Category: Pagan Life


Snake Oil and Women’s Health

Filed under: Gender, Pagan Life, Spells & Potions — 5 Comments
June 3, 2016

I was just perusing my social media and I came across this:

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This was me:

Nonono_cat

Alright, here’s why you shouldn’t be turning your punami into a humidifier. Actually, no, let’s start from the basics: what is vaginal steaming? Well, according to website naturalnews.com, penned by Lisa S. Lawless, Ph.D:

“For those not familiar with what vaginal steaming is, think of it like a medicinal, herbal, steam facial for the vagina.

Typically, they are done a day or two after a woman has had her period in order to detox and heal any imbalances in the vagina, cervix and uterus. Vaginal steaming has also been known to ease anxiety in women as well as tackle several other health issues-

• Irregular and painful periods
• Vaginal cysts
• Infertility
• Bladder and yeast infections
• Hemorrhoids
• Uterine fibroids
• Scarring from childbirth, hysterectomies and laparoscopies”

You don’t have to go far in this entry to find the Orientalism in the article:

“Vaginal steaming in Chinese medicine is used to relieve stagnation and coldness in the body, and in Eastern medicine in general it is used to dilate the blood vessels, increase blood circulation, provide oxygenation and relax the pelvic floor muscles. Other ways it improves health depends on the herbs that are used and the healing properties each herb brings to the table. The most commonly used herbs for vaginal steaming are mugwort, basil, calendula, oregano, marshmallow root, wormwood and rosemary.”

Ah, there it is! And notice, those are primarily Western herbs you see that are being used with a Chinese (funny, there’s no ethnic pinpoint because China’s a pretty big nation with a pretty extensive history and various groups, can’t lump them all together) method…that eventually switches to “Korean” later. Because somehow that’s not a recipe for disaster. This is why stealing cultural ideas is bad, women’s health addition. Especially if it didn’t come from the Far East…more like “Los Angeles in 2010” and as a bastardization of moxibustion, which is an authentic healing method.

Alright, we got the basics, now let’s get back to why you shouldn’t be turning your punami into a humidifier.

The vagina is self-cleaning
Doctors (smart ones) would usually tell women to not shove, spurt or steam anything up main street for cleaning purposes because the vaginal canal is actually self cleaning. Douching is bad. Very bad. Like, “there’s a reason why it’s an insult” bad. The vagina naturally regulates itself and pushes out any bad bacteria, germs, dead cells, etc etc. What douching of any sort does is forces all that back in. It’s like the natural fluids in the vagina are showing bad elements the door, and the human it’s connected to just wants to shove everyone back in the house. Which causes infections.
Actually, let me let a real doctor talk, Mary Jane Minkin, M.D., clinical professor of ob-gyn at Yale School of Medicine. She was interviewed by Women’s Health magazine and this is what she had to say:

1. It Burns

“My first concern is that someone would burn themselves because steam is hot,” says Minkin. “And I certainly wouldn’t want someone to get a burn in their vagina.” Fun fact: Your hoo­ha sits right next to the bladder and rectum, so a bad burn could damage the lining between the two of them and cause a lot of issues. “That would be a worst­case scenario,” says Minkin”

Remember, if you’re getting worked done on the vaginal region by steaming it, it is most likely not being done by a someone with a medicinal background. And with so many how-to home guides floating around on the internet, it’s a recipe for trouble. During steaming, the whole area (the vulva) is getting steamed, the major and minor labias, the urethral entrance, the vaginal opening. That means the herbal concoction is going to affect everywhere. Then there’s the rectum, as the doctor has mentioned. Basically, these are sensitive parts that you do not want to damage through poor research and misguided health suggestions.

2. It Can Mess With Your Vagina’s Good Bacteria

Just like regular douching, trying to “cleanse” your vag with steam can be drying and disrupt the natural bacteria that lives up in there, says Minkin. And since the vagina is a self ­cleaning machine, you don’t need to take any action to keep it that way, she says. However, one thing you could do to boost your vagina’s natural cleaning abilities is to eat more yogurt, which contains the good bacteria that keep your vag fresh yeast infection ­free.

The doctor also wonders in the article if the steam can even go up that far. The vaginal canal isn’t Route 66 but it’s not a cavernous hall, either. Either way, steaming could mess with your body’s natural ability to keep and maintain its own defenses because it’s a super delicate ecosystem down there. I mean, if you’re not wearing the right underoos and if you under enough stress, then you may risk getting a yeast infection. It already has an ability to get rid of the germs that grow in and around the body, the vagina. There’s no need to modify that.

3. It Won’t Balance Any Hormones

First off, Minkin says, there are no hormones produced by the uterus or the vagina. “The hormone factory is in the ovaries, and there’s no reason why steam would affect the hormones produced there,” she says. And again, it’s hard to say if the steam even makes it that far.

Welp, usually I would add something here but there you have it. And no, you can directly inject steam into your vaginal canal (please don’t do that) and still, it probably won’t even slip past the cervix, at best.

Frankly, steam cleaning is great for drapes and clothing. Steamers are great for when you’re suffering from head colds. Saunas are nice. Herbal saunas are nice. Steam can be used to power machines. These are all nice things. Steam treatments on the body can be great, up the vaginal canal is not one of them.

Basically, don’t do it.

And it’s almost a week away from the Black Witch live stream, June 9th. I think I should update the time to 7 PM EST if I haven’t already. The reason for this livestream is because Black Witch will be in its sixth year, it’s the Black Witch 6th Anniversary. W00t. The livestream will be via the Black Witch Fan Page on Facebook, so get in on that.

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So, Who’s Winning?

Filed under: Pagan Life, Race — 4 Comments
May 15, 2016

EEOC Update: Turns out I still have to run donations! Ugh, yay being broke. I simply have to extend donations to the rest of this month. Why? Well, remember when I mentioned that my car’s transmission gave up on life? Well, repairs are going to be $5400. And hooray, I have a new gig… that needs a car to get to. So as I suffer with Maryland transit, please do donate. I will streamline this strictly for Paypal for ease of donation and telling folks to donate. Donate here.

If anything, I’ve really just been focusing on the US primary to kinda pass the time. Yep, I’m so deeply screwed and traumatized from my experience that I am literally focusing on the race to the White House for mental stimulation/relaxation. Or watching endless cat videos. Because my brain feels absolutely friiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiied, like, Southern-deep-fryer-at-a-carnival friiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiied. Hence, why I pay attention to raw data and kitties.

This would be the third election I would be able to participate in. I remember during the last election, I was working at the Library of Congress, which was really interesting. Because, frankly, your vote actually does matter – that and I got cool stuff from “Congress Move Out Day” for those who didn’t get reelected. Huzzah.

Oi, the current pass of elections is something outrageous. Usually, every election year is a media circus but this year is quite uncanny. I’m actually an Independent (meaning, I think both parties suck) but all I have been doing is keeping track of primary numbers, because Primaries are a combination of a numbers game and popularity contest. I’m none too surprised that Trump is pretty much bagging the GOP nomination. Everyone from general news to the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) have pretty much said there’s a major uptic in hate rhetoric, hate group memberships and people being antsy about the subject in general. Trump ran for president back in 2000, didn’t do so well and simply decided to do so now again and simply up the “I hate everybody…except for ‘true Americans'” ante that Republicans tend to tout.

Usually, I would be try to be at least a teensy bit objective and factual about elections and things like that (I actually wrote a “Let’s Vote” column with all information) but alors, this is mental. The reason this is mental for me is the same reason why this is mental for anyone who isn’t White: the dude does have a Hitler-y likeness in his fevor. Now, I know, there’s the internet rule, the “Godwin law“, where if you talk about a subject long enough (and with enough White people around), eventually Hitler will be mentioned. However, with this current instance with history, I can certainly see the parallel. Working at the Library of Congress, I’ve had the chance to look at a lot of interesting documents that record some of the crappier parts of history. There is a lot of them…and it is indeed nightmare fuel. (I should talk about the day I had to deal with books talking about the illicit organ harvesting in China, the drawings from N. Korean detainees and other really horrible instances of humans being human someday.) This Trump character definitely suits the bill to the point you may want to ask him about watercolors.

