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The Arts! X-Mas Battle, Afr. Am. Wiccan Society, ThePunkWitch255 and Destino

Filed under: BW Announcements, Resources & Information, The Arts — Leave a comment
December 24, 2010

Merry Christmas Eve to everyone! The very last day to hustle and bustle for that perfect or popular present and travellin. If you’re gonna be dealing with TSA and their T&A procedures, you may like this line of clothing called Fourth Amendment Shirts. For my international readers (and victims of the American education system), the Fourth Amendment is one entry of the 10-part Bill of Rights in the American constitution that solidifies an American citizen’s right to privacy and warrants against unlawful and unreasonable search and seizure. Thanks Emily for the recommendation.

Because this is so ridiculously cute and adorable, a Lupe Fiasco and KRS-One Christmas battle as Santa (KRS) and Blitzen (Lupe) battle it out.

I saw this short documentary on AfroPunk and thought it was stunning, titled “Bring Your A Game”. It focuses on the problems of Black boys and how it will influence them as they become Black men. It asks an all star group of Black men from Lupe Fiasco to Cornel West to Ice Cube to Spike Lee and more. Not only does it investigates the problems that could befall Black boys but also the solutions they could take, regardless where they are in life.

Since WordPress is being its occasional wack self with media (i.e.~ not playing), here it is!

African-American Wiccan Society
Different from the Yahoo group African-American Wiccans, AAWS is a new website meant strictly for Black Pagans, Wiccans and Witches alike. A great resource site for Black Pagans to gather information and meet other Black Pagans such as themselves. It’s still rather new (created in August this very summer) so some parts are still undone and kinda rough around the edges but all in all, this is a wonderful site to look at. I’ve found a slew of sites that caters to Black Paganism just by idly perusing the site, it really is wonderful!

Wanna meet up with other like-minded Black Pagans in your area? AAWS has set up a Meetup page for all Black Pagans. You can make a Meetup account or sign in with your Facebook account. This is new so get it moving and start meeting other Black Pagans just like you!

African-American Wiccans Society Meetup page
AAWS Twitter

The PunkWitch255
I stumbled upon this vidcaster when looking at Shazzypbear’s videos. I thought she was brilliant and had to put her on here. She, just like Shazzypbear, is fairly new to the craft but I love her insight.

Here is her Introduction and altar (you might want to turn your speakers up a bit, the video is a bit soft)

She goes very in-depth with her beliefs and it’s wonderful to see her showcase what a normal Witch looks and acts like. She made a trip to mind, body and spirit fair and shows off her wares for her representations of the God and Goddess as well as some Witchy tools.

In her latest video, she discusses Yule, showcases her Yule altar and being a thrifty Pagan as well as updates on her Book of Shadows (BOS)

Destino
I just found this while looking at a Janelle Monae tour video and thought it was very lovely. Apparently surreal artist Salvador Dali worked with Walt Disney to create this magnificent piece. Goldappleberry had set it to music in Monae’s recent album The ArchAndroid, performing “Sir Greendown”, “Cold War” and “Tightrope” in their relative succession since Janelle Monae was struck with inspiration from the short film for “Sir Greendown”. I thought it was lovely and fitting, see for yourself:

Hey, notice Links of Interest is a little longer? I added three more links to the list: Godchecker, African American Wiccan Society and Greater Than AIDS. I felt these sites would provide invaluable information for all readers so I threw them up there. Use them!

Next week is Ask Black Witch! Very last Black Witch post of the year, send in questions! Merry Christmas!

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Heathen For The Holidays!

Filed under: AfroPunk/The Establishment, Coming out of the Broom Closet, Pagan Life — 1 Comment
December 17, 2010

The Establishment (AfroPunk) Version

As the holidays are quickly approaching, there are halls to be decked, presents to be bought (or made), carols to be sung and family to be dealt with. For many of us, it is that yearly trek that updates us on family and for some of us, reminds us why we don’t often stay in touch for the rest of the year. It could be the teen niece wants to dress like Nicki Minaj and throws a tantrum if you tell her to turn down her Usher. The deadbeat cousin that can always think of some get-rich-quick scam – I mean, “idea” – but seems to always need a dollar from someone. The old uncle that says he’s got Black pride but has nothing but seething hatred for President Obama, thinks Lupe Fiasco is a God-hating terrorist out to destroy hip hop and poison minds and Wocka Flocka is some new candy from Willy Wonka. The aunt that believes no one in the world but her is saved and the little impressionable nephew that you’re doing everything you can to keep from becoming another T.I. in the making, misogyny, jail time and all.

Not all families are the same, that extends to Black families as well but the various personas within families such as the drunk sibling, the sport-babbling aunt, the overly religious grandmother often exist despite the family tree. Is every family like this? No. Every family is like a nation with its own rules and taboos, what is okay to talk about and what prevents World War III, packed up within a long and extensive history. Like nations, some cooperate very well with each other, some tear each other apart. Some are friendly to outsiders, some make the Iron Curtain look like aluminum foil. Families are more than genomes and biology, they’re the people that either makes us proud of our bloodline or wonder, “When are they going to tell me that I’m adopted?  Please let me be adopted.”

The holidays can be a time of relaxing or exercises of diplomacy, negotiation and avoiding emotional punji pits (for those who don’t know what a punji pit is, here is explanation #1 and explanation #2). Religion is an all-time emotional punji pit (as well as race and politics (can we add sexuality too?)) but the holidays is that extra layer of agitation that can make the truth fall out. Whether you want to come out of the broom closet or remain firmly in it, the holidays are a tricky dance.

If you want to come out the broom closet around the holidays time, be careful of what you say and how you say it. How does your family usually react to metaphysics and psychism? That tells you what route to take. Doesn’t mind it: good. Think it’s the devil’s work: might want to sugarcoat your words for a bit, don’t go straight on and say, “’Sup, everybody! I’m a Witch! Deal with it, nyah.” Either way, take it easy, ask different relatives how they feel about God being a woman (if you’re very Goddess inclined) or how they feel of belief systems, religions or ideologies that are strictly nature based and not incredibly organized like Christianity or Judaism. If they are open to other paths in life, this is a great sign! If they are open with a little bit of prodding, that’s better than flat-out opposition but tread carefully. Basically, if they seem fairly positive or neutral, you could open up and hope for the best. Family gatherings are great because even if your immediate family may have their misgivings (and maybe they won’t, who knows) you may find a cousin or relative that is accepting or also practices. If you find that said relative, get to know them and click with them if you can, support is always important.

Maybe you didn’t mean to come out the broom closet but got ousted somehow. A relative discovered your books, something fairly Pagan stumbled out of your mouth, you got caught reading my site (sup, confiscators! Check out my Ask Black Witch submission form and direct your hate mail there) or you forgot that not everyone thinks palmistry and tarot cards are harmless. Now you have to figure out how to enjoy Christmas and survive to see New Year’s. The best damage control at this point is to be honest. You could lie and stuff yourself back in your broom closet the best you can but the cat is out of the bag now. Whether you wanna pass it off and deny it, it’s going to be in everyone’s heads that you’re doing something suspicious so either deal with lingering questions and accusations or deal with upfront questions and accusations. Explain yourself the best you can but don’t scream and shout and don’t pretend you have all the answers, especially if you’re new to Paganism. Instead be honest, that’s about all you got. Assure them the best you can you’re not going to slay cats in the name of the devil, Paganism is not Satanism, you don’t hate Christ and your parents did not go wrong somehow. Paganism doesn’t make you White (please do not use the “Christianity was forced on Black slaves by their White masters” argument, now simply is not the time), you’re not atheist and you’re still you, just on a unique path. Hopefully they will listen, maybe they will not, you don’t know for sure but freaking out along with them is not going to help anything. Shouting contests rarely fix anything and calling names just dig wounds deeper. Out of safety for your stuff and preventing impromptu funerals via heart attack or stroke, please don’t show them your Pagan books or things, it may freak them out more. Just be honest, don’t shout (even if they are) and try to make the best of your holidays.

