Magic and witchcraft Archives - Hagetisse Wise Woman

A ritual for yule: mother’s night

It’s probably clear by now: yule, midwinter, is an important point in the year for us. During midwinter we find ourselves in the darkest time of the year. After this,…

About the magic in my work and my practice

I had my doubts whether magic is the word to use on my website. It has become quite polluted over the centuries. But to not use it means denying an…

Are the pagan gods and goddesses important in your wise woman’s practice?

One of the questions I get asked a lot is: are pagan gods and goddesses important in your wise woman's practice? Or, alternatively, people just assume that I worship pagan…

Does the veil thin during Samhain? Communing with the otherworld

With Samhain drawing near quickly, you see the memes about the veil being thin around this time of year pop up everywhere. Now, I can imagine with the days getting…

Fate or wyrd and everything it entails: how being in control is an illusion

One aspect of my spiritual practice is an inextricable part of my magic and my practice as a hagetisse. I'm talking about the way I look at how life works,…

What fate, or wyrd, entails: how being completely in control is an illusion

Free choice versus free will: one exists and the other doesn’t

In my earlier blogs on fate or wyrd, I have tried to explain why we can’t really oversee which impact our so-called choices will have on our lives. We are…

Holidays are coming; what my wish list looks like…

Now that we are halfway through November, my family starts to get a bit excited. As I wrote earlier, we celebrate the shortest day quite extensively. The celebrations start the…

How returning to our ancestors worldview helps the earth and ourselves

If there’s one thing that gives me hope for the future, it must be the number of people with Germanic and Celtic roots returning to their ancestors’ worldview. This probably…

Magical tools: the things I use when practising the craft

If you ask me whether I need special, magical tools to practice my craft, the answer is simple and short. No. Strictly speaking, I do not need any special tools…

Practical Magic part 1: rituals and spells, the basics

In my blog about rituals in daily life, I discussed why rituals are so important to people in general and people like me in particular. An appropriate set of rituals…

Practical magic part 2: the element of air

In Part 1 of this series, I discussed general aspects of practical magic. I wrote, among other things, that elements - air, fire, water and earth - are actually always…

Practical magic part 3: the element of fire

In part 1 of this series, I discussed general aspects of practical magic. I wrote, among other things, that elements - air, fire, water and earth - are actually always…

Practical magic part 4: the element of water

In Part 1 of this series, I discussed general aspects of practical magic. I wrote, among other things, that elements - air, fire, water and earth - are actually always…

Practical magic part 5: the element of earth

In Part 1 of this series, I discussed general aspects of practical magic. I wrote, among other things, that elements - air, fire, water and earth - are actually always…

The advantages of fate: the freedom that comes with letting go

I can imagine that my last article about fate was a bit of a shock. For most people who have grown up in our society it takes an 180 degree…

The magic of rituals and their importance to our everyday life

We have all seen one of these documentaries at some point: people - druids, wiccans, witches, etc. – going through more or less complicated procedures during what they call magical…

Traditional and hereditary witchcraft: what’s the difference?

Well, the difference between traditional and hereditary witchcraft is straightforward enough. Or so it seems. This much is true: one who practices hereditary witchcraft is born into a family where…

Where my knowledge comes from

People often ask me where my knowledge comes from. Where doesn’t it come from might be a better question. In my life I have come across the most valuable knowledge…

Why maintaining a balance is important; the way magic works

As I wrote before, many questions I get are about magic. A popular one: what is magic and how do you use it in your practice? Today I’m going to…

Witch or hagetisse: what’s the difference and why aren’t I called a witch?

A question that I get asked a lot is: “You call yourself a hagetisse, but aren’t you really a witch? What's the difference?” I guess that from some perspectives you…

Yule: what Midwinter means to me

Yule’s drawing near. While I don’t follow a specific religious path – wondering why? You can read all about it here– I do celebrate midwinter big time! Since nature and…