I know there are probably people who are going, “Ehhhhh, everyone is considered evil when they’re running for president as a Republican,” but this time, it is different. This dude will make Bush W. look like a decent – but goofy – president. Bush still may not know how to say “nuclear” but at least he had his dad there to explain “it isn’t a toy, you can’t go waving it around like it’s a gun.” Trump just has his thin skin and thick ego. Baaaaaaaaaaaad combo, especially for the most stressful job in the US. You need tact, skill, due dilligence, and an IQ that’s not the equivallent to two bb’s in a tin can.

That and Trump is a Birther, a person who demanded President Obama fork over his birth certificate to prove that he’s an American…but is usually part of the party (GOP) that didn’t do the same to McCain (Panama) or harsh Cruz (Canada) about it. The thing about birthers is that, the core of their thinking is literally “Obama can’t be a US citizen because he’s Black. He has an African last name and an Arabic middle name. He must be Muslim and not American. Because Americans are White and Christian.” Seriously. And non-Black minorities/PoC thought that they were the only ones treated like outsiders in their own country. Newp. Basically, birthers are pretty racist people. Their thinking is powered by racism, their idea is borne from racism, they are racist themselves. They’re Klan-lite. And the head of Klan-lite has an actual shot at being the president.

If people are still going “Ehhhhh, ‘Klan-lite’ isn’t the same as ‘plain Klan’. Still a case of being Henny Penny,” either you’re not Black or you’re not aware of American history: The Klan are a terrorist group. As in, they’ve done bombings (including churches, usually American get emo when a church is attacked…unless it’s a Black church, then it’s excuses for days), they’ve thrown acid on Black Americans, strung Black Americans up trees (including Black Americans just returning from war and in their military uniforms), everything that kinda makes a group count as a “terrorist group”. There’s nothing terroristic the Klan hasn’t done. Buuuuut somehow the Taliban and Daesh/ISIS are scarier. Because Islam. To be anywhere on the Klan spectrum, especially in the eyes of a Black person, is bad. Very bad. Because eventually it blows into full-on hate and have that person be a president in a nation that’s still very much prejudiced and bigoted…it’s gonna be a problem. Like a problem that will involve camps. America has shoved its own citizens into camps before (Japanese Americans in the internment camps during WWII (and note, never were Germans or Italians rounded up)), there’s not really a whole lot to stop this from happening again. I mean, we already have a prison industrial complex and a lot of racialized feelings in regards to criminality in America. That’s actually a good chunk of what Trump is tapping into for votes, a successful tactic. Basically, Trump is scary because people will be disappearing. Muslim and brown folks started getting followed and shipped to gitmo right after 9/11 and that was Bush. Trump will go way worse.

Alright, enough about Trump and how he’s pretty bad news for anyone who isn’t White. Back to numbers!

As I previously mentioned eariler, I keep track of the numbers, not the hype, of who is doing well and who is not. I actually just type “primary results” into Google and I get a handy-dandy graph divided between Republican and Democrat parties. Just type it in yourself and see what you find. These numbers are very useful for me because otherwise I would get bewildered from all the media hype and I’m already bewildered enough. Sometimes I read articles but only if they’re fairly factual.

About articles, I always wondered why people thought Trump entering the race was a joke. There’s no reason why to say “He couldn’t be serious.” If someone wants to be president and they’re putting their hat in the ring with earnest, then it’s fine to take them seriously. Besides, American history is rife with walking jokes running for president, and a few who actually made it in. Ditto for any American political office. We’re not exactly the nation of frumpiness and intelligence. Besides, I doubt people who took Trump’s current run as a joke are laughing now.

That’s all the Black Witch for now! Sorry this was late, everyone. I spent all Thursday and Friday fighting with the mechanic over the bill and trying to get new job settled. My brain is completely full of static because I have so much on my plate. Please donate if you can!

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Let’s Talk about Hair over Lemonade

Filed under: Gender, Race — Leave a comment
May 6, 2016

Alrighty then, let’s talk about a subject that I don’t usually broach: hair. I don’t really care about it but as it has come up a lot in recent days, let’s get down to it and all its nonsense politics.

As of recent, Beyonce put out a visual album called “Lemonade”. It definitely seems the whole world wound up watching it. I usually don’t care for anything Beyonce since I grew up with Destiny’s Child, as well as countless other acts such as 702 and Total, therefore it’s all just background sounds but I definitely saw the artistic visuals (I’m a sucker for short films) so I gave it a go. I never thought people would hyperfocus on the phrase “better call Becky with the good hair”…but then again, I’m Black and I forgot that Beyonce has a multitude of White fans, who took this and ran with it like a Klansman with a people-hunting license.

Ok, if you’re White (mainly White girls) and you’re saying “I’m Becky with the good hair”, to a Black person’s ears, you just said, “Segregation now, intergration never. Trump for president. Why don’t Black people bleach their skin and straighten their hair if they want to be accepted? Ugh, dirty porch monkeys.”

No, seriously, all that in one teeny phrase. This is why blindly stealing cultural terminology, idioms and phrases are a bad idea.

If you’re thinking, “Beyonce said all this about herself! I thought she liked being Black!” She does. When a Black person talks about a “Becky with the good hair”, she’s saying: “I am culturally disrespected time and time again because my skin is dark, my hair is nappy. I’m forever devalued, regardless what I do because I have ‘bad’ hair. Everyone likes you more if you have that ‘good’, straight hair like White girls do. What bullsh*t.” It’s mainly racist when a White person says it, an expression of the existence of racism when a Black person says it, and I’ll be going into the why below.

Let’s break it down in two compartments: “Becky” and “Good Hair” because I think if you’re going to be a mentally dense White girl (a ‘Becky’), you may want to get it straight, especially if you’re the feminist type – doubly so if you have a Tumblr because frankly, this is really stupid.

“Becky”
We’re going to start here with some history. Actually, no, we’re going to start here with a reference from the extremely well-written column from Damon Young of Very Smart Brothas, titled “Where ‘Becky’ Comes From, and Why It’s Not Racist, Explained“:

“For years, ‘Becky’ has been used as a general reference for a particular type of White woman….It’s actually easier for me to say whether a White woman would be considered a Becky than it is to explain the criteria. Hillary Clinton? Not a Becky. Natalie Portman? Not really a Becky. Taylor Swift? The Beckiest. Iggy Azelea? Darth Becky. There are several theories on its etymology, but the one that makes the most sense is that it stems from the first line of ‘Baby Got Back.’

“Oh, my, god. Becky, look at her butt”

And cue to the video in reference! “Baby Got Back” by Sir Mix ALot, everyone. Pay suuuuuuuuuuuper close attention to the intro.

In the intro, the unnamed girl is talking to her friend Becky and this is what she says:

“Oh. My. God. Becky, look at her butt. It is so big. She looks like one of those rap guys’ girlfriends. Who understands those rap guys, ugh? They only talk to her because she looks like a total prostitute, okay? I mean, her butt. It’s just so…big…ugh, I can’t believe it’s so round – it’s like, out there – I mean, ugh, gross. Look! She’s just so…Black.”

And then we go into the song that is worth its own race x gender deconstruction but here ya have it, the whole kit and kaboodle. This name, Becky, is what stuck. (I can already hear some apologist going, “technically, Becky never said any of that, so it isn’t her to blame so [blah blah blah bs]”, dude…no one cares. Also, it isn’t like Becky ever says, “Chill it, Sarah. She’s ok the way she is, gawd. You’re, like, so racist. No wonder Chad cheated on you at the Spring Formal.”) Now, this first line was an ear catcher then and, trust, it is now. Nicki Minaj sampled that exact line “Oh. My. God. Becky, look at her butt,” for her pop song “Anaconda”. Actually, I believe Sir Mix ALot added to it with the hook “My anaconda don’t/My anaconda don’t/My anaconda don’t want none unless you got buns, hon.”

This, in academia, is what you actually would call “cultural intertexuality”. It’s nifty and all over the place in hip hop…because it’s a creative art form, like any other art form.

