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An Australian Witch
Meet Lady Raven.
What does it mean to you to be a witch?
An interesting question. Being a witch permeates every cell of my being and my very soul, so when you ask what it means, it is something I can’t intellectualise as it is an integral part of who I am. Although awareness may not come until later in life, and training may be undertaken to develop and bring to light the spark, I hold to the belief that a witch is born, not made. What are your earliest memories of having awareness or sensations or feelings or knowledge you now know are part of being a witch? For as long as I can remember, I have had a strong kinship with nature. I have always felt more at home with the natural world and its creatures rather than the manufactured world of man. Magic (not just stage!) has always intrigued me and as a child I was constantly searching and experimenting to discover how it worked and how I could make it part of my life. If you have a craft or skill or an area of knowledge that is part of being a witch could you tell me about that? I am a seeress and diviner. I specialise in Tarot, Palmistry and Astrology, but I am also an augur. For over 25 years I have been a professional Tarot Consultant. Whilst I understand that many people may hold these skills who not are witches, I regard my work as my vocation and as such, it is offered in service to the Old Ones. How did you discover that skill? Whilst studying Astrology I was fortunate enough to be introduced to a witch who taught me how to read the Tarot. It was another witch who taught me the way of reading hands. Learning both these arts was more like a rediscovery of a hidden skill brought to light, rather than something new learnt from scratch. Have you ever experienced negative attitudes from people who became aware you’re a witch? Sadly yes, and the two most significant occasions that stay in my memory have been when I was involved with psychic fairs and ‘so called’ enlightened people. The first occurred many years ago, when I was working beside a lady at a fair. We were both offering readings and had been chatting over the course of the day when the subject of witches arose, after which she turned her back on me for the rest of the day. The second was earlier this year (2015), when I was speaking to a gentleman about securing a place in his expo. We had all but finalised arrangements, when again the subject of witches arose and I was suddenly told that I would not be welcome. Could you tell me about witches who have influenced you? As my own personal style is a more Traditional/ Old Craft one, my influences are the witches who practise that way. They include Gemma Gary, Melusine Draco, Robin Artisson and the late A R Clay - Egerton, Robert Cochrane and Nick Ridge. Many witches use ritual to approach the sacred and or achieve particular goals, could you tell me about your approach to and use of ritual? In keeping with my practise, I tend to be quite spontaneous, taking very much an ‘in the open, using what’s to hand and speaking from the heart’ approach rather than a formal one. That said, there are times when I do adopt a more structured ritual approach, however I believe that what is most important is sincerity and my connection with the Old Ones. They know and They hear; ritual after all is a human construct. Have you bee through a formal training process or initiation into a tradition? I have been initiated into the three degrees of Wicca, and also into a Traditional Craft stream. There are a lot of myths and stereotypes about witches, are there any that hold any truth for you? I try not to buy into myths or stereotypes, however I am not a great believer in ‘black or white’ witches. To me a witch is a witch, power is power and the application of such is up to the individual’s own moral code. At the end of the day a witch must be able to take full responsibility for her/his own actions and be prepared for the consequences of any work that is undertaken (be it for good or ill.) What advice would you give to people finding their ways as witches? Know yourself and your motivations. Understand what draws you to the path, and be aware that pursuing it will require patience, fortitude and much hard work. It is a crooked path that challenges as much as it rewards. Learn from those you will, including from books or the net, but be discerning and question much. Be brave enough to experiment, yet always be respectful. And know that ultimately, your greatest teachers and initiators will be the Old Ones, and it is to Them that you will pledge your greatest allegiance, well above any human intermediaries. Content on this page is coordinated by Cara. Last updated Aug 2015.
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