From a pretty lady whom I know, who is a great attorney, author, orator, and does more than her share for the Pagan community. We love it when she graces our presence at gatherings, and hope she comes to more! This happens to be a timely piece...

Witches Take Offense

Chat with Attorney and Practicing Witch Phyllis Curott

Does the blockbuster horror flick The Blair Witch Project put real-life Witches at risk?

Many people think Witches only exist in fairy tales. But the truth is that Witches, also known as Wiccans, are practitioners of a Pagan religion that predates Christianity.

Join us tonight for a live chat with Phyllis Curott, an Ivy League-educated attorney and practicing Witch. She's the founder of one of the largest Wiccan congregations in the U.S. and author of The Book of Shadows: A Modern Woman's Journey into the Wisdom of Witchcraft and the Magic of the Goddess.

Curott's latest mission is to correct the misrepresentation of Witches in the film The Blair Witch Project. "We have already seen an increase in misunderstanding and antagonism toward Witchcraft as a result of this movie," says Curott, who is presently negotiating with the film's distributors.

Moderator at 3:32pm ET
Does the blockbuster flick The Blair Witch Project put real-life Witches at risk? Join us for a chat with attorney and practicing Witch Phyllis Curott tonight at 9 p.m. ET. You can send in questions for her now. (Keep in mind that you won't see your messages until the moderator posts them).

Moderator at 8:49pm ET
Phyllis Curott joins us shortly. Please keep your questions short -- 150 words or less. Thanks. We'll start soon.

Moderator at 9:01pm ET
Phyllis Curott now joins us. Welcome to the chat! Why did you decide to become a Witch and how would you sum up the belief of Wicca?

Phyllis Curott at 9:04pm ET
I think that there's a Witch in absolutely everybody. People find their way to the old religion of the Goddess by many paths. I described the magical circumstances that led to my meeting a coven of Witches in New York City in my book Book of Shadows. It was the last place in the world I would have ever imagined I'd find myself. It turned out to be the most fascinating place, that opened the real world of magic to me.

Phyllis Curott at 9:06pm ET
Contemporary Wicca (Witchcraft) is not a belief system. It's a system of practices -- some ancient, others modern. Their purpose is to enable you to take off the blindfold and see the sacred in yourself, in others and the world around you; to make a connection to that divine energy and to transform your life with it. It's very similar in many ways to Native American spirituality. It is an Earth religion and through the practices we come to experience the divine as everywhere present in the world.

Joanna, at 9:07pm ET
Do people in your town/city know that you are a Witch? Does it affect your clients?

Phyllis Curott at 9:09pm ET
I have been a very public witch for the last 10 years of the 20 years that I've been practicing. Lots of people now know that I'm a witch. I'll give you an example: I was out at my country house and had a wonderful conversation with the head librarian of a rural library who wanted to tell me all about a very magical dream that she had, in which I played a prominent role. The entire staff gathered round as we discussed her dream. Certainly ther are many, many people who don't understand what this is about and are mistakenly frightened. In fact, on my book tour I did receive quite a number of threats. But my experience has been that when people discover what this is really all about, they're completely fascinated.

Phyllis Curott at 9:12pm ET
As far as being a Witch and a lawyer is concerned, I like to joke that the lawyer is the dark side. But in all seriousness, I began my career as a civil liberties lawyer, fighting for social justice -- fighting organized crime in trade unions. Now, 20 years later, I'm using my skills as an attorney to fight for the rights of Witches. I also have a traditional law practice and it is certainly true that I did lose some of
my older, more conservative, male clients. But I gained many more clients, many of them women. But my great love is writing, lecturing and teaching.

Matriarch, at 9:12pm ET
Hello Phyllis, I wanted to know how you can find Witches in your local area. I am very interested in practicing Wicca, but don't know how to get started.

Phyllis Curott at 9:15pm ET
Great question. There are lots of public groups now. One way is on bulletin board of local book stores. The other way is through the Internet. One of the best sites to learn about Witchcraft is "witchvox.com". There's also my Web site, "bookofshadows.net" and I have a wonderful resource list at the back of Book of Shadows which lists organizations, newsletters and Web sites through which local groups can be contacted. Lots of universities also have groups.

