I have had a number of people ask me recently about how I can be a male witch? Their focus seems to be on the misconception that witches are ONLY female. This is something that has mislead people for centuries. So I thought I would talk about what it is, to me, to be a male witch. Okay, here we go.
For me, being a male witch is just one part of everything that I am. It was what I was born into. My journey has been long and I have been trained by many a practitioner along the way, not just in the Craft, but also in and more focused upon Shamanism. Thus I am a Shamanic practitioner, as well as a witch, a warlock, etc. etc. etc.
For me what that means is being the best I can possibly be every single moment in my life. For me that means connecting with Spirit in whatever capacity is available, within me and around me, especially through Nature. For me it is also about taking the bull by the horns and deciding for myself which way things are going to go. It also means, for me, taking no crap from anyone. And it means teaching. This is why I do my Blog. There are teachings within each and every one of them that help people through whatever stage of development they are on. This is why I do lectures and workshops. This is why I mentor people now and then. For me, it is about helping others to open to their potential, whatever that may be. Because as we each become more self-empowered we are able to make ripples of changes in our world. We are all connected. We might as well make use of that. There need be no competition. It is more about all of us dancing on the web of reality.
Yes, there have been some groups in which I have been aggressively attacked for being male and identifying as a witch. I recognize this as an indication of their ignorance. Sometimes I educate them on this, sometimes I don’t. I have often been accused of “mansplaining” simply because I won’t let ignorance rule. And even if I choose to walk away, which I most often do, eventually, I do get private messages from members who have witnessed the exchanges, thanking me for my clarity and honesty and telling me that I have had impact in their perceptions and their lives from there on forth. So it is not a waste of time to discuss things, just a waste of time if people are obstinate.
I see everything as a bridge to something more. It doesn’t matter if we are talking spirituality, religion, science, mathematics…it is all a part of the larger picture that includes everything else. This is likely why I can also predict how things will turn out, based upon someone’s action in the moment, my own included. Because every decision we make here and now has a ripple effect that goes far and wide.
People often get hung up on the politics of the “male witch” instead of simply recognizing that we have always existed. This, I believe, is the result of traditions being white washed by the traditions of the culture that has overtaken the older culture, as well as the now predominant tendancy to rely upon pop culture for “information” when it is only promoting the same cyle of intolerance and even hatred that was taught along the way. Some people refer a lot to “feminine intuition” when, in doing so, they are actually saying that there is no such thing as masculine intuition. This is based upon traditions that have divided into strict groupings what is “masculine” and what is “feminine.” I call BULL on that, because men are just as intuitive as women, and women are just as reasonable as men…when we are all given a chance to express that part of ourselves.
Some people think that the male witch can’t be trusted with magic because men in general cannot be trusted. That form of sexism is unacceptable. And to top it off, I have witnessed female witches who are in complete competition to be queen bee in their covens. Men tend to not play that game. We earn whatever authority we have and we tend to be quite compassionate about how to utilize it. And yes, in groups of male witches I have seen some want to over step their authority. The one who is actually in authority tends to not have to do anything about that, because the rest of the group will give the young upstart a slap on the head and inform him to settle down and recognize that he is still learning and that it will take a very long time for him to actually have any authority in the coven. And then it is all back to business. That has been my experience. It is not to say that one gender is better than the other, in any way. Each simply functions differently. And anyone who thinks that women could rule the world much better than men (as though any gender is automatically immune to the corruption that can take place on the political front!) needs to actually take part in a circle of women and actually watch all the games that get played. Why does this happen? I think it is because our culture has most often pitted women against each other and so that is the go-to response that they have. They are still, themselves, trying to get out of that mentality, but often don’t see when they are in it. Men are much more used to actually showing respect of those who are “above” them. But the funny thing is that, even if someone is in authority, we also tend to know that at the bottom of it all we are all equal. We all have gifts to share and offer. Some of us are at one stage of life and others at a different stage of life. We don’t clutter the conversation with superfulous verbage. We cut to the chase and offer what we have to offer. We do so because we care. We do so because we all know the challenges and struggles that have been experienced along the way. We don’t wrap ourselves up in the turmoil of our lives when we gather. We either leave that at the door or we bring it to the group for some different perspective and possible guidance. We tend to learn from each other instead of compete with one another. Men tend to experience pride in our fellow man when he achieves something. Unfortunately, I have all too often seen women experience jealously when a sister achieves something. This is where the term “toxic femininity” certainly can be applied. All of us, be we female or male, simply need to feel good enough about ourselves so that we do not need to, in any way, tear another down in order to feel better about ourselves or our accomplishments.
Please do not get me wrong. I do know that there are women who do not function in that toxic way. But they have often been ousted by those who do. So they end up more solitary than circle oriented. Or, they end up approaching a men’s circle to see if they can participate. Sometimes, depending upon the circle, this can happen. Sometimes not. This is where I feel that the entire gender thing has to just become a non-issue. I feel that if you are a witch/shaman/healer you simply are that, and the entire gender and gender identity really has no bearing on who you are as a witch/shaman/healer, or where you “should” or “should not” be. When it comes right down to it, we are all human, and some of us are magical while others are not. There is enough divisiveness in our world as it is, and we really do not need to be pitting ourselves against one another.