The holidays are something to enjoy, I know I love them. Be yourself, just be careful and have fun. Don’t focus so much on religion if you can and do something fun. Go ice skating, feed squirrels and birds, listen to some Jackson 5, Boys II Men and Earth, Wind and Fire Christmas music. If you want to celebrate Yule (December 21), do so by going outside if the weather isn’t icky or lighting festive candles to celebrate the return of the sun on this longest and darkest night. You could even say a prayer and get a wreath and decorate it! The wreath is an archaic symbol of the wheel of the year, totally appropriate! Whatever you do, this is a time of year where you spend it with those that you love and appreciate most, do so and be merry.

If you happen to be a non-Pagan reader of mine and you find out that someone in your family is Pagan or Pagan leaning, you know not to fret and basically ruin someone’s Christmas. Instead you’ll be of open ears, not asking stupid Harry Potter questions (except about the latest Harry Potter movie perhaps, I heard it was pretty good) and streamlining them to this site. Quietly wish them a happy Yule and chat with them, they’ll appreciate the support. If you want to give them gift, you can be totally normal about it all or give them something thoughtful like a Yule poem or a small tealight candle pack. Don’t treat them like glass or as if they have a vicious allergy to Christianity, just be a good relative to them, that’s it.

This is the last article/post of 2010, the installments are next. It was really nice being a heavy-duty columnist for seven months, going on eight. I am honestly shocked I managed to keep it up so far. Thank you everyone for being so supportive!

The Arts!:

– ThePunkWitch255
– African American Wiccan Society
– Lupe Fiasco & KRS-One Christmas Battle

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Can You Keep A Secret?

Filed under: AfroPunk/The Establishment, Divination, Pagan Life, Spells & Potions — Leave a comment
December 10, 2010

The Establishment (AfroPunk) Version

For any Witch, diviner or psychic that decides to do some social good, the ethics of confidentiality is always a big subject. Who do you tell, how much do you tell and how big of a mouth do you have are all important questions when it come to reading or performing spells for others. I can’t really talk about other Pagans because we can have such varying views but the general consensus is usually keep it personal and private unless in an emergency. I couldn’t agree more.

I have been doing divination for others since 2004, basically since I was 16. I’ve had countless requests, questions and reactions to my readings. Many were positive, some were bad, very few were wrong (I’ll talk about getting a reading wrong in future columns). I’ve helped out countless people with their lives and try to make sure they only will need me once. One reading to set them on the right track and not need coming back, I feel this should be the aim of all diviners. Often people would worry, especially when I inform them that I keep all natal chart data stored in my laptop and card spread interpretations in a handmade booklet (that Saul Williams signed, omigosh!), that their lives will be spread to unknown ears out and about. I have to consistently console many a person I’ve read for (I hate using the term “client” because I don’t treat my divination like a business…somewhat) that I don’t use their lives as my mini joke book and whatever comes up in a reading remains between us, emergencies being the only exception.

One reason I don’t talk about spreads and readings I have done in the past is, frankly, I simply don’t care enough to remember. I’ve done well over a hundred readings – I don’t even know who was the hundredth read or when it was – there’s no way that little snippet of your life story is going to intrigue me enough to tell others after my day or my job is done, they’re rather few and far in between. Have problems in your love life? You’re not the only one. Family issues? Plenty others out there just like you. Social issues? There’s a reason Facebook and Twitter are big hits. I have rarely came across readings that stood out to me so much they stick with me, there’s a reason why I keep a book full of spreads about. I won’t go, “Oh! You’re so-and-so with the boyfriend issue! How’s he doing?” if I run into that person again. If it was a short period ago I did a reading then yes, I’ll remember without much help but go a little longer than two weeks and you will have to jog my memory. The more diviners will do readings, the more they will forget them, hence why I tell plenty new diviners to carry around a booklet to write their readings in or they will forget. While it may be a blow to my querent’s ego to inform them this, it probably gives them some assurance that their business won’t be front page news somehow. If I do remember anything from readings, it’s how people have acted and reacted. I can tell you plenty of readings I’ve done for people who were eerily quiet, incredibly egotistical, unnecessarily religious (if you’re that, please let me get a taco, okonomiyaki, mochi or something first before you begin your diatribe  so I’ll be well fed while you convince yourself that you’re not betraying your God’s trust and forcing me to listen to it) but I can’t for the life of me remember what their readings were. I once read for some guy that had an ego that could probably best Kanye West, I forgot what I said but he was pretty quiet and humble at the end of the reading. Otherwise, just about everyone has the same reaction, sit and listen attentively.

I’ve never casted a spell for someone. I feel that if it is your life you want change in, it has to be your energy to be put in motion, not mine. The part I rather play is fairly instrumental, I rather be the informant telling what you’ll need, what you need to do and why. (The why is always important, gives the action more meaning than just “you’re lighting a candle and talking over it, the end.”) In addition, I usually make the querent perform the spell because I have learned the hard way that if you do the dirty work for others, they’ll always keep coming back mumbling out a new request. The average person is pretty spooked out to do any form of witchcraft so refusing to do the legwork for them means that person won’t do it much.

I will advise and oversee spell construction (the what you’re supposed to do and how) but only if the querent needs a spell. Mundane options have to be sought first, spells are last resorts so when approached with a spell request, I sit the querent down and pick their brain. I’m just making sure the person has a legit reason for spell casting (i.e. really terrible run of bad luck) and not using magick as an excuse for leg work or a “get out of jail” free card. I don’t make people fall in love, I won’t kill or hex anybody and the inquirer simply can’t keep coming back to me just because I let them try one spell. I’ve only had one jinx removal request and that was an adventure and a half…and one I rather not have again. Many times people won’t get the spellwork because they simply don’t need it. Upset you lost a job and wanna get back at the boss? America is going through a sucky economy, you’re not the only one. Wanna get that cute boy’s/girl’s attention and maybe a date? Have you tried talking to them? Works fairly okay. Poor health? What did the doctor say? (And did you go to the doctor at all?) Most spell requests can be solved with mundane measures, I don’t even often cast spells myself and I’m a practicing witch.

Even when someone does manage to get their hands on some magick, it’s never much, usually. I rather suggest simple things that are easy to do like prayer or affirmations. If anything beyond that is needed, then I craft a simple, cheap, one-time use ritual designed strictly for the inquirer that takes less than an hour to do and fairly discreet. The reason is often times the person doesn’t know a single thing about magick so it wouldn’t make a bit of sense to throw complicated works into the mix where there is a higher margin of error. Everyone knows basic first aid such as putting on a bandaid but not everyone knows how to stitch shut an open wound. Same thing with magick. I don’t want to weird the person out either so I keep it simple. It’s only if I’m getting spell requests from other Witches do I make the constructions more complex because I’m aware they know what they’re doing and they’ve taken all the steps they could prior to solve the problem. Witches and normal people combined, however, I barely get five spell requests a year, even lesser become actual spell constructions – if any at all.

I keep spells and divination under wraps for several reasons. The most prominent (but seemingly least obvious for those who I have helped) reason is I simply don’t care. Everything always looks scarier when standing in the center of the storm but to me, an outsider and seasoned diviner, it’s really not that noteworthy. I recommend that perspective towards divination and spell casting as well for other diviners, psychics and Witches because it’s less burden on the heart. To overly worry and care as if you know every person personally is going to wear very quickly because people are people and people are different. Some do need saving, some have to save themselves, and some simply can’t be saved or don’t want to be saved, just flail in the water for attention. The last two are the biggest reasons to be easygoing about readings because it is not the diviner’s or witch’s job to save that person, only help them. If they wanna continue screwing up even though they know there’s a brick wall ahead, let them. If they wanna keep coming back because they know someone is paying them the slightest bit of attention to their self-made drama, don’t feed into it and remain professional. No diviner or witch has an S on their chest so they don’t have to save anyone, just guide. I have had to tell many that, I’m not here to solve their problems, just let them know what they are and the potential solutions. I only get involved further if the person is possibly suicidal or making any other terrible mistakes. There, I make sure the querent has open venues to receive help and inform loved ones if at all possible. It’s not my job to save anyone but it would be against my ethics to simply let them destroy themselves.

