#famtrad

[clinicalherbalist]

Cherry gum. A good binder for tablets and emulsifier for things that mix oil and water. It’s one of the herbs that is mentioned in my family’s books from the 1600’s. . . . #herbalmedicine #treemedicine #treemagic #famtrad #prunus #herbalists #healing https://www.instagram.com/p/ByVsIEWltRm/?igshid=9sq8l6ibnxc

[clinicalherbalist]

Frontispiece from a book by my grandfather's grandfather's grandfather's grandfather's grandfather's dad, who is called Edmundo de Meara in Latin and Edmund O'Meara in English and Éamon Ó Meadhra in Irish. . . . At the top, there is a glow worm, scuttling along under the light of day, and a motto that says 'In the light she lacks light' and at the bottom we see the glow worm at night, surrounded by a bioluminescent aura, as a hand points a wand towards her. The bottom rocker says "In the darkness she shines" . . . . The author was part of a family who had been hereditary physician/poet/diviners to the Earls of Ormond for centuries, but had lost that place in his lifetime due to politics. He and his household were forced from their home during Cromwell's genocidal campaign in Ireland, and ended up in Bristol as displaced persons, while many of their relatives were killed. That was the darkness. . . Once there he kept practicing his unique sort of medicine, which was a combination of traditional Irish medicine passed down through the family since ancient times, and spagyric medicine (medical alchemy, sort of Hippocrates/Galen/Ibn Sina) that he had studied at Rheims. He became quite successful and sought after, and even managed to sue for the return of his home in Ireland after the restoration. That was the shining in the darkness. . . #herbalmedicine #familyhistory #famtrad #hereditary #nenagh #bristol #tipperary #spagyric

[wildredhare]

I was 3 months pregnant with my daughter (my oldest child) when I dedicated to the coven/tradition I was brought up in. My coven was present at the births of both my children, with my HPS being my doula and my coven sister as her assistant. Both my babes had Witching ceremonies when they were a year old. I recall many rituals with them as infants, sleeping on my chest in their carriers. The kids of the coven have always figured into our magic, both in my original trad and in #americanfolkloricwitchcraft. To some rituals, they were welcome. Some were not appropriate for kids, and so we made arrangements for them. Within AFW, children of corded members are allows to take the green cord at the Age of Reason, the red adoption cord at the Age of Puberty, and the triple cord of a fully raised witch at the Age of Majority. My oldest was 11 when she took the red, and she was the first corded member of AFW aside from me and my ex wife Natalie (the founders). She turns 18 in two months. She won't be ready on her birthday to undergo initiation, but she is actively dedicated to the pursuit of that initiation. My son is 14 and took the green cord when he was 11. He hasn't officially asked to take the red, and we don't push. The choice to be a witch, to be blood bound as family to the coven had to come from the individual. At their Witchings, I made sacred vows to let them choose their own paths, giving them access to my own. I've done my best to honor those vows. How are children incorporated into your trad, if at all? Is there a place for youth in your Craft? #witchesofinstagram #witchcraft #traditionalwitchcraft #americanfolkloricwitchcraft #witchcraftwednesday #familytrad #famtrad

[calyhex]

Why do you pretend to be a hereditary witch just to make other people jealous? There's no such thing as hereditary witchcraft, and calling yourself one is just trying to make yourself better than all the other Wiccans out there!

I can’t say I haven’t been expecting this, with the way my one post from way back when has been circulating.

1. I am not a Wiccan. I have never claimed to be Wiccan, I know very little about Wicca, and haven’t managed to get through one book about it. No offense meant to any Wiccans out there. 

2. I am not “pretending” to be a hereditary witch. I have friends who have met my family and are always a little bemused (I think) on the things that go on. @princess-starr is a skeptic, but she always ends up with a weird story or two. 

3. Wicca is new. There are many other forms of magic and witchcraft that have been passed on, from various faiths and no faiths at all. These can be passed down multiple ways, but through a family is most common. In my family it used to be from one generation to the next, alternating genders. However, Great-Great Grandma Jane feared that it could die out in such a way, and changed it to include all children. Thus, we have survived. 

