Witches.

[Rooners]

Hi everyone. I haven't been here since March, but suddenly feel the need to revisit as something I posted about before has resurfaced.

One of the Mums at school says she is a witch.

I'm not sure how best to handle it. I like her, well, she seems okay and she has always been friendly if a little leftfield.

Another friend of mine told me she claimed to be a 'white witch' about a year or two ago, but I didn't know this first hand nor what to do with the information so I posted here and got told it was nonsense by a few real witches.

Anyway today she told me (unsolicited) that she is in fact a witch and had cursed someone neither of us got on with very well, causing them to leave their job.

I didn't know what to say. I learned from here that a proper, decent, real witch wouldn't do anything detrimental with their magic.

So what is she then? And should I avoid her?

TIA for any advice

I think I already know the answer actually.

You are looking at witchcraft through a christian slant.

The idea of good and evil seems to be clear for christians ( although I doubt that) but for the rest of us humans (including witches) life is lived in shades of grey.

"proper, decent, real witch" - I doubt that is the case.

Humans do horrible things, start gossip, spread rumours, say bitchy things on facebook, witches are no different.
Have you never maneouvered to get rid of a bitchy or cruel boss? I know I have- even without witchcraft.

Avoid her if you like.

Hiya. Thanks for replying.

Not sure what makes you think I have a Christian perspective on this?

I don't recall manoeuvring to get rid of anyone tbh.

But I think I understand your point.

I'm not sure if you're asking whether you should avoid her because
She can, and has, cast malicious spells
Or because she's a bit weird for thinking she's a witch who can cast spells.

If the latter then it's perfectly readonable to decide someone claiming to be a witch isn't really your cup of tea, wouldn't be mine either.

If the former then...actually I don't know! Believing someone is a witch is a bit nuts.

Speaking as someone who considers herself a witch ... There are myriad definitions for the word "witch", and recognising someone as a witch really comes down to a matter of opinion - not all witches recognise each other, let alone are recognised by people who have other practices/beliefs.

So, really, what I'm saying is that the term "witch" is not as relevant as making a choice about whether you want to associate with a woman who is happy to curse someone who has pissed her off. To me, it's really no different than someone spreading a rumour or taking part in other kinds of sabotage.

Thanks...it's the second one, ie, should I avoid her for claiming to be or thinking she is a 'witch', and/or for casting 'spells' on someone, which seems pretty abhorrent to me. As much as I dislike some people there is no way I would seek to harm them by occult means or otherwise.

I don't know enough about actual witchcraft, or forgive me, is it known as Wicca? to comment on the legitimacy of someone claiming to be a witch. I'm pretty open minded usually.

No offence intended. I'm ignorant on this topic, so am probably using the wrong terms all over the place. Sorry.

if she has cursed someone, she will get three times worse back, so even if she is a witch she is a bit silly!!

Saying you've cursed someone is a bit of a shitty thing to do. Whether she has the power to or not, its still a shitty thing to do.

I wouldn't want to be in the vicinity of someone who thought she could go around cursing people and causing them actual real harm.

she sounds like a bit of a prat really, don't get why she's bragging about 'cursing' someone.

She's probably not, and saying it for a reaction.

I am a christian so I don't like the idea of her cursing someone she dislikes. dangerous and I would avoid her. I understand about white witches doing good.

I'm not sure. I think she is unfortunate in that she hasn't had a role model who was quite 'ordinary' so she is trying her best but doesn't have a handle on what other people consider normal...iyswim?

I don't dislike her. But there was another thing she said about a man she met and she seems to believe in all sorts of woo, like 'you just know when you meet the one' etc etc (guy had texted her for 5 days, said he loved her, then gone to a new job several thousand miles away, and she is waiting for him )

Oh dear

I just feel sorry for her really, but at the same time, I don't want her to put some kind of curse on me, if I do something that upsets her at some point. Not that I am certain I believe in such things anyway. It's just a bit unsettling.

It would be unsettling whatever she claimed to have done, really, wouldn't it? But the witch thing just adds in a whole other dimension of 'back away slowly'.

Wicca is only one tradition in a great many witchcraft traditions, Rooners - and not all witchcraft is as formal as many Wicca covens. Some practices, like mine, are pretty extemporaneous and personal; others are highly ritualised and group-orientated/hierarchical. Either way, cursing someone isn't limited to a particular practice. We're basically cursing when we swear at someone under our breaths - albeit mostly in a less directed and intentioned way.

and I do like her, really I do. I don't think the same way, is all.

I suppose I am asking, can I still be her friend? Because I don't feel that it's necessary to avoid her completely. We only talk at school really.

I met someone who said they were a witch and had cursed people.

I'm fairly open minded, but I think he was frankly weird. Most of his spells seem to involve public hair!

I went for the "completely avoid" route.

Thank you, Gatewalker...that's an interesting way to look at it. I appreciate your equanimity here as well.

You're welcome, Rooners. I'd go with the most witch-like sense that we all have when it comes to deciding whether you want to be her friend or not: your intuition :)

Sittingatmydeskagain. Did you mean public or pubic?

I wouldn't avoid someone for being a witch and cursing someone because, it's not real is it? I would avoid her for clearly being one nugget short of a happy meal though.

sitting if someone was using public hair i would avoid as well!!

'One nugget short of a happy meal'. Not heard that one before, v funny..!

yes, you say that trapper until someone curses you!

That's a good point - I really didn't think that through.

I suppose if you believe in any "God", then you will believe in some kind of 'Witchcraft' if only even to shun either.

I personally like to choose people I like, rather than what or who they believe in, religious or not. I have friends who are incredibly religious (I'm not at all, but I like them as people). It seems they like me too, even though I don't hold their views.

I also, as Trapper says, would not avoid someone for being a witch - a belief is a belief. As for being a nugget short of a Happy Meal - very funny But you could say that about any religion or belief, couldn't you?

Cursing in any form is not nice, but also not real - it just can't happen, in any form.

I might actually go out of my way to befriend, just to enter into the debate.

yes, you say that trapper until someone curses you!

I've been cursed loads of times (as, I'm sure, have many others) for not buying 'lucky heather'.

I'm still here, alive and kicking, and pretty happy

Not all people who consider themselves witches are Wiccan or believe in karma / things coming back to you threefold or the Wiccan belief in 'doing no harm'.

I wouldnt discount an otherwise nice person because they were a witch. Christians, Jews, Muskims all believe some fairly leftfield things if you think about it. Spell casting is rather like a form of prayer, really.