Webster, at 9:16pm ET
Hi Phyllis . .I'm a man who has read your book and who thoroughly enjoyed it. You are obviously acting from your heart in this Blair business. Is it satisfying to be making a difference?

Phyllis Curott at 9:18pm ET
I hope I'm making a difference. Only time will tell. And yes, it's a great challenge and can be very frustrating at times. But it's also the most rewarding thing that I could imagine doing. This is a very personal and satisfying spiritual practice that holds answers that we desperately need right now to the problems we face. It's an incredible set of tools that I want the world to have. Thanks for the question.

Christian Soldier, at 9:19pm ET
How do you respond to the condemnation of Witchcraft in the Bible? Since it is the absolute truth, you cannot possibly challenge it.

Phyllis Curott at 9:22pm ET
Oh Christian Soldier! You militarist, you! There are many paths to the divine. The Bible is but one. If it teaches you compassion, tolerance and love of your neighbor, then you are practicing your religion and I praise you. If you are using your Bible as a platform for intolerance, anger you are not practicing your religion and I grieve for you. As far as the reference with regard to the Biblical condemnation of witchcraft, it is a mistranslation on the part of King James which was done for very political purposes. The original Hebrew word was in fact poisoner.

Katia, at 9:22pm ET
How popular is Wicca? About how many Witches do you think are out there?

Phyllis Curott at 9:25pm ET
According to a number of academic studies, Witchcraft and Goddess spirituality -- which is a broader category in which Witchcraft falls -- are the fastest-growing spiritual practices in the U.S. today. Based on those studies, number of practitioners is between 3 and 5 million. This does not include Taoists, Hindus, Native Americans and others with whom we have much in common.

MoonSilver, at 9:26pm ET
Hi, I've been Wiccan for over 10 years, and recently moved to Alabama. Never before I got here have I been hassled by people of other religions. How do you deal with the hostility?

Phyllis Curott at 9:30pm ET
The first thing you have to do is make friends and allies. You should check out the Unitarian Church and probably become a member. You need to look for similar places of community. The Internet is a wonderful tool to help you find folks (other Wiccans) in your area. You have to behave in a way that's sensible, given where you are. That may require you to be more discreet about your worship until the climate changes. But it is changing every day -- tremendously. I did an interview in Biloxi today -- they were terrific; Baton Rouge last week, also terrific. Stay in touch. You need to know you have a network of support no matter what happens. Hopefully people will judge you by who you are, not just by your religion. As friends and neighbors come to know you, they'll come to accept your religion. That's an important way in which we make huge changes at a personal level.

James, at 9:31pm ET
Miss Curott, was it hard for you to "come out" as a Witch, at first?

Phyllis Curott at 9:33pm ET
I made myself sick I was so nervous about it. I decided to go public and -- Poof! -- there was a reporter who wanted to write a story right away. But coming out of the broom closet has meant freedom, empowerment. A Witch cannot live in fear. When you face your fears, you'll find the other side is freedom.

ShadowMoon, at 9:34pm ET
Why all this fuss over the Blair Witch, instead of focusing on more dire issues of discrimination? I don't see why this film is so offensive when we have so many other problems.

Phyllis Curott at 9:37pm ET
I am very attentive to dire problems. I spend a big part of my day dealing with all kinds of dire problems! Why am I trying to get a disclaimer attached to the Blair Witch Project? Very simple. The movie exploits and reinforce the negative stereotype of the Witch as an evil murderer. We all grew up with that stereotype -- Hansel and Gretel and Shakespeare, and now, The Blair Witch Project. Stereotypes that make people afraid have the potential of leading to violence and oppression -- and so they have to be fought. The only way that we're going to change the stereotypes about Witches is by standing up and saying, "No more." It's not hard to understand. If you simply put any other religion in place of the word Witch and you branded that religion with the same stereotype of being murderous and evil, you'd see right away how offensive that would be, and there would be an outcry -- not just from the practitioners, but from everyone.

