Witches Under Empire: What it Means to Be a Witch In "Trump's America"

Written By Jaliessa Sipress

Just the thought of merely existing  in “Trump’s America” may seem like some treacherous shadow-work; consistently being pushed to face our worst fears and darkest conceptions of this world while trying to maintain a sense of self and focus on the light.

Most likely, that is exactly what we are stepping into.

With the erasure of pages on the new government’s website that previously acknowledged issues of climate change, LGBT rights and Civil Rights, Trump’s confirmed misogynistic comments regarding sexual assault, and his right-wing stances on police terror, abortion rights and immigration issues, there is definitely cause for alarm.

However, working with shadows and lighting a candle in the dark is what we do best, and the postcolonial (or continuing colonial) world has never welcomed the hard and necessary work witches have engaged in for centuries, so what is new now? Despite the new US President’s nationalistic sentiment (or possibly in exact alignment with the era he is referring to within it) America has never been great. For those of us living on the margins of race, class, gender, spirituality, sexuality and disability, our precious work has historically been violently persecuted and left to the shadows.

So, do not fret my dear witches, a Trump-inauguration is a mere practice in veil-lifting, another opportunity to practice seeing in the dark, and revealing our political and social climate for what it really is only makes our work that much more important

Just as we would practice healthy boundaries with the powers we cannot see while spell-casting or engaging in spirit-communication, we must form a relationship with strict boundaries to this new force that is the Presidency of Donald Trump. To do this, it serves us to remember three things:

• The work we do at home in solitude must echo the work we do in the presence of others

• A witch’s power lies in being unafraid of the unknown

• A concentration on fear attracts things to be scared of

To begin, I must acknowledge that secrets made and secrets kept in personal ritual are of the utmost of importance, and their existence as secrets is sacred. Additionally, to keep the people and politics you protect when you step foot on the streets also within your private practices is crucial. Private here means altar space, home space, and sacred spaces you frequently inhabit for safety and light. To keep your politics here is to be conscientious of whose practices, rituals, symbols, words and imagery you use, to keep a candle burning for the people you cannot reach, and to center self-healing around the idea that the healing you do is not just for you, but for the people that need you and for the people who have come before you.

Second, the uncertainty and unpredictability of Trump and his cabinet that may feel daunting and scary for us is really his fall and not ours. Witches stay ready. A predominant part of witchcraft is completely based within “the unknown.” We communicate with things we cannot see or are told have no vocabulary. We know how to improvise, to work with flowers and weeds and how to heal ourselves and oftentimes others. The epitome of being a witch is the knowledge of the earth’s force, an awareness of the changing seasons, positions of the stars and the knowledge of our own and other witches’ power. There is a steadiness to knowing that you are learning to master a presence that lies beyond what we can see and touch, because a capitalist society can only touch the tangible, only mess with the material, and can never understand or consume the power of the witch.

And that is why we are feared.

Most people are terrified of what they cannot see, what is not “scientifically proven” and what they have never been told is okay to explore. Our defiance of letting fear immobilize us is a huge part of our job description. Our persecution is and was based on the fact that we mess with things that other humans are too scared to touch. So, what happens when the witches are scared? What happens when we use the same power we use to manifest, heal and conjure to fear what is to come? It becomes no different from calling on Aunt Milly from our salt circle; we invite the object of our focus into our space, into existence.

During this term of election, there must be an embracing of fear and willingness to carry on with our confidence, knowledge and strong sense of solidarity leading the way. We need each other now the way we have always needed one another, the way we have always needed care and attention and the way we have always needed to perfect what we do and know best. Every person has a place, and to investigate your larger contribution to the world at this time is crucial. I know herbalist witches, astrologer witches, sex witches, hood witches, good witches, bad witches, shadow workers, wortcunners, rune throwers, conjurers, psychics, angel beings, light-bearers, medicine people, community healers and everything in between. This diverse set of knowledge is priceless in the face of hegemonic structures that seek to bury us and our history. Whatever kind of witch, warlock, regular schmegular bitch or magical star being you are, you and your power matter and we have got to keep moving, shaking, laughing, whispering, conjuring, kicking, screaming, growing, learning and loving in the face of this age-old regime with a new face. We will always hold the power as long as we recognize what we all bring to the table and figure out how to use these powers to resist.

So, gather with your coven to bottle tinctures with intentions of sustaining the resistance through Reishi mushrooms, skullcap and yarrow. Host gatherings teaching the history of the crossover between radical witchcraft and community organizing. Continue to defend the Earth, question the government and fight like hell for causes of the living while keeping your fire lit with the rage of the dead. We are here on this earth, at this time for a reason. So, whether you were born into a coven or you just stumbled upon witchcraft, you have been given the task of protecting what is sacred.