Alright, back to the racist duo, featuring Jank and Silent Becky. This is what White girls unknowingly are refering to, time and time over when they’re referencing Beyonce in “Lemonade”. Not smart. Actually, Young references what a “Becky” stereotype is:

“Admittedly, referring to White women as “Becky” isn’t particularly nice, but it’s ultimately a reaction to a certain type of privileged young White woman who exists in a state of racial obliviousness that shifts from intentionally clueless to intentionally condescending. “

I agree. And if any White girl thinks “Becky” is a slur…uhhhhhh, and “Shaniqua/Pedro/Ping-Ping/Ahmed” isn’t? White folks have been dragging us by our names for centuries. The difference is, “Becky” can still get hired, “Shaniqua” has to work twice as hard to get half as much as “Becky”. If anything at all. “Becky” doesn’t make people talk down to you like “Shaniqua” does, even if you’re decorated with degrees. “Becky” doesn’t get the worst assume of her, “Shaniqua” is treated like a criminal from the start. “Becky” isn’t a slur because it’s literally just a name to the rest of society, no baggage. “Shaniqua” has the opposite effect. And if a White girl thinks “Becky” is still a slur, how come it isn’t used against her in common media? How come no one asks her “Why did your parents name you that?” or told “I can’t pronounce that”? “Becky” isn’t a slur, “Becky” is how Black folks, primarily Black women, can commiserate with other Black folks, primarily Black women, about the fact that dealing with Whiteness as the ideal, especially gendered Whiteness, is a real downer.

Even when White girls think that they’re being tongue-in-cheek cute by calling themselves “Becky”, they’re kinda saying “I’m White and proud of it” without throwing up the “Heil Hitler” salute. (Same for “basic”, they’re just saying they’re “worthless, White and proud of it”. That’s just pathetic.) Basically, to the ears and eyes of Black folks – primarily Black women – this is how it comes off:

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But hey, they do have what is culturally defined as “good hair”. And there’s a chance one of them may actually be named “Becky”. They’re just *really* proud of that fact.

Remember, Black girls have a massive hill to climb because of misogynoir (the combo hatred of race and gender). We’re always ragged on by everyone, from mainstream society to even in Black culture, about Whiteness and how we don’t add up. Bottom of the totem pole, last one picked, you get the idea. In Black culture, there’s even an idea of “marrying up” when you have a White partner, especially for a Black guy. Because of that ideal, that means the most basic Becky can show up, and she’s a hot commodity (think about the rise of Iggy Azelea) but a Black girl means nothing until she does something about her skin, body features and that hair….Oooh, that nappy, headed hair has got to go! ‘Cuz she ain’t gonna find herself no man until she got some good hair he can run his fingers through.

Speaking of ingrained cultural bullsh*t, let’s get to the second part:

“Good Hair”
Ahh, the hair debacle. If you’re a White girl, you’ll never have to go through this. Black? It’s a load of misery, regardless of texture.

It was an absolute pain for me when I went natural (stopped straightening my hair) because, maaaaaan, is Black hair politicized to the point I felt like I needed a Post Doc just to buy shampoo and a comb. It’s the first thing everyone will pick on in regards to success in life for a Black woman/girl. Wanna get a job? “You’re not gonna straighten your hair? They won’t hire you.” Wanna get a date? “No one is gonna love you with that Angela Davis nonsense you got on your head. Men don’t care about that, they like straight hair.” Wanna be seen as not threatening? “You look like a Black Panther. Lolz, why do you hate White people? All I said was it was ‘All Lives Matter’ makes more sense than ‘Black Lives Matter’.” Wanna have your humanity respected? “I just had to pet you, you remind me of my dog! So fluffeh! I just wanna shave it all off, stuff it all in my pillow and sleep on it” Wanna buy shampoo that’s for your hair texture? “Try the ‘ethnic’ aisle. It will be an arm and a leg. But there are perm kits there, too! Get all that ‘jungle’ out your hair and look cute.”

Now, let’s get into the Bad Hair/Good Hair debate.

Thankfully, there’s India Arie “I Am Not My Hair” music video to give us all a great starting point.

To pinpoint, her description is “Good hair means curls and waves/Bad hair means you look like a slave”.

Y’see, “good” hair emulates mainly European hair, which is a “nice” curly to an “ideal” straight. “Bad” hair basically means you have African ancestry because no one has hair like us. In its natural state, Black hair can break combs, be absolutely huge, and – when not cared for correctly – be a big pain in the rear for the person who decided to go natural.

Good hair/Blac- I mean, Bad hair has been ingrained in Black folks since we were first dragged here. Ditto with skin bleaches and “fixing” your nose. To get straight hair, you have to chemically alter it or use plain fire-like heat. You’ll have chemical burns on your scalp (just google the ingredients on a Black hair perm kit…try the brand “African Pride”. (Yes, the name. The internalized racism)) or third degree burns on your ears and scalp. But society will like you better for it, though! Just yells “Less dangerous” and “not angry” and “totes believe racism died when Obama went into office.” Don’t like using harsh science to fry your scalp? How about shelling out major cheddar for weaves, wigs and braids? Think you won’t need it? Fine, go see if you can land a job.

Actually, T-Pain said it best (yes, guys got their hair conked as well. What, you thought European ideals of beauty only affected Black Women?):

At this point in history, the present, Black girls are kiiiiiiiiinda tired of the “straight hair is good hair” chicanery. Especially with the waves of women going natural, the prejudice is still buried deep. Good hair should mean “hair that is well cared for, regardless of texture”, not “hair similar to White girls”. But still, it doesn’t. And it still can make Black women and girls feel like crap about themselves. Even Beyonce. Her hair is not naturally straight. If you’ve seen a picture of Solange Knowles, her sister, then you basically have a pretty accurate picture of what Beyonce’s hair would look like in a totally natural state. Why it isn’t in the natural state is perfectly up to Beyonce. Because it’s her hair. Because that’s how personhood works.

Luckily for everyone, there’s a documentary about this, called “Good Hair”, made by comedian Chris Rock. That’s where the T-Pain and co. clip came from. Here’s some more!

That’s a playlist of varied snippets. I really recommend watching the whole documentary. It is as comedic as it is informative.

And here’s a last bit from Tatyana Ali in her interview with VladTv, it’s really good.

Basically, considering yourself a “Becky with the good hair” is pretty insulting to Black people because of all the issue it’s brought us. Oh, and if you think you’re clever, Nivea thought the same with this ad:

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Yeah, not cool. It’s ok to say, “I have nice hair”, but don’t recite Beyonce on a socio-cultural and racially gendered struggle you literally have no idea about. It just sounds so…basic.

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Ask Black Witch: I like a guy online, how do you get started, I think I have a gift

Filed under: Ask Black Witch, Pagan Life, Psionics, Relationships and Dating, Spells & Potions — Leave a comment
April 29, 2016

Hi so I met this guy called Guy McGee* through a Youtube channel, I know bad and he only has like 10 videos and they are all Music because he is in a band and he plays the drums but the first time I saw him I couldn’t take my eyes off him so we then became friends on Snapchat and then Facebook.
But we spoke once and I felt a real connection to him and I don’t wanna tell him coz he’ll think I’m weird but also he lives in a different country as well and I really wanna know there is anyway that he feels the same???? Plus if there is anyway that we will talk more??? and if there is anyway that we will become friends or more????

This has been playing on my mind for a long time and it has been driving me crazy I didn’t wanna it was past life even though it could be and I know this a lot but I would really love it if you could answer them. So thank you for reading it even if you do think Im crazy. 🙂

Hi so long story short I met this guy Called Dude McGee* he’s 18 and lives in America and I’m 17 and l live in the UK we have spoken once before. And I have had the odd message every now and then but I really like him and I don’t think he feels the same. I have had fights with friends and over this and lost my bested friend because of it. The main reason because I didn’t tell her. But he’s on my mind nearly every second of the day and I don’t know what to do. So if you could help I’d really appreciate it. 🙂

I forgot to say that he’s a lead singer in a band and I know it sounds bad and its meant to be that way but I feel like I met him before as well like in a past life and I feel in way drawn to him it’s probably my mind playing tricks bit that’s how I feel and I find it hard to explain

Hello I have a development to my concern he has started to talking to my friend a lot and he was the first one to pop up. So maybe he wasn’t for me but I have liked him for ages but she had a boyfriend but I have no clue what to do

– Genni M.

Firstly, the (*) is to imply that I’ve changed the name. Granted, the guy in reference had two different first names but the same last name so I replicated that. Also, this was a series of emails that basically tell a bigger story, thus I lumped them all together.