Aurora, at 9:38pm ET
Why do you think Hollywood and television shows have gone haywire for Witches? And don't some of the inaccuracies they portray perpetuate stereotypes?

Phyllis Curott at 9:43pm ET
I think Hollywood is very sensitive to where the audience is. They're creating product that reflects what's happening at the grass roots -- they're responding to the market. They know there's an audience. And, in fact, ratings are huge. Teenage girls and young women who are a big part of this market share have found the Goddess! And that is very empowering and liberating. With regard to the old stereotypes that we're still seeing -- i.e. that only women are Witches, that they have supernatural powers -- that's just what they are: stereotypes. And that's frustrating. But on the positive side, which is important, these shows (Charmed, Sabrina, Willow on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Practical Magic) are showing witches as good, as strong and independent young women who use their power to help people, who show them working together. All of those are steps in the right direction.

Alan, at 9:44pm ET
Can you put a hex on my boss?

Phyllis Curott at 9:46pm ET
No. We don't hex. But if you get Book of Shadows you'll find how I dealt with my evil boss. There's a very effective protection, banishing and binding which you may do.

Joanna, at 9:46pm ET
Do you (you personally, not all Wiccans) believe in ghosts/spirits?

Phyllis Curott at 9:47pm ET
Interesting question. I'll be dealing with those spirits in my second book. I've had some extraordinary experiences.

Brigid H., at 9:47pm ET
I'm curious to know how many men practice Goddess Spirituality?

Phyllis Curott at 9:48pm ET
It varies, depending on where you are and which tradition you're in. But overall, men make up about 25-40% of all Witches. And those numbers are growing every day.

Mike from [206.245.181.219], at 9:48pm ET
What do you do that makes you a Witch? What I mean is, do you mix magic potions and cast spells on people? All I know about Witches is from that show in the 60's called "Bewitched".

Phyllis Curott at 9:52pm ET
There's a lot more to magic and being a Witch than casting spells and making potions. The real magic that Witches are concerned with flows from our connection to the divine. The word witch in Old English means "wise one" or shaman. Our spiritual practices are very similar to those of many Native Americans. The easiest way to describe it would be different kinds of active meditations done in the presence of nature through which we become connected or experience communion with the divine. Having done that, your life becomes incredibly magical. So our work is really not about commanding, controlling and manipulating -- the stereotypical image -- but about consciousness, communion, and transformation.

Sig, at 9:54pm ET
What do you think Wiccans can do to combat misinformation about the Wicca Craft?

Phyllis Curott at 9:59pm ET
Everything they possibly can! People need to be who they are. The first step is to come out with those with whom you're most intimate. Through personal contact with you, stereotypical ideas that others may have will be transformed. There's a tremendous amount that can be accomplished at a very personal level. The second way is to be active and vocal when stereotypes are presented in the media. Write down to protesting a soap opera's repeated use of the word "witch" when really they mean "bitch." Write letter, speak out, join Wiccan organizations. If you have an interest in doing interfaith work, working with members of other faith traditions in your community will go a long way toward transforming negative stereotypes. Bottom line: Be who you are. Understand how important what you know is to the rest of the world. Be willing to share it. And never, ever be afraid to stick up for your rights. Things will change. We have a great wisdom that the world desperately needs right now.

Moderator at 10:04pm ET
What does a real Witch do on Halloween? And how do you really dress when you are in full Witch regalia?

Phyllis Curott at 10:06pm ET
I'm cackling ... I love it. Full Witch regalia for me tends to be a really good-fitting pair of blue jeans, a Gap t-shirt and some stylish Joan & David boots. It's not what you look like on the outside, it's what's going on in the inside. Keep it simple, keep it clean. My real preference for ceremonial garb is a nice Georgio Armani when I can get it! I prefer gowns, for rituals --
I've made many of them myself because you can imbue the gown with your own energy by making it yourself. But it's not about wardrobe. It's about what's going on in your
heart and soul.