To be a witch is to reclaim the power of connecting with our bodies, our spirit and the earth and  in ungovernable ways, to create paths towards a more regenerative, sustainable society through channeling our ancestors and wisdom from other realms. A man barking orders and spewing hate from a position of socially-constructed power is no match for the power of the people when guided by light, ancestral wisdom and unwavering solidarity. It is our job to carry the legacy, to stand amongst the crowds with rose quartz and motherwort tincture in our pockets, bundles of cedar burning in our hands, holding the match when it is time to burn it all down.

The Shiny Squirrel interviews The Hoodwitch

Jessica Goldfond the founder of The Shiny Squirrel a New York PR company that specializes in emerging designers sat down with owner and creative director Bri Luna for a recent interview. she discusses tarot spreads, ghost photography and more! 

Read on The Shiny Squirrel >

Coming Back To Life: Healing Through Crisis With Ritual + Action

"Overcome any bitterness that may have come because you were not up to the magnitude of the pain that was entrusted to you. like the Mother of the world, who carries the pain of the world in her heart, each one of us is part of her heart, and therefore endowed with a certain measure of cosmic pain. You are sharing in the totality of that pain. You are called upon to meet it in joy- instead of self pity" - Sufi Saying

In the wake of more violent tragedies that have taken place in the United States,  many of our readers have reached out to us for healing and energetic empowerment. The bombarding of graphic video content, the relentless media headlines,  the racism and the chaos all becomes too heavy to hold. What we need now is healing: How can we help each other in time of crisis? is it through creating meaningful ritual? by protesting in the streets? or is donating money to just causes working towards the prevention of murder and the advancement of POC? we can't give you any of those answers, because only YOU can decide where to begin to make those changes.

The Zen Poet Thich Nhat Hanh asked "What do we need to do to save our world?" his questioners expected him to identify the best strategies to peruse in social and environmental action, but Thich Nhat Hanh's answer was this: "What we most need to do is to hear within us the sound of the Earth crying."

Healing starts within each and every one of us. "In despair work, we learn to uncover our pain for the world and we honor it." Says Author's Joanna Macy & Molly Young Of "Coming Back to life: practices to reconnect our lives, Our world"  How can we do this?

• Acknowledging our pain for the world (verbally or silently)
• Validating it as a wholesome response to the present crisis
• letting ourselves experience this pain
• being able to express it to others
• recognizing how widely it is shared by others
• and recognizing that it is NOT "crazy" bu that it springs from our caring and connectedness.

GROUNDING & PROTECTION: A Visualization Exercise

To ground yourself: Visualize a ball of white energy inside the top of your head. This ball of energy is going to move down right through your body, as it moves down it collects all the negative energy that your body and your aura is already holding. So imagine that the ball of energy is like a magnet.

Move that ball of energy down through your head and into your neck. Gather all the negative energy to that magnetic ball of energy. Continue the energy down through the upper body, and into the lower body, absorbing the negative energy as the energy ball moves downwards. Into the legs and down into the feet. When the energy reaches the feet, you visualize roots growing deep into the earth. The negative energy is then going to be discharged into the earth where it will be neutralized.

Once all the negativity has been released, grow the roots further downwards, or outwards. Then from these roots draw up white or silver energy from Mother earth. Draw the white energy up through the roots and into the soles of your feet. Visualize that pure white energy moving up through your legs and into the lower body. Moving upwards to the upper body, then into the neck and head. Ask then that the energy be used in whatever part of your body, mind or aura that the energy is needed.

If you are feeling particularly vulnerable and need extra protection, Utilize this cleansing aura bath that can be practiced once a week, or daily. 

Quick Fix Aura Protection Bath

You will need: 

• 30-40 minutes of undisturbed time for yourself.
• bathtub
• 2 cups of sea salt
• 2 cups of White vinegar Or Apple or Lemon Vinegar

This is the easiest aura cleansing bath of all. Toss the ingredients into a tub of warm water and relax. Focus on releasing any negative thoughts into the water. You should allow yourself time to soak in the warm water for at least 30 minutes, and to allow the water from the tub to drain completely as you envision any negativity swirling down the drain and out of your bodies energetic fields . This recipe iscompletely effective as is, but feel free to add essential oils or herbs of your choice.

Overwhelming Anger Bath

This bath should be used when our own rage overwhelms us and we need time to relax and re- focus.

You will need: 

• A Bathtub
• Chammomile
• Catnip
• Lavender
• 4 drops of cherry plum flower essence (Bach, Healing herbs, Pegasus)

Use either herbs or essential oils for this ritual bath. Whatever you have on hand or whichever you find the most soothing.