Another reason I keep readings under wraps is because of the stigma that divination and witchcraft still has. Tell someone you’ve seen a diviner or witch and prepare to get odd looks. Either people will think you have lost your mind, become very desperate or up to no good. Then there’s religious implications that I simply won’t go into because they’re quite complex depending on the religion and I don’t always quite understand myself. Either way, I don’t announce to a crowded room, “Hey, Mr. so-and-so! I finally did your natal chart! Did you know you have a lot of placements that spell out divorce and failed relationships? I think it might have stemmed from your dad.” Whether the person I’m reading for believes in what I’m doing or not (not like that makes the reading any more accurate or not), embarrassing information is embarrassing information. Often I am telling sensitive information and if I wouldn’t want my business out there, why would anyone else? This is why I never publicize readings I have done for others, no one needs to know but the person I am reading for.

Regardless of what method of help is being sought, it is important to keep everything confidential. How can the querent trust their reader or Witch if they’re loose at the lips? Plus it can cause very unsavory rumors anyone would like to avoid. No matter how interesting someone’s life or problem may be, it should never be the subject of idle gossip or terrible stories. Confidential mean the inquirer can have confidence in the reader or Witch involved but that means the Witch/reader has to be able to keep a secret, which won’t feel like secrets after a while.

Hey hey, everyone! Black Witch is doing a bit of traveling! AfroPunk is having a Christmas Party in NYC on Dec 16th and I’ll be there! Come see me! I’ll also be milling about in Koreatown for a bit before I have to head down to Webster’s Hall where the event is. As usual, you’ll be able to keep track of me on my twitter (@thisblackwitch) and if you’re in the area and wanna hang out, let me know! And don’t forget to submit questions for Ask Black Witch! It’s coming up!

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Why Don’t You Like Me?

Filed under: AfroPunk/The Establishment, Relationships and Dating — 2 Comments
December 3, 2010

The Establishment (AfroPunk) Version

Being Black and Pagan is already difficult but to be Black, Pagan and wanting to date? That’s a multiplex issue in itself.

The problems for Black Pagans that want to date stem from mostly religious and fairly racial grounds. Many people are still fairly ignorant about Paganism, witchcraft and Wicca and will believe that anyone who claims to be a Witch, Pagan or Wiccan is possibly crazy or going to cast a hex around breakup time. The racial issues that tie into the religious issues creates almost the perfect storm in that Blacks are assumed to be Christian (or possibly Muslim), no alternative. Christianity is such a linchpin in the Black mindset, whatever is considered outside of the religion is considered to be an act of sheer blasphemy. Contrary to popular belief, the Black race is a very conservative race, the acceptance of something such as Paganism would come along very slowly. In addition, many Black Pagans are involved in alternative culture, where there is already a profound lack of Black faces and hence a smaller chance of potential Black-Black relationships.

Black Pagans already have it hard enough finding their place in Black culture and the Black community. Often we are misunderstood, ridiculed, ostracized and even called “White” or “oreo” (Black on the outside, White on the inside for those not savvy with snack food slurs) because we don’t practice Christianity. Usually when I mention that I’m Pagan (or God/dess forbid, I tell them I’m a Witch), I can usually bet a good sum that I will be asked within ten minutes or less if I am a devil-worshiper and despite even my best explanations, word will spread like wildfire that a Satanist is in the midst. This is not to say that Black Christianity is not charming, there are definitely some very beautiful aspects to the interpretation of the religion but Black Christians tend to be pretty good at foaming at the mouth when met with something radically different from what they were raised and told. I’ll be told about Jesus (despite being a young adult, Black, living in America and not under a rock) and if I know what I’m doing is a sin. I’ll be asked a million and ten questions about the Bible and explain a million and ten times that Paganism is not a denomination of Christianity so stop asking me the same freaking question just worded differently a million and ten times, I’m not Christian. Not all Black Christians go into freak-out mode when they meet someone who doesn’t hail a cross but they’re not really the norm. For now, there really isn’t any room for Black Pagans and whatever room we do have to express our opinions and faith is incredibly limited within Black culture and we’re barely a blip in the Black mindset, we are the “other”. If this is the Black perception overall, imagine the chance of having a normal Black-Black relationship.

I don’t have a rolodex of relationships to speak of for I’m not really the dating sort. Relationships do interest me but not strongly enough to waste incredible amounts of time and energy on something that isn’t promised and doesn’t often work out. Instead, I have my own one guy who I have dated and sadly broken up with over the summer after a long term relationship. He wasn’t Black, he was Indonesian, Muslim and into the punk scene. Was he perfect in acceptance towards me being Pagan? He had some rough edges but that’s a lot better than believing I’d hex him if he forgot my birthday. He knew about my religion – I make it a point to get that out of the way first so any reactions, whether good or bad, can be had and I get a glimpse of what my future will be like. He was a lenient Muslim himself but our religious views didn’t really enter the relationship much, we were just another pair trying to figure out how to manage a relationship just like anyone else. What killed the relationship were communication issues but he was by far the most accepting guy (who was dateable) of my religion. It’s probably going to be a long time before I find someone like that again and a longer time if I want the guy to be Black.

Most Black men I come across are Christian. I have only come across a very small handful of Black Pagan men and they’re my friends, un-dateable or already in relationships. Even if I did meet a Black Pagan guy, it’s not a promise our individual faiths will mesh well enough for a relationship, not all Pagans are alike. To have a friendship despite our differences is one thing but relationship with so many disparities is another. A lot of Black guys already have very odd and perplexing views about Black women and vice versa which make it difficult to date inside the race but to layer “I’m a Witch!” on top of that, I can probably be assured even if I lowered my standards to a blade of grass I wouldn’t get much of a catch. (Well, I wouldn’t have much of a catch with low standards anyways.) The responses I often get towards my religion are rather disheartening, no matter when I spill the beans about my religion. They tell me they worry I’m cutting off goats’ heads or that I’m crazy because I believe in spells. (How odd, they believe in prayer, practically the same thing.) I get the “You’re a nice girl and all but….” even from the nicest guys. I already have very discerning taste in men (must be intellectual, eccentric (but not psychotic), interesting, respectful, generous, non-egotistical, open-minded etc etc) so my pool is small enough but to be Pagan, it’s like the pool turns into a drop.

Away from religion for a moment, there is quite a silent crisis in the Black perception of the opposite sex. Namely, we’re taught to hate each other. Black women are taught that all Black men are sex-driven dogs with a remarkable penchant for violence. Black men are taught that all Black women are money-sucking harpies and also with a remarkable penchant for violence. This is a very small nutshell of a very big problem but the symbolism runs rampant in Black culture consistently from movies to music to simply how we treat each other. Black culture still has a sense of inferiority instilled from systematic psychological destruction of the Black mind during slavery times so when we’re told that the Black wo/man is worthless, we’re taught by society that a White wo/man is a greater prize instead. Even if the notion does not appear to be incredibly prevalent amongst Black women, it is with Black men seemingly. That to have a White woman or even Asian woman is preferable than a Black woman because it is believed a White or Asian woman is more submissive and manageable, which harkens back to the idea of the Black harpy who swivels her head snakelike in consistent disapproval but also other very long ingrained racial gender stereotypes that pervade mainstream culture like a sickness. In Black culture, it seems to be more acceptable for Black men to date and mess about outside of race but if a Black woman does it, she’s a deemed a traitor because “she holds the future of the Black race.” This saying, I hear all too often and find to be complete and utter crap since Black women aren’t Virgin Marys. There is no such thing as “the future of the Black race” with only half the equation. To penalize one side means to penalize the other, not ignore it, regardless of who is the guilty party. Even with or without the Black wo/man end of the equation, there can’t be a Black relationship if one side is absent for whatever reason.

I have dated outside my race because I don’t entirely care too much about skin as I do about treatment. I’m putting myself out there but my top preference is Black or Asian/American (to note the difference between Asian and Asian-American in one term), I gel best with both cultures. If I meet a nice Asian/American guy who doesn’t mind me for my religion and is fairly decent himself, I will date him. If I meet a nice Black guy who doesn’t mind me for my religion and is fairly decent himself, I will date him. This probably won’t increase my boyfriend pool much either way because of religion and the social stigma of the Black woman as well as interracial dating complexities but I feel if a person wants to date outside of race, that’s perfectly fine, who am I to harp? However, the problems begin when the main reason dating interracially is because the person believes some ill-conceived notion that their own race is worthless.

