Some people are born with special gifts or talents. Some people can sing higher, write better, or run faster than their friends and neighbors. Likewise, we can say that some people are born with a talent related to Witchcraft. Some people can read tarot cards almost instinctively, while others pour over books for hours, trying to discover that mystery. Some can write beautiful rituals and poetry, while others are forced to read out of books or strain over every word. Some people are naturally psychic! I however, must search books and meditate frequently to tap my hidden potential. The fact is that we all have gifts; and yes, some of them might relate to our religion.

However, a "natural witch"? Witchcraft is not about being psychic, or a great diviner, or a writer of lovely rituals. While some people have gifts that can relate to our practice; Witchcraft is a holistic practice, involving the entire life of the practitioner. Witchcraft is a journey, not a privilege of birth. I believe that Witchcraft must involve some degree of work and commitment to be a meaningful spiritual path. That meaning cannot be found through saying, "Well, I'm just born that way" and hanging a pentagram around your neck for effect.

I think that anyone who has endeavored to explore Witchcraft will agree that the work is a part of the learning process. Those who work diligently to learn will also likely become better educated than those who boast only natural ability. Anyone who has run in competition will know that those who have a low or mediocre physical ability can often eventually beat out their naturally gifted competitors; simply by putting in more effort. Natural ability is no match for the intense desire to learn and succeed.

Do we carry our Witchcraft between lives? I cannot pretend to know what happens beyond the veil, although I do have a theory. I do not believe that being a Witch in one life will insure we are one in the next. I also do not believe we will retain our specific knowledge of the Craft from one life to the next. A great tarot reader in this life might not be so great in the next incarnation. Nevertheless, what we do retain is the spirit, which matures and develops as we progress. Thusly I do believe that although we may not always keep our Witchcraft, we do keep our need to grow spiritually. As spiritual beings, we will no doubt continue to seek answers, and perhaps we will again find them in the realm of Witchcraft.

But is it fair to say that self-proclaimed natural witches are trying to get all the "flash" of Witchcraft without any of the work? I am sure that in some cases that is a deserved observation. However, it is quite possible that some of those "natural witches" are simply using a different set of definitions. Many modern Witches consider themselves "natural witches" because they have felt a calling their entire lives towards the craft. Others use "natural" as a synonym for a "hereditary witch." Neither of these two implies that a witch is "born," not made. However, the reverse is often true. I have met a number of pagans who claim to possess a pure and unbroken line of Witchcraft, passed through their many lives. All other forms or Witchcraft are corrupt or new-age fluff. I have met others who are "natural" Witches because they are blessed with true psychic ability, everyone else is faking it.

I am a Witch. I do not have a hereditary link or a pure tradition to my credit. I do not possess "natural" abilities that make me superior or more inclined to be successful. I became a Witch like we all do, through love of Nature and the God/dess. Each book, prayer, and ritual was a step in the journey to who I am.

What could be more natural?

Cheri Andrews - Cheri@wsunix.wsu.edu

Bio: Cheri Andrews is an Ovate in the Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids as well as a practitioner of Witchcraft. She is 19 years old and a student at Washington State University, majoring in Business. You can visit her web site, The Druid's Grove, at: http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~cheri/index.html She enjoys Druidry, writing essays and poetry, and sharing her life with Iolair.

I have been accused of elitism for espousing the Witch from birth idea, but that is not my intent. How many times have you heard a person say "when I read/heard about Witchcraft, it was as if they were explaining everything I already knew"? Many Witches have had the experience of being dissatisfied or not fitting in. Then they discover Witchcraft (usually through Wicca), and suddenly realize that they are not alone. It would seem that these people already were Witches... although they may not have known it.

Before we can discuss the nature of a Witch however, we must first define what a Witch is. This is a difficult task because if you ask three Witches any question, you'll get five answers in return. From my perspective, and in my opinion only, being a Witch is a lifestyle and not a practice. Witches tend to look at the universe holistically and have an intuitive sense of the cycles of the natural world. They know that what is understood with the five senses is not the limit of reality. They can also manipulate their reality by working with balances in nature (magic). In my opinion, Witchcraft is a way of looking at the world and shaping reality that is based on paradigm and divorced from any religion.

