In 2098, “Modern Witchez” is a religion based on existing oral histories and written artifacts that were left over from the old world. This consists of Summerland. Witches believe that their souls go to Summerland, a place where they can rest before reincarnation into a new body.
“In spring we celebrate life and rebirth then in winter, decay and death to make way for new life.” (Sabin, 2010) Witches believe that if they have lived their life to the fullest, having lived many lives; their Goddess will allow them to stay in Summerland for an eternal afterlife. According to Singer, MacGregor, and Alexander (2012), the cycle of birth, life, death and rebirth brings them a sense of stability, knowing there is something more to life than just the physical brings promise for the future. They live a happier, stronger life knowing that death isn’t the end of it. However, there is one single day in a year where witches can be in contact with the dead. It is known as the festival of remembering ancestors as October 31st is associated with death and endings. (McColman, 2002.)
![]() |
Temple of Wicca
Pic © CBCS |
It’s the time right in between the light half of the year with the dark half, which is known as summer and winter. On this day only, the mystic cloak between the physical universe and Summerland is so thin that spirits are able to travel between worlds. (McColman, 2002) On October 31st, spirits roam free. The problem is that there are not only good spirits. This is the night where evil spirits go haunt witches that did not believe in Summerland. Every year, there is about four Modern Witchez who get haunted and one of those four is killed. Witches believed that if they wore horrifying masks and intimidating costumes, this provided them with a spiritual protection. The villainous spirits would go after witches that looked innocent. Although some witches didn’t like this day, others waited for this all year around to be able to connect with their ancestors. To be able to connect with a particular entity, witches had to go to the Temple of Wicca dressed in a black cloak.
One by one, they went by the boiling cauldron and had to move their hands in a circular motion, whispering the name of the spirit three times. Afterwards, they had to repeat the following:
“Once a witch, always a witch. May your spirit and body be back today, but only today.” They would then leave and wait for them at their home. By midnight sharp, any spirits that had been visiting the physical universe had to be back to Summerland. If they weren’t back in time, they weren’t welcomed to go back and had to go to Winterland, which was considered hell for them. It wasn’t a place to rest before reincarnation, it was completely the opposite. It was misery, a cold nightmare! Reincarnation didn’t even exist there. Once you were there, you were there forever. Therefore, a great amount of spirits wouldn’t even take the chance to go visit the physical universe because of the fear of not being able to get back in time, but the others just made sure they were back for midnight sharp.
Karmic Implications
Karma teaches that the past affects the present, and the present affects the future—no matter what life cycle you are talking about. Witches do have a Karmic Law to follow. It consists of:
"Bide the Wiccan law ye must, In perfect love, in perfuct trust, Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill: An’ ye harm none, do what ye will. What ye send forth comes back to thee, So ever mind the Rule of Three. Follow this with mind and heart, And merry ye meet, and merry ye part." (Singer, MacGregor, Alexander, 2012)
![]()
If you follow the Threefold Law, which is the general guidelines for being a witch, there is a rule for karma. The rule number four is: Understand “What you send, three times over.” (Singer, MacGregor, Alexander, 2012) This Threefold Law basically translates to what goes around comes around, not just once, but three times! Witches believe that past actions will affect them. Not necessarily in a negative way though. If they do a good deed, it could affect them positively. Whatever the case, BBC (2009), mentions that bad actions in a previous life could easily follow a person into their next life and cause bad effects. Witches believe that disabled people suffer from misdeeds in their past life. Witches seriously consider the karmic implications because of the idea of their belief in reincarnation. However, if an evil action has been done by mistake, there is one way to receive forgiveness. December 31st is associated with closure. Witches have to meet up in the Temple of Wicca, in a room named “The Chamber of Secrets”.
Witchcraft.com (2014) explains that the colour black is the color of the hidden, the secretive and the unknown, creating an air of mystery. It keeps things bottled up inside, hidden from the world. It’s exactly what they’re trying to do, hide their bad actions. Similar to October 31st, witches that want forgiveness gather up in a single file in front of the boiling cauldron. They are to whisper the Karmic Law (as mentioned above), and then they are to ask their god or goddess to listen to their request. Deities will not interfere with your own free will, you must ask them sincerely for help. When their god is listening, they whisper their unpleasant action into the boiling cauldron. It is their deity that is responsible for forgiving. If they don’t hear the guilt in their voice, they will not be forgiven and will have to live with what they’ve done for a whole other year. Karma will come around in negative ways. On the other hand, if they do get forgiveness, karma will come back in positive ways.
![]() |
|
Gods & Goddesses
On the contrary of many religions, Modern-Witchez believe that the Divine is both masculine and feminine, so they cherish the Goddess and God. Witches believe that without the feminine deity, it isn’t complete. Together, they form a whole. There are many Goddesses to choose from. For example, Bast, which corresponds to playfulness, joy and freedom. There is also Aphrodite, which corresponds to love, beauty and sensuality. Similar to the Goddesses, there are also many Gods. For example, Horus, which corresponds to knowledge, eternal life and protection. Also, Green Man, which corresponds to fertility, nature, abundance and sexuality.
