“The witch is the perfect symbol for anyone who wants to subvert the status quo and who wants to proclaim they belong to themselves.” ~ Pam Grossman

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“Don’t call yourself a witch!”

I’ve had many friends and family members respond to my social media posts with that phrase.

Women all over the world were killed, raped, and denigrated for being witches. But, that’s not why they are telling me to not call myself a witch.

It’s because they think of witches as outcasts or evil. In fact, this Halloween, I’m offended by the fact that the only version of a witch we display is the crone. The old woman. And not only old, but also ugly, scary, and hunched over. 

I can assure you, I’m none of those things. As a witch, I practice my own version of magick that combines world religion, science, psychology, and metaphysical healing. We all walk our own unique path, and mine includes using my innate gifts as a psychic and medical medium to heal broken hearts, to provide information on how to bring the body into balance, and to use humor to heal past wounds. I also made sure to get my master’s in Counseling Psychology to anchor my gifts in practical applications. And I’m one of many women who are reviving the craft in these modern times.

There is a resurgence of women who identify as witches. They use ancient traditions to navigate life, create community, right wrongs, restore health, and remember the cycles and rhythms of life.

Chances are you need a witch in your life, and here are five reasons why:

1. Living with a Broken Heart

Love spells are part of witchcraft and folklore. However, a practiced witch knows that what she sends out into the world she gets back by the law of three times three. This concept is something that has been translated into the self-help culture under the phrase, “As a man thinketh, so is he.” Henceforth the burgeoning field of mindset coaches. 

But, why would you need a witch to heal your heart when everything we see points to the mind as the great healer? 

It’s because a sorceress or witch has the ability to work directly with the heart using herbs, spells, and symbols. Our subconscious mind, the part running the show, responds best to symbols and repetition. Most spells need to be repeated at exact phases of the moon on certain days. This level of detail and attention captures the deep part of our psychology and starts to shift it. When applied to the feeling of loss or grief, it can have the profound effect of a perspective change in the direction of healing as soon as the spell is completed.

Furthermore, the care a coven of women can bring to each other is unprecedented when it comes to healing broken hearts. Community is yet another reason you might need a witch in your life (or witches).

2. Sister Witches and Covens

All relationships are predicated on agreements. A coven is a group of around nine women who gather together to provide support to each other, pass down ancient wisdom, share recipes, and gift each other healing sessions. 

The witches in my life are skilled massage therapists, herbalists, true tantric practitioners, recovering addicts, sages, and creatives. We all practice magick in our own way. Some of us know the history of witches. Others have spent years in training so they can offer acupuncture, cranial sacral therapy, or many other healing modalities that harken from Eastern culture.

When we gather, we shed the layer of loneliness that we all carry by virtue of living in a modern society that favors individualism. We are able to learn from each other and grow as humans. We are able to get support in times of need. And we all have needs that require attention.

3. Getting our Needs Met

The idea that we have needs and that they need to be met is fundamental to having a healthy and happy life. However, there are right ways and wrong ways to go about getting our needs met. Wiccan tradition has 13 principles that act as an ethical code when it comes to how we exist in the world.

One of those principles is that we do not seek power through the suffering of others, nor accept that personal benefit can be derived only by denial to another. 

Having guidelines on how to live a good life is necessary to do so. While many religions provide direction, the ways of the witch put us in touch with the principal that our needs are met in a space of inclusion—not exclusivity. And being a part of something that matters anchors us in healing. 

4. Healing the Body and Mind

I can’t speak for other witches. What I can say is that there is a body and mind connection that I have the ability to hear by virtue of my healing touch work and by being clairvoyant.

When people lay on my massage table, I gently place my fingertips on the base of their skull and I receive messages about what the body needs to be healthy. These sessions often provide a release in built-up energy and a chance for the person on the table to feel free of psychological burdens they were carrying.

Having a witch in your life often means working with someone who uses intuition to bring the mind-body connection into harmony. This brings me to the last reason you need a witch in your life: fun!

5. The Joy of Living

Those who claim the title of witch are often rebels. They are sovereign women who know their place in the world. It doesn’t mean we don’t have demons of our own to battle. It simply means we are ready and able to fight the good fight and have fun doing it. 

There are of course more than five reasons to have a witch in your life. We are a delightful, creative, and precocious group of women. Rituals mark our lives.

So, no matter the time of the year, if struggle has found you, I encourage you to get a witch or many witches in your life and watch magick unfold.