Phyllis Curott at 10:10pm ET
We generally refer to Halloween as Samhain (the Celtic New Year -- the very magical moment when the door between the worlds opened). It is a very sacred holiday for us, when we honor our ancestors and visit with their spirits. It is the beginning of the dream time, when nothing grows and the earth is still and we enter the sacred space between the worlds to seek visions that will guide us in the coming year.

The stereotypical Witch outfits are all deteriorated remnants of this older, more profound experience of mystery at this time of year.

Moderator at 10:10pm ET
Thank you for joining us today. Any closing comments?

Phyllis Curott at 10:11pm ET
If you have any further questions, please contact me at the web site(www.bookofshadows.net). You may find some of the answers to your questions in Book of Shadows as well.

-----------------------------------------

Thanks Phyllis!

Bright Blessings,

Carlo

Thank you Carlo, that was wonderful and informative!

------------------
Peace be with you all,

Laura Elizabeth

Carlo, That was great!! Phyllis sounds so wonderful and a true leader in the spiritual community. I do like how she fielded the one negative comment, that was so tactful, and true!!! Blessings.
Galadriel

!!! !!!

Dear Carlo,
This is so great! I loved reading what Phyllis had to say, she's so cool! Thanks
Lots of Love
Seamistress

I just wanted to post this as I got the news this morning from one of my digests. Doreen Valiente passed away, may she enjoy being in the Arms of the Goddess! I just find it unbelievable since she is one of the founders of the modern practice....she was one amazing lady.
Blessings and love,
Galadriel

Okay, hi and welcome Laureli!
I glanced briefly at your page and I'll go back after I get done here, I did bookmark it. So far it looks really cool. We are neighbors sort of, I'm in SoHo...MM!
Could you please explain for me what exactly faery wicca is?? I have heard of it but would like to know from someone who is one.
I'm an eclectic solitary myself.
I will email you with some other web page questions I have but I thought this was a good topic for discussion here.
Blessings!
Gal

PS! For anyone interested, I did put up my Magical Potpourri and Spiritual Resouces pages finally, you can reach them through the Spirituality Introduction page, and I put a link to Linda Land there, with a quote I found that I love, but I never did find the one I was looking for, LoL!
Gal

Galadrial(Elven Queen):

I like Tolkein too. Faery Wicca is Irish Folk Magic taken from the Tuatha Du Danaan. Since I am of Irish ancestry it seemed a natural choice. The Tuatha Du Danaan were supposedly the first inhabitants of Ireland. A few years ago I started reading the works of Kisma Stepanich. After studing eclectic Wicca for ten years it was the perfect road for me to take. I recently purchased a book called the Celtic Oracle which describes different symbolism (totems)one follows during different stages of ones life.

What tradition if any do you study?

Love Laureli

GREETINGS

Hi Gali - Did you say that Doreen Valiente has crossed over ??? So sad, at least on one level, the mortal/mundane one

Much Love
essence

Yes Lady Essence *hugs* very sad. Like I said I was reading my Woman Spirit Digest and
they had the info on it. Good to see you, I missed this place the last couple of days!
I just want to put this on here for anyone interested, I am looking for submissions for my Magical Potpourri page. It could be anything, recipies, herbal lore, candle magick, your favourite celebrations or meditations, spells, anything! So send me
an email if you've got something you'd like me to put up. Oh and poetry, too. Fairy magick and friends. You get the idea.
Laureli, I am a bit of an eclectic. I gather information from several sources and put it all together for my own practices, which is why I guess I'm still a solitary. I have found Sisterhood of Avalon, which very nearly incorporates all the ideas, values and practices I hold true for myself, but I am always learning and looking for more info.
Does anyone want to share more about their particular traditions and beliefs ? I do think this would be an interesting topic for this thread.
Blessings,
Gal

HUGS to GALI

Much LOVE
essence

p.s. - did I ever get to tell ya, that I did visit your site but for some reason, was unable to sign your guest book ??? WELL, it was SO BEAUTIFUL !!! !!!

Greetings,

Can someone tell me please, how is it that spells work?????? I don't understand the mechanics of it.