Alright, the basics of the story is that the person writing in likes a dude(we’re assuming it’s just one guy) who she has a crush on despite being far, far away. It really eats at her and even gets in the way of her friendships. Now it seems the apple of her eye has been chatting with her friend, who also has a boyfriend.

Now, I wasn’t really willing to do divination because I only do that around Halloween for the Samhain Pickers sweepstakes winners. Besides, this situation didn’t seem to need it.

One thing kiddo has to keep in mind is that just because you get to chat with musicians on the internet, they’re there to promote so of course, they’re gonna bring the charm because it’s good for business. However, this doesn’t mean they’re not people.

Granted, I said maybe she should have a sit-down talk with the guy she has a very apparent crush on but it can also been said this way as well: she’s reading too much into their interactions. Which isn’t insanity, it’s simply having a crush. That’s completely normal and natural, even if it makes you feel absolutely mental. Everyone goes through that.

However, if your infatuation is starting to dent your friendships, it’s time to pump the breaks. Firstly, it appears that you don’t seem to know where you stand with the guy you like. It’s important to discuss that and get on the same page with the guy so you know how each other feels. That should precede everything because it will determine all future interactions, good or bad. Just because the friend is talking to the guy doesn’t mean they’re hitching up…especially if they’re separated by a whole ocean.

I think the infatuation is coloring your perspective. It’s time to find some stable ground and have a chit chat to find out what is happening. Talk with not only him but talk with your friends as well because I’m sure they probably are fussing with you because of how much your crush is blinding you and your better sensibilities and they want the pre-crush you back.

I’m really interested in witchcraft but idk where to start. how did you start?

– reinadelaslesbianas

I started with books, really. My first book is Where to Park Your Broomstick by Lauren Manoy. I thoroughly enjoy and always suggest because of how well-rounded it is. That will give you a great starting place of what to do, what not to do and why.

I was wondering are you familiar with black witch’s b/c I have some questions about it if you could help me……I tried asking the church of god and they said to stop doing witchcraft and I laughed and hung up the phone…..I tried asking the church of satan hq in America and I guessed they were mad when I said demonic spirits…lol….they preached satan and said to join their church…..so can you maybe answer some of my questions…….jim

 ok here’s my question but it’s a story….I can provide details of everything if you want them……I’m a black witch….I used a spell to have someone die and he did in 1 week….since I was 4 I have seen demonic spirits and ghosts….I have been seeing spirits of dead people,animals,insects all my life….I want to know why I can see them…..also when I practice withcraft outside between 9 and 9:30pm a glowing white ring appears in the sky(kinda far away too) while I’m doing my chanting…the ring goes away when I stop chanting….also I tried spells between 7 and 7:30pm and a gray ring appears in the sky and goes away when I stop chanting…..I want to know what this means…do I have a special gift spiritually….please help me or know someone that can help me…..

– James C.

Goodness, why do people write as if they are breathless? Fantastic for stories, not so much for letters.

As a reminder to people, I call myself “Black Witch” because I’m a Black person that practices witchcraft. Not, “I practice left-hand magick” so I’m not a pro in that field if that’s what the question is in reference to. Continuing on, it seems you just simply are clairvoyant and really intuitive to sense and interact with entities around you. Not really a big deal, no great significance in my consideration. You just can do these things, hurray. I’d say “don’t kill people” but I don’t know the circumstances so I’ll just say instead that it’s primarily frowned upon ethically so use very strong discretion. I also don’t know if the magick killed the person and it isn’t coincidence but this letter isn’t really to contest that.

You gave me times but without timezones, so I haven’t much of a clue what the phenomena you’re describing is in reference to. It could be raised energy, it could be a better second sight, that I don’t know. Either way, you seem relatively gifted. I would recommend reading some decent theory books on energy manipulation. That could help as well.

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Pagan Learning: Going from Analog to Digital

Filed under: Pagan Life, Spells & Potions — Leave a comment
April 8, 2016

I haven’t touched a book on magick for a while for a while. I think the last actual books on magick I’ve handled was a variety of books on metaphysics (including magick & alchemy) at the Library of Congress. The most I remember from the LoC was handling Rosicrucian journals. They were nifty reading. Surprisingly, I didn’t find a lot of super good stuff in that section of the Library of Congress, but the better stuff is scattered around the LoC. I should write a “How to find stuff/research at the Library of Congress” post one day.

The reason? I just don’t think there’s a lot of really good books out there that are entering my stratosphere. Like, I feel like I have advanced well past the beginner books and all the others books that I would want right now I already have. And what books are out there are really Western perspective, I kinda am done with having books from White authors, I think I have enough of those and there is more than enough out there. I just want more diversely written books.

To be honest, I lean towards academic books now because they have way more information than the newbie and Pagan books. That and I can find way more information that is really useful for knowing and to help me with my practices. Things like history, symbolization and culture. Otherwise, I will feel lost and hesitant, going “Whyyyyyyy does pomegranates mean ‘good dreams’ in this spell and what the heck is blue salt and why do I need it? Has this always been a thing?” Even if I still know a fraction of the info, I’ll still be unsure because welcome to academia and intellectualism: just because you think you know something doesn’t mean you can’t still be astoundingly wrong because you were too dumb to check.

I usually find good materials in libraries (it’s my career, of course I’m going to use the resources that I’m paid to provide for others) but mainly, I’ve been finding things via Tumblr through the meantime. I follow a number of Pagan and Witchcraft blogs and anything I find of note or of usefulness, I slap into my “magick” tag. Some of the blogs I follow are:

None of the witchy blogs that I follow or find major stuff from are White ran, I think. I think the only ones that potentially could be White-ran is just the catch-all blog, Low Budget Witches, which is really informative.

It’s just that Paganism is very diverse. Western Paganism pulls from a bevy of cultures, I rather follow people from those cultures or at least just looking at those cultures through a non-White lens. For me, I get more history, information and usefulness this way. It isn’t White-washed, dumbed down information usually and there’s a lot more background to the info because there’s just some things that reading dry academic books can’t tell you but someone related to the culture can.

The info I find is really cool but I’ve read enough to know to take things with a grain of salt and to fact-check everything. I like the info I find but I also know that I’m going to run it through several books to make sure I understand everything I’m reading. Witchcraft isn’t all random nonsense with candles, bells and whistles. Neither is Paganism, there’s a rhyme and reason to everything. It may look nonsensical to folks who never researched Paganism and learned about Witchcraft from television and movies but there’s a lot of background on it. I just need to know what it is before I proceed with anything new.

Honestly, I thought I wasn’t looking at anything new in Paganism and thought I was a kinda sucky Pagan because of it until it dawned on me that I was, I just wasn’t doing my usual: reading a cavalcade of books to get the information. Instead, I was taking the digital route, which is uncommon for me because books are a little more fact-checked than what someone can slap on a website. Yes, I am painfully aware that books can have really crappy information, I’m just use to the mental connection of “book=factual information, internet=potential brain fart” and it takes a while to change that thinking.

Huzzah, progress.

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Blackthorn Teas: Whose Culture Is it Anyways?

Filed under: Pagan Life, Race — 15 Comments
April 1, 2016

Alright, a little thing during my EEOC issue happened and while I was basically going through one of the worst experiences of my life, a post had happened across my personal FB timeline about Blackthorn Hoodoo Blend teas, created and made by Amy Blackthorn, a relatively big name in the Pagan community. If some of you all will remember, I reviewed the tea itself in an Open Box Review for Sabbat Box. I liked how it smelled and the tea tasted pretty decent but it’s that name. I really dislike the name.

Amy Blackthorn is White, Hoodoo is Afro-Caribbean (and so am I). Blackthorn doesn’t have any major background in Hoodoo culture or traditions to the point that it would be okay for her to use the name for part of her business moniker, which she is making money from. Also, the teas don’t have any connections to Hoodoo anything in culture, taste, type or anything, “hoodoo” is basically just a name. That’s cultural hijacking. She doesn’t donate or assist to Black communities, she doesn’t talk about race or anything that could possibly be seen as a saving grace. Nothing. It would have been better for her to simply name them “Blackthorn Celtic Blends” and that would have been at least a bit more accurate than “Hoodoo”.

