October is here.

During this time of year, we all feel a little witchy.

Maybe we’re someone who has already tapped into our inner sorceress. After all, in the year that’s been, we’ve all needed to step into our power and do what we can to take charge of our destiny, right?

Or maybe, we’re still walking the edges of the circle—lighting candles and drinking herbal teas with intention—but wondering what it really means to truly come over to the magic side.

Wherever we are on our journeys, when better than the month of Halloween to remind ourselves that witches are about more than black cats and broomsticks?

The world of witchcraft is a powerful one. Here are the top five powers this witch wants to share with you:

The Power of Nature

There’s a reason we associate witches with animals, plants, and dancing under the moon: they understand the power of nature and live their lives in connection to it.

I’m not just talking about the power of grounding by digging our toes into the earth or about whispering our woes to the winds and allowing them to be carried away, although, definitely those things too! Connecting to nature can start as simply as tending to the earth around us, by leaning into the natural vibes of mother nature’s seasons, and allowing our energy to ebb and flow with hers.

The Power of Sisterhood

We’ve all heard of witches and their covens: tight-knit circles of sisterhood that could do anything together. Those covens carried so much power that breaking their bonds was the first thing the witch-hunters of old decided to do: spreading rumors that would sow seeds of mistrust and turn women against one another—in ways we still see all too often, today.

But, what if we stopped doing that?

Women are more powerful in communities than in competition; finding ourselves held in a sacred space by a group of women who truly have our backs is one of the most life-changing things we can do.

The Power of Ritual

Whatever the time of year, witches love ritual; often the power of a spell—or anything we do—isn’t just in what we do but how we do it.

Whether it’s starting our day in style by shaking our booty to the same song each morning, showering off the energies of a tough day, calling in the elements to cast a full circle, or simply lighting a candle while we take a moment to breathe—any set of actions we take with a specific intention become a powerful ritual.

Stylish cloaks aren’t necessary, but always a bonus!

The Power of Rebellion

During the days of the Western witch trials, there were many things that could get one arrested for witchcraft: financial independence, sex out of wedlock, rowing with a neighbor, or even being stubborn. The common thread among all these things? They posed a threat to the powerful people in society.

It’s hard to talk about the history of witches without getting political; witches are vilified not for hexing crops, spoiling butter, or putting children in ovens—but for going against the norms of society.

Their sisterhood reminded women they weren’t subservient to the rich, powerful men at the top; their community, spirit, and embodied personal power spread the message far and wide that money wasn’t the only thing that made the world go round.

It risked upsetting the equilibrium for sure, but the world that witches whispered about? Well, maybe it’s one we could all lean a little further into, eh?

The Power of Conscious Creation

Okay, witchcraft might rarely look as pretty as floating feathers á la “The Vampire Diaries” or casting our own Patronus into being, but the key to all of this is believing in our power to create the changes that matter.

All witches know that living in our power means taking responsibility for our lives and the changes our actions can bring about; that means living consciously, understanding our own shadows, and unpacking our self-destructive behaviors so that we can fill every day with the words, thoughts, and actions that enable us to create the lives we desire.

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