“I am my mother’s savage daughter,
the one who runs barefoot cursing sharp stones.
My mother’s child dances in darkness,
And sings heathen songs by the light of the moon,
And watches the stars and renames the planets,
And dreams she can reach them with a song and a broom.”
~ Pagan folk song

What do you think when you hear the word Witch?

Witchcraft, being viewed with suspicion and even hostility for hundreds of years, has gained a surge in interest recently, and has become magically woven into a mainstream phenomenon.

Interestingly, the original meaning of Witch means Wise, and comes from the old Anglo-Germanic word Wicca, pronounced Wiche (feminine) or Wicha (masculine), which developed out of Ingvaeonic (also known as North Sea Germanic).

Further linguistic origins suggest it could be from a Proto-Indo-European language, possibly Romany, since the Rom people are an Indo-Aryan ethnic nomadic group that originated in Northern India and have been residing predominantly in Europe since the 11th century.

This article took me a good few weeks to research and finish. I wanted to make something informative and playful. The entire piece ended up being quite long which is why there are two parts. The next part is on the way. I also wanted this piece to be more than my voice so asked a collection of women friends to join in, to have their voices heard in regards to their personal practice and how they define themselves.

To read more click here: What it means to be a Witch: From the voices of wild women describing their magickal path.