What Is a Witch in the 21st-Century, Exactly?

As a real-life witch, I'm here to set the record straight: Contrary to what you may have learned from the 1939 filmThe Wizard of Oz,we aren't menacing broomstick-flying old hags who cast hexes all day long. No, we can't zap magic through our fingers likeSabrina the Teenage Witcheither. (However, wedounite within covens and dive into

As a real-life witch, I'm here to set the record straight: Contrary to what you may have learned from the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, we aren't menacing broomstick-flying old hags who cast hexes all day long. No, we can't zap magic through our fingers like Sabrina the Teenage Witch either. (However, we do unite within covens and dive into the metaphysical forces of the universe.)

So what is a witch, exactly? Well, we are actually pretty much the same as everyone — except we see situations with a dimensional lens that helps us understand the world on a deeper level. Some people are born into mystical families, while others have natural abilities. Others join covens and houses to be intimated into a certain branch of Magic, but we are all magical at heart. In fact, anyone can be a witch.

Read on to find out how to be a modern-day witch.

Appreciate Nature

As a magic practitioner, I find it important to align and harmonize with nature. Using the elements (fire, earth, air, and water) that make up the Earth can help us create and elevate our own innate power. Understanding that the world isn't as it seems and is composed of many dimensions is important, as is being able to let your mind and body feel their way through different realms and synergize with those frequencies. This allows us witches to be open to receiving downloads and information from domains that remain hidden from the common eye.

The person we glorify the most is Mother Earth, and we never take her for granted. That means showing love for all living things — flowers, plants, animals, and other humans. The Sun and the Moon give us the power to lean into our cast spells and alchemy to see through the darkness with the intention of illuminating truths that have been kept secret.

Connect with Ancestors and Spirits

As a witch, it's important to connect with one's personal ancestors. These are blood relatives who have passed away and whose DNA runs through our bodies. Honoring them by celebrating their birthdays and commemorating the anniversary of their passing helps our post-mortem energy flow through us and around us.

Not only that, but they can protect us, guide us, and bring things to our awareness that we haven't seen before. They are entities that are similar to guardian angels. Often, they serve as spirit guides who ensure that we walk the right path and that no one messes with us. Spirit guides and ancestors give us the truth and the real tea while making sure we walk the right path.

Cleanse Bodies, Minds, and Hearts

Witches are sensitive to the vibrations of others and the rhythms of the world. Therefore, it's easy for us to pick up on situations and matters that others don't notice due to our ability to connect with the more sublime and subtler energies, which are constantly at play. We are able to tap into our intuition, magic, and tools for divination, which include astrology, herbalism, tarot, scrying, and psychic abilities.

Witches use astrology to know when to cast spells because we use the lunar cycle as our timeline for when magic is the most potent, and we use planets to know what days of the week to cast them, too. Crystals and stones (such as amethyst, obsidian, and pyrite), healing baths (with Epsom or Himalayan salt, herbs, and flowers), foods and spices, dreams, and meditations can help ground us. This helps us connect to our intentions (our objectives) and manifestations (what we want to bring to fruition).

Advocate for the Greater Good

To be real, we don't throw out hexes on unsuspecting people. That's not how we roll. We're not going to waste our magic and power on those who haven't done any wrongdoing to us. The reason we choose to take the high road is because we use our power for good — to elevate ourselves and others. We don't use our gifts to cause destruction. In fact, our magical powers are used for greater causes such as civil rights, religious rights, and fighting the patriarchy.

There's a long history that associates witches with advocacy for others and defending the disenfranchised. In fact, witches started wearing pointed hats to stand in allegiance with Jews and Quakers who were persecuted for their religious beliefs. There's even a band of mystics called W.I.T.C.H. (Women's International Terrorist Conspiracy from Hell) who stand together for the rights of others. The organization was started in the 1960s as a feminist group but later took to the streets to protest the patriarchy, stand up for feminism and LGBTQ rights, and defund the police in allegiance with the Black Lives Matter Movement.

Remove Skepticism

Little known fact: There's no wrong or right way to be a witch or to craft spells. The power to see is in us all. We just have to be more aware of our psychic abilities and intuition, as well as the natural energies of the world. Embracing the majestic and enchanting flow of the Earth is essential. Magic is in us all. We just have to believe in the metaphysical, not the material world — as well as ourselves. True power comes from within.

Celebrate Samhain

Witches celebrate the Celtic festival Samhain from Oct. 31 to Nov. 1 (which marks the beginning of the "darker half of the year"). TBH, Samhain was the witch's holiday way before Halloween was ever a thing. The two differ because on Halloween we dress up in costumes to scare ghosts away, and on Samhain, we light bonfires or candles to keep the ghouls at bay while holding a communion to talk to the dead. Being that it's the mid-mark between the autumnal equinox and the winter solstice, the veil between the material plane and the metaphysical world is thinned. This means that we can connect with ghosts and ancestors on a clearer vibration than usual.

As for how I'll be celebrating, I will be lighting a candle on my altar for my ancestors who have passed and whose guidance I listen to every night. They show me the way to understand my present and future life. My fellow witches will be celebrating Samhain and/or Halloween — they'll be anointing their flying oil (a mystical brew of herbs) and meeting me on the astral plane (a realm that we can go to through medication, trances, and sleep) to celebrate.

The Final Takeaway

Being a witch requires a few things: being one with nature, seeing matters with an open mind, and healing others. We are seers of truths, givers of wisdom, and nurturers of Earth and those who inhabit it. We are high-vibe peeps who want to make the world a better place — not cauldron-stirring troublemakers like the infamous Sanderson sisters from Hocus Pocus.

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