I’m simply commenting as a normal person, not Black Witch, about the tea. Unfortunately, Blackthorn thought it would be smarter to block me than actually talk about her business choices head on because somehow being neglectful is a great business practice, even on the pages of their friends (Blackthorn and I have a mutual friend, that’s why we could interact, I was just commenting to my friend talking about the tea, I didn’t know Blackthorn would be about).

Prime business practices here

Prime business practices here

Blackthorn’s comment, as you could guess, was basically “Why don’t you like the name?” It was my responses that basically got me blocked from seeing future comments from Blackthorn. Apparently she must not like when being challenged about her business’ name. Which leads to wonder: “Why did she name it that if she didn’t want to deal with the package that comes with it?” I wasn’t even being snarky or nasty, just explaining my reasoning.

When I got blocked, I totally didn’t see it coming, I thought my FB was acting odd because I was on mobile:

I really didn't know what happened, I've never knowingly been blocked before from causing butthurt

I really didn’t know what happened, I’ve never knowingly been blocked before from causing butthurt

Annnnnnnnd here comes a random person, out of nowhere but super predictably because Paganism is excruciatingly White, so I really shouldn’t be surprised. They’re defending the name choice. Remember, I’m Afro-Caribbean, they’re not. I don’t practice Hoodoo but it is more part of my culture than it is theirs, a White person. Also, it is because of Whiteness that Hoodoo is seen the way it is and with such the rep it has. There’s a whole cultural issue that is still very much ongoing because of this.

You can almost hear the "Feel the Bern, I'm not racist. I have a black guinea pig and I pet my Black friends always"

You can almost hear the “Feel the Bern, I’m not racist. I have a black guinea pig and I pet my Black friends always”

Here’s the thing…”Hoodoo” has everything to do with race. Part of how Hoodoo was born was literally from slavery because slave-owners did everything they could to rip and destroy cultural ties as a psychological tactic to mindbreak a mass group of people and turn into obedient and ever-fearing slaves. Same reason why slaves learning how to read and write was illegal, among other things, which still stretches quite a bit into modern times. Like education and jobs, for example. None of which I’ve ever seen Blackthorn remotely talk about. You want to have Hoodoo be considered worldly for all (read: White people) to use and do whatever with? Then get ready to talk about all the baggage that comes with it. The people lynched. The people oppressed. The people stolen. The people dehumanized into animals. The people brutally murdered. The people who rarely get to see justice. The people widely hated. Can’t approach that topic? Then maybe Hoodoo and Voodoo aren’t your bag. Try Wicca.

Hoodoo was mainly a clever way for Black people to retain and practice cultural beliefs and ideas cobbled together. Blackthorn has absolutely no idea what that is like or to have something of the sort in your cultural heritage, background or anything. Hoodoo, like Voodoo, is usually synonymous with “evil”, “dark”, “wicked”, “superstitious”, “dark people dancing in the night over feverish drums hexing innocent people they don’t like”. Stuff like that. Germanic, Roman and Celtic practices in Paganism are seen in a better, much more comforting light.

I try to explain to the person why the name is problematic.

2016-01-01-18.32.22.png.png

Now, it’s more than just Blackthorn who blocked me, several supporters of hers did that, mainly the people you saw that I responded to. Everyone, this is a bad idea. Why? Because even if no one lobbed epithets at me or anything, blocking me in refusal to talk about a racial issue they caused, it’s still racist. It’s still racism to blatantly use a word in reference to a culture you’re not part of for business purposes and to silence any and every one that calls you out on it. It’s still racism to not want to listen to people from that cultural background trying to explain to you why it’s racist. Bigotry comes in many forms and not all of them are abrasive and overt. Sometimes it’s just making sure to turn a conversation about Black historical and cultural beliefs into a “Whites Only” forum.

Blackthorn, in trying to duck an actual, non-aggressive conversation about the name of her business because it is problematic, is being racist about the whole thing. Racism isn’t all burning crosses and voting for Trump, it can be as quiet and simple as simply saying, “This is mine and I won’t listen to anyone about it because I don’t care, I just wanna make money.” Geez, if she were richer and hated her own gender, she could match Trump in idea. How much you wanna bet she finds that guy abhorrent…despite thinking just like him?

Her tea bins may as well be air, what’s the point patronizing her business? Even if she posted “Black Lives Matter”, it’s pretty clear she doesn’t genuinely feel that way. And people think White liberals and White Pagans are progressive. Naaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah. But hey, what does she care? It’s just business.

Instead, here are some actual Black owned tea online stores:

Wystone’s World Teas

Wystone2

Look at that vast selection! And the prices are really good! A basic skim of the site seems like the average price is $6.95, it’s pretty great! There’s even a tea blog to learn new teas and types.

SoRen Tea

SoRen

This site looks really nice. The prices are greater but it’s moreso high-end. Try them out!

Update (April 1, 2016, 6:50 PM):

I posted this column to Twitter, including Blackthorn (@MorrigansWitch) in the tweet:
2016-04-01-18-39-39.png

This is literally what I get less than a couple minutes later:
2016-04-01-18-41-45.png

Seriously? How was I supposed to learn anything about her, her stance or anything? She blocked me the second she noticed I wasn’t a glowing review, not actually talked to me. It would be one thing if I had a convo with her, then posted this like nothing happened but newp, she basically blocked me from the get-go.

How I responded:

2016-04-01-18-40-52.png2016-04-01-18-41-22.png

Of course, in prime business sense, she is ignoring me. She’ll probably whinge on later about how I still don’t know anything about her and made an assumption from a quick interaction…that she, herself, axed so there wouldn’t be any continual discussion of any sort.

Everyone, especially White Pagan business owners, this is a really bad way to handle a problem. If you don’t like dissent, tackling head on is probably your best bet… or avoiding the thing that would get you dissent, like not picking a name that becomes racist on its face. If she talked to me originally, something that was her fault she didn’t do, this could have been pretty different. It’s a number of reasons why I didn’t like how she responded, all of which I already mentioned. This is basic business sense. She can’t complain “OMGZ, U dun know meh!” when she literally made sure that I wouldn’t be able to. Because she blocked me before really chatting with me. Killing all chance I could talk to her, which is all I wanted to do.

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Brains Swapped Out

Filed under: Pagan Life, Spells & Potions — 6 Comments
March 12, 2016

I get a lot of “Body Swap” requests. And I mean a lot. Here’s a recent sample of what I’ve gotten:

Seriously, this is why Youtubers don't like to be close with their fans, creepy stuff like this

Seriously, this is why Youtubers don’t like to be close with their fans, creepy stuff like this

 

"Mrs."? Seriously? What's with the automatic assumption? Or that I'll help?

“Mrs.”? Seriously? What’s with the automatic assumption? Or that I’ll help? (Click pic if too small)

 

Thiiiiiiiiis is pretty revolting (Click pic if too small)

Thiiiiiiiiis is pretty revolting (Click pic if too small)

Here’s a snap from one foolish person who asked decided to send me the same question a number of times.

Everyone, I see every email I get, no need to mass send it

Everyone, I see every email I get, no need to mass send it (Click pic if too small)

 

And what was it about? Each and every one?

This sounds like something borderline "Call FBI's children protections unit"

This sounds like something borderline “Call FBI’s children protections unit”

And here is the very most recent request. Complete with my response, numbered to follow flow of convo:

convo

I try to be a trans ally but this is not it at all. Not at all. Not even in the least. (Click if pic is too small)

Ok, time to go into why I don’t like these letters. At all. A second time.

Reason, the first: I don’t do spells/spell requests for others. And never have.

I believe I make myself quite clear, I don’t do spells for others and never have. It’s actually one of the things I tell people not to ask because I don’t do paid spellwork/pay-for-pray. If I did, I wouldn’t have to worry about finances ever again, this is really advanced spellwork, therefore would cost at the very least $5,000 USD. As the starting fee, nothing added on (as in, the price can more than easily grow, based on circumstance of the who, what and when). Up front.

Hey, I believe strongly in socialism but I am American, after all. Capitalism can sometimes be useful.

I don’t do paid spellwork at all because that’s simply how I am. I really don’t care nor want to hear “I’ll pay you” because we all know that’s not going to happen. Also, the initial messages almost always think I will do it for free, they never ever discuss cost. Just “Here, I want this and, despite your many remarks – mainly negative and dissuading – on what I am asking about, give it to me anyways.” Thaaaaaaat’s ridiculously rude, I really don’t care what you’re asking about.