Theoretically, a person could be an Atheist Witch, Buddhist Witch, or even a Christian Witch (!). However I feel that Witches would naturally gravitate toward Paganism because there is compatibility between the things that Pagans believe and practice and the things that Witches already know. Wicca is a religion specifically created from the ideas of Witchcraft that draws from many places and traditions. From my view, I would have to say that Wiccans tend to be Witches - although Witches may not be Wiccan.

No one is born as a particular religion, although you may be born into a religious family. The children of Catholic parents aren't automatically Catholic - they become Catholic through baptism, indoctrination, participation, and so on. Those children may choose to stop being Catholic at any point in their lives. So it is with any other faith. But Witchcraft isn't a religion -- it's a way of life. I've often said that being a Witch isn't something that you do, it's something that you are.

So what makes a person a Witch? Is it genetic or environmental? Does it come by birth or through practice? If you're not a Witch now, can you ever be one? If you are one, can you ever stop? The answer to these questions is both simpler and more complex than most people think.

Witchcraft is based on paradigm or worldview. Holding that particular worldview means you are a Witch (even if you don't consider yourself to be one). [Note that I'm not trying to label others against their will, however I think of these people as Witchy people because they match my definition of a Witch. It's a vocabulary issue.] But where does our worldview come from? Whether we are Witches or not, the way we look at things comes from a number of sources:

• Genetics: Research has shown that humans and animals are predisposed by their genes to exhibit certain behaviors. This is still a controversial idea, however I believe that our genes govern some of what we do.

• Environment: Certainly, our environment contributes a great deal to the way we look at things. The way we were raised and the things that influence us have a direct affect on our worldview.

• Behavior: We can alter our worldview through our own behavior. Like changing an old habit, we can work to have a different perspective.

• Psychic ability: When you can sense things that others don't, it definitely has an affect on your worldview. This is true whether you believe that psychic ability runs in families or is latent in everyone.

• Past life experience: Many people believe in reincarnation. Tied to this is the idea that your behavior can be influenced not only by your here and now lineage, but also the lineage of your past lives.

Those people who discover their Witchy nature (or a longing for a Witchy nature) later in life have a great challenge ahead of them. They must overcome a lot of early programming and slowly teach themselves how to alter their perspective. This is something that sounds simple, but is actually very difficult. I also believe that, because of our society, it is much easier to lose that worldview than cultivate it. Pressure from all sides can make the effort of living a Witch's life too difficult.

This is the reason that I believe most Witches are born. Always having sensed their difference, they have a firmer base to stand on. Being ostracized, they know themselves well. They can't help these things and eventually recognize it. Some would choose the path of least resistance if they could -- but they can't. The truth is that people who are born with a tendency toward Witchcraft will be more likely to persue it than those who don't. And so, for many people, discovering Witchcraft is like coming home.

Will a young person with that nature automatically be able to levitate objects, change appearances magically, or float through the air as portrayed in the movie? No. Being a Witch doesn't exclude someone from the hard work and dedication it takes to live as a Witch: to cultivate that special way of looking at the world and make magic work for you. But it is true that there are people who have always seen the world in that special way and who have always felt different. They are Witches... perhaps you are one of them.

Ivy V. - bryn@chisp.net

Bio: Ivy is a solitary Witch and eclectic Pagan of a generic sort. She's been practicing over a decade now (since the age of thirteen or so). She is a writer in both her spare time and her career. She is currently working on a series of essays like the above.