4. I hear this idea of trying to make non-famtrad./hereditary witches jealous…and I don’t get it! I really don’t. First generation witches come to the craft with no traditions or rules in place. That’s amazing! They don’t have anyone standing over their shoulder critiscising what ingredients their using, or the meter of their incantations and chanting. They don’t have lessons and homework on uses of plants in first grade, or Latin lessons when all you want to be doing is playing with a puppy or going to the pool as a kid. A first generation witch can just whip out a pen and create a spell, then shove it in a spellbook! And they can do this in the first month they practise! Heck, the first day if they like! In contrast, let’s look what happens when I try my hand at spellcrafting.

Well, first you have to study for seven years before you’re allowed to cast anything, and then when you are allowed, you have to be supervised for a year. Trust me, you aren’t doing any beauty spells or get you some spells with your dad over your shoulder. 

In most cases, I have to research (usually for a few days) and cite my sources, including looking for older spells to do the same thing,

 Then it gets debated over the dinner table by my family, where everyone gives me advice (that I probably won’t use anyway) and check my magical theory, and suggest other spells that already exist, which I may or may not have found. 

Then if I continue with it, I am supervised during the first casting by someone (usually my dad or my aunt) taking notes on every single thing I do. 

I then have to track the spell, listing every possible consequence that comes up that could have been associated with it. Every single one. That can take months. 

After I’m done, at least three other people cast it exactly as I did, and track their consequences and results. 

Then after THAT, they rip it apart, trying to make it better/stronger/more efficient what have you, and the process begins again. 

After this, which may be over a year later, sometimes longer if the spell has gone through more than two permutations, I get to cast it again, and if the results that I track this time, line up, then I can ask for it to go into the spell lists. 

A first generation witch also isn’t bound to magical family gatherings that interrupt your life in ways you might not expect. “You can’t go to D&D today, it’s your great-grandmother’s birthday, it doesn’t matter that she’s dead!” “What do you mean you have to work tonight? There’s a casting at eight!” “When are you going to find a nice lass and settle down @calyhex?” “Did you check the cards before you did that?” “No, don’t plant that there!”

Am I saying being a hereditary is a bad thing? No. I’m only saying that first generation witches and fam. trad. witches have differences, and the grass is always a little bit greener. 

Being from a famtrad does not make you witch royalty. It doesn’t give you any power over anyone else (except possibly baby siblings or cousins because seniority or bribery material). It doesn’t make you super-special. It doesn’t make you more powerful than the witch down the street. Literally the only thing it means is that you learned from a different source of information. Being famtrad isn’t better, it’s only different. 

[calyhex]

31 Days of Witchcraft: Day 22

Who are some people that have influenced or inspired you as a practicing witch? Are there any other witches that you admire? 

The biggest inspiration for me was probably Great-Great Grandma Jane, who was the last hedge-witch before me, mostly because it made me feel like it was okay to be a hedge witch, and I wasn’t an anomaly. My grandmother still is, simply because most of the time I have no idea how she keeps all the plates spinning, my mother for the racism she had to suffer through, as well as her abusive past and my Da, who is always such a constant in my life and always there when I need him.

Favorite color? 

It varies. Usually either some sort of seafoam or aqua, blood red, or black.

[calyhex]

Hereditary Witchcraft: What It Means & What It Doesn’t

Hereditary Witchcraft Means:

You are taught witchcraft from at least one living member of your family.

Hereditary Witchcraft Does Not Mean:

You are more powerful than someone who is not hereditary

You are a better witch than someone who is not hereditary

You are somehow more important than someone who is not hereditary.

You do not need to study regularly

Everything will come easier for you, everyone has things that are not strong points.

You are a failure if you can’t learn something easily and someone who is non-hereditary can. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses.

You are a particular religion. Hereditary witchcraft is not a religion, people can have any religion, even within one family. 

You are somehow less important than someone who is nonhereditary.