There are many different Gods’ and Goddesses’ around the world they can choose from. Many witches have one specific God or Goddess, and others honour several deities. According to Singer, MacGregor and Alexander, (2012), the deity can either be chosen by an individual, or dictated by a group. Mother Earth symbolizes the goddess and so all practices that connect them with nature are actually connecting them with the Goddess. To get in contact with the Goddess, witches are to plant herbs or flowers in honour of their Goddess. They are to choose plants that correspond with their deity’s nature, for example, a rose for love, or mint for success. As for the God, the sun symbolizes it. On cloudy days, God is nowhere to be found. On these days, no praying nor meditation should be done. However, on a beautiful sunny day, they are being watched over by God. These are the days where no witches should do anything evil, or else God will get the feeling that they are betraying him. Witches believe that Gods and Goddesses are there to offer their guidance, their help and their energy when needed. Witches feel that Gods and Goddesses’ help them go through life. They worship the Gods and Goddesses’ so much since they believe they are the ones who choose their route in life, and build the right paths to take. They are superior to everyone.
Connection With Nature
![]() |
| Pic © Arien |
Many people may feel disconnected from the natural world, but Modern-Witchez have spiritual practices to get rid of that disconnection. “Witches believe that the earth is a living breathing entity that should be honoured and protected, not a place to conquer and control.” (Alexander, S. 2008) Witches consider nature part of the living world, and everything in the living world possesses a spirit. They see the sun as the symbol of the God, and they see Mother Earth the symbol of the Goddess. This is why they are untied with nature. In the Threefold Law (known as the general guidelines for being a witch), the rule number one is: preserving the environment. To be able to live in harmony with the nature, they have various rituals. On the night of a full moon, witches are to go in the forest that is called Bosque Magico, which means magical forest in Spanish, to have a bonfire. A priest, known as the leader of the ritual, is to arrive earlier to prepare the ground for the ceremony. “There will be four shrines hung up—one in each direction with elemental symbolism (air in the east, fire in the south, water in the west, earth in the north).” (McColman, 2010) This shows their connections to the four natural elements.
While witches arrive, the priest will use the substance from the boiling cauldron, which obviously isn’t boiling hot anymore, and will mark an MN on their forehead. The M stands for the religion, Modern Witchez, and the N stands for nature. It demonstrates the connection they have together. Witches will then gather up in a circle around the fire, and the ritual begins with a sacred rhythm to make connection with the environment, known as the God and Goddess. The priest then peaks the energy. The leader says,
“Join in this call and response chant!”![]() |
| Pic © ErdeneBayar |
The leader sings each line and others repeat. The following goes:
“Moonlight on the Earth. Moonlight in the Air. Moonlight through the Trees. Moonlight Everywhere. Moonlight in the Fire. Moonlight on the Sea. Moonlight within You. Moonlight within Me.” (Fox, 2014) When this chant is done, the community dances, drums and meditates to raise the magical energy. This is their way of thanking nature for everything they supply them with. It is their way of thanking them for their kindness and peacefulness. This is their way of thanking the God and Goddess for their guidance in life.
Origins of Magic in Modern Witchez
The origin of magic comes from shamanism, totemism, and animism. A shaman is a woman or man who “journey” in an altered state of consciousness. (Walsh, 2001) During these journeys, the shamans can travel to other realms and communicate with other beings. Shaman help with the mental, physical and spiritual healing. Just like shamans, Modern Witchez have the same experience. They communicate with the spiritual world and heal individuals. They create certain potions and spells to fulfill certain needs. For example, to uncover the truth a witch must wait for a full moon on a Wednesday, and must create a potion containing slippery elm, adder’s tongue, and cloves and drawing powder.
“Real magic is so much more subtle; it does not break the laws of physics—usually; and sometimes the results will be completely unexpected and out of the blue—from a source you never would have guessed, at the time you least expect it, and with a revelation that will either cast a blazing light on the truth or quietly reveal imperative information.” (Raine-Hatayama, 2010)
Totemism is the belief that all beings have a connection with another physical being, which could be an animal or plant, however, Totemism is a little different for Modern Witchez. Some Witchez use voodoo dolls, those witches would be considered black Witchez because voodoo dolls are considered ‘black magic.’ Voodoo dolls can also be used as a good thing which could cause healing but because it can cause such destruction, it is considered a tool of evil. Modern Witchez do not promote Satan or any evil spiritual belief.
Animism is the belief that all beings and non-beings all have a spiritual essence which means everyone and everything is equal. This is a very important aspect of Modern Witchez also called ‘The Wiccan Three-Fold Law’ which is a lot like karma. Modern Witchez are nothing like what the Bible states. King Saul says they are frightening flying creatures that fed on the flesh of babies. That is completely false. (Sooke, 2014) If such a thing was true, karma would come around. Evil witches actually do look like old evil women, however, the good Witchez are beautiful and caring therefore it is very obvious when to avoid a witch. In the media we often only see the black Witchez, for example, in horror movies and most of the time they actually try to eat children. That never happens!