Many thanks,
Annie

WHITE WITCHES IN IRELAND

Knowflakes, I thought you might find this interesting. it's an article from "The Irish Times" about an irish white witch whose "images or visions come to her only when she is in a totally relaxed state - for instance, when she is dreaming." full text follows . . .

"Witch of Cobh says she foresaw the death of Diana"

Why did the Princess of Wales go to her grave when happiness seemed finally to have found her? A woman in Cobh, Co Cork, is convinced she knows the answer to what those speculating on the matter are inclined
to think may be a murky business. The woman in question is Ms Helen Barrett and she is a "white witch".

She lives under the dominating steeple of Cobh Cathedral. She is a fifth-generation witch, one of 3,500 white witches in Ireland. Only one witch, who lives in Co Kerry, outranks her. Her name remains a
secret(that is her wish) but she is in her 80s and is known to those in the confraternity of witches as "An Óige".

The females of the group are witches and the males are wizards. They are the opposite to those who dwell on the side of darkness, practising other things.

What do white witches do? They can, Ms Barrett claims, summon up the forces of light to change a person's destiny. They can tell fortunes, do astral projections - better known as out-of-body experiences - and they have mastery over the elements, such as the ability to whistle up the wind. They like to think of themselves as being in the same mould as Mary Poppins.

Ms Barrett says she was born to lead and to become the all-Ireland leader of the white witches when "An Óige" passes on. She says her leadership qualities were manifested at birth, when she was found to have a particular feature on her palm. It was a set of parallel lines with crossing strokes -a ladder.

So it was written then, she says, that in her life she would take the steps that would lead to her assuming An Óige's role. She is already the leader of the Council of Elders. The number of white witches does not vary. When one of their number dies, only then is another allowed to join. Extensive study and training are required before a witch can
claim to have "qualified".

But back to Diana. Some five years ago, Ms Barrett said, a friend remarked to her that the princess was very beautiful. But she was
compelled to reply that Diana would die tragically in a car crash. Then, a month before her death, Ms Barrett had an out-of-body experience in which she saw the princess, the crash, the news reports, the military procession, two separate coffins, Diana and Dodi going into the Ritz Hotel in Paris.

A news broadcast on Sky television said Diana had been cut from the wreckage. She identified pillar 13 - the one into which the Mercedes car crashed. Further, she had a clear image of Diana's funeral ceremony, the arrival of her body at the Abbey, and one of her being laid to rest on the island at Althorp.

And this is Ms Barrett's challenge: these images or visions come to her only when she is in a totally relaxed state - for instance, when she is dreaming. She is now willing to undergo supervised hypnosis and to
take a lie-detector test.

This test, she believes, will establish she did "see" what she claims to have seen - the session under hypnosis will establish beyond any doubt what happened that evening on a motorway in the French capital. "I am willing to swear this on my mother's soul," she said. She says that as a youngster, she foresaw the Stardust tragedy. On the very day of Diana's death, she felt an ominous pressure - a foreboding.

What else? Early into the new millennium, a tidal wave will hit Youghal, Limerick and Waterford. The Irish Stock Exchange will crash next March. The huge dam holding back the might of the River Lee in Cork will
collapse.

But don't the dogs in the street know that in many parts of the world the markets are shaky and stock exchanges, to put it mildly, are jittery? "Yes, but I'm saying when it will happen here. Who else is doing that?"

You believe or you do not believe, but Ms Barrett has people flocking to her for advice on their problems and asking her to predict what may be ahead in their lives.

And so to the cynic's question. With such powers, would it not be possible to clean up on the horses? In a state of hypnosis, Ms Barrett repeated, she would have no bother in rattling off the Lotto numbers. When she was aged seven, a relative would bring her regularly to betting shops where she would scan the field and just as regularly nominate
the winners. That was until her mother put a stop to it. She felt it was no place for a youngster and certainly not the way for one with her powers to go.

But what would stop her from dreaming up the Lotto numbers? Because it is something she does not choose to do, she says.