1. if you're using herbs make an infusion using a fistful of each herb and add it to your bath.
2. If you're too overwhelmed to go out and buy herbs, you may alternatively use 3 drops of the essential oilsin your bath. Essential oil of catnip exist it's just marked sometimes with different names (i.e French Marjoram, catmint, mountain balm, or nepeta) do not use this during pregnancy, and if you can't find it, just leave it out the recipe or supplement with any of the suggested protective herbs on our list.
3.   Place the cherry plum drops under you tongue, or rub them into your forehead. these can be purchased at any health food orspecialty store including Co-Op.
4. You can add cherry plum drop into spring water in a spray bottle to keep on you and to cool yourself off.

• Protective Herbs & Essential oils: Rosemary, Frankincense, Lavender, Sandal wood, Clove, Ylang Ylang, and basil.

• Gems: Black Tourmaline, Obsidian, Onyx, Smoky Quartz, Hematite.

• Donate

Issa Rae of Inglewood, CA created the "Justice For Alton Sterling family scholarship" Where ALL of the funds raised will be donated to ll of Alton's 5 children.

There is also a fund for the family of Philando Castile, the young man who was shot and killed by police in front of his partner, and 4 year old child in a traffic stop. The Philando Castile Fund

• Get Involved

NAACP LDF: Donate to the NAACP legal defense and education fund.

ACLU: American Civil liberties union

Start Your Own Healing Circle

Written by S. Wolf

Whether you're practicing by yourself or with a group of healers, the main process for setting a circle is the same. It can be as elaborate as you'd like, or as simple. Don't underestimate the simplistic, it's often the more comfortable and therefore can be most successful.

You'll need a few supplies.

•  Incense or smudge sticks

• Make sure no one has allergies first. I prefer to use a sage and cedar smudge stick.

• A green or white candle.

• It can be any color of green you choose, but it should be a little larger than a votive candle.

• Something to light them with

• Something to safely put them in

• An Ipod, CD player and healing music to provide some soothing to help drown out outside noises and distractions.you may even take this a step further and incorporate singing bowls.

• A list of those who have requested healing.

• The list should have the person's name, their location (city, state, country) and ailment or need for healing.

 You can read the names and conduct healing on each person individually. You can have each person and their ailment listed on individual pieces of paper and everyone in the circle takes a person to focus their healing on. Or you can focus on the entire list as a whole group. But decide what you're going to do, before you enter the circle.

The Circle

A healing circle is typically set in a specific diameter.

• If you are alone, you'd set your circle about 3ft in diameter.

• If you have a small group, you may want to set the circle 6ft in diameter.

• If you have a larger crowd, a 9ft diameter would be used.

• If you have a large enough crowd, you'd simply add 3ft to your circle to accommodate the number of people who have come to participate; 12ft, 15ft and so on.

The circle can be made on the floor with rope made of natural fibers, such as cotton rope. Or it can be outlined with chairs. Wooden chairs are best, but if what you have available to you are metal folding chairs, then by all means go ahead and use them. None of this is written in stone. But when you lay out the circle, leave a small entry into the circle resting in the north side.

Before anyone arrives, enter the circle from the north. Stand in the center and face the north. Then light the incense stick. Hold it out in front of you and move in a clockwise direction saying a prayer to your form of the Divine and ask for clearing, cleansing and divine protection in this circle.

You can replace any of this with the labels you feel more comfortable with. For instance, The Great Spirits which is the label I give to the divine force in my beliefs. You might prefer to use God, Jesus, Goddess, Abraham, Buddha or some other name for your beliefs. The point is to choose the label that feels most comfortable to you and your healing partners.

For instance I might say:

Great Spirits, I ask for your help to clear and cleanse this space for our gathering to provide healing to those in need. To send your love, energy and protection to bless our work and empower our working with your divine light and energy. So Mote It Be.

If your circle is large, you might want to start in the center of the circle, then move outward until you have encompassed the entire space with your incense. You want to move around the circle in a clockwise direction. Just make sure you stop in the same direction as you started so you are sealing the energy.

If your circle is large enough to set a small table in the center, that would be a perfect place to safely set your incense and the green candle, along with the matches. Word of advice, make sure the table is sturdy and can take a little knock of someone accidentally bumps into it. Nothing can ruin a circle more quickly than an unexpected accident. So TV trays, and talk decorative tables usually don't work well.

Conducting A Circle For Healing

There are many ways to conduct the mechanics of a healing circle. The following method is one I like to use and is based on a circle I attended at the Edgar Cayce Institute many years ago. You can use this method verbatim, or use it to inspire your own process. This method can be performed by one person, or a group of people. It's very flexible and effective for any number of healers.

When your healing partners arrive, keep everyone out of the circle until you're ready to sit down and focus. When you are ready, turn on the music to a comfortable volume. You don't want it so low that you can't hear it and it becomes distracting. You don't want it so loud that it over shadows the person who will be leading the healing visualization. So check with your guests and make sure everyone is comfortable with the volume.