Returning to religion, Black Pagans are held back further in dating than their White Pagan counterparts because of the smaller pool and added racial stigma. To date within race is to dredge incredible amounts of questions about devil-worshiping and “voodoo doing” as well as assumptions of attempting to be White since it would be considered absurd to be Black and not Christian (or even Muslim). To date outside of race is to be greeted unknowingly with unwarranted racist questions that no sound-minded Black person would want to deal with. In addition, immediate assumptions (and possibly overly patronizing praise) of doing voodoo or Egyptian work may also be made. There are many issues regarding dating out of race but one pervasive issue stems in-race and it is the accusations of being a racial “traitor” by other Blacks, regardless of gender.

I would love to have a nice sizable pool of guys to choose from, eccentric, lovely, smart, respectful, creative men. I also would like to not be judged by the simple fact that, yes, I do cast spells, no, I don’t go to church and I sincerely doubt I’ll be coming back to Christianity, and yes, I truly do promise not to curse your whole family line if you forget to get me a present for Valentine’s, honest. I’m more of the “talk it out” sort and when I say “talk”, I mean “discuss what went wrong and listen to both sides equally” not “scream at you for three hours straight” since that doesn’t solve anything. I want to have a nice, normal relationship with a guy, no worries about whether he’s making Wizard of Oz or voodoo jokes behind my back and I don’t have to teach him practically from scratch about my religion…or he’s willing to do some of the leg work about it.

Relationships are a lot of work and plenty of give and take as it is the union between two very imperfect individuals who come with their own perks, quirks, dreams and misgivings. Regardless of religion or race, this is any relationship. No relationship is perfect because no one is perfect and Pagans are no different. I know for fact I wouldn’t want to be seen only as Witch because that’s not all that I am, just like any other Black Pagan. We wanna date, love and get married too, just like everyone else.

That’s all the Black Witch for this week! If you have a question to give, don’t forget that there’s a submission form, twitter, Facebook fan page and email, just look about this site and you’ll find them! I’m always taking submissions for Ask Black Witch so if you have a question, please ask!

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Be Greater Than – HIV/AIDS Awareness

Filed under: BW Public Service Announcement, Relationships and Dating, Resources & Information — Leave a comment
December 1, 2010

I debated with myself about posting this piece for World AIDS Awareness day because I feel that having awareness about HIV and AIDS should not be rested in one day of kumbahyah and “We Will Survive” panels. For millions suffering with the virus, it is everyday and everyday there are brand new cases. More than 50% of new cases are African-Americans and caught far too late. Just like Black History (or any other cultural history for that matter), one day, one week, one month, none of that is enough. I feel acknowledging HIV and AIDS for simply a day diminishes the urgency to inform and mobilize the public with information enable to stunt the growth of this virus and work closer to a cure.

I’m no expert on HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) or AIDS (Acquired ImmunoDeficiency Syndrome), hence why I will be providing links to those who are. I can only stress that you should be tested if you are sexually active (currently having sex or has had sex and currently celibate) or have taken drugs with needles (in addition, I highly advise you to get help for the addiction, drugs are not the joyride they appear to be). There are many testing centers throughout cities, all free. If you don’t know where there is a testing center for you, the CDC has a website to find a testing center nearest you with just your zip code. If you are infected with the virus and continually sexually active, please inform your bedmates that you are infected and use condoms. HIV/AIDS is tearing through the Black community around the world because of misinformation and silence about the virus. HIV can lay dormant for up to ten years before it becomes full-blown AIDS and the initial symptoms can appear flu-like so there is no sure-fire way to know whether you are infected or not unless you get tested. There is currently no cure for HIV or AIDS, only medicine to improve living with the illness and allowing those affected to live longer.

HIV/AIDS Awareness is beyond a day because as I said, one day is not enough. Become very aware of the 30-year history of the virus to understand how it came about and was handled in the past up to now, learn about the debates of HIV/AIDS medicine and the politics involved, learn what causes the virus to become epidemics in certain groups such as Black women but also in groups not oft discussed, Black intravenous drug users, learn the difference between STDs and HIV/AIDS and most of all, learn about condoms and their use in the fight against the disease in the Black community.

Here are the sites for HIV/AIDS awareness and knowledge. To keep this post easy to find, I’ll will be introducing a new category titled “Resources & Information”:

Greater Than – Great resource on HIV and AIDS for the Black community. Learn about the virus, how it varies from other STDs, how it’s contracted, finding a testing center and more!

Condom Depot – To best protect yourself from the virus sexually, wear a condom, use lubrication and please read their “Learning Center” for more HIV/AIDS and STD information and world news. Product and information all in one place.

Former Surgeon General Koop’s warning – The more World AIDS days that pass, please do not forget that there is a lot of knowledge that is not going around. Just going, “Eh, not my problem” is a problem in itself.

HIV/AIDS ravages throughout the Black community worldwide, taking lives and new cases popping up each and everyday in men, women and children. Until we can find a cure, all that we can do to really fight the virus is with information and awareness and that’s going to take more than one day. It’s everyday.

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Ask Black Witch

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November 26, 2010

Black, how long does your research process and the drafts and all that go into your columns?

– Jay J.

Since my column is weekly, I don’t have a lot of time to just sit back and admire my work like my readers do. This isn’t to say that I don’t but it can be difficult to remove myself from writer-mode just to simply read my work without worrying if it is grammatically correct, with sound logic or simply doesn’t come off as crazy talk. I’ve only just been able to read Black Witch on its mobile site (on my phone) just to seperate myself from writer-mode. Plus, once a post is up, the first thing I think is, “Okay, what’s next week’s going to be?” It’s an endless process kinda and I’m glad I have kept up with it thus far.

I actually have a bank of unpublished and roughly written columns that I made back in the summer when I was waiting for AfroPunk to put my column up. I figure if I had a selection to choose from, I would be less stressed in the long run (and it works!) and it’s always good to have a bit of a backlog when life wants to go upside down for a bit so that no matter what happens, I’ll always have a fairly decent post up every week. I still add to the bank because my mind never really sleeps, I always think of new ideas that I haven’t touched on and would like to write about in the future. I may have up to three or four new columns being written in a single week because I had a mental slew of material but there are weeks in between I barely touch the computer, save for the column I’m writing for that very week. In other words, you may see a column that’s looks fresh but has been in my computer since July or it was penned and completed on Monday, it depends on how I feel (or what the reader response is) but  hopefully the reader will never know the difference. It ebbs and flows but I thankfully haven’t really been stuck yet. I’m a chatty person so it isn’t too tough for me to think of something to write about. If I felt I was drying up, I would simply ask about and have conversations to see where that gets me.

I have an app on my phone (yay, android!) called Documents To Go that I use to write columns when an idea strikes me and I’m away from my laptop. It helps me jot down ideas – be forewarned, as of this writing, their capitalization feature sucks rocks They’ve fixed it! Pretty perfect now! – and the starts of future columns so I won’t forget. All I have to do when I get home is upload them to my computer to polish and complete, it really is useful. If I can’t use my phone (because apparently it looks like I’m doing some heavy duty texting) I just jot down the column piece in a journal I always have around. I’m a writer so I’m used to toting about writing instruments. If somehow I’m without my journal or a pen or with limited use of my phone, I will put a simple note on my phone titled “BW idea:” so I won’t forget.

When I write a piece that needs research such as “Okay, Mr. Illuminati”, I actually plan pieces like that out weeks in advance because I have the opportunity to. Countless times I have pushed back or pushed around pieces because there simply isn’t enough Fridays in a month to cover them all. I thought up “Okay, Mr. Illuminati” roughly around when the column began but didn’t type anything until October when the mood to continue that piece had hit me again and I had the resource (Watkin’s Dictionary of Magic) to make the proper definitions. Otherwise, it’s all from my own experiences and knowledge. I don’t have to worry much about research because I’ve been practicing Paganism and Witchcraft for almost ten years, I’ve wracked up enough books and knowledge so far to buoy this column for the longterm. So I could write a piece that needed research with less than a week’s time and it wouldn’t bother me any, I have all the resources needed so far.