This is why I tell people to research. Actually, that’s my second point:

Reason, the second: Shows lack of research/absolute show of duncery:

It doesn’t take much search to see if I do pay-for-pray or anything. It also doesn’t take much searching to see how I handle other folks who ask about body switching questions – none of them nicely. I’ve minced and lacerated every question I’ve published on the subject.

Everyone, I have a google search bar on my site. It works really well. That and I have a category section to split up all my columns. I use them all for each and every post.

This and maybe people should notice that they’re writing to a librarian, I’m really quite the stickler on research. It’s always a good thing to study and research a blog or anything, especially if they have a search bar about. That way, you can see if your question had already been answered and if it haven’t, if it is ok to ask. It’s one thing if I’ve never wrote about the subject, in remote reference to the subject or whatever have you but body swapping? Just a quick search in the Ask Black Witch category should clue anyone in. If people don’t want to search but want to ask me all the same, that’s their misfortune. I’m pro-learning, not pro-coddling.

Reason the third: Consent and agency, anyone?:

It really seems that when people ask me to switch bodies. It’s usually with someone else. For example, the dude above wanted to switch with their nephew, for whatever reason. I never ever hear anything about consent, agency, whatever. Nothing about how that person is ok with it, and accompanying proof, they’re basically the person as target. And it’s usually desperate sounding, like if they don’t switch bodies, someone will die. Which tilts to something fetish-sounding.

Reason the fourth: Eh, sounds fetish-y:

Even when it is not with someone else, that’s better off for a doctor or it sounds like a right ol’ fetish. And it’s usually guys! I never have really gotten many women asking for a body swap. It’s usually guys and they usually want to be a girl, which is rather uncanny. Some guys, they make it sound like a clear fetish and I’ve read enough Dan Savage and been on Tumblr long enough to know it when I see it.

I doubt these guys want to become women because they’re actually trans or that they genuinely want to experience the world through the perspective of a woman – dude! Here’s this one that sounds super fetishy, even the email sounds odd. I didn’t know it at the time but with some thought and time, that is my theory. I’ll showcase the whole thing down the line, eventually.

It seems a fetish rather than an actual concern because one thing people think is, even if they go “oh, this is permanent, I wouldn’t want to change back”, that this is magick, not science so there must be a reversal spell somewhere. Trust, if these guys wanted to be women because they want to act out a, frankly, misogynistic fetish (it’s based on being helplessly weak and dominated, enforced by gendered social roles), they’ll want to change back once they had their fill of catcalling, intelligence dismissed, lack of job opportunities/decent pay and periods, they’re going to want to be a guy again. The real world isn’t so glamourous. So, yeah, asking a woman – who’s a womanist/feminist (talk about being stupid in pickings) – about this is going to bring insults and sharp jabs in response. Again, research is key. If these folks didn’t want people to give them such a hard time, they should have guessed that I wasn’t the right person to ask. These folks aren’t “I’m trans and I’m scared of the medical process and transitioning is pricy, can you help with a spell”, just “I wanna be a girl [because of fetish reasons]!” Um, no.

 

These are all the reasons why I don’t like body swaping questions. Honestly, I really don’t like any spell requests because I don’t do any spell requests. Period. At all. But it seems those who ask about body swapping are particularly moronic about it. For people so desperate, maaaaaybe they should research and skim a bit before asking me, a person who won’t be giving any too kind an answer.

Given the nature of these folks, obviously I’ll get more letters like these, which means I’ll never run out of people to skewer. I rather have much more competent asks and questions, honestly, however. I like answering more thoughtful questions, not lapses of thought and judgement.

Next Week is The Arts: (Unfortunately, I’m still frazzled so the list is meager)

  • Kat Blaque
  • Miles Jai
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Finding Somewhere to Belong

Filed under: Pagan Life, Race — 2 Comments
March 11, 2016

 

Now, usually March is when I have guest writers and suches happening, because I like to break the monotony once in a while but ehhhhh, with what has happened recently, it simply can’t happen this year. Sorry!

Being Pagan, it is important to note that you don’t have to be a social know-it-all. Since starting Black Witch, I have noticed that I don’t really know the who’s-who of popular Western Pagan culture. Sometimes, it would surprise people that I didn’t know so-and-so and such-and-such. It didn’t really irk me, but surprised me instead. All I really knew were my books and my info on cultures, religions and other beliefs.

I think this was a good thing because I have avoided a lot of unnecessary drama that pops up in the Pagan community. Very much a good thing. It’s a good thing because I get annoyed very easily and when I’m annoyed I’m very irritated and I just want to bow out of the socializing. Just participating in the non-alternative Black community on Tumblr has already shown me this. From what I understand, the Pagan tag on Tumblr is full of people who want to culturally appropriate, people who don’t understand Paganism but just want attention, that the tag is just a playground for people to act as stupid as they want. Although I try not to be, I feel that I’m a very serious person, especially when it’s in regards to faith and religion so to have people abuse the tag, to have people run amok with racist nonsense tends to irritate me and make me not want to socialize with other Pagans. And if I interacted with this type of nonsense earlier when I was younger, I probably wouldn’t have learned at all or gotten as far as I did in knowing about Paganism because I would have been convinced that it was a “Whites Only” kind of religion, which is one of Paganism’s major problem in the PR department.

Now, I know some are going to think, “Well if they can’t get past that, then this is not for them. Anybody who truly wanted to learn and participate with the religion would do so, no matter the obstacle. We all have a hard time somewhere.” Thing is, that ignores most defiantly that some need a safe space to learn about themselves and the faith. And that the safe space has to be safe for them, not simply for White Pagans. Basically, the safe space has to actually be safe. To be barraged with Whiteness and the othering it can cause, that brings an additional and unique stress that a Black Pagan has to unfairly encounter because it brings about a sense of being constantly embattled. That you can’t, metaphorically, really get any sleep anywhere, not even where you’re searching for a peace of mind.

And for Black Pagans, it is particularly difficult because they also have to encounter anti-Blackness, which other minority Pagans will express. Never fun having to explain to people about how they’re lightening up African deities – or just making them White – just to be argued with about how they were somehow always White or light and how to challenge this is somehow offensive to the person doing the White-washing. And how pointing out that African deities shouldn’t be lighter than plywood is somehow a display of being racist, not the actual act of lightening itself.

This is just one example of a massive slew. Pervasive racism makes learning effectively very tricky. It can be a myriad of ways, from the “I can’t be racist – I’m voting for Bernie Sanders!” White liberal thinking to the “Trump is right! It’s not racist to tell the truth! It’s called ‘being honest’!” White conservative thinking. There’s a myriad of ways prejudice can seep up, like bedbugs.

Granted, I’m more the solitary type but I know other Black Pagans who really would like some camaraderie, to be able to fellowship with other Black Pagans the same way a good chunk of them probably did before when they were Christian. I can totally see why: it’s nice to belong, to be in a group that reflects you and have your best interests at heart, that can support you and build community with, so on and so forth.

Most, if not nearly all Pagan communities lack this type of support for Black Pagans, as well as other minority Pagans. They’re all so pervasively White-centered, even when not based on Euro-centric deities, that it’s near difficult to feel comfortable in those communities because of the multitudes of micro-aggressions that will eventually stack up on each other, driving whatever diversity that visits very far away.

Even without cemented cultural ideologies of prejudice, making and keeping a group going is very hard work. There’s amassing a space, amassing people, amassing time, etc etc etc. It’s herding cats…with a very loose fishnet bag. But it’s not necessary for practice. Strongly desired for very justifiable reasons but not just mandatory.

If anything, I would recommend a newbie to kind of stick to the books and readings first before super seeking out people. The reason being is because, while you do want to find people to connect with and that is indeed important, the most important thing is figuring out where you stand when it comes to Paganism, metaphysics and magick. If you’re not careful, you’re going to invite some very predatory people into your life. Or pick up some really wayward beliefs that will be pitched as Paganism but isn’t at all like the faith. It’s ok to chat and find some nifty Tumblr but Paganism as a religious and spiritual practice, can only be done alone. It’s best to build a foundation first and go from there.

