A Book of Shadows and a Candle and You're a Star?

But I want to be a witch!

I've been reading my copy of 'Wiccapedia' that I picked up from a bookshop which I wrote about in this post -
WICCAPEDIA 🌟?

And while I have no ambition in becoming a Wiccan ... or a witch, wizard, magician or wanker, I do resonate with a lot of stuff I'm reading in this book.
What's that ... too late when it comes to my last option in the sentence above?-)

You're a wanker Ron!

Just be yourself Harry, life is magical enough without wanting to be a witch or a wizard.

According to Leanna Greenaway men can be witches too, but I don't really think so.
That's a bit like saying men can get pregnant if they want in my book.
I really think you need to be born with a set of ovaries to be a real witch, but hey, that's just my belief.
Harry can think he is a witch if he wants to, and believe he is capable of childbirth too ... why not in this day and age of "magical thinking".
And while I understand in principle what this young lady is trying to convey in her video below, yeah, sure you can choose whatever title you want and practice witchcraft if you're a bloke, but I agree with the can'ts, because witchcraft is geared to the menstrual/lunar cycle.

I mean try doing this kind of feminine magick Harry.

Don't worry because I can't do it either ... and am quite happy not to.

I like the idea of working with your own book of shadows like Leanna advises in her You Tube above.
I do think it is important to work with your shadow side, though in a Jungian, not Satanic sense.

Most Satanists are just self-centered jerks from what I've seen, although not all.
I think Wiccans have a much healthier attitude to life than Satanists ... and a lot of Christians, too for that matter.
I don't even get why people want to label themselves as Wiccans, Satanists or Christians, apart from telling people what club they think they belong in.
I get with most Christians it's the fear of going to hell if they don't profess their allegiance to who they think, or are told "God" is.
And while I like parts of the Bible, to me it is just a collection of manmade myths.
Not to say there isn't any truth to some of it, but the Bible doesn't really appeal to me as a whole.

I like to think outside of the box of manmade religions.
Because I think "God" is bigger than any religion that tries to claim such a force for themselves only.

Mike Conlon Interviews Leanna Greenaway

I can see why "white" witchcraft appeals to so many former and lapsed Catholics who have become disillusioned with dogma that they can't swallow any more.

Even so-called atheists can see the appeal of such practices to a point.

I personally do believe in reincarnation and karma (cause and effect), which is why I tend to resonate more with beliefs held in practices like Wicca, as opposed to beliefs held in most Christian Churches.

But some practices in Wicca and witchcraft are just as bonkers as the beliefs of fundamental Christians and really are just no more than mindless superstitions to me.

Doing a spot of candle meditation
 on my "altar"/desktop

I was inspired to dig my white candle out of the cupboard after reading Leanna's chapter in 'Wiccapedia' titled 'Spells and Candle Magick' and after watching her candle magick You Tubes below.

But I say why bother with all those coloured candles anyway when a white candle works for all of those magical ideas about coloured candles, according to Leanna?

I don't really want to do any candle magick, I just find it soothing staring into a flame, and it gives me focus while thinking in a meditative state about something ... or even nothing at all.

A lot of the stuff said in Leanna's candle magick videos sound like superstition to me, but whatever floats your boat, I guess.

Leanna says her branch of Wicca is Angelic Wicca, which kind of appeals to me, as I do believe in angelic like beings and certainly believe in the idea of a personal "Guardian" angel, as I've written about in older posts like this one -

Personal (inner) Guidance System?

Pigs may fly you say?-)

There is even a chapter about using modern black mirrors and microwaves which reminds me of a TV witch from my past, especially with my name being Darren:-)

But does happiness really come in microwaves?-)

The funny thing though, on the subject of the 'Bewitched' TV show was that after I had left the bookshop I bought 'Wiccapedia' from, I went up the road to another bookshop to hear a talk by 'The Rosie Project' author Graeme Simsion and I got him to sign a book of his I had bought, and he commented that we must have the cast of the 'Bewitched' TV show here tonight, as so far he had signed books for a Darren, a Samantha and a Tabitha.

I also found it amusing that as I'm writing this post up, I'm listening to a 'Higherside Chats' podcast with Dr. Rob Brown titled -

Dr. Rob Brown | Our Toxic Homes, Conscious Living, & Feng Shui

And I was surprised to hear Rob say how he likes to meditate by staring at a candle flame.

He also tells of the dangers of using cell phones and microwaves, but in the ordinary day to day use, not magickal.

Don't monkey around with black mirror magick?-)

Overall, I really like reading 'Wiccapedia' so far, as it is very thought provoking as to what is magick and what is just superstition.

Although, I wouldn't recommend playing around with Ouija boards like one of the authors in 'Wiccapedia' writes about.

Not that I've ever had a bad experience with one (because I have never used one), but I have heard from people I trust about bad experiences they have seen with people close to them who have -

Should I Use a Ouija Board: Yes or No?

I don't think you have to be a wizard or witch to shine in this world anyway, because we are all stars in this magical universe I believe.

And we all shine on too, no matter what you believe, I believe:-)

UPDATE:

To try to clarify my view on just what being a witch means to me (and I'm not one or want to be one) I wrote this post -

Can Men Be Witches?

You are free to believe what you like of course, but so am I, and that is what I think when it comes to what being a real witch is all about.