I’m very tidy when it comes to writing columns and storing them away, I have a folder for each thing on my computer from the bank of potential columns to the folder of published columns (so I don’t post the same thing twice) to a separate folder for The Arts! and Ask Black Witch and more, all inside a Black Witch folder. This is so I don’t confuse myself and keep everything where it’s supposed to be. Otherwise I would be super frustrated because when it comes to electronics, I prefer simplicity. I also have a sticky note gadget on my laptop that tells me what columns are being posted for the next few weeks so I don’t forget what I’m doing and lose direction or have an installment post sneak up on me. Whenever a new column is posted, I move the Word file to the “published” folder and erase the title from the sticky note.

As for drafts, I write out all my columns in Microsoft Word and look them over a few times before posting them up to WordPress and then to AfroPunk. That way I can avoid most careless errors and misspellings instead of my readers seeing what may look like a result of smearing my hand across a keyboard. I try to have my columns completed and uploaded to WordPress by Wednesday so I can have ample time to catch any further mistakes, do coding and corrections in addition to actually seeing how the column will look on the website before it goes live. Because I’m a terrible perfectionist, I may look over a piece at least ten different times to make sure there aren’t any major errors and it reads okay.

When it comes to coding, I don’t see what the rest of the world will when Friday midnight strikes. I have a lot of brackets in my pieces as place markers to remind me where links and videos are supposed to go. Here’s a snippet of “’Tis the Holidays!” before it goes to WordPress:

“Yule marks the first day of Winter, the Winter Solstice. Following an astronomical calendar, the holiday falls on either December 20th, 21st or 22nd. It’s the last festival and harvest before the harsh winter and a call for the sun to return. Yule is often referred to as Saturnalia when actually the festivals are very different. The quickest distinction between the two solstice holidays is that Yule [link] is Germanic and Saturnalia [link] is Roman. I have seen The Boondocks history of Christmas [link] and the clip says that it stems from Saturnalia but actually it has stemmed moreso from Yule. (Yule logs and evergreen trees anyone?)”

See all those [links]? That’s my place marker to let me know that a link is supposed to go there when the column goes to WordPress and AfroPunk. Anything I put in brackets are directionals for me so I know what I’m supposed to do when the column leaves Word. When I’m done working on that piece and feel satisfied for it to be scheduled, I work on the next column. For example, right now as I speak, The Arts! for November is about to go live in two hours and I’m currently answering an Ask Black Witch question as well as writing all the columns for December (installments included) and the first week of January.

The Arts! take up the most time because I have to contact people and get them all together and let them know they’re being featured, if at all possible. I have to think of who is being featured almost two months in advance. I actually have planned The Arts! as far as five months in advance with some wiggle room in case I discover someone I want to feature right that very month (such as Human Machine this month, I found that out the very week of The Arts!). I even have a list written down in my room hanging on a wall so I can keep up and figure out what’s going on. There’s people on the list who I have been meaning to feature for months and those who I just happened upon and want to feature immediately, it’s a jumble that I only iron out solidly when the month in question is upon me.

Ask Black Witch takes up the least time because it’s just me answering questions, not too much work needed. In addition, ABW lets me know what readers may want to know or don’t already know. I’m a bit embedded in the Pagan world so I don’t always know or remember that not everyone knows what a esbat is or that Harry Potter is simply a well-written work of fiction, not a training manual. ABW is around for the reader to have a chance to speak and be heard. I have so many different methods of contact (email, twitter, submission form, comment, FB fanpage) because I don’t want anyone to say, “Oh, Black Witch ignored me” or “I wanted to ask a question but I didn’t know how to get in touch with her.” Can’t say that now, ha ha! They all come to the same place, my inbox, so my readers can always reach me without issue.

Since this is the very first year of Black Witch (this column is almost seven months old), there’s a lot of non-column writing work that goes into this as well. I have to keep up with the Twitter, learn Facebook and how to manage a Fan page, set up a formstack for Ask Black Witch, have pictures taken, get business cards, keep in touch with the maintainers of AfroPunk, continually trim the Black Witch inbox, figure out WordPress and promote, promote, promote.

In other words, Black Witch is kinda like a full time job. But I least I love it so it never feels like work. The trick to doing a good job is to like the job, I guess. Works so far for me.

That’s all the Ask Black Witch for this month! Remember, if you have a question you want to ask me, fill out the Black Witch submission form on the right, email me (with “Ask Black Witch” in the subject line), tweet me on Twitter, comment below or even comment at the BW fan page on Facebook!

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The Arts!: Angelica Temoche, The Poem-cees and Shazzypbear

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November 19, 2010

Hey! Are you aware that Black Witch has a Facebook Fan Page now? Take a look! And don’t forget there’s also a Black Witch Twitter either. Continuing with The Arts! Starting with:

Angelica Temoche
During the Black Witch Ustream chat on Halloween, I got a lot of complements on my blue mini crown! It actually was made of recycled materials and fabric by my friend Angelica (Spiralred on the Ustream chat). Angelica is very multi-talented as she snaps my photos:

And in addition, she has also made a lot of my staple lolita outfits, such as my basic petticoat that I use all the time, my bloomers and the mini crown. Angelica also makes a lot of her own lolita clothes (which is a very useful skill because the fashion can easily run very expensive, such as $300 for a simple dress, not including staples of the look). Since she makes and designs a lot of her own things, I felt it would be best to feature her to showcase her talents. She’s very artistically talent as she is very DIY with sewing, photography and definitely more! 

Check out her stuff and buy from her store, Sumptuary Crime. Remember, she does custom work so you can choose a style as unique as your tastes and it is all handmade down to the lace so you can be assured no one else will ever have an exact replica! To see her artwork (and keep up with what she’s doing), here is her Livejournal blog 

Poem-cees
I am a strong purveyor of poetry. I feel it is important in its form of expression and poetry in Black culture can easily be seen as the little brother to true hip hop. I saw the Poem-cees while watching Def Poetry and their piece “Cheatin’” is really what took my attention:

This is what the poetry duo has to say about themselves:

For over ten years now, POEM-CEES have stood on the cutting edge as innovators of the national Hip-Hop/spoken word movement. The excitement of their early works in Washington DC’s vibrant arts community soon led to tours & performances across the country. Their fun, insightful approach to hip-hop has earned them multiple awards as well as invitations to open for such national acts as the Fugees, the Roots, Erykah Badu & Jill Scott . Three seasons performing on HBO’s Def Poetry has since led to projects for larger groups such as SEIU, AIG, Youthbuild & the NFL Network. Despite their busy schedules, they still devote much of their time & energy to cultivating young artists in the DC metro area. Their love of Hip-Hop culture creates an automatic connection with people of all ages, and their dedication to the craft of poetry enhances their presentations & workshops with great energy & spontaneity that must be seen to be believed. Simply put, there is NO one doing it like the POEM-CEES can do it

They’re very creative and you should hear some more of their selections here:

Myspace
Twitter
poemcees.com
And also they have a free mixtape out called “Solitaire: Everything  You’ve Never Wanted”

Shazzypbear
I found her work through a thread on African American Wiccans and found it to be a wonderful Black Pagan vlog. I really like her insight and it’s wonderful to show that not all Pagan think alike, we’re allowed to have and express our own opinions. Here are a few of her videos:

“Why I Like the Term ‘Witch’”

“What is a Shadow Journal?”

I find her take on ethical spellworking issues really interesting, such as hexing and jinxing (a hotbed topic in the Witchy world, expect plenty columns about this in the future)

“Hexing, Cursing and Self Control”

Not like many Pagans, Shazzypbear is not incredibly Goddess-focused. Here is her take on who is God:

“Who Is God?”

Her vlog is definitely something worth checking out, especially for Black Pagans because there simply isn’t enough of us. Here’s her sites:

YouTube
WordPress
Twitter

Human Machine (Cindy Chi)
I just discovered this on a lolita community I am apart of and thought it was so adorable I had to share it with everyone! It’s so well done! If features a lolita and plays on the emphasis of the idea of a machine. You must watch!

That’s all of The Arts! Next week is Ask Black Witch so send in questions! Email, tweet, comment, fill out the ABW form on the side or even comment on the Black Witch FB Fan Page!

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‘Tis the Holidays!