And don’t worry if you don’t know any big names in Paganism, they’re not that important. They’re not deities, just people with a lot of visibility.

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Ask Black Witch: “I unfortunately hang with racist Pagans, do I have to take a DNA test to satisfy them?”

Filed under: Ask Black Witch, Race — 20 Comments
February 26, 2016

Alright, time to go back to relatively normal things. I’m still going through my EEOC situation and definitely will try to modify donation so it won’t be via YouCaring but something a little more for the long term because I don’t feel right by keeping it up when I’m sure there’s an alternative.

“In the Pagan community I interact with (which is mostly white), conversations often revolve around trying to figure out which of the European ethnic groups a person descends from is the one he/she/ze feels the most connected to, or identifies the most with, in order to pick out which flavor of ethnic Paganism (Germanic/Irish/etc.) to practice. I pointed out that this was a part of white privilege, from not having been subjected to the ethnocide of slavery, and that African-Americans didn’t have the luxury of picking out which ethnic group they feel like the most. One responder said that all African-Americans had to do was take a genetic test to determine which ethnic group they’re descended from, and make a pagan religion based on that.

So, that is making me ask: have you ever asked yourself, “should I take a DNA test to determine where my family came from to figure out which religion to practice?” Has this question ever come up in conversations you’ve been a part of? Is this subject important to the Pagan community you belong to?”

– T.T.R. 

Dude, the best you can do is just find another community and be off. Honestly, you sound like you’re hanging with SS sympathizers, Aryan wannabes and Trump’s voting bloc.

And you’re right, it is part of White privilege to be able to go up and down the family tree and know who you were related to several centuries ago. While I’m sure other folks may go, “Hey, Asian American folks can trace back their family lines centuries and they’re not White!” but here’s the thing: they’re not seen as the yardstick of “this is a human” and we’re not even reaching into exclusion acts, separations of families, etc. It’s not the same.

Black families can’t really trace back further than their great grandparent without outside help because of the drastic effects of chattel slavery where Black people were bought, sold, murdered and traded like animals. And then you have to throw in lynchings, which, like police-related murders, aren’t well tracked and traced so there’s a not-so-mysterious vortex that makes missing people because not every brutal murder started with an iconic burning cross. It’s as simple as a kid walking to a library on an open road and a group of White people spotting them and going “Let’s kill ’em.” White folks don’t have boughs of broken branches littered throughout their family trees annnnnnnnd they’re collectively the reason why.

Maybe you should suggest the suggester take a DNA test…which, by the by, costs money, time and isn’t completely accurate without heavy searching on your part. How do I know this? I worked in the Library of Congress, we have countless data on people but it slims up dramatically the darker the people get.

And it’s not the same as how White people learn about their families. If the person was German, ask if they would like to only be able to learn about who their family is strictly through Holocaust records because, without fishing deep through some of the worst experiences of history, they wouldn’t they know anything beyond their parent or grandparent because the test they paid hundreds for only tells them they’re of whatever percentage that they are. Those tests don’t really give names and experiences that are the same as what an aunt or elder could share. And these tests have to rely on submitted (and accepted) history… which, by the way, can be burned, erased via genocide – or near genocide -, rejected/destroyed due to colonization and systematic bigotry (also known as, “The institution of academia can look very easily like a Klan member armed with a dictionary, white-out and an over active imagination”). There’s a bunch of data missing from history due to douchebags. Useful history that an elder would be more likely to know than the Library of Congress. Because it’s about your family in all its oddities, something books and datasheets gloss over.

Books and sheets won’t tell you about how your great great great great great cousin was a chicken thief but your great great great great grandpop made things right by running a community bank and food pantry that helped everyone flourish because he had the right knack for figuring out exactly when to plant and fish. Or that really dumb thing that your 13X great relative did that wound up creating a law that still exists to this present day because when your relative pranked people, they always went big… which somehow floated down the family line and now shows via a niece having a “social experiment/prank” channel on Youtube that occasionally goes viral because pastel-dyed skunks released in City Hall was a funny idea to her. But not so much to the mayor and council members, who may pass a small ordinance over this. You know, the little bits of history that a DNA test forgets. So, again, that was a dumb suggestion.

Oh, and here’s another reason why it’s dumb: because if you’re Black, you have to find who owned your family and hope they kept good records because that’s not a promise either. And it’s gonna be depressing.  Like, discovering your great, great, great aunt had their eyes burnt out with acid and fire and then lashed and lynched for simply being caught with a book since she wanted to learn how to read at the age of 45. Or how splintered your family was because of how often they got sold…or used as alligator bait.

And we do have indigenous faiths that stem from African beliefs: Santeria, Voudon, Hoodoo, Igbo, Maasai, etc etc etc. Duh.

Now, that’s already good and done. No need a DNA test for that. And is that person 100% German? 100% Anglo? 100% Welsh? 100% Scotts? Given that they’re American, I’m gonna ballpark that’s a “no”. Like, if that’s how they feel, I’m sure they can go back to Europe to be as true as possible; they’re not even on the right continent, let alone in the right country. But they’re going to need a magical blood separator to divide all those flavors of mayo they are if they want to be full-force, “Hitler would be proud, totes gonna vote for Trump” about it. I wonder what genetic test they took to figure out what branch of Paganism they’re going to follow. I mean, they sound like they probably couldn’t pass a literacy test so I’m sure they were none too bright to consider that.

Have I ever thought, “I should get a DNA test because I hang around neo-Nazis so I have something to tell them?” No. Why? It’s dumb and they aren’t showing me their files first so why should I have to take a test on my genetics? So they know exactly what patches to give me?

I didn’t have to figure out what part of my family came from where to figure out what version of Paganism to practice. Hey, even Christianity doesn’t have such a threshold…as well as other religions. Because it’s ridiculous. This sounds so Aryan, it’s moronic. This subject isn’t very important to any Pagan community I want to belong to. The Pagan community in the Western world is already racist enough, we don’t need people who take that hate to the next level.

Find other people to hang with, these people are eventually going to do something worse than just chat religious-flavored eugenics. And you’re not going to get a burning cross or spray-painted swastika as a warning.

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Ask Black Witch: So Many Questions!

Filed under: Ask Black Witch, Pagan Life, Spells & Potions — Leave a comment
November 27, 2015

Huzzah, it is Ask Black Witch, where you ask me questions and I answer ‘em! Basic rule is “good questions are appreciated, bad questions are eviscerated”. Since I was gone for a super long time, that means a lot of questions piled up. I’m going to start with the most recent and work my way back. That way, I keep up with questions. These questions are mainly coming from Tumblr and the Ask Black Witch submission box.

Also, it’s the holidays, I really am probably gonna derp on a few questions.

Do you have any suggested reading material?

– MartianKid

Recently and for the metaphysics? No. To be honest, I’ve been scoping out books and materials but in physical form, it’s really, really lacking. Either it’s basically the same info regurgitated over and over with a new shiny book cover or it’s some lame 101 book that’s clearly directed either toward White teens or their housewife moms. Or a combo. And usually with some cultural appropriation (chakras, smudging, voodoo) thrown in for good measure.

Honestly, it would be best to look at the more academic books about these subjects because Pagan writers simply are lacking. Although, academic writers are not perfect either, there’s a lot of biased information in academic writing due to the field and the publishing houses that function in it pretty much holding the same gatekeeping standards as the Ku Klux Klan – White gaze, Male gaze, Western standards always at the center somehow and everyone else goes under a microscope to be coldly examined into bits. This would take a lot of study to make sure you’re getting an objective learning that benefits you versus just learning a lot of academeized prejudices displayed as inarguable fact.

The issue is, because these fields have next to no diversity in voice and perspective (5 White, male writers on the subject of Native American smudging is not diversity & tokenization is not diversity, either) due to how they constructed themselves, there’s a lot of research that will be needed on your part. I know, I know, for a field that claims to be overflowing with smarties, eggheads and geniuses, they’re pretty freaking stupid about getting tripped up over basic and small things like race and gender. Make sure the books you read have diverse authors as well.

I already have books I have referenced a few times in the past in the Resources and Information category. They’re very decent, especially for spell work and the groundwork of such. Academic books are really sucky about that, obviously.