When we talk about being a witch, we are overwhelmed with images of candles, circles, cats, herbs, tarot, etc. We are immediately curious as to the degree of the witch, or her specialty, or her lineage. But none of these things makes the witch what she is. A witch is the care-taker of the Earth, a teacher of the Craft (either through example of lecture), a conduit of energy and a self-recognized manifestation of the Goddess. As witches, we assume these roles almost without thinking about them, and they become so ingrained into our lifestyles that we take them for granted. While perfecting our magickal or occult arts, and amidst the strain to realize our mystical goals, we forget the hard work that went into building our souls and making them suitable for carrying out the work of the Goddess, when this is the real craft of the witch. If this is true, why do we ask whether witches are born or made? Can we not be born witches and still be completely, one hundred percent natural?

Witchcraft ( or, if you prefer, Wiccan Witchcraft) is a way of life. It is a mentality, a spirituality, a philosophy and a code of ethics. It is a method of thinking, believing, feeling and acting that incorporates body, soul and mind to the energy flows of the Earth, the Cosmos and those beings around us. When a person learns, either through study, practice or coincidence, to feel the energy around him, to direct that energy, flow with it and accord his actions with the most positive use of that energy, he has become a witch. He has become able to respect life, to live peacefully, to make sound judgments (most of the time) and to respect the Earth.

How we come to be this person is something of a mystery. Some of us seem to be born with it; others of us seem to grapple with these notions constantly, never really sure if we've made peace or not. Many people have called the first group of people "natural witches." I, for one, think the term is laughable. After all, have you ever heard of an unnatural witch? A synthetic witch, perhaps?

Because of the world we live in, we have glamorized and completely dramatized what it is to be a witch. Even those of us that should know better still think of the spell-caster, the great diviner, the powerful wizard or sorcerer. We still expect witches to have "powers beyond reality." We neglect the mundane but still terribly important aspects of real witches: caring, giving, teaching, guiding. It is almost as if these properties are meaningless unless they work right along side the more "mystical" aspects of the witch. If we understood that these aspects are just as crucial to being a witch as the magickal aspects, then we would never have to ask the question, "Are there any natural witches?" A better question might be, "Are there any natural magicians?" for it seems that it is the magick aspect that we are questioning. But when we recognize witchcraft as a lifestyle and philosophy, we have to understand though we grow into it and develop it, it is always a part of us, and therefore always natural.

The power of the witch is something that is found deep within ourselves, but how we learn to manifest that power is different in each person. The Goddess grants us the power--but it is up to us to learn to develop it. A true witch is neither born nor made--it is something that we evolve into through our experience. We do not make ourselves witches, but we allow the Goddess to lead us into it. We, through our own free will, become witches through realizing our natural ability. Becoming a witch is not difficult, but it is hard work. It requires personal experience, study, dedication and discipline. It requires us to look into ourselves, to master our talents and to use them to benefit others. It requires us to conquer the beasts inside us that tell us, "You will never amount to anything."

We none of us is born witches. We do not pop out of the womb with athame in hand, or Book of Shadows in the backpack. But we all are born with the potential--though many choose not to use it. Perhaps it scares them. Perhaps they don't want the responsibility that witches take upon themselves. Perhaps they do not believe. Either way, it is not the ability that hinders them: it is the lack of desire. It is the lack of passion.

Not all witches have the same talents. There are witches that cast terrible circles, and there are witches that are lousy diviners and there are witches that never learn to "get the spell right". Some of us are Teaching Witches. Others of us may be Healing Witches. But regardless of what labels we give ourselves, we earn the title witch because we studied, we loved, we learned, we sacrificed and we grew. And because we did those things, and because we lived up to our best possible human potential, we are all natural witches. Trying to make ourselves the best we can be is the most natural thing in the world.

Alaine VioletMoon - violetmoon@geocities.com

Bio: Alaine is a Wiccan Witch and ordained Minister living in Austin, Texas. She is a writer, singer, songwriter, child care assistant and tarot reader. She had practiced the Craft for three years, though she has been a witch forever. (This isn't the first time!) She enjoys reaching out to others in the community, both on-line and in real life, and hopes that through her writing and teaching she can help others find their own path.

Web Site: http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Parthenon/8048