Filed under: AfroPunk/The Establishment, Pagan Life — 2 Comments
November 12, 2010

The Establishment (AfroPunk) Version

Oh boy, the holidays! I love the holidays, love ‘em! The cheer, the joy, the (chance of) snow, the music, the gentle lights, the food – can’t forget the food – the parades, decorations and funky colored candy canes! The holidays are my kind of year. In my mind, the holidays are kicked off by Samhain/Halloween – my datebook fills up, I get wish lists and increasing questions of “What are you doing for the holidays?”

I try not to see the holidays as a stressful time, they should be cheerful and bright. If the holidays are too stressful, you’ve missed the meaning entirely. Since I’m Pagan and my family isn’t very aware of it, I have to work double time. Act Christian enough around my family and do Pagan stuff with my friends. I’m used to playing the part: remembering the Christian story of Christmas, Christmas songs, refresh my scripture knowledge and try to leave as little Pagan trace as possible. Thank goodness Christmas is an offshoot of the Pagan Germanic/Nordic holiday Yule.

Yule marks the first day of Winter, the Winter Solstice. Following an astronomical calendar, the holiday falls on either December 20th, 21st or 22nd. (This year it’s Dec. 21.) It’s the last festival and harvest before the harsh winter and a call for the sun to return. Yule is often referred to as Saturnalia when actually the festivals are very different. The quickest distinction between the two solstice holidays is that Yule is Germanic and Saturnalia is Roman. I have seen The Boondocks’ History of Christmas and the clip says that it stems from Saturnalia but actually it has stemmed moreso from Yule. (Yule logs, evergreen trees and “Twelve Days of Christmas” anyone?)

I don’t celebrate Saturnalia since I don’t really connect to the Greco-Roman pantheon but I do prefer Yule, which is just Christmas without the Christian overlay so I don’t have to do too much double work, just remember when to say “Happy Yule” or “Merry Christmas” at the right times.  This doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy Christmas, I love it – except for the omni-American spend-yourself-into-debt thinking and over-commercialization of Christmas. I appreciate Christmas/Yule for a cheery time where I hear Boyz II Men “Let it Snow” and The Temptations “Silent Night” on the radio, I get to watch old timey shows such as A Charlie Brown Christmas and whatever Christmas cartoon that’s being played on PBS. I love singing Christmas favorites such as “Carol of the Bells”, “Winter Wonderland”, “Need a Little Christmas” and Stevie Wonder’s “This Christmas”. There’s the food and the presents and friends and decorations! I don’t often buy presents because I hate gift wars and American gift politics but I do like spending time with those I care about most. I also have lovely Christmas cards that I honestly need to send out to friends and figure out how to wrap presents while my cat tries consistently to shred the ribbons and play in wrapping paper. I do love my Christmas.

As for Thanksgiving, I have once been asked, “So, since you’re a Witch ‘n Pagan ‘n all, do you celebrate Thanksgiving?” To much of the dismay of many narrow-minded and over-patriotic Christian Americans, my religious convictions do not grant nor nullify my American citizenship. In layman’s terms, no matter what religion I am, I am still an American and thus will stuff my face on Thanksgiving, an American holiday. Thank goodness for that, I love Thanksgiving and I love food.

I generally stay home for the holidays although when I was younger I would be sent sometimes to my grandmother’s house on my dad’s side. Since my dad side of the family is from Jamaica, we would have what I saw as a split Christmas or Thanksgiving dinner – American foods on one side (Turkey, mashed potatoes, etc) and Jamaican foods on the other side (goat curry, oxtail, chicken and dumplings,  etc). The American food tasted a bit off and everyone had rather the Jamaican food, the American food was merely an act of assimilating into American celebrations of the holidays. I remember the smell of jasmine incense that would just permeate the air, oh, it was such a nauseating smell when I was younger. I remember my grandmother’s accent and everyone nestled in the living room watching television and opening their gifts. When it came to Christmas on my mom side of the family, it was a usual big dinner at my grandmother house. All the fixings of an African-American Thanksgiving/Christmas like greens, turkey, ham, nuts, everything. Since I’m such a homebody and I’m not as close to my family as I was in the past, I simply stay home.

What I also like about Thanksgiving is the Bea Gaddy Thanksgiving dinners for the poor and homeless. Bea Gaddy is considered a hometown hero here in Baltimore for she was very generous and helped those who were much like herself, poor and homeless. She’s most known for winning the lottery and using the money to feed the poor and homeless in her neighborhood. Bea Gaddy is very important to me because there’s not a lot of people like her in the world and to help their own city or others in their situation in such a humble manner. Often people take the lives they have for granted and when given the opportunity to help others, especially in a financial way, it never matter how well it all starts, soon those golden hearts being to tarnish and bronze. I was raised poor myself so I knew how to appreciate what I have and to appreciate those who help the downtrodden. Not everyone has the luxury to have an expensive phone or a home that can spark envy and it seems those people who cannot afford or even dream of having such luxuries are often cast to the side and deemed parasites of American society, too lazy or too stupid to get a job. Hard times are hard times and when living in hard times, there is no time to think of keeping up with the Jones’ when it’s more important to keep up with the continually stacking bills. It is good to see someone like Gaddy who truly wanted to help out, not take advantage of, the poor and the homeless. She didn’t do it for good PR, she wasn’t a plucky suburbanite trying to “save the world”, she simply saw that people needed help, the very same help she needed when she was going through rough times, and did just that, helped the people who needed it most.

If you will be in the Baltimore area and you would like to volunteer for the annual Bea Gaddy Thanksgiving dinners, here is the information.

Not in Baltimore but want to help anyways? Last year the fund for the dinners fell short due to the suffering American economy, please donate this year to make someone’s season bright. Here is the information to support the Bea Gaddy Family Center.

Happy Holidays!

Oh wait! I have to talk about what I’m grateful for, that’s right! I kinda did a small bit for Mabon (which is somewhat of a Pagan Thanksgiving) on Twitter but here’s the rest for Thanksgiving:

Beyond the basics (health, shelter, clothes), here is what I’m grateful for, Black Witch edition:

AfroPunk – They gave me the opportunity to create Black Witch and became the foundation spot for my column and with a ready audience to read my work. I never thought I would be in journalism of any sort but this is a very wonderful and interesting experience! I’m very happy that Black Witch has been very well received.

Wondaland – When I first met Wondaland back in May, I remembered mentioning Black Witch on a semi-whim because I didn’t want to come off as just a fan and that was back when BW was only still a pitch to AfroPunk, nothing physical. I wanted them to remember me for something and to foster friendships. Well, almost seven months and three Wondaland features later, I think something came through, haha! Because I told the very people I admired, I wanted Black Witch to be impressive now, Wondaland gave me a goal far enough I’d have to work to achieve it but close enough to know it’s possible. If I didn’t have, “Oh crap, Wondaland could be reading this! This thing’s gotta ace!” in the back of my mind, I don’t think Black Witch would look even half as good as it does right now, Wondaland pushes me to strive for the best and to be better than that.

My readers – Welp, despite all the support I’ve been given from AfroPunk and my own friends, it is important for a column to have readers. That is kinda what a column is for, I already have a personal blog for soapbox yammering. Plus if there is someone out there who is reading, hopefully it means my work is going to good use somehow. I want Black Witch to be for the Black teen still trying to figure out what they believe but know in Jesus Christ isn’t exactly it, for the closet Black Pagan to not feel like they’re alone and for the Black Christians who think that it’s either Christ or highway – some prefer the highways, byways, hills and mountains, to be anywhere but trapped inside an institution they don’t truly agree with or believe in. This is to let the world know we’re not crazy, devil-worshipping freaks and that our lives don’t look a thing like Harry Potter if it were completely colored in. Black Witch is for everyone but it’s mainly for my Black Pagan readers to have something to enjoy and for us because frankly, we need it.

Erica, Angelica & Kimmah – Erica gave me the idea to have an external site for Black Witch. AfroPunk was a little slow getting BW up and that was making me antsy, I don’t like feeling tugged about and out of control. Erica then told me to make an external site for the column to keep my head and my wits together. Best. Idea. Ever. I have gotten so many positive responses about the site and how it has led people to Afro-Punk, I felt this was great. Plus I could make business cards and really put my best foot forward because I felt comfortable now, I had a control of something. Angelica and Kimmah gave me the idea to have a Black Witch Twitter and even a BW Fan Page (currently in the works, should launch in January at the latest Currently up now) to better keep in touch with my readers and respond to them. I can have control and the utmost liberty to connect with my readership, that’s all I needed to feel confident enough about my column to spread the word about it.