I’m a teen interested in Wicca, especially Dianic Wicca. What god or goddess do we worship and I’m afraid to tell my parents that I’m interested in Wicca since they’re Christians.

– Nicole M.

First thing first, it wouldn’t be “we”, it would be “they” because I’m neither Dianic or Wiccan. The Dianic Wiccans pray to, well, Diana, the Roman goddess of the moon, childbirth and the hunt.

It would be best to gauge your parents’ reactions. I didn’t really tell my parents for a long time and, frankly, I got outed (after I moved out, but still, got outed). If they are severely “Anyone who doesn’t believe what I believe is going straight to Hell”, I wouldn’t expect they would have a sudden turnaround when their own child needs them to.

This means you may have to warm them up to the idea of the fact that different religions exist and are still just as valid as theirs. However, if you still live with them underneath their roof, you’re going to have to be very cautious because the last you need is to be kicked out and forced homeless as a result of your parents showing “Christian love and mercy”. Remember, religious privilege, like any privilege, is very good at making people bend logic and go Pompeii over little things. This means you can still test the waters but be safe about it such as talk about people with different faiths (not all the time or they’ll pick up) and hear how they feel. If they think Christianity is the only way or that Pagans are just crazy White people just being crazy, that means you may have to practice in secret until you move out.

If you don’t live with them, you can still warm it up to them with time. The upshot is that you don’t have to worry about homelessness, just people being potentially upset. Remind them that A) this is not a dig at your family history or heritage, you still appreciate it B) it’s not a phase no more than them being Christian is a phase C) This doesn’t mean you hate Christians now, the religion simply didn’t work for you because of your own individual feelings and beliefs and D) they can either have you or their bigotry, but they can’t have both, so choose. (And bigotry won’t take care of them when they’re old and decrepit. Nor send them family pictures. Nor help them carve the turkey during the holidays). Without the risks of your livelihood and safety being diminished, it’s up to you on how to warm up your folks to Dianic Wicca but don’t expect any overnight changes. I would suggest easing them into it with passive mentions to it (“I’m going to be doing something for Yule, I hope it doesn’t snow badly this year like last time”) and bringing them back to center calmly if they start to be dismissive of the religion.

Even if they want to put in work to get to know and understand your religious faith, still don’t expect any overnight changes. Learning takes time. They’re going to be super uncomfortable that so many changes are happening all at once, it may take a while that you changing religions is not a person diss against them as parents and that you’re not an evil person now that you left Christianity. Actually, if they do believe that non-Christian=evil, feel free to present a picture of Donald Trump, the Ku Klux Klan, Adolf Hitler, the US Congress and the Bush Administration as proof that you can be wicked in any religion.

I’m looking to start practicing again but I don’t know to any circles or covens around me. It been such a long time since I practiced, and so much has changed since then. I’m not sure where to start.

– Vivian K.

This can be a really hard thing to do because not only do you want a circle or coven that meets your spiritual needs but also your mundane needs as well, such as, “Will I get along with them?” I would best recommend to see via google or local Pagan groups on Facebook to see what is available and go from there. Thanks to the internet, it’s easier to find circles and covens but thanks to the internet, it can sometimes be harder because people worry of being found.

You can look on WitchVox, that also would be a really good place to start.

Is it possible to be A Christian and A witch?

– Albert M.

Short answer: Yes.

Drawn out answer: Yes, there is “thou shalt not suffer a witch to live” but actually, that’s not in the original writings of the Bible, which was “Thou shalt not suffer a poisoner” to live. The word “witch” as we all know and understand it in modern day context actually was not in existence then. The closest back then would have been “doctor” not “poisoner” given witches – also can be considered witch doctors – were giving out remedies and helping the community, not hurting it. The “thou shalt not suffer a witch to live” bit mainly came to be around the King James Version and was moreso a result from the witch hunts and panics of the times.

Christian witches very much are a thing, they simply use the Holy Trinity as replacement for the god/dess figure that is prominent in Paganism, tend to study angel magick and mainly Christian or Abrahamic occultic works. Basically, Christianity is the focus of their practice and magick, that’s it. They still go to church, they still follow Christian doctrine, they’re still Christian, they just add metaphysical practice with their faith.

Hi! From what I’ve read, it seems like the practice of using graveyard dirt in spells, etc. originated exclusively from Hoodoo. Do you know if this is accurate, and if so, as a white witch should I avoid this practice?

– Alice

Graveyard dirt is mainly a feature in Hoodoo (and Voodun, I believe?) The best writing I have seen on this side of the world wide web is Amethjera’s writing titled “Graveyard Dirt – History, Purchase and Uses”, which smartly broaches the topic and confirms that, yep, you’re right, graveyard dirt has origins in Hoodoo.

Now, if you mean “white witch” as in “person who practices ‘good’ magic”, I would say that Hoodoo is not inherently evil – neither is Voodoo – and that magick like electricity: neither inherently good or bad, it’s all in how you use it.

If you mean “white witch” as in, “white person who practices witchcraft”, then I would say just tread verrrrry carefully because it’s a short walk from just borrowing culture to outright stealing it. If anything, if you’re super interested in using it, I highly recommend doing some deep study on the history of Hoodoo, why it exists, why graveyard dirt is a thing and so on and so forth. Graveyard dirt can be really strong in magick and while no faith or cultural practice has a copyright on dirt sitting in a cemetery/burial ground, it is better to be aware and respectful of its background instead of going, “I have a jar a diiiiiirt and it’s miiiiine. I’m so original.”

Just don’t start using overtly Hoodoo things with the dirt such as prayers, deities and more, especially not without heavy and extensive research and understanding of the importance of Hoodoo and how it came about. That’s appropriating/stealing/being disrespectful. Using the dirt by itself – as just dirt that came from a burial ground, any burial ground -, that can be fine. Adding more cultural effects, then it starts to become an issue. But still, read up on the history before proceeding. That’s a must.

Right now I am at my lowest, I feel like there is something negative on me. being I am interested in becoming a witch. But I don’t know if I have to give up being a Christian.

 

– Sherri J.

This question came right at the very end of Aug so I don’t know if it still stands but ‘ey, I’ll give it a shot.

If you’re depressed, that does not mean that there is a fix on you, it could just mean you’re going through a lot of bad things right about now. If you think it is as a result of you starting to think about joining witchcraft, that’s merely confirmation bias and instilled Christian fear/guilt working as a tag team. Also, if you’re really depressed, make sure to talk to someone or keep a journal to get out your feelings.

Now, usually when people come to me and they say “I feel like crap, I’m part of [insert faith here] but it isn’t working out for me, maybe I should try [witchcraft/Paganism/Wicca/etc]”, I remind them that if the issue is belief-wise, maaaaaaaaaaaybe they should consider, but after a lot of introspection and research. But if it is life-wise (job is crappy, life is crappy because of life stuff, etc), then maybe they should be visiting their church/mosque/synagogue/ etc, more because this is where faith is tested the most. Not during the good times, during the bad times. I’m Pagan but I still have crappy days. I practice witchcraft, still have crappy days.

If you don’t want to give up on being Christian, don’t. Nothing says you have to. Only you know if being Christian is working out for you but know that there’s no religion you can go to, no spell that can be casted that is simply the silver bullet for all of life’s problems and woes. Faith isn’t easy, that’s certain.

Today I found a jar with urine and a picture inside of me, What can this mean? A love spell? it was an old picture of me inside and I’m sure it was 5 years or more back since the picture was old and it also had some type of things on the bottom of the jar. Is this any type of spell?

– Emily B.

(Today for this letter would be also the tail end of Aug.) I’m no pro on Hoodoo or Voodun (which is what this reminds me of but it can also be folk magick) buuuuuut one thing I do know is that any time body excrement such as feces or urine is used, it’s not for positive things usually. I simply cannot recall any love spell (not “non-controlling” ones, certainly) that involves what you describe.

If you found nails or anything at the bottom of the jar, this further would make me believe that this isn’t a love spell…it’s more like a fix, a jinx. I would think back to 4-5 years ago if you had any major hardships that seemed very hard to resolve and as if it came out the blue. I don’t believe I got another email describing what’s inside the jar but I can guess that this wasn’t a good thing to trip across. Empty, destroy and bury as soon as possible.

That’s all for today!

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