Beyond the Surface

Every day, I get an email in my mailbox from google alerts. It includes all blog entries and news stories from that 24 hour period with the word ‘witchcraft’ in it. Aside from the blog posts with the occasional spell, I’ve noticed a disturbing trend in the news. All over the world, innocent people are being stoned, burned and otherwise murdered for witchcraft.

All over the continents of Africa and Asia, in Saudi Arabia, India and in Papua New Guinea, people are still persecuted with a death sentence for practicing witchcraft and the terror and craze that comes over people at the mention of witchcraft still causes innocents to be murdered.

Only this month, a child was accused of witchcraft in the Central African Republic because she had nightmares and walked in her sleep, something that is known as a sleep disorder.

This WEEK alone, A story appeared of two children forced to go through exorcisms because they were accused of being witches. In India, an elderly lady was stripped naked and paraded through the streets in a demonstration against witchcraft. An elderly lady was beaten by a neighbor for supposed witchcraft in Nepal.

I’ve heard witckin often throwing around the phrase “Never again the burning times” but rarely do we ever acknowledge that the burning times are still happening all over the world. These are real life witch hunts that plague parts of the world in which citizens do not have basic human rights.

I call upon my fellow witches - and even concerned individuals who cherish our religious freedom that we use the Power that is ours as witches or even simply human beings to pray, chant, dance, cast spells, raise power and protect these innocents and even true witches who have been prosecuted by the people of their nations. Use the witchcraft, the power of spirit, the religion that is ours by right to protect those who have been accused as if we would protect our own.

Dear gods, cast your web of vibrant power around these precious souls to protect them against the vengeance of hate. Use my tears and my prayers on their behalf to fuel your own vengeance. I offer this energy, this power I raise to fuel the power of these innocents to persevere, survive and to heal.