My friends who deal with my BW bantering – From Wondaland worries to wack responses to potential columns and paranoid freakouts, my close friends hear it all. They’re the ones telling me that I’m not screwing up and my fears are all in my head. They let me know when I’m being unreasonable, rambling or not making a lic of sense but they all give me good ideas and let me know when I’m on the right track. They’re the safety net to my tightrope so I can keep on tippin’ without (much) worry.

Kellindo & Nastassia – Yes, I already did my Wondaland bit but these two have been nothing but big helps to me when starting up Black Witch. See, I have never done column work or even official features before so to have their kindness and support really means a lot to me. Whether it’s Nastassia being super kind to me as my first feature to contact or Kellindo reading my columns and telling me I’m a good writer, they’re really nice mental boosts to counterbalance the “Am I even good enough? My pieces are wack.” If those two weren’t so nice to me and such good friends, I would probably be scared stiff when it comes to doing features and talking to professionals. Kellindo was who I told first about Black Witch on that semi-whim and I remember Isis jumping a little at the idea but he never broke stride and that stuck with me. Oh, I was so proud giving Kellindo my business card at Merriweather, I felt accomplished because I simply remembered his generosity and receptiveness. I felt even better when he complimented the card as colorful, ha ha! Nastassia is just darling and one of the nicest people I’ve ever met! She embodies true Christianity in that she’s kind, caring and very humble. I was very scared contacting her at first because I didn’t know what to expect. What if she’s mean? What if she doesn’t want her work up on a Pagan site? Instead she was very happy to work with me and have a successful feature that even became the most popular column on AfroPunk and The Establishment as well as featured on another site Black Girl with Long Hair. I always love working with her! Kellindo and Nastassia are the closest friends I have in Wondaland and I appreciate them both equally, don’t know what I’d do without them. (Yes I do, it’s called “being a nervous wreck.”)

That’s my list, what are you thankful for?

Next week kicks off The Arts! Who’s featured:

– Shazzypbear
– Angelica Temoche
– The Poem-cees

Be there and submissions for Ask Black Witch is wiiiiide open (as always) so send in good questions!

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“Okay, Mr. Illuminati”

Filed under: AfroPunk/The Establishment, Pagan Life — 2 Comments
November 5, 2010

The Establishment (AfroPunk) Version

The title is a favorite quote of mine from a game I love, Marc Ecko’s “Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure”. I loved that quote so much I would always say it in my mind whenever I hear crazy conspiracy theories, especially when they involve secret societies such as The Illuminati, Freemasons or other members-only clubs that people believe are bent on New World Order, devil-worshipping and other notions that don’t ever seem to get old.

Now, for those who don’t know and are luckier than me in regards to having their ears stuffed about it, here’s a rundown of a few secret societies that people often talk about, as defined by the Watkins’ Dictionary of Magic (I love this book):

Illuminati: A term used by occultists from the late fifteenth century onwards to describe spiritual adepts who had received mystical insights or “illumination” from a transcendent source. The Order of the Illuminati was founded by Adam Weishaupt, a Bavarian law professor, in 1776, but this was hardly esoteric in any mystical sense and based most of its “secrets” on the work of Voltaire and the French Encyclopedists. Weishaupt and another enthusiast, Baron Adolf Knigge. later adapted the order’s teachings in order to infiltrate Freemasonry. A decree in Bavaria in 1784 banned all secret societies – including Freemasonry – and the order declined. However, it was revived around the turn of the 20th century by the occultists Leopold Engel and Theodor Reuss. In recent times the idea of a secret brotherhood of adepts or Illuminati has been popularized by fantasy occult writer Robert Anton Wilson and New Age spokesman Stuart Wilde.

Freemasonry (or Masonry): This international institution now has the nature of a benevolent, friendly society, but was originally an esoteric organization. It still has elaborate secret rites and ceremonies and a code of morals, and requires that its members believe in “the Great Architect of the Universe”. Freemasonry may be descended, directly or indirectly, from a guild of stonemasons that existed in fourteenth-century England; but modern Masonry dates from the establishment of the Grand Lodge of London (1717). Freemasonry later spread to the United States and Europe. At times, in some countries, Freemasonry has been suppressed by the state. Traditionally, it has aroused the hostility of the Roman Catholic Church, but in recent years this antagonism has subsided.

Rosicrucians: The name used by many occult groups who have claimed inspiration from a figure called Christian Rosenkreuz or Rosencreutz. The origin of the Rosicrucians (who take their name from Rosenkreuz, which mean “Rose Cross” or “Rosy Cross” dates from the publication c. 1614-1616 of three books purporting to emanate from an occult order, the Brotherhood of the Rosy Cross (Fraternitas Rosae Crucis) – it is likely, however, that all three were written by Johann Valentin Andreae. The first of these publications, Fama Fraternitatis, described how a certain Christian Rosenkreuz met the “Wise Men of Damcar”, and subsequently translated the mystical book Liber M. into Latin. The second, Confessio Fraternitatis R.C. provided more details about Christian Rosenkreuz and invited members of the public to join the order. The third, Chymische Hochzeit Christiani Rosenkreuz (The Chymical Wedding of Christian Rosenkreuz) was a Hermetic allegory in which the central figure witnesses a royal marriage and later discovers the king’s “secret books of wisdom”. The Rosicrucian myth has been a strong influence on several mystical groups, including the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn (who incorporated Rosicrucian elements into the initiations of their second order, the Ordo Rosae Rubeae et Aureae Crucis). Similiarily, Franz Hartman started a Rosicrucian order in Germany; and Sar Josephin Peladan ran a fashionable Rosicrucian salon in Paris. Competing Rosicrucian orders of questionable authenticity now market the esoteric wisdom of Christian Rosenkreuz in the United States.

Ooh, spooky.

I have learned in my experience that just like the over-skeptical and over-analytical, there’s no arguing with a conspiracy theorist who believes the world is a puppet at the complete and total whim of a few old men in a secret club that conjures the devil and do all sorts of crazy things no normal person would do, all in the name of world domination…white Persian cat, maniacal cackle and black high-back executive chair not included.

I’m a witch but I find this all incredibly ridiculous, just as ridiculous as I think of those who believe all witches are wicked souls bent on destroying and deceiving others regardless of circumstance. (Erm…I know quite a few people like that and nary of them are witches, but a notable amount are Christians and that attitude really goes on overdrive when they find out you’re not). Lemme let you in on a secret (not a society, too much micro-management)…I live across the street from the Hiram Grand Lodge O.T.O., a Freemasonry. Next door to that is a synagogue (that was bought and now owned by Hiram Grand Lodge) and I’m completely surrounded by churches, including the very first Black church in America, Bethel A.M.E.. Annnnnnd down the street, I believe, is a few more churches and a mosque. Pretty lively Black neighborhood, wouldn’t you say? The men and women who go to the Lodge are always sharply dressed in suits and dresses or always throwing bashes and parties. I have yet to see or hear any demonic laughter or ominous thunderclaps during any of the time I have lived in this neighborhood. In addition, I have friends who are Freemasons or have Freemasons in the family to the point of generational tradition. I don’t perceive being part of a secret society as much different or any greater threat than a normal, well-known, hard-to-get-into club.

I hear so much talk about Illuminati this, the Freemasons that and it usually revolves around Hollywood. I generally never agree with Kanye West on anything at all but he was right when he asked who was the Illuminati and why does everyone think all celebrities have a membership in response to accusations made about West’s relation to the occult group because of the broadly metaphorical production of his short film “Runaway”. West is, almost unsurprisingly, another celebrity who a bunch of crazy theorists believes he partakes with the Illuminati simply because he’s popular, knows it, flaunts it and clearly doesn’t mind it. I have heard these same accusations for Jay-Z, Beyonce Knowles, Lady Gaga and even utterances of Janelle Monae (you could probably believe I was only quiet upon hearing such “news” for I wasn’t sure whether to bawl in laughter or simply stare confused and perplexed. The most esoteric Wondaland could possibly get is me and I’m not even part of the group, just friends with a few.) While I do believe the music industry itself is quite evil but celebrities taking part in secret societies simply because they’re popular or have a few out-there and abstract music videos? That’s senseless. They’re creative and will pull out all stops to express it…and have a killer promotion & marketing team backing them up. Nothing unusual about that except for their manner of creative expression – which is in an incredibly appropriate field: the fine arts.

