Hmm.

This post as been in drafts for a long time, because I haven't felt entirely comfortable posting it. It seems like an odd time of year to be thinking on it, too, but there are a myriad of reasons it's at the forefront of my mind. I haven't brought it up before now because I in no way want to make it the primary focus of this blog. But I feel like I ought to come clean about it anyhow.


What's that? "Get on with it?" Alright.


I am an ex witch.


Yes, that's right. I'm living, breathing proof that what you consume in the media can and will affect your spirituality. However, it's not exactly the obvious choice that sent me over the edge. I will admit, years of Harry Potter reading probably primed me to be more receptive to such things, but I will also say I hardly think it's fair to assume J.K. Rowling is deliberately trying to lead children to Satan.


No, the kicker for me came when watching two of the more recent (I say recent, it was about 1999.) Scooby-Doo movies. The newer releases are a far cry from back in the day when everything was given a logical explaination in the end. The first one, Scooby Doo on Zombie Island, featured a pair of solitary women who worshipped a pagan cat god. But even they were bad guys in the end.


Sooby Doo and the Witch's Ghost is probably the single biggest piece of pagan propaganda I have ever seen. There was obviously someone involved in the writing process of both films who has a strong pagan affiliation. The movie, which takes place in a quaint Massachusetts town during the fall, is filled with pro-pagan themes. Of course, we get the requisite Puritain bashing, but there are other things. The distinction is made between "witches" which are evil, and "Wiccans" which are merely kind, misunderstood herb healers who have the power to cast good spells. The conflict is actually resolved by Thorn, one of the female characters, reciting a spell from a book.

It wasn't tremendously popular and was a straight-to-DVD release, so it slid under the controversy radar as far as I know.

Anyway, the summer before seventh grade, a combination of being home by myself in the summer, lax parental controls on the computer, and the power of search engines had me looking at all sorts of things I ought not to.

To be fair, red flags went up immediately. After all, I was raised in a small town and had attended a Christian school, and later a Catholic one. References to "horned gods" certainly had me shaking as I thought of the implications of what I could be doing. Not to mention the so-called "rituals" seemed incredibly hoakey. But time desensitized me to such things, and after enough exposure, I bought my first book.

I won't go into all the details here, but just let me say this. It is a very short trip from dabbling in magic to getting in way, way over your head. It can all seem quaint and cottagey at first, working with herbs and charming wind chimes. And then maybe the unavoidably 80s glamour of standing before a candle flame in flowing black clothing catches you. I'm going to make a strong statement here, so skip over it if you don't think you can handle it, but here it is.

***Begin Statement***

There is real evil in this world. I have seen it, I have touched it, I have heard it speak to me. Witchcraft can start out in such a way as it seems harmless, but it all leads to the same place. It leads, unavoidably, to the Devil. All he wants to do is destroy you. And witchcraft is one of the single fastest ways to bring that about.

***End Statement***

In the end, I would just like to say to any contemplating it that come across this; don't do it. Even when I didn't consider myself a Christian yet, I was terrified of some of the things I had experienced. Witchcraft is the ultimate example of our society's belief that we are accountable to ourselves alone. You are playing with things that you cannot even begin to comprehend, with a purely evil power that dates back millenia. And any book, website, or movie that tries to convince you that your weak, frail, emotional human form can in any way tame and control it is leading you to disaster.

If anyone wants to know more about my personal experiences, or needs to talk about such things, feel free to contact me at thepeachmagnolia@gmail.com.