they wanted to change they would. There are plenty of resources on how to not be hateful, the oppressed don’t need to run around coddling and educating the oppressors (especially since there are tons of things oppressed people have done to help oppressors change their ways past and present).)

Next thing I knew we were all in a restaurant seated in chairs, except the counselor who was floating just above me. I turned around a slap the snot out of him (figuratively) as we were still arguing and he was still saying hurtful foolishness. Then I woke up and just had to send this too you.

Would you please tell me what you think this means?

If you do answer this could you please call me X.

Thank You

– X

As for, how I have been, I have been watching Running Man (런닝만) practically back to back. I want to say I would like an American counterpart but knowing it would be 95% White cast if shot here, I’d rather pass. I am also hungry but had Chinese yesterday. I can get taro bubble tea delivered to me, that is fantastic, I love bubble tea and taro is my favorite. I should learn how to make it at home. I also want regular kimchi, not kim chi jji gae (kim chi stew), just regular kimchi…maybe with some tofu added. I need to know where to get flaky Jamaican beef patties, not the 7-11 kind, the good kind. I may just opt for spaghetti with garlic bread. Now on to this dream.

The first part of the dream sounds like a desire for change or actual change in progress. Being in a store, especially a big store like a department store usually means that you’re in a situation of change and looking at your options and it involves pretty important things. The fact it’s paired up with a car shop really compounds it. You’re looking at three different white cars, sounds like you’re trying to start new beginnings since white refers to starts and tabula rasas, you’re trying to pick a car – which refers to change and life directions) and three is a number that refers to life, freedom, creativity and self-exploration. It also can refer to the past, present and future. It can also refer to having too many options also (ditto with being in a department store). Between the three cars, you have a regular car, a classy car and a nice car. These cars could symbolize your options or the potential paths you could take. You probably have a helper much akin to the sales person in real life as a person or as information you’ve gotten. Basically you’re at a crossroads in regards to a major life decision and/or partnership.

Sounds like your dream reflects that you’re getting counsel/information in real life since you’re talking about the event with others. Or at the very least, you’re aware that a big change is coming and have consciously mulled it over.  If the person in your dream (the counselor) looked like someone familiar, that person could have some meaning to the dream as well. Also, if the counselor is attractive, it could mean that you’re getting counseling/information that is not difficult for you to accept. I’m not sure what role the White girl plays unless you’ve been watching a lot of mainstream media and she’s the reversal of the [different race] best friend. The White guy that’s coming up definitely sounds like a walking stereotype as the “annoying techie White guy” because he thinks he’s super innovative for something small and sounds like he wants an award for just breathing. This guy could represent an annoying interjection that you’re dealing with that really likes to take up your attention and is not easily ignorable. And this interjection will have just about nothing to do with what you’re doing, it’s just there because obstacles. Seems like you handled it well but not without it multiplying and getting to a level of uber distraction.

Hm, seems like this dream dude is being less of a dream boat now. Open windows refer to opportunity but the fact it leads to a forest is something potentially troubling. Forests in dreams refers to the unconscious/subconscious but also refers to mystery. You could find great things in a forest like a treasure but you can find big trouble there too. The fact the dude does a 180° from being appealing to being a jerk is something because he went from a visually comforting life coach to a possible danger. Sounds like you’re being introduced to some stress from someone or something that should be helping you and it may come from left field.

Sitting in a restaurant, which also can refer to options (you definitely have a lot of dream symbols that refer to choices and decisions). Seems like the dude that was supposed to be a help turned out to be a great big nuisance you could ultimately do without.

So, what could this dream possibly mean? Welp, it seems that you’ve got a lot of choices on your plate with big changes up ahead, a new direction in life. You’re going to (or are currently experiencing) interruptions, both blatant and not-so-blatant. It’s up to you to cut through the noise and make the best decision for yourself.

I had a dream where I stretched out my arm at night and said “sticks and thorns” and then a wooden wand appeared with vines wrapped around it. I just wanted to know what my dream means.

– Z X

Sounds like a potential nonsense dream but there might be something here. I’m just glad it’s not a creeper dream. To imagine your arm in dreams can refer to either having a reach to others or the feeling a lack of reach, therefore a sense of hopelessness. Then there’s the saying “arm yourself”, which, in this dream, seems perfectly applicable giving you’re saying words that reference attack and defense (“sticks and thorns”) to make a regular body part stronger. So, it seems like you’re in a situation where you have to defend yourself or need to take a more aggressive stance on.

To sum it up, you possibly feel potentially helpless in a situation or in life and this makes you respond with wanting additional strength somehow to achieve whatever it is you want to accomplish, be it defense or an additional boost.

And that’s all of Ask Black Witch for this month! W00t! Sorry for the wait, everyone!