Q. What is your magic? Does it work? How?
There are a number of sayings about Magic. It is "the act of changing consciousness by Will." It is "the science of coincidence." As the root word of "Witch" indicates, we are shapers and changers; what we shape and change is our own life force, our own consciousness, our health and that of the planet. We believe that we can change our lives by spiritual as well as physical means. Very little is preordained, except that we will die, some day. In the meantime, many Witches do divination to find out the possible directions their lives might take, and then act on the information accordingly.
It works. We can't turn people into frogs or levitate tables by mind-power; we can work healing, change our lives for the better, and discover the workings and balance of the whole system. Our Wills are our tools. "Faith without works is meaningless," and we work in the world, too; we are active in our communities and for the environment, but we back up our actions with magical intent. It is a potent combination.
No. Some of us do not even recognize "black" or "white" Magic; Magic is Magic, and what its nature is depends on how we use it. Think of Magic as being like electricity. You plug things into it which can help (say, an oven to cook dinner in) or harm (such as the electric chair). How it is used depends on the practicioner.And remember that we try to temper all our Magic by the Rede: "'An it harm none, do what ye will."
Q. Do you cast spells?
Yes. That's part of being a Witch. There are those who wish merely to worship the Goddess (and God), observe the turning of the seasons with ritual, and honor the Earth. These are what may be called "Neo-Pagans" (to distinguish them from indigenous, aboriginal pagans). Nearly all Witches are Neo-Pagans (believe it or not, a few Witches are Christian or Jewish); not all Neo-Pagans are Witches.
But it's not the Harry Potter, Magic: the Gathering, or Dungeons and Dragons kind of magic. It works in mysterious ways. Sometimes it will take a completely different from than the caster intended it to. There's no flashing lights or turning people into frogs. At least, not in the real world. ;)
For us, spells and rituals are a matter of arranging elements to encourage a frame of mind conducive to working Magic. This may involve burning candles and/or incense, making talismans of stone or wood or paper, chanting rhymed formulae, using herbs or essential oils, turning down the lights and playing some atmospheric music, or whatever the imagination of the Witch can devise.
The Three-fold law works powerfully here, if someone wishes to curse someone else, the curser must first build up the curse within her/himself, and guess who gets to feel it first! Acts of healing, on the other hand, are acts of profound love, and the healer often finds her/himself healthier after healing someone else. It is always easier to cast a spell on oneself than on another. Only in very limited circumstances, if at all, should a spell be cast on another without that person's knowledge and consent.
No. Can you? Brooms were (in rural Europe) and sometimes still are ridden astride in ceremonies like a hobby horse. In one such ceremony, people ran through the fields astride a broom to coax the grain to grow, or participants would leap over a broom, telling the grain to grow to the height of the highest leaping. Uninformed observations of such ceremonies could lead to tales of flying on brooms. Now, most of us drive cars, walk, take public transportation, and even ride bicycles. Brooms are seen as tools which can have symbolism for the witch.