Since I peruse the same metaphysical shops, hang out at the same sites and simply am a Black Pagan columnist, I get to run into these wack and fragmented theories fairly frequently. Where the devil falls into this, I simply do not know but I must admit, anything occult does garner images of evil, bloody goat heads, fire and scary stuff. People do fear what they don’t understand, after all. Good thing I’m here and with an Ask Black Witch submission form. When I do hear these wacked out theories, I often tell them to my Freemason friends to see their reactions. They may roll their eyes, laugh or just give a look that communicates, “They said that?” They wonder how people come to these conclusions and will even joke, “Wait, so that means Jay-Z works for me too…Then how come I still can’t get into his concerts or the tickets are too high? Ain’t I suppose to have a special pass or somethin’? He does work for me after all!” The findings that people create to connect the dots are really farfetched often times and looking into the history of secret societies, the theories wouldn’t 100% work because, quite frankly…they don’t make a lic of sense.

Do I believe in secret societies? Well, yes, especially since I practically live across the street from one but I’ve never seen them as the spooky secret society that everyone else sees them as. They’re just another organization to me. But if they were bent on world domination, Persian kitty, nice swivel chair, controlled thunderclaps and all, maybe that’s what they would want you to think. Hmm…

Naaaaah.

And speaking of spooky, thank you everyone for attending the first ever Black Witch vcast on Halloween! It was a lot of fun, although I was fairly nervous since this was my first video anything but I enjoyed myself. I was very happy to see so many viewers and chatters. Sadly for those who weren’t there, the hour long broadcasting was not recorded due to my derpiness but I did stay an extra fifteen minutes and recorded that. There will be more vcasts such as that but at the very least twice a year for the Black Witch anniversary on June 9th and on Halloween/Samhain.

And speaking of Wondaland, remember Nastassia Davis, the Wondaland photographer with the lovely pictures that I featured on The Arts? She’s going to be selling some of those prints so if there was a particular picture that you adored, it can be yours! Send an email to contact@nastassiadavis.com. And don’t forget to peruse her site, nastassiadavis.com, for ideas of what prints to ask for!

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Ask Black Witch

Filed under: AfroPunk/The Establishment, Ask Black Witch — 2 Comments
October 29, 2010

The Establishment (AfroPunk) Version

Nota Bene: Black Witch Ustream chat time and place has changed. It will be at 4:30 PM EST now and on the AfroPunk Ustream. It will still be on Sunday, Halloween but at 4:30 PM and on the AP Ustream. Please take note and I’ll see everyone Sunday!

I was wondering what you think about numerology? How does it, if at all, relate to Paganism? Witchcraft?

– Djay

Numerology is actually a form of divination so it relates heavily to Paganism and witchcraft as divination tends to be pretty important. I don’t practice it myself but I know those who do and it definitely does relate. It’s also another form of divination that gets misused often and due to that it reaps a pretty bad rap, just like astrology. Perfectly acceptable form of divination that can definitely work your brain if you have a thing for numbers though.

Over the past couple of months or so I have been studying paganism, I was curious what lured you towards it. Also at the time did you have anyone else to share your beliefs?

– Rashawnda

What lured me to Paganism? Hm, kinda a good question and one I haven’t been asked in a while. I’ve always kind of had a hidden lure to Paganism ever since I was a kid. Heck, I remember when I was young and playing with long fake nails and funky nail polish I would always say to myself, “I wanna have these nails when I become a witch!” Ah, funny how things manifest (except for the fake nails, I dropped those after preteens because they simply destroyed my real nails and I lost interest) but I wasn’t always “Yea yea, Paganism!” I still had my reservations about the religion because I was raised hearing the same thing about Witches and Pagans but I read Where to Park Your Broomstick by Lauren Manoy, it looked like a harmless book and I’m glad I did for it opened my mind and, well, shown me a path I would soon take as my own.

Did I have anyone to share my beliefs with? Well that all depends on the age group. For the older crowd, I did have people to share my newfound faith with and even receive guidance at a local metaphysical shop. They’re not there anymore but good news, I’m currently looking for them and hopefully I’ll find them, especially the one I consider practically my mentor and second mom, Ms. Donna. As for the younger crowd, ehhhhhhh…not so much. I had one or two close Pagan friends that were my age but any others that were my age and Pagan, I seem to always fall out of touch with them. Though I had a couple close Pagan friends, I couldn’t always be around them so I kept to myself often and hung out at the metaphysical shop. When I did talk about my faith to others my age, I wasn’t always given the warmest receptions around. One of them I still keep in touch with thankfully but otherwise, since I wasn’t (and still am not kinda) the social type, I just stayed to myself and with my books when around my own peers. When I couldn’t be at the metaphysical shops, I hung out on online communities such as Mystic Wicks and Witch Vox and made friends through that. (Be careful when making friends online if you’re a teen in the Pagan circles, there are some pretty creepy people out there.)

What do you think about this article about the Air Force being more open to pagans in the battlefield?

– Mat

Well, I must firstly say that my personal political feelings aside, I am very proud to hear of someone serving in the military and doing their duty. From the title of the piece “Air Force Academy Now Welcomes Spell-Casters,” I can kinda tell it’s gonna be a piece that’s going to be a bit misleading and carry a tinge of sensationalism since they are putting a Harry Potter/”aren’t these people crazy?” twist to their words. Instead of calling us “spell-casters” and giving the image that we fight wars on Firebolt 3000’s broomsticks and can make the Taliban disappear with the flick of a wand, they could have simply called us by our proper names: Pagans and Wiccans  or better yet, Witches – especially since no one obviously dropped the writer a memo that not all Pagans and Wiccans participate in spell casting.

Although I feel that the article could have been held to a higher standard of journalism, I do like this part: “…keep in mind that magic doesn’t necessarily mean miracles…. Say you have cancer, and someone does a healing spell for you. It doesn’t mean the cancer disappears overnight. It could mean your doctor thinks up a different treatment.”’ Sound like someone knows what they’re talking about, which is a step in the right direction for the military to understand religious tolerance. I am happy that the military is growing more open to Pagans but I am cautious all the same. As I see the military (and a lot of American homestead policy), if you’re not Christian or living by a Christian standard, you’re tipping on a nasty tightrope. I don’t think that Christian/Pagan relations of the military will automatically be smooth – something clearly shown by the wooden cross planted in the middle of dedicated sacred space and by the journalistic piece itself – but it is nice to see the military is trying to do something rather than brushing the problem under the rug. I feel that if the American military is supposed to defend the American people, they should do so without discrimination of race, religion, orientation and/or gender because we the American people are not of one sole race, religion, orientation or gender and our military ought to reflect that.

That’s all the Ask Black Witch for this month! If you wanna send me a question, you can email (on the About Me/Contact me page), tweet me on Twitter, comment below or best of all, use the Ask Black Witch form on the right side of the site! Remember, should you email me, please put “Ask Black Witch” or something along those lines in the subject line so I won’t regard it as spam and delete.

All the winners of Samhain Pickers have been picked and read for! I hope you like your readings and there are any errors, lemme know and we’ll get ‘em fix tout suite!  Thank you everyone for making this giveaway such a success! I hope to do more giveaway and contests in the future! Samhain Pickers will be yearly so if you didn’t enter or didn’t win, there’s next year!

And remember readers! Halloween/Samhain is on Sunday and that’s the Black Witch Ustream chat! It will be here on Oct. 31 at 4:30 PM EST. How this is gonna work: I video cast and you guys talk to me via chat and we hold a convo in real time! Bring good questions! I’m really excited as this will be my first vcast! Don’t want to use Ustream to talk to me? If you have a Twitter account, you can speak to me via tweeting me @thisblackwitch and I’ll get your comments and questions all the same. See you Sunday!

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