The next leader of Ireland's white witches doesn't socialise much. Doing so is too distressing. In a crowded place, she can feel the potential suffering of the people around her - those with imminent ifficulties
and looming health problems.

Ms Barrett is the co-designer of a ring, now being patented, that will bring joy, she predicts, to people in severed relationships who have pledged themselves to their new partners. It will be called a "Ring of
Honour". Is that an advertisement? "No, for now, I can say no more."

She says her powers were handed down and she didn't ask for them. "I can do no more than offer to undergo hypnosis and take the lie-detector test."

Madeleine

Madeleine..FASCINATING..Thankyou so much..My memories of Ireland have come to the fore once more.
Blessings,
Crystal.

Dear Dr. Madeleine,

How utterly fascinating!!! Thank you for your lengthy information on White Witches of Ireland!! Summoning up white light to change someones destiny......pretty heady stuff!!!

How interesting that there are always a set number of witches, that one must die for another to qualify. So curious.

Many thanks for sharing so generously,
Annie

Dear Dr. Madeleine

Jolly Good Show !!! !!!

Much LOVE
essence

Yes, it is true that Doreen Valiente has crossed over into Summerland. She was quite a Witch and an author. Her requiem is being written by the Farrars, and here is a url:

http://www.witchcraft.org/doreen.htm

Blessed Be,

Carlo

Oh, Carlo, thanks, and written by the Farrars too? I shall fly over henceforth *on my broom* Thanks so much. Madeleine, that was absolutely fascinating, thanks for sharing.
A fifth generation white witch? Wow! Bet she is absolutely wonderful to talk to...but, oh, she doesn't get out much. That was pretty chilling that she foresaw Diana's death, what a sad vision. I myself have had a few scary ones, but none have come to pass thus far...mostly involving myself, in dreamwork, and from what I understand, I changed the circumstances of fate by changing something in my life. Well, I do ramble on!
Blessings,
Gal

Galadriel,

Thanks for your response! It sounds like you are a "phenomenal dreamer" - my favorite kind. That is when you move into the extraordinary world through the dream and make changes that affect the ordinary world. Very powerful! I'm so very glad you're around to tell us about it. Good Dreaming!

Love,

Madeleine

Merry Meet:

Brightest blessings for this coming Mabon Celebration!
My son's birthday is tomorrow and he's just as exited. As usual we will be observing this at home.

If anyone has any traditions they would like to share, I would be very greatful.

Love, Light and Happiness to All Laureli

Really fascinating thread ... thanks for the information, Dear Madelaine ... -
GAL ... you sure are quite A GAL !!!

and Carlo ... you have mountains of information to share and share and share ... thank you ever so much and please keep'em comin'

LOVE ... druid

Mountains to share, and I will share them with you, dear Capricorn druid

Merry Meet, Laureli! Happy Mabon!!

Mabon stuff...lessee...

Lots of cornbread cakes and cider...

Maybe invest in supplies to make your own mead...

Harvest whatever herbs you may still have growing outdoors...it may be your last chance before the first frost...

Collect leaves that are turning and paraffin them. Dip the leaves quickly into paraffin and then put them on wax paper. When the leaves are dry, you can put them in a big, decorative jar with a sigil for protection carved lightly on some or all of the leaves, or on the jar itself...

Candles should be brown, orange, gold, or red...

Altar cloth making is fun and easy too, and can be made with fall designs...good chance to teach sewing too...

Take a walk by a nearby stream or river and collect stones that have gathered over the Summer to empower for various purposes...

Watch the birds and local animals as they get ready for the Winter...

Wherever you go, do make sure to bring a bag to pick up trash...good to teach kids the appreciation of that yearly, and in the Spring - Imbolc or Oestara - take a trip to the local park with the intent on doing a little Spring cleaning of debris that has accumulated over the Winter months...

That's what my coven does, always involving the kids, and helping them to learn the importance of keeping our Mother clean and happy and shiny and beautiful And through this, I can tell you that I have watched many children grow up to be sweet, thoughtful adolescent and adult Pagans

Blessed Be and Merry Meet Again

To the Gods!

Carlo

!!! !!!