Now you and your healing partners can enter the circle from the north. Enter in single file and move clockwise around the circle until everyone is standing before a chair. When the last person enters, arrange the chairs so you're closing the entryway of the circle.

Before everyone sits down, one of you should light thecandle and as you do everyone should say a prayer to the Divine asking for help and guidance in performing the healings that are about to take place. You can pre-write the prayer, or say it off the cuff. But this is an important step to bring everyone’s focus to the work at hand. Prayer said, have a seat.

Technically, this method to raise energy is called a "Cone of Power". Through this method you will connect with your healing partners, center your energy, and direct the divine, loving healing energy out to those on your list.

You can write your own visualization script, or just use the following. Just make sure you and your healing partners are comfortable with what you're saying and doing in this visualization.

• Everyone close their eyes and place their hands, palms up, in their lap.

• See a light of love, a pink light, coming from your heart and moving to the center of the circle and the flame of the candle.

• There our energies join together and rise up, gently swirling together in a clockwise motion like a giant spiral column.

• As it joins together and rises visualize the light slowly changing color to a beautiful crisp and clear dark green. Like a clear emerald gemstone.

• Everyone see this loving healing energy move up and through the roof of this building and quickly travel to (the location of the 1st person on your list).

• Visualize this light finding (state the person's name) and providing healing for (state their ailment).

• See (state the person's name) basking in the love and healing sent to them by this circle and the Great Spirits. See this energy fighting the disease that has attacked their body and returning them to good health.

• Visualize in detail the green healing energy consuming the atoms of the disease and destroying it forever.

Continue the visualization for about 1 full minute. Depending on the ailment you may want to hold this visualization for 2 minutes or longer. When you're ready continue with the following.

• We give thanks to the Great Spirits and offer prayers of health and strength to (state the person's name).

• We release the energy to them and see our love and healing light return to our humble circle and the light of our healing candle.

• We know that the Great Spirits will continue to light their way as long as needed, as we move our divine healing energy to (state the next location).

• We watch our love and healing light travel once again through the roof of this building and to (state the name of the next person on your list) to provide healing for (state their ailment).

From this point you just keeping performing these steps until you get through your list. When completed your healing work, you will need to bring the energy back to the healers, close the energy and the circle.

• Everyone see the healing light gently fall into the flame of the candle before us.

• Now we see the light of love and healing release it's connection of unity and gently travel from the flame back to our own heart and bodies.

• We welcome the healing and love we shared with each other, and see it replenish our own energies so we feel refreshed and revitalized and full of energy.

• We give thanks to the Great Spirits and to all those who came here today to assist in these special spiritual healings. We share our joy and love with each other as we close our healing circle.

• Many Blessings to all - So Mote It Be.

• You could also say - Peace be with you all, Amen.

• Everyone open their eyes and have a good stretch.

At this point you can remain in the circle and share your experiences. Or you can leave the circle.

Clearing The Circle

When you're ready to leave, everyone should rise at the same time. In a single line follow each other out in a clockwise direction and exist to the north in the same location you entered. If possible leave the candle burning; as long as it will be safe to do so. Once everyone is outside the circle you can move the chairs and take down the circle. Move the candle to a safer location if you need to.

it's also a good idea to have some healthy snacks after this kind of healing gathering. For some people sending out this kind of energy can drain them. Getting a little snack helps to revive everyone and it's also a good time to share with each other.

Finally, it's always a good idea for people to keep a log of their workings. Even in group situations, there can be a lot of information written and shared for future workings. It's also a good idea to record the names of those who were sent energy, including their location and ailment. So here are some things you might want to keep in your log.

• The date and time the healing circle began and ended.

• The weather (yes it can be an important bit of info).

• The names of the healers who attended.

• Count them up and record the number of healers.

• The structure of the circle. How was it set and what items were used.

• Did you use rope to create the circle, or chairs? Was the rope made of natural fibers, were the chairs metal or wood? Describe your circle.

• Record the names, locations and ailments from the list.

• If you remained in the circle and shared your experiences, you might also enter descriptions or summaries of those as well.

• Sometimes people will receive feelings or visions about the person they're healing. It's a good idea to record these and refer back to them when you learn about the condition of the person in the healing. Often times you will hear back from people who know you were scheduled to send them healing energy.

• Finally record any additional happenings after the healing circle was closed.

• This might be something you go back to the next day, or before the next healing circle session.

Moving Forward

While we can't live in a bubble to protect us from the atrocities of the world, we CAN protect ourselves and our energy. It is ESSENTIAL that we care for our minds & bodies on the physical plane during these triggering and often confusing times. For those who want more solid answers on how we can "fix" the problem , there is no one size- fits all answer. We are just like you,  doing the best we can. These are steps that we can all take towards healing ourselves, reclaiming our personal power and healing our communities. Sending peace, wellness, and love to everyone in need.

"It's Ok if all you did today was survive"

-Unknown