In my Witches of Griffin series, the triplet sisters are lightworkers, but they are also witches. Lightworkers have an intuitive ability to know what others are thinking and feeling so they can help people heal. Witches practice witchcraft which involves incantations and calling on other spirits for assistance. With duality on the planet, there are witches who do spells and use metaphysical means with good intentions and those who set out to cause harm. The belief in witchcraft is often present in societies that have a cultural framework that includes magic. The witch can also represent a female’s dark side. The general definition of witchcraft is the changing of everyday events using supernatural or magical forces. (National Geographic, Schons.)
In ancient history, witches were revered and known to serve goddesses. In my Witches of Griffin series, the Griffin sisters are directed by the ancient Egyptian goddess Isis. Ancient Egyptian priestesses were known as wise women who delivered babies, cured impotence and helped people with infertility. They were benevolent and helpful, and yet somewhere along the way this image changed. Perhaps this moment of change occurred when the warrior culture began to champion the Gods of War. Some believe the change occurred when the Hebrews settled in Canaan bringing their male-centric and monotheistic views of creation with them. Others like to have someone to blame if things go wrong in their lives and the witches were an easy scapegoat. According to the Bible, witchcraft is a prohibited pagan practice considered dangerous for the soul. Exodus 22:18 states, “Thou shalt not permit a sorceress to live.” Later in history, the plague brought fear and hysteria with people blaming the devil and his worshippers for their ills. The witches fell into this category and the Catholic Church expanded its inquisition to include witches. In book one of the Witches of Griffin series, Divine Legacy, alien witch hunters, who participated in many of the historical witch-hunts and inquisitions, seek to destroy the Griffin sisters who serve as beacons of light on Earth.
The sisters in my book do not necessarily practice the Wicca religion. Wicca was a predominately Western movement. The followers practice witchcraft and nature worship and view their traditions as a religion. Wicca spread through Europe and the United States in the mid-20thcentury. Although Wicca is classified as a pagan religion, not all Wiccans would identify as pagans. Like most religions, general statements to encompass all Wiccan believers shouldn’t be used. After all, it is a non-organized religion with no central holy text or a designated place to worship. The details and traditions are left to the individual and covens to decide for themselves. Some Wiccans are polytheistic, while others have a pantheistic view. Wicca encourages people to seek their own truths and make their own spiritual path. The only absolute in the Wicca religion is the divinity of nature and human responsibility to care for the planet.
The deities of Wicca are the goddess and the god, which are female and male life force energies responsible for all of creation. The god represents the sun and the goddess represents the earth. The god and goddesses are worshiped at various intervals throughout the year. An important aspect of Wicca is the Wheel of the Year. There are eight holidays in the Wiccan year, which are known as Sabbats.
Like some Wiccans, the Griffin sisters tap into their personal connection with the Creator to shape the circumstances in their lives. This is often described as magic, which is utilized by the sisters along with incantation work performed during various moon phases. As the sisters believe energy follows thought, they try to keep negative thoughts in check. The word Magic was also changed to Magick in the 16thcentury to differentiate it from performance magic. The new spelling was re-popularized in the 20thcentury. K is also the eleventh letter in the alphabet and is the principal number of magick. Various letters and numbers hold different energy vibrations within esoteric studies. The letters of magick add up to two in numerology. Two is one of the primary numbers of magick as it is a number of polarity and balance. Two signifies the Yin and Yang, the goddess and god, light and dark, creation and destruction. Magick is not exclusive and is far older than Wicca.
In ancient Egypt and Rome, magic played an essential role in their beliefs and culture. Protection amulets were popular in both societies. The ancient Egyptian amulets were called mekets and they were used for protection against evil spirits. One of the most popular was the scarab amulet, which symbolized the god Khepri who represented creation and the renewal of life. The ancient Egyptian doctors would recommend magical and practical treatments to their patients. The idea behind Egyptian magic was that energy follows thought and if a person focused hard enough on a declaration the desired outcome or perhaps the outcome you hoped wouldn’t happen, would come about. (Law of Attraction) In ancient Rome, Roman law distinguished between good and bad magic. Good magic was sanctioned by Roman law, while bad magic was punishable by fines, jail, or banishment.
Magic has been used throughout history, whether to heal or harm others, influence crops, or for use in religious practices. Magic has been condemned by certain faiths and questioned by scientists. During the Middle Ages, magic represented a big threat to the established religions and those in power, so legislation against magic was instituted by the Church and the secular authorities. The penalties implemented by secular law included execution. The penalties implemented by the Church often included penance for the sin of magic or excommunicated if the magic was seen as a sin against God, but these punishments weren’t absolute. Between 1500-1660 up to 80,000 suspected witches were put to death in Europe.
Magical practices vary from witch to witch. Some witches claim to be able to see auras, connect with the other side, speak to the flora and fauna, and heal with their hands, the latter sounding much like Reiki or energy healing. Like the Griffin sisters, many witches sell tinctures and oils, hold instructional workshops, and teach others to find their spiritual path. Witches often use crystal energy, work with herbs, read tarot, and incorporate astrology in their practice. Groups of witches have been known to hex corporations and even try to curb various leaders in power. Belief in witches carries across the world. A 2005 poll found that 13% of those from the United Kingdom and Canada believe in witches, while 21% of Americans believe in witches, but most don’t believe in magical witches.
Openly being a witch in parts of the world can be dangerous. As crazy as it may seem, witch trials continue to this day and occur more often in the developing parts of the world where there are poor medical services and few educational opportunities. There are many stories of atrocities carried out in Tanzania, India, Papua New Guinea, and more. In 2009, the United Nations reported that being labeled a witch is “tantamount to receiving a death sentence.” In London, England after a report of witchcraft-related abuse and the death of an eight-year-old who was tortured in 2000, a police force was established to stop those who wished to harm accused witches, while in Saudi Arabia an anti-witchery unit was established in 2009 to train police to “scientifically battle witchcraft,” which is punishable by death.
Unfortunately, the persecution of witches continues in the 21stcentury. I’m not saying magic doesn’t exist, I’m aware of spirit cooking, sigil magic, conjuring dark entities, and the drinking of adrenochrome through blood cult rituals, but there has never been a proven case of witchcraft throughout history, which means the fear-mongering needs to stop and those guilty of satanical crimes and the torturing of children need to face punishment. According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, in 2002, 800,000 kids went missing in the United States, which is as sad as it is intolerable. Of course, some kids are never reported missing. In 2019, there were 421,395 missing kids in the United States. Out of that number, there were 26,300 runaways, one in six were victims of child sex trafficking. Children must be protected.
Fear can motivate people to take heinous actions, which is why the powers in governmental establishments often impose fear upon the people. Fear that the world is ending is a common theme throughout history and continues today. Those who are fearful are easily manipulated and controlled. It has been scientifically proven that fear interrupts the brain’s processes and impacts decision-making. Those who are in a state of fear do not think clearly. Independent, common sense thinking is essential. As my favorite quote by Albert Einstein states, “Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest enemy of truth.”
A special thank you to: https://allthatsinteresting.com/history-of-witches, https://wiccaliving.com/what-is-wicca/,https://www.patheos.com/blogs/matauryn/2017/08/03/magic-vs-magick-vs-majick/,https://lightwarriorslegion.com/magick-through-history/,https://www.nationalgeographic.org/article/witch-trials-21st-century/,https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2020/03/witchcraft-juliet-diaz/605518/