The media also rarely shows that there are beautiful Witchez and that they are not all that evil. For example, snow white shows an evil queen who tries to kill snow white with supernatural means. Very rarely will Witchez be portrayed in a positive matter, however, in Snow White, the fairy godmother was considered a witch and she was an elderly woman signifying that she had a lot of knowledge. Another misconception is that Witchez can’t actually fly on broomsticks. The only reason why they were ever associated to broomsticks was in the late 16th century. Artists started making art about Witchez. Most Witchez are women therefore artists would place them with a broom to depict domestic work. Having a ‘witch’ flying on a broom would symbolize her freeing from domestic work. (Gannon, 2013)
A witch must celebrate the cycles of the sun, moon and seasons. To be a Witch is to be a healer, a teacher, a seeker, a giver, and a protector of all things. Witchez also must look up to the 4 elements that make up everything including earth, air, fire and water. The earth consists of the body the Witchez lives in, therefore, in earth holds the 3 other elements. Air consists of the air a witch breathes and the words she may speak. Those words can give knowledge to future generations. Fire is the witch’s heart and is the center of her existence as it demonstrates her power to express herself, just like fire has power, too. Finally, water is the blood a witch holds. The blood is where her knowledge travels. Her body is composed of veins which can be visualized as roots. Those roots which symbolize her ancestry. Water can also be seen as the cleansing and regeneration of an individual.
Witchez are to use white magic only. Black magic is prohibited. It consists of any sort of destruction magic. White magic materials consist of herbs, stones and spices. Any element that nature has not created and that is induced in a spell will cause black magic, however, no witch is to ever use any type of animal or human remain in their spells. This would contradict their ‘Harm none’ law. This comes back to the belief that everyone and everything are equal. Finally, if for any reasons an individual was to disobey any one of these rules, they would be in the presence with the sonokwa. This spirit is incapable of being identified as a female or a male. It was discovered thousands of years ago, after thousands of mysterious deaths had been reported. This spirit is worse than karma itself. An individual can identify when they are in the presence of sonokwa by the sound of wet footprints, which actually are bloody footprints. This being will haunt you and it’ll be the worst of all your fears. It’ll make you see what it wants you to see.
Bibliography
Alexander, S. (2008). The Everything Wicca and Witchcraft Book: Rituals, spells, and sacred objects for everyday magick. F+W Publications, Inc.Buckland, Raymond, R.B., (2002). The Witch Book: The Encyclopedia of Witchcraft, Wicca,
and Neo-paganism. 1st ed. United States of America: Omnigraphics, Incorporated.
Dragonsong, Erin,E.D., (2006). The Central Wicca Beliefs. Wicca Spirituality.Farrar, Janet, J.F., & Farrar, Stewart, S.F., (1981). A Witches' Bible. 1st ed. Phoenix Publishing.
Fox, S. (2014). Circle Craft: Full Moon Healing Ritual - Circle Sanctuary.Golden, R. M. (2006). Encyclopedia of Wtchcraft: The Western Tradtion. Santa Barbara.
Guiley, Rosemary. R.G., (2008). The Encyclopedia of Witches, Witchcraft and Wicca. 1st ed.
New York: Infobase Publishing.
Hawkins, S., Craig. C.S.H., (2003). World of Wicca. Wicthcraft.com.Karma. (2009, September 17). In Religions BBC News.McColman, C. (2002). When Someone You Love Is Wiccan: A Guide to Witchcraft and Paganism for Concerned Friends, Nervous Parents, and Curious Co-Workers. New Page Books.McColman, C. (2010). Paganism. In Patheos Library.
Sabin, T. (2010). Wicca for Beginners. Llewellyn Publications.Sabrina, L. (2006). Exploring Wicca: The Beliefs, Rites and Rituals of the Wiccan Religion. Book Mart Press.Singer, M., MacGregor, T., & Alexander, S. (2012) The Only Book of Wiccan Spells You'll Ever Need: For Love, Happiness and Prosperity (2nd ed.). F+W Publications, Inc.Summers, Montague. M.S., (2012). History of Witchcraft. Awaken The Witch.com.
The Smart Witch. (n.d.). Magic Circles & Spells. The SmartWitch.com.Tennessee, Gifford. (n.d.). Wicca & Witchcraft. Myths-Dreams-Symbols.com.Vekshtein, Vlad. (2013). 10 Scariest Witches of World Mythology. ListVerse.com.Weinstein, Marion (1986). Earth Magic: A Book of Shadows For Positive Witches. (1st ed). New Page Books.
Wigington, P. (n.d.). Wicca for Beginners: What It Is and What It Isn't. About Religion.comWitchcraft.com. (2014). World of Wicca. Witchcraft.com.About The Authors
Call For Submissions!
Would you like to be a
Guest Contributor? The Wicked Academic is always looking for quality contributions to both the website and the academic online journal. For further information check out
The Printing